After a week of the same routine, only here now in my wing with Meadow added into the mix, I was done. I had more than enough of Dion and Kylian watching my every single move. But not today. Today I was free!

Meadow was at school, and Kylian had to ‘babysit’ Sasha and Ilya, so they didn’t blow themselves up. The only one remaining, after that, was Dion, oh, sweet Dion. It was as if a higher power was guiding me, because just when I needed help to escape, Alessio unexpectedly required Dion’s help with some important Clinic-related tasks. So, I found myself completely alone, with not a soul in sight.

Casting away the crutches, I stood up and slowly worked to stretch out my legs. There was a little pain, but nothing that I couldn’t just walk off. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with my newfound freedom, but I didn’t want to waste it. I was totally going to escape this place, maybe go for a reckless drive with the windows down and the wind in my hair. I needed to do something that wasn’t being confined here any longer.  

If I got caught by Kylian or Dion, it was going to be all over for me, and I knew that. With that information in the back of my mind, I moved out of my wing, and around the compound carefully. The slight limp to my step was driving me mad, and I wanted it to stop, but I couldn’t just force all my body weight back on the leg.

“Where do you think you’re sneaking off to, Nikki?” I heard Alexi, my older brother, ask, his voice breaking the surrounding silence.

“Hmm. Good question.” I muttered.

“So, since you’re not actually busy, you can come along with me,” Alexi said, and set his hand on my lower back, pushing me toward the garage with him.

“Where?” I questioned him, narrowing my eyes.

“Geez, you act like I’m a criminal or something, Nikki.” Alexi grunted.

“Or something.” I said.

Alexi rolled his eyes, as he unlocked the car, and got in. Opening my door, I hissed, getting down into the seat of the stupid sports car. It was just one of many that my brother owned. Our father had ‘left’ him a fuck ton of older sports cars and muscle cars. But Alexi didn’t care for them, not even in the slightest. Andrei, our uncle, was the one who looked after them, and most likely this car too.

Closing the door, I buckled up. Turning to look at Alexi, he had this smile on his face that I really didn’t like too much. “If whatever this is kills me, I’ll fucking haunt you.” I sighed.

“Mom, kill you? Eh, I doubt it. She couldn’t kill our father, so I’m sure even after all this, you’re more than fine.” Alexi laughed, as he backed out of the garage and started driving towards the gate.

“Where does mom fit in on this?” I asked. 

“Mom and I made plans to do lunch today, right about now at Nonna’s Diner, and you just interrupted at a good time. She was just complaining to me about how she wanted to see you, but you would probably ignore her.” Alexi said and opened the car up once he was through the gates.

I double-checked my seatbelt, the rough fabric scratching against my hands, and let out a shaky sigh. “Right. I’ve been avoiding her, but it’s not because I don’t want to see her; she’s our mother. I love her very much. I didn’t want her to criticize me for not being intelligent and getting stabbed.”

“She wouldn’t---No, you’re right she would.” Alexi chuckled.

I turned the radio up in the car so I wouldn’t have to continue this conversation any longer. Alexi was just as bad as our mother, if not worse. Letting my head rest against the headrest, I looked out the windshield.

“You realize when you get back, your boyfriends are going to lock you away,” Alexi said after turning down the radio when we pulled into the parking lot at the diner.

“Locked away is probably putting it lightly, Alexi. Have you met Kylian?” I hissed and opened the door of the car. “Here and there is both a predator’s den. I would just rather our mother.”

“I’m so telling mom you said that, Nikki.”

“Do it, I dare you.” I said and grunted as I forced myself out of the car. My thigh was unhappy with all this movement now, and I could feel my heartbeat in my knee and surrounding space. Biting the inner section of my cheek, I continued inside, Alexi leading the way.

Our mother was sat at a booth, having a cup of coffee, and Caio was across from her, though her face was glued to her phone. Matteo had turned into her honorary child, and to be honest, I found it amusing to watch my mother parent my adult cousin, just because she could. Caio turned and saw us before our own mother did, and he didn’t hide the look of disapproval on his face.

