As I passed by my mother, I gave her a short wave and headed straight out the front door to my house.
I was beyond upset. I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to ask me to go back there! It irritated me to my core, but I stood up for myself. What an adrenaline rush!
I pushed through the front door as soon as I got home. It looked like everyone except Violet had gone out for the day. She was watching television, so I headed to the kitchen and started pulling out bowls and ingredients from the cabinets. I needed and wanted chocolate chip cookies.
It didn’t take Violet very long to come and see what was up.
“What’s going on?” Violet asked as she entered the kitchen.
I stopped what I was doing and just stared at her.
“Oh my gosh, why is your face red? What the hell happened?”
I grabbed a spatula and slammed it on the counter.
“My father just had the nerve to tell me I was going to be moving back to New Jersey!” I grabbed the eggs and milk out of the refrigerator and slammed it shut.
“Wait! What?” Violet looked stunned. “After everything that has happened, he still wants you to move back? Is he crazy?”
“Apparently! I told him no! I told him I wasn’t going back, and then I just walked out the door,” I said as I half threw, half slid the milk on the counter and sat the eggs down.
“Wow Lily, I’m proud of you, you go girl!” she said as she pumped her fist in the air.
“You know what Vi.” I stopped and just looked at her. “I’m just so pissed right now, but I’m proud of myself. I actually said no and meant it this time. I just can’t believe he would have the nerve to even ask me to go back there! After everything that happened to me! Just makes me so damn mad!” I was so livid that I started to cry.
“Don’t cry Lily,” Violet said as she walked around and put her arms around me and pulled me in close. I hadn’t realized I was shaking until she held me tight enough to steady me. “You never have to do anything else you don’t want to. I won’t let you.”
Violet was my rock. She always said the right things exactly when I needed them. It took me a few more moments to gain some control of my emotions.
“Thank you, Violet.” I smiled at her. “Thank you for always having my back.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly before she grabbed the flour and started helping me with the cookies.
***
The next day I said goodbye to my brothers and their families as they headed back home. I’ve heard the saying, “you love to see them coming, but you love to see them going,” and that was how I felt. They had been here for a little over a week and a half, and I was so glad to see them go, but I knew before they even walked through their own front doors, I would already be missing them.
Violet left the day after my family, so the week went by slowly. She said she was going to spend some time with her family and I was glad. Sometimes I felt like I occupied most of her time and I never wanted her to not spend time with them.
Dante stayed around the house with me. His arm was healing nicely and he was excited to start physical therapy soon to build the strength back up in his arm and shoulder.
My mother had come by to see me several times over the week. I let her know straight away that I didn’t want to hear any messages from my father, or any reasoning as to why I should or shouldn’t move back to New Jersey. She complied, probably not wanting to talk about it anymore than I did.
Lucas and I had been texting every day since Emilio had left for New Jersey, and I talked to him as much as possible on the phone. I felt so guilty for ignoring Lucas while Emilio was here and even guiltier for letting myself get lost in Emilio again. I had to make up for it.
Lucas said Emilio had been keeping him busy and told me he missed me and couldn’t wait to see me again. Each day I told myself today would be the day I would tell him I wasn’t coming back, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Violet returned on Saturday. I couldn’t tell who was more excited to see her, me or Dante. I would say me, but I think it was a tie. We felt complete again.
I woke up Monday morning by the doorbell ringing multiple times. I was beyond pissed when I jumped out of bed and started heading downstairs. I was praying that it wasn’t my father who would greet me at the door.
I heard Dante and Violet both rise and not so quietly murmur choice words. I swung the front door open ready to fight when I met his stormy gray eyes.
“Emilio,” I said with shock and relief in my voice. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in New Jersey?”
“I was,” he said as he flashed his mischievous grin at me, “but I missed you and wanted to come and check on you.”
Dante cleared his throat behind me. I jumped and Emilio laughed.
“And of course Dante and Violet as well,” Emilio added.
I hated to admit it, but I was so happy to see him standing there. I had missed him more than I thought and my heart beat with excitement. I hadn’t really had a good night’s sleep since he left me. I hated that I had missed him, but I couldn’t stop myself either. I threw my arms around him. He pulled me in tight, nestling his face in my neck. The feel of his breath on it sent goosebumps spreading like wildfire all over my body.
“I missed you,” I whispered in his ear. He squeezed me a little tighter before letting me go. I ushered him into the house just as Violet was walking down the steps.
“How are you doing, Violet?” Emilio asked.
“I'm good,” she mumbled at him. “I would be a lot better if a certain person didn’t decide to ring the doorbell a million times this morning.”
He laughed whole heartedly before telling her sarcastically that she was welcome.
“And you Lily?” he asked, turning his attention toward me.
“I'm doing much better. I have good days, and I have bad days, but the good days are starting to outweigh the bad ones. I still miss Roman like crazy every day. I just think there will always be an empty void in my heart that he occupied.” I placed my hand over my heart like I could hold it and heal it from just a touch.
