I was in penthouse five. Angelo said they were in penthouse four, which was to my left, where a red and black beach towel with the Portofino logo hung over the railing.
I stood in front of the railing, arms out at my sides, and closed my eyes. The wind tousled my hair, blowing strands into my face. It felt good to be alone with my thoughts. This was the first time I had a moment to myself.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to cry.
When I was younger, I was angry about being alone. Dad drove my mom away because of his business with the Lucianos. And I wasn’t allowed to have friends outside of our social circle.
During one of our sessions, my therapist told me to close my eyes and scream.
It worked.
I instantly felt better.
So I gripped the railing and screamed so loud my ears rang when I finished. And then I let go again and again until my chest ached.
“Hey,” a man called out. “Are you all right over there?”
I looked to the left, surprised to see Stefan standing on his patio. He hopped over the fence separating our places and strutted over to me. Stefan approached me wearing a pair of black Gucci sweatpants, shirtless. Dark ink spread across his chest and biceps, down past the waistband of his pants.
Chiseled to perfection, he had a body made for sin and the face of an angel. He was so damn good looking I melted whenever he looked directly at me. And it wasn’t just his looks because Nico was much prettier than his brothers.
“I’m okay.” Throwing my hands onto my hips, I held his gaze. “You didn’t have to come over here.”
Stefan put his hand on my shoulder. “Why were you screaming?”
I shrugged. “It’s something I do when I’m stressed.”
“Seriously?” Laughter shook through him as he tipped his head back. “If I scream whenever I’m stressed out, they’d lock me in the looney bin.”
“Try it before you knock it.”
He studied my face as if trying to extract every thought from my brain.
“C’mon.” I tugged on his arm. “Try it with me. It’s an instant stress reliever.”
He was fucking cute, especially when he smiled. His brothers mostly smirked or frowned, with not much in between. But Stefan wasn’t like them.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” Stefan said after a long pause of contemplation.
We stood beside each other, clutching the railing as we stared at the Atlantic Ocean. Despite all the violence in the city, this place was peaceful, an escape from reality.
Stefan glanced over at me out of the corner of his eye. That adorable smile tugged at the corners of his full, pink lips, which popped against his skin.
“On the count of one, two, three.”
And then we both yelled into the darkness, unleashing all of our anger on the ocean. Our voices carried with the wind and disappeared just as quickly as the cool breeze.
“That was weird.” He shook his head. “But you’re right. I feel better.”
I shrugged. “I’m usually right.”
“Oh, you’re one of those girls? Think you know better.” He folded his arms over his muscled chest, making it hard for me to focus. “Look, I know you’re scared. You would be an idiot not to be afraid. But this can work with us.”
“Work how?” I rolled my eyes. “Is this your way of trying to get into my pants?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I’m not like Angelo.”