Chapter12
Aliyana
I listen to Marco's words, and snort as I leave the door, and let the two of them discuss their shit. I send Mero a message to not come back here, and tell Michel to get a car ready for tomorrow. There is no way I am handing my friend to Marco Catelli.
A quick text to an old friend and I am well on my way to getting back to my sister. This weekend is important and if all goes to plan it might be the last one, I have with her for a while. Because Papa will not be happy when he finds out what I did.
"If you think for a moment you are fooling anyone with the way you look at my man you are more stupid than you think."
"You are hurting me Camilla. Please." I walk in just in time to see Camilla with her claws in my sister, and Guilia's arm twisted. Camilla's eyes widen and she lets my sister go.
Not thinking, I march up to her and she stands her ground as I slap her across the face. She is taller than me, and dressed in a powerful suit. And then there is me,
"You are stupid thinking you can touch my sister." She moves to slap me, but I grab her wrist mid-way, spinning her around by the same arm, I kick her with my barefoot on the crease behind her knee. She falls and makes a soft sound.
I bend down close to her ear, "I have taken men bigger than you, and dropped them just like this. Touch my sister again and I will slit your throat while Marco watches," I push her on the floor and spit on the side of her head.
Mischa runs inside and sees Camilla on the floor, "Why is Aunt Camimi on the floor?."
I smile at the girl as I walk closer to her and bend down, "Aunt Camilla is looking for her earing sweetheart. I'm going upstairs now with my sister, would you like to join?"
She smiles and her cheeks are so cute, I touch her nose, "No, I want daddy."
The way she says it tugs at my heartstrings and reminds me so much of myself. I was just like her, my father's daughter.
"Your daddy is on the side of the house, if you scream, he will come."
I wink at her as I get up and she giggles, "You pretty," She says, as I stand to my full height.
"Thanks kid, so are you, go find your daddy."
"Guilia, let's go." We leave Camilla standing there and I take my sister and move to the staircase.
She makes a turn to go to her room, "Guilia, come to my room." I leave no crumbs for argument and I have never spoken to my sister in this way.
She is older than me and she has always been the one who was stern. But what I saw today, is not good.
It was time my sister knew a few things about me, and the first was that I have never been the kid she thought I was. I have had death on my conscious since I was 12 years old. Maybe not exactly that, but she could count on me to protect her.
I close the door and lock it behind me, and see her standing in the middle of designated bedroom, ringing her fingers together.
"I suggest you start talking, what happened in there?"
She bursts into tears and I tilt my head, but walk over to her, knowing hurt can be a crippling thing. I hug her, "Papa wouldn't be happy to see you crying, Filippo would be furious, and well you already know how I feel about it."
"You should not be fighting my battles for me, you are the younger sister." She sniffs and I let her go and take a step back, "Tutti abbiamo bisogno di aiuto a volte, Guilia." We all need help sometimes, Guilia.
She smiles at me but it is so defeated that my own secret, the one which could have eased her heart sits heavy in the room.
"Even big sisters it seems." She whispers and touches my cheek with her palm. I watch Guilia as she paces in my bedroom.
"How did you learn to fight like that?" She is more curious than worried, so I take that as a good sign.
"That is a loaded question. But a short answer, I grew up with 4 boys."
She smiles, "Well, that was freaking awesome how you just took Camilla on. She isn't that bad you know."
"I don't know, that is why I'm asking you."
"When Leonardo and I first got engaged, I was miserable, and I couldn't really come to you, or talk to Ilaria, so I found another way to deal with it."
I arch my brow, waiting to hear more. My attention doesn't waver from my sister.
"I started shadowing Marco, BUT only when he was around. And Camilla was always there, but I was careful."
"You mean stalking?" I can't help but laugh. She sighs and it's dramatic, just like the Guilia I know.
"It was hardly stalking. It was observing from afar."
I put my hands up in peace, "Okay, Observing."