“Me too,” Emilio said and we both smiled. “Anyways, I'm about to go see my family for a little bit, but I wanted to talk to Lily for a moment if you both don’t mind?”
Why would he need to talk to me?
Dante and Violet said their goodbyes and retreated back upstairs, probably thankful Emilio wanted to talk to me and not them. I was jealous. They were headed back to their beds. But, I was curious and nervous as to what Emilio had come back into town to talk to me about.
“Is something wrong?” I asked as I headed toward the living room.
“I need to talk to you about something,” he spoke cautiously as I stood there looking confused. “And I don’t want you to get mad at me, but please just hear me out before you speak okay?”
“Okay,” I responded, but I wasn’t going to be making any promises.
“Your father called me the other day,” he started.
Shit! I was not going to listen to this. I started to say something, but Emilio quickly hushed me.
“Please just hear me out. I know you don’t want to move back to New Jersey. I wouldn’t either if I was in your shoes and had been through all the shit you have been through, but we really need you there.
“I have been working really hard on the new house. You will be safe. I have installed state of the art security, cameras everywhere, and everyone who comes onto the property has their own codes. If anyone even bats an eyelash at the fence around the house, an alarm will sound immediately. It might be annoying at first with the new security, but it’s all for your safety.”
I was glad I hadn’t sat down just yet, because I turned and headed straight back toward the front door.
“You need to leave,” I said as I opened the door. He shut the door immediately.
“I’m not leaving,” he said sternly. “You’re going to listen to me.”
/>
I thought I had been excited to see him, but my heart lied.
“Liliana, please?” he pleaded.
“So, you didn’t come back because you missed me,” I stated. “You came back because my stubborn father wanted you to talk me into going back.” Anger shook throughout my voice. This was so typical. When one can’t get the job done, they send the other one in.
“No, that is not it at all. Your father doesn’t even know I’m here. I really wanted to see you and I miss…,” I held up my hand to stop him.
“Save it,” I snapped at him. “I’m not going back Emilio. I’m telling you exactly what I told my father. I AM NOT GOING BACK!” I yelled at him. “I was almost killed when I was there, I lost one of my best friends, and I almost lost my brother. That place holds too many terrible memories.
“I don’t care how much my father needs me there, or that it’s a new house with the best security systems. Roman will be everywhere I go there.” I started crying. I was so angry. “I can’t go back there. Please don’t make me!” I pleaded.
Emilio’s arms wrapped around me and pulled me in close before I had time to protest. How many tears can one person have in their body? I would have thought by now I would have cried them all out.
“I know how you feel Lily,” he whispered. “It was hard going back. I see him everywhere.”
“Then why would you ask me to go back?”
“Because I can’t protect you here.” He sighed as he pulled away from me and tilted my chin toward his face. He was hesitating and fighting with himself on what he wanted to say. It was written all over his face.
“I don’t need protecting,” I scolded him.
“I’m going to tell you something, but you can’t freak out, okay?”
I looked at him like he was crazy. What could he possibly have to tell me that I would freak out about?
“Fine.”
“You remember when you asked me about the Heinrichs, and I told you they weren’t anything more than unfriendly businessmen?”
I nodded my head.
“They aren’t just unfriendly businessmen.”
“I got that,” I said sarcastically.
“They are…,” He paused, looking a little panicked.
“Well, spit it out!” I snapped at him.
“They’re after you,” he started to yell, but quickly brought his voice down.
“After me?” I asked shocked.
I had heard the guys talking about me that one day, but I didn’t know that the Heinrichs were actually after me.
“They have a problem with your father, and they’re trying to leverage your safety to put pressure on him. We can’t protect you here. Your father is the only one here.
“In Jersey, you will have me, your brothers, and Lucas. The Heinrichs know you live here and that you’re not as,” he said and then paused for a moment, “protected here as you would be there. That’s why your father had you move to New Jersey in the first place.” Emilio’s eyes widened with his own words like he wasn’t supposed to say that. I was sure my eyes were just as wide.
“I'm so confused,” I confessed. “So you’re saying my father sent me away on purpose, because they’re after me to hurt him, and…I think I need a drink.” I turned and headed toward the kitchen.
“We’re a hundred percent sure they’re the ones who attacked us at the house,” Emilio said as I was halfway down the hall, “both times.”
I stopped and faced him as he continued.
“We put our guards down and they took advantage of it,” he admitted.
Yeah, I was definitely going to need that drink.
Emilio and I spent the next hour talking about everything. I asked him why we just didn’t go to the police and have them handle it. He said it was our problem and we would handle them ourselves. If they were behind the attacks at the house, then that meant one of them attacked me at Halloween, the others attacked us at the Christmas party, and one of them killed Roman.
We talked about a lot of things, but I knew Emilio and he wasn’t telling me the whole story. It took me awhile, but I finally agreed to go back. I wasn’t completely happy about it, but Emilio said I couldn’t help them by being here. I would have thought the fact that there were people out there trying to find me would have scared me to death or shocked me, but that wasn’t the most craziest thing I had heard tonight.
