King of Stars (The Next Generation #2)

23. Stella

Chapter 23

Stella

T he day felt never ending, even though it wasn’t even nine o'clock yet. Maybe there was such a thing as Fausti time. It seemed like something was always going on. The family was big, and I was starting to learn how complex.

Matteo pressed against my back as we seemed to breeze through the kitchen. Chloe’s tear-streaked and swollen face was the last thing I saw as we turned the corner and started to climb the steps. There was a little landing, and sunlight pooled on it, those tiny specks of dust floating in it. I could see the land unfolding in front of me for what seemed like miles, and all those bright flowers seemed to carpet it. I could see why Chloe enjoyed painting it.

I tugged on Matteo’s hand before we started on the steps again. “Do you think your mom is getting through to Chloe?”

He stared at me for a second. “Do you think Massimo is innocent?”

I thought about that for a second. “I do.”

“Tell me why.”

“Why…” I thought for another second. “I could tell by your mom’s face. And it seems like Rosaria will do a lot of things to get control of this family.”

“You catch on quick, baby.” He touched my chin. “I knew from the moment you ran from me that you were intelligent.”

Intelligent. There was a word no one had ever called me before. Mom used to call me smart. I snorted. “Are you saying I’m smart because I ran from you?”

“Am I?” He lifted his thick eyebrows.

“I’m not sure if what I did was intelligent or not, but my survival skills are intense. I couldn’t tell if you wanted to kill me or really help me. I went with the safer bet.”

“The devil you knew.”

I’d never heard it put that way. “Yeah, I did. But you’re not the devil, Matteo. The opposite for me. I swore if you ever came back for me, I’d never run from you again.”

“You should ask my enemies if they feel the same,” he said, then answered the last part of my comment. “Where’s the fucking fun in that?”

I laughed. “You like catching me, huh?”

He squeezed my hand and started leading me up the steps. “It’s like catching a falling star. The most exhilarating moments of my life—and when you’re safe in my arms, the best moments of my life.”

It didn’t sit right at all to call what this man had said to me cute, or sweet, or anything sugary like that.

Intense.

Romantic.

Passionate.

Those suited him like a custom-made suit not every man could wear. I sighed as we took the last step and then headed toward Matteo’s room. He opened the door for me, then stood in the doorway.

“Are you not coming in?” I asked.

He shook his head slowly. “I have to take care of a few things.”

“Will you be long?”

“No.” He crossed the room, wrapped his arms around my body, and pulled me in so close, it was hard to breathe. He kissed me until I went weak in his arms. “Tell me you’ll stay on the property, and if you decide to take a walk, you’ll let one of the men know. Evelina didn’t set the perimeters of the watch to alert us when you went outside of the property. She thought you’d stay put. She didn’t factor in Magpie. You go outside of these limits again, we’ll all know right away.”

“Okay,” I breathed out, feeling dazed. “I’m feeling a little tired anyway.”

“You can trust me, Stella. La mia parola è buona come il mio sangue. ”

“Your word is as good as your blood.”

He nodded. “Is yours?”

“For you? Yes. One hundred percent yes .”

He kissed me on the lips so softly, they tingled. He said something in Italian, then, “That’s because you are my blood.” And with that, he left me alone.

I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I was a little tired but feeling more wired by the second. I had a feeling the business Matteo went to attend to was the guy with the gun we’d hit.

How fucking odd.

Did he know we were coming? Was he waiting? And if so, how would he know? The drive wasn’t planned. I hadn’t even told Matteo. Magpie seemed to have gotten past the guards, and no one knew. Except the guy with a gun.

That seemed to be the story of my life.

A guy with a gun…

Pokes me in the back to make me walk faster…

Puts it against my temple and laughs…

Points it at a rat and then at me, only to blow the rat up and have the blood splatter on my face…

Threatens to fuck me with the barrel if I don’t do what he says…

Points it at me and ends my joy ride.

Matteo didn’t give me orders to stay put. He gave me boundaries for my safety. I knew the Nemours and the Russians were actively searching for me, and they wouldn’t rest until either I was locked up again or dead. And Matteo was taking every precaution to keep me safe while also trying to give me the freedom I never had.

I’d promised myself I wouldn’t run from him again, if he ever came back for me, and I was making another promise to do all I could to keep him and myself safe. I didn’t want to walk without him, or do much without him, and whatever was going on downstairs—between Chloe and Massimo—wasn’t any of my business. But I still couldn’t help feeling sorry for Chloe and Massimo. Rocco too. It seemed like he was emotionally invested in his son’s happiness, and it was draining him, since it seemed like his wife was doing the spending.

Sighing, I plopped down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. The cool air from the fan breezed against my face, making the small hairs around my head tickle me. For a second, I was back in our old trailer, the one mom was so proud of.

