Page 146 of When She Falls (The Fallen)
“He’s running things while Papà’s in jail, but he doesn’t want to be here. He says he’s in love with some princess.”
My eyes widen. “A princess? What does that mean?”
“She’sliterallya princess. Royalty from some European country. Not Switzerland, but maybe Sweden? I don’t know. You know geography was my worst subject.”
“So what does this mean?”
“It means she’s the reason he doesn’t want to come back. Or one of them at least.”
My stomach sinks. Vince and Papà made their succession plan ages ago. Sounds like Vince was already involved with this woman back then, and yet he didn’t say a word about her to me. I’m starting to get the sense I don’t know my brother nearly as well as I thought I did.
“Vince had the decency to look ashamed after I went off on him,” Cleo continues. “I think he regrets manipulating you with Papà, but he’s not exactly embracing his responsibilities. He’s working overtime trying to convince Rafaele to still go through with the deal.”
I rub my forehead. It’s as big of a mess as I’d expected.
“I don’t think you should come back for a while,” Cleo says. “When he went to see Papà he said he’s going to kill Ras the next time he sees him.”
Panic squeezes around my lungs. He won’t. I won’t let him do anything to Ras.
“Are you okay wherever you are?” Cleo asks.
“Yes, I’m safe here.”
“Ras is taking care of you?”
“Yeah.” But at what cost?
“How is he? How are you two getting along?”
Well, I’ve thoroughly fallen for him, and I think it was in the cards all along. A fuzzy memory from Ibiza surfaces—his thumb brushing over my skin, his lips forming the words,“Who did this to you?”
I shut my eyes and clear my throat. “We’re making it work. Does Papà really not have any way of getting out without Rafaele’s help?”
“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t sound like it. Apparently, there were multiple rats. I don’t know who, but they gave the Feds a lot of stuff on Papà.”
“So unless I come back, Papà will stay in prison.”
“Which is exactly where he belongs,” she says harshly. “Gemma…” She exhales. “Gem, when he hit you in his office right before you left… That wasn’t the first time, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I didn’t notice.”
“I hid it from you.”
“No, I’ve been a bitch. I’ve been so self-absorbed that I failed to notice what was right in front of me. I feel horrible about it. You deserve a better sister.”
My eyes well up with tears. “You were going through your own stuff.”
“I was rebelling just to piss Papà off, while you were getting beaten by him and being forced to marry a man you do not want. We are not the same,” she says, her tone threaded with bitterness. “Thank God for Ras. When I heard the sounds coming from the office, and then when I saw you… God,” she says, her voice breaking. “I’ve never been so scared, Gem. Not even when Rafaele killed Ludovico a foot away from me.”
I take a deep breath and try to rein in my emotions. “It’s okay, Cleo. I’m safe now.”
“I love you so much. You know I’d do anything for you, right? I see things more clearly now, and when you come back, I promise things won’t be the way they used to be.”
I take a moment to compose myself, letting her words sink in. “I know. I love you too.” Ras will be back soon, so I need to wrap this up. “What do you think I should do?”
“Whatever you want. You don’t owe anyone anything.”
