First Love Only Love (The Life 2)

“I’m calling the cops; your ass is going to jail bitch.” Victoria was a mess. Her lip was bleeding, and it looked like she’d lost some hair. That swollen eye is going to be black soon. I bet my sneer didn’t help matters any.

“Go ahead, call them if you want your mother to rot.”

“You don’t scare me; go ahead. My mother can take care of herself, but how will you keep your precious slut from joining her behind bars?”

“Oh no, you don’t!” I had to grab Ali to stop her from going after her again.

“No, Gabriel, I’m not done with her yet.”

“Yes, you are. As for you, I’m not worried about my girl being locked up; it’ll never happen in this town. Just know that after you call the cops, you’ll have to find somewhere else to live.”

“What’re you talking about?” I wasn’t ready to play that card yet, so I just played with her head.

“Why don’t you call them and find out?”

The twins had been looking at their phones the whole time, and I was about to go in on them for recording before I realized that that’s not what they were doing. Then I heard the engine outside and knew what they’d done. “He can’t save you two. Let’s go. Victoria, you should go clean yourself up; you look a mess. Come along you.” I took Gianna’s hand and led her from the room with the twins following behind us while Victoria spewed venom at all of us.

We reached the door just in time to see Lance reaching for the doorbell. “Funny seeing you here. Did you know they were doing this?”

“Don’t be an ass. Would I let them come here alone? You two get in the damn car.” Okay, he’s pissed enough to convince me he hadn’t known. I wasn’t surprised when the twins walked obediently to his car. He’s about the only one outside of Pop and I who can bring them to heel.

I got my little scrapper settled in the passenger seat with her seat belt on before closing the door and walking around to get in. I was taking my time because I needed to work off the fear that still had a hold on me. “You’re mad. I knew you would be; that’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“Don’t lie. You didn’t tell me because you knew I would’ve forbidden you from coming here. I understand why you did it, but I still want to tan your ass. Are you insane?” I guess my anger is still burning hot. “What if she’d hit you? You want me to go to jail?”

“I wasn’t thinking about….”

“That’s just it; you weren’t thinking. Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go there?”

“I didn’t know. I just got so mad because of what she said about my mom.”

“I know that I saw it too; I was going to take care of it.” Ah, shit! How could I have missed a step? She’s always so gentle, so meek even; how was I to know she’d come here like this? I should’ve known Victoria’s last attack would strike a nerve, but because I already had my plans in play, I didn’t stop to think of how Gianna would react.

I reached for her hand to let her know that I wasn’t mad at her, just pissed at the situation. I never wanted her to get her hands dirty, not with slime like that, but I understood. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her fingers.

“Don’t scare me like that again, baby. How did you get out of the house anyway?” She didn’t answer, and I looked at her as we pulled onto the driveway.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Say no more; my sisters helped you.”

I was about to light into them when I left the car, but it looked like Lancelot had already dealt with it. Anna had tears in her eyes, and Rosa ran into the house. “Go inside with your sister, damn fool.” Lance pointed Anna up the steps, and she obeyed without argument. What the hell?

VICTORIA

I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill all of them. There was a wild fury building inside me, a pressure that needed release soon or I’d explode, so I screamed. It didn’t do much, but at the very least, it helped ease some of the pressure from my head and chest. The air around me thickened, making my head spin as I made my way up the stairs to my room, all the while fighting back the tears that I refused to let fall. Tears are for the weak, like Gia.

I stood in front of the mirror in my room, assessing the damage and feeling both angry and embarrassed. I can’t believe I let her do this to me and in front of Gabriel Russo, no less. Now that it was over, I thought of all the things I should’ve done to her, but I’ve never been much of a fighter; then again, neither has she. Where the hell did she learn to fight like that?