“Please tell me that Kylian is aware you have his ‘thing’.” Caio said, and our mother finally looked up from her phone where she had her face glued.

“Nope, I stole it.” Alexi said and sat beside our mother.

Matteo came from the kitchen with a different chair and set it by the booth. “It’s nice to see you, Nikki. Though I don’t think you should walk on that, but ignoring that for a moment, I saw your ‘friend’. He’s pretty handsome.” Matteo said and smiled.

“Oh, Dion, yes, he is handsome. But scary too. When I get home, I really don’t know what one to avoid, Dion or Kylian. I think they will both try to chain me down at this point.” I said, sitting down in the chair, and catching the look of annoyance on our mother’s face.

“I’d say use what you’ve got, but you’re still wounded, so I doubt that will work.” Matteo said, before he took all our orders, and gave Caio a kiss before heading back into the kitchen. Caio followed him back to the kitchen.

Arms crossed on the table in front of her, our mother spoke. “How is your leg doing now?”

“It’s healing.” I said, avoiding eye contact with her.

“That’s good. At least you’re healing after your stupid stunt.” She said and lowered her voice a bit. “Your brother said you have two gentlemen staying with you and Meadow.”

“Gentlemen…. Eh, maybe one. The other is not that. Dion and Kylian, Meadow likes them being there and they are good with her.” I said, and she frowned. Before she could chew me out about them being around Meadow, Alexi changed the conversation, and they discussed other things, like Creed’s birthday.

Matteo brought out our lunch and set it down on the table before he rushed back to the kitchen, a light blush on his cheeks.

Bite. Chew. Swallow. Drink and repeat.

Bite. Chew. Swallow. Drink and repeat. 

Bite. Chew. Swallow. Drink and repeat. 

I kept this up right until my food was gone, and I got up, taking my dishes to the kitchen, limping along the entire way. Matteo took the plates and shook his head at me. “You should rest that leg.”

“I know, thanks for lunch, I’m going to tuck a couple bucks in the register,” I said, heading back out of the kitchen, stopping at the till long enough to pull out my wallet, and remove two hundred in cash and tucking it into the till.

Acutely aware of my phone ringing in my pocket, I stepped outside to answer it, knowing it was going to be one of a handful of people, and I was definitely getting yelled at.

“Afternoon,” I said, answering the phone without checking who exactly I was dealing with.

“Afternoon…” The voice belonging to one Ilya Russo mocked me on the phone. “Do you enjoy living, or are we just having a fuck it kind of day?”

“Depends. What do you need from me?” I asked.

 I heard Ilya chuckle. “I need nothing from you. I guess I called to warn you, perhaps, that you might have a slightly angry man speeding to your current location, and yeah. That’s all I know of the matter. Ciao.” He said, and the line went dead.

Alexi was taking his sweet time inside with our mother, and I had a funny feeling that either he ratted me out, or he knew Kylian was coming to get my ass, and not in a good way. Leaning against the wall of the dinner, I was happy that it still felt alive and nothing had chanced, other than the name to honour Nonna. Nonna’s Diner.

It crossed my mind whether Dion knew I had left a piece of information I wondered if Kylian had shared, or if he was keeping it a secret. It made no difference. I figured he’d find out soon, whether it was now or later.

Alexi joined me outside. “Not running away from him?”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that. I’ll limp this way and you tell him I went that way, yeah?” I said, pretty sure he tattled me on. Running was pointless. Kylian would pursue me relentlessly. His predatory nature was clear; I sensed it. His reaction to me running would be to chase me and make a game out of it, if I were foolish enough to try. That was undeniable.

The SUV he was driving spit gravel when he flew into the driveway and hit the brakes. Even before he left his car, I sensed his gaze upon me. Placing a comforting pat on my shoulder, Alexi informed me he would see me later, then promptly entered his car and sped away before the show had a chance to truly begin.

“I think you should get in the fucking car, Nikki.” Kylian said, and his voice was eerily calm, and that was worse than if he had actually yelled at me.

“I agree.” I said, and made my way to the SUV, getting in and closing the door behind me.