She’d cleaned it from top to bottom, added new paint, carpet, even new cabinets. She’d dated a carpenter for a short time. I remembered him doing all the woodwork. I’d bring him glasses of cold water. He was really nice, but after about a year, mom dumped him.

“I only want to concentrate on you. He has kids, and, well, those are his kids. I know it would be nice for you to have siblings, but they’re blood related, you’re not. I’m not mad at it, but I don’t want you to be treated differently or feel differently. It’s just us, Bestie Boo. You’ll always come first to me. ” She had set the fan on osculate, and we let it breeze over us before we had started dinner. Tacos.

She made simple dishes because she had no clue how to cook. But one thing about my mom, she was a determined woman. Once she set her mind to something, she did it. Right before she’d left me in Paris, she could make petit fours better than the bakery in town.

So, knowing all she’d said to me was true, her leaving me made as much sense as the guy with the gun in the road. The mystery behind it all stopped me in my tracks, and it not only confused the hell out of me, it scared the hell out of me.

Why did she leave me?

Before the razor-sharp question of my life could rip me open a little deeper, a noise at the door had me turning over on my stomach. A long yellow envelope was magically in the room with me, slipped underneath the door. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to open it. What if it was from Rosaria? Maybe she might send me pictures I didn’t want to see. The house was in chaos, the sound of crying and hearts breaking coming from every corner. But then I remembered the envelope Magpie had in the car.

Turning the ring on my left finger, I decided to grab it.

“That’s from me,” a whispered, fake deep voice said to the door.

I jumped, and the envelope slapped against my heart.

“Sorry!” The voice came through a lot brighter this time. “It’s me, Noemi, and that’s the script I came here to give you!”

I opened the door, and she smiled at me.

“I guess my deep voice didn’t sound like me? I was trying to be quiet. All the shit that’s going on here today…it seemed trivial to leave the script, but…I came all this way…”

I lifted it. “It’s great, thank you. It’ll give me something to do.”

She looked over my shoulder. “Matteo left?”

“Yeah, he had some business.”

“Yeah, business,” she mumbled. “Would you like some company?”

Company sounded great. I wouldn’t be stuck thinking about things I couldn’t change—right then. I stepped aside and she came in, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“From what Magpie read in the car, I love the script.”

“GOOD!” She made a fist and punched the air. “I’m telling you, Stella, as far as looks, you have what it takes. I just need to hear you read some of the story to me.”

“Okay.” I shrugged.

Over the next fifteen minutes, I looked over the most dramatic parts of the script and read it out loud to her. This was no different, really, from the dances I did. I felt those too and was able to lose myself to them easily. The reason why was easy too. I longed to be someone else then.

How different life looked for me.

I’d kill not to be anyone else after Matteo came back for me.

Still, the ability to tap into that part of myself was easy. It was like walking over an invisible line that separated reality from fantasy— back and forth.

Noemi dabbed her eyes with her shirt. “I knew it,” she whispered. “I just knew it. You’re a natural, Stella. It’s like finding a diamond in the rough. You’re a natural.”

A knock came at the door. We both jumped a little and then turned as it opened.

“Why is she crying?” Evelina asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Noemi.

Noemi dabbed her eyes. “Because she just gave an Oscar-worthy performance, and I was the only witness to it.”

Evelina’s eyes searched the room, and not long after, they focused on the script and then nodded. “Okay, as long as you’re not making her sniff onions.” She stepped in the room and took a seat next to Noemi on the bed. She looked at me. “Did Matteo tell you about the changes with your watch?”

“I have parameters now.”

“Yes!” She nodded. “I didn’t think Magpie would whisk you away so fast, but I should have known. She’s a free spirit. Do you want to hear more about the watch? We can go over a few more things.”

I handed her my wrist, and she pulled me closer. We didn’t go over a few things, but it seemed like a million things. I hoped I could remember them all. Then something dawned on me. Something she said about tracking me in Paris.

Besides Matteo’s jacket, there was only one other thing that could have gotten in with me. “Matteo’s ring,” I said. “That’s how he was tracking me?”

Evelina nodded, and I knew a bunch of information was about to spill forward. She got this heated look in her eyes before she spilled technical information. “Saverio had figured out a way to get—er, sort of like radio frequency in the trackers. We heard you!”

“You heard me?” I asked.

“Only once. The reception was horrible. He’s going to work on it more.”

I wanted to groan in embarrassment. What did I say? Oh man. Worse! What if it was a high-fiber night and I did something in front of these people I could never take back? Sometimes that food made me so gassy! I planned on spending my entire life not doing anything like that in front of Matteo. And he might have heard me through radio osmosis! Stars might be big gas balls, but I didn’t want to be!

Kill. Me. Now.

“I see what’s going on in here.”

We all turned at the new voice.

“And what I want to know is…why wasn’t I invited?” Mia smiled and then flung herself on the bed, making it bounce. “We all know I’m the life of the party!”

Evelina leaned over and gave her a loud smooch on the head.