"So one day we were at a party at the Rasetto's place and Leonardo saw me watching Marco. He told me that he knew I had a crush on Marco, but it was cute, as long as I KNEW I was his and didn't act out on it. But by then I was falling in love with Leonardo," She cringes,
"But before I could say anything Camilla walked in, and Leonardo doesn't like her, so he left me alone with her. She waited for him to go and the minute he was far away, she started ranting about how I am a little girl wanting to claw my way into the Catelli's home and in Marco's life, I told her it wasn't like that but she went crazy."
I say nothing, but judging by Guilia's wild eyes, there is more.
"So for the last five months every opportunity Camilla has alone with me, she brings it up, and if I even look at Marco or he talks to me she goes ballistic."
"That is insane. Why don't you tell Papa?"
Guilia stares, long and hard at me, and her eyes drop and I already know the answer to that, "You slept with Leonardo didn't you?"
"Aliyana."
"I don't have feelings for Leonardo Guilia, haven't had them for a long time, if ever."
She nods her head, agreeing with me, "I know, you and Marco. I saw the two of you that night just before Ren's funeral kissing."
I open my mouth but Guilia holds her hand up, "I don't know what happened between you too, and yes, at the time it hurt me, but when I saw you and the way he looked at you Liya, I felt this yearning for that."
I swallow hard at the memory of it all. It was so long ago, that I don't even know who that girl is any more. The girl who fell for a man that took with no intention of giving anything back.
"There was nothing to yearn for, if you must know, I was led to believe he was going to marry me, and as you can see that was never in his cards."
She walks over to me and wraps her arms around me, "Why have we never spoken like this before?"
"We never needed to I guess. Camilla can't keep bullying you, we need to do something about it."
"What?" She releases her hold on me, and I look up to my sister, "For starters, we get ready for bed, and sleep. And tomorrow we decide what we will do with the She demon, and that is going to take a phone call to Kylie. She is the queen of lessons. Also, on a lighter note you look rather sexy in that red get up."
Guilia smiles, "Kylie equals trouble with a capital T, I'm in. And thanks, but tomorrow remember to dress up for lunch."
We get ready for bed, and Guilia jumps under the covers, I got one foot on the bed when she gives me that pouty face I know all too well.
"Now?" I ask her. She blushes her eyebrows.
"Seriously Guilia, the kitchen is like on the end of a city."
"You are exaggerating, please Liya." I tighten my lips and cast a longing look to the bed before going back downstairs.
I get downstairs, and not surprised everyone is still awake since it is only past 10.
Sneaking to the kitchen in my emoticon pj's and hair tied on top of my head, I inwardly berate myself for confessing my past with Marco to Guilia.
Guilt from confessing a truth you try to forget is a sour taste. Opening the double door industrial fridge, I see 2 gallons of milk, the one is half full so I take that one.
"Whatever you thinking about doing to Camilla, don't."
I drop the milk getting the shock of my life. Leonardo walks up to me and picks it up.
"Thanks." I take it from him, but he doesn't let go so easily.
"As much as I want to strangle her, my brother will take her side, and that can be a problem, I suggest if you want to do anything it would be an indirect sabotage."
"You were listening to our conversation?"
He shrugs as he relaxes his lean body, I once drooled over against the stone counters, "I make it a habit to know what my future wife is up to at all times."
"That is barbaric." My feet feel the pinch of the cold tiles as I move around the kitchen getting two glasses of milk.
"Camilla is barbaric. I thought Guilia with all her fire would have put the bitch in her place."
"Sometimes it isn't that easy."
"You made it look rather simple when you took her down. There is camera's everywhere in the house, you should be more careful where you decide to show true colors."
"You are talking in riddles."
"Nope, I am talking in facts. You made an enemy with Camilla, and you might be a queen but she is not called a she demon for nothing. Pour your milk Aliyana and thank you for standing up for what is mine. I owe you."
He walks out and I frown, reeling in his words. When a made-man says he owes you, that means he owes you big time. I pour the milk, trying to figure out what he meant. For a playboy he sure as hell knows how to leave a woman guessing.
One thing is sure though, Camilla is a problem I don't need now.