The reason my father had sent me to New Jersey was to protect me and not torture me. That was the biggest surprise of the night. For the first time, I felt like my father really did love me, somewhere deep down.
Chapter 17
The sound of the tires hitting the runway jarred me awake. I must have fallen asleep on the flight. I couldn’t believe how fast the last week had flown by.
This morning I had to say goodbye to Violet for the second time in a year. She decided on her own to stay behind. I didn’t blame her, and I didn’t push her to join me. I told her she was more than welcome at the house anytime she wanted to come and visit. She said she would be seeing us very soon and that made me feel better.
Dante and Violet’s goodbye was hard to watch. Their silent, intimate moment was so pure and full of love. I knew this had to be destroying them.
Dante was staring out the window when I looked up at him. I nudged him and he turned and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and then he turned back to the window. He looked sad. Maybe he was thinking about Roman or Violet, or the fact that we were both in the last place either of us wanted to be.
“Is everything okay?” I asked him as I laid my hand on his shoulder. He nodded and then shrugged my hand off. I needed reassurance and support just like he did. I decided I wouldn’t push it with him right now. Once he was ready he would let me know.
I twisted my necklace a few times before I let it fall onto my chest. I found myself doing that a lot lately. It was my new nervous habit.
I had a lot on my mind. I would be living with Emilio again, but Lucas was going to be my new companion, or ‘bodyguard.’ It was hard enough trying to sort through my feelings between the two when they were apart. Now with them being together all the time, this was going to be impossible. I was already dreading the two awkward moments of each day ahead of me. Each morning Lucas would take over and then each afternoon Emilio would take back over. Maybe Dante could help a girl out on this one.
Dante and I headed straight for baggage claim as soon as we stepped off the plane. Most of our things were being shipped in, but we had still brought as much with us as we could.
Emilio was waiting for us after we exited baggage claim. As soon as our eyes met, his face lit up and a stunning smile erupted across his face. I could feel the smile spread across my face too.
I half ran, half walked toward him. He picked me up and held me tight. Even though I didn’t know what our relationship exactly was anymore, I had moved on from my hate for him, to missing him terribly when he was away.
We loaded the black SUV with our luggage and headed toward our new house. The skyline of New York disappeared behind us. I knew we weren’t going back to Hoboken when we went a different direction after going through the tunnel into New Jersey. We drove for a while, passing towns, until we arrived in a city called Monroe.
It was a beautiful community. I secretly hoped this was the place, and I was correct. We turned down several streets and drove a little more before we came across a beautiful two-story brick home with a gorgeous gate surrounding it.
Emilio pulled up, typed in a key code, and then it asked him to say his name.
Awesome, a voice activated system!
Then something slipped out and Emilio leaned over and placed his thumb on it. A green check mark appeared on the screen and the gates opened. Emilio wasn’t kidding when he said he had upgraded the security system.
The house was even more beautiful the closer we got. It was an enormous two-story modern ranch home with a complete wraparound porch.
There w
ere windows all along the first floor and three triangular square windows on the second floor. The three car detached garage was attached to the house through a covered walkway. The house reminded me of our old house, yet very different. The house had a black roof with black trim, but the house itself was white with red shutters and a red front door. It was an odd choice of colors for the outside of a home, but it worked beautifully together.
“What do you think?” Emilio asked as he came around the back side of the SUV holding my luggage for me.
“It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled. “Now come on and check out the inside.”
When I walked through the front door, I was extremely impressed. It definitely didn’t look like the other house. The other house was earth toned, but this one’s theme was the same inside as it was outside.
The walls were a crisp white with beautiful, elaborate crown molding. The entire bottom floor was a complete open floor plan. I loved how I could see from one end of the house to the other. The stairs were the first thing to greet me besides the large foyer. Not only did we have a set going up to the second floor, but we had a set going down, probably leading to a basement.
The dining room was right off the foyer on my right, which was next to the kitchen. The kitchen had white cabinets with black granite counter tops and black appliances. The breakfast nook, pantry, and laundry room were past the kitchen. To the left of the kitchen was a set of French doors, which led out onto the biggest screened-in porch I had ever seen. That was definitely going to become my favorite place in this house.
The backyard was amazing! There was a magnificent stone porch that had a built-in matching Jacuzzi that was just as big, if not bigger, than a small sized pool. I was going to have to place bets on how many people we could actually fit into it.
The rest of the backyard had multiple trees spread throughout the property. I saw an old oak tree that had a swing hanging from it not too far from the porch. I just found my second favorite spot once the winter weather gave us a beautiful day. I didn’t want to tear myself away, but I needed to finish looking at the rest of the house.
When I walked back into the kitchen, there was a small office on the left. It was the only space on the bottom floor that actually had four walls. There was a half-bath located right off of it, with a door that led to the living room on the other side, convenient for both.