Apollo pulls over and switches the car off. He turns around to face me, though I notice that he doesn’t take his glasses off like Daniella did.
“Look, I’m sorry for all those things I said at the house. I got over excited, and I really don’t want to lose my motorcycle.” He shrugs as though that’s an explanation and gets out of the car.
Daniella has already opened my door and firmly guides me out. I think about running and whether I could get away from them. They seem to be quite proficient at kidnapping people.
Daniella sees my expression and laughs. “Come on. It’s fine.”
They guide me into the apartment block and up to the top floor, where Rafaela meets us.
She looks surprised, and I realize that she didn’t send them to get me. My heart hurts when I look at her, though I notice she looks as much of a mess as I do.
“Heather?” she whispers, confusion and agony in her voice.
I swallow hard as Apollo and Daniella maneuver me into her apartment, looking incredibly pleased with themselves.
Eighteen
Rafaela
I don’t understand.
When I answer the door and see Heather standing on the other side, my heart starts hammering in my chest. I never thought I’d see her again, and now she’s standing right outside my apartment.
I try to step forward but my legs won’t work properly. I grip the doorframe and stare at her in confusion.
“Heather?” I whisper.
Before I can say anything else, Apollo and Daniella appear on either side of her and maneuver her into my apartment. Suddenly, I realize what has happened.
“Did…did you two kidnap her?” I ask in utter horror. They stand sheepishly but also look rather proud of themselves. The look of fear on Heather’s face confirms my suspicion.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you did this. Apollo is this what you meant by “I’ll sort everything out”?”
“I’m so glad you aren’t behind this.” Heather’s voice is small, but she starts to relax as she realizes that I wasn’t the driving force behind all of this.
I usher her to the couch and turn to glare at Apollo and Daniella. Daniella at least has the good grace to look mildly apologetic, but Apollo wouldn’t know his own bad behavior if it looked him dead in the eye in a dark alley in Queens.
I turn back to Heather and sit delicately beside her on the couch. I debate whether to take her hand or not, and eventually suck up the courage to place my palm over the back of her hand. I sigh in relief when she turns her hand upwards to grip mine lightly.
“It did start off as a bet, but I got to know you and Emma, really know you. More than I’ve ever known anyone else in my life, and then I realized that I’ve fallen for you. For real,” I say quietly.
Heather swallows hard. I see that she’s struggling to believe me, but I plow on. I need Heather to understand everything that has happened, I need her to know that I love her more than anything else.
“I gave up the family business. I told my father to suck it, to give the wretched thing to Stefano. I told him that I choose you, that I will choose you every time.”
“How very romantic.” I think that Heather is being sarcastic but as I sneak a peek up at her face I see a small smile playing around her lips.
“Well you know me, ever the hopeless romantic,” I joke weakly. She appreciates my efforts though, and squeezes my hand again.
“Is that the truth?” She asks me suddenly. I nod hard, willing her to believe me.
“It is.” We turn around when Daniella speaks, and Apollo also nods in confirmation. “You should’ve seen her crying in the car when you left and then you weren’t at home.”
“It was pretty horrifying,” Apollo adds, and I glare at him again. “Hang on, we’ll prove it.”
He pulls out his cell phone and quickly dials a number, putting it on speakerphone. As it picks up, I realize he’s called Stefano.
“Stefano. Tell Heather how your sister whipped your ass into shape after you said those disgusting things to her.” I recognize Apollo’s cold voice as the one he usually uses on our rivals, and judging from Stefano’s stutter and Daniella’s smirk I know they recognize it too.