I needed something to cool my mortification. I decided to turn the conversation. “How long have you all been friends?”

“All of our lives, basically.” Noemi pointed at Evelina. “Her mom’s best friend, Kee, is my auntie. My dad’s sister. That’s how my mom and dad met. At Evelina’s parent’s wedding.”

“And your mom is related to the Faustis,” I said.

“Through marriage,” Noemi said. “My mom’s great aunt is Grazia—on my mom’s father’s side.”

“Small world,” I whispered.

Mia patted the spot next to her. “And it’s growing so much bigger in the sweetest way—I have a new sister.”

“And a new sister for me too.” Evelina waved her hand.

“A new cousin for me!” Noemi stood. “I’ll brave the kitchen for snacks!”

She came back with her arms filled ten minutes later, and a minute later, one of the soldiers, the one they all called OTGJ—behind his back—came in and set more food around the room. Oscar the Grouch Jr. I had to admit, he did look like the character. He just looked naturally…grouchy. I think it had something to do with the set of his thick eyebrows.

Mia nudged me. “It’s like resting bitch face, but OTGJ style.”

“What’s resting bitch face?” I took a cookie from the platter and stuffed it in my mouth.

“Let me show her what it is!” Noemi dusted crumbs from her boobs. “My mom is the queen of this!” She showed me, and then exploded with laughter.

We all did. Because OTGJ was trying to mimic her.

“He has a crush on Noemi,” Evelina whispered in my ear after he’d gone.

“That’s sweet,” I whispered.

“So many men around here.” Mia shrugged. “It happens.”

“I noticed that,” I said. “So many Fausti men.”

Mia laughed. “Let me tell you about that.”

She went into detail about how the Fausti family has more boys than girls. She said it was up in the air about women born to the family, whether they had more boys than girls, because there wasn’t a lot of them to go on. And Aunt Lola, who was Luca’s aunt, didn’t have any children of her own. Mia had twin boys, and she didn’t know if the baby she was carrying was a boy or girl. I remembered Ava touching on the subject, but compared to what I needed to learn, maybe it wasn’t all that important. Just a fun fact, or something.

The room grew quiet, as if all the air had been sucked of it, when a dark shadow loomed over us in the doorway.

Matteo.

He was covered in blood.

“Come on,” Evelina whispered to Noemi. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. “Time to go.”

Neither of them looked at Matteo as they side-stepped him. I was on my feet next, followed by Mia. She didn’t hustle around him like Evelina and Noemi. She went to touch his shoulder but decided not to at the last minute. As she went to pass him, he grabbed her wrist and refused to let her go. He nodded toward me and said something in Italian to her. It took her a second, but she finally nodded.

She cleared her throat. “My brother—Matteo—wants me to translate for him.”

He said something in Italian.

“‘I wear the blood of my heart’s enemy,’” she said, her eyes on him while his eyes were on me. “‘An enemy that came to rip my heart from my chest. My heart that has a name. Estella.’”

He hit his chest and spoke in his language again.

“‘I have killed in your honor. I will always kill in your honor. I will never allow anyone to hurt Estella, if I have it in my power to do so.’” Mia repeated the words, and then, maybe, sensing her part had come to an end, squeezed his shoulder and left, quietly shutting the door behind her.

The room was suddenly moody feeling. Not entirely dark, but not entirely bright either. I was in the bright light, though, and he was in the dark part. I understood my place in his life like never before in that second. I burned for him in his darkest moments. I wasn’t sure what to do, though, when he came in looking that way. The words he couldn’t say in any language but his… I was overwhelmed and paralyzed by emotions too deep for me to breathe through.

He said something in Italian again, and then cleared his throat. “Benediction is yours alone to give me.”

He took the few steps toward me, and when he dropped to his knees, all I could do was reach out and let my fingers graze his hair before I set my hands there.

He looked up at me, and I looked down at him. His eyes were so honest, yes honest, and maybe troubled. Something inside of me yearned to save him, and for the first time in my life, I felt the need to take a man in my arms and rock him, kiss him, make it all better.

“I refuse to wait,” he whispered. “I call you my heart, but I need to call you my wife, or I might die.”

“You want to get married before the year?”

“As soon as we can. A year is a life sentence for me.”

“Me too,” I whispered, then sighed. “What if we have something small, as soon as possible, then have the wedding we planned in December?”

“You’re saying yes.”

“Yes, Matteo Fausti, I’m saying yes . Fate said yes even before I knew you, I’m coming to learn. I’m saying yes now. And my future is saying yes to forever.”

“To always.”

“Always,” I whispered.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in so hard, I had to use his wide shoulders to keep on my feet. He breathed me in, placed a kiss on my stomach, then stood, towering over me. Our eyes locked, and I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted him to carry me. I opened my arms, and he came into them, picking me up. He carried me to the bathroom, where I washed all the blood from his skin, making him clean again.