Me:Reggie.
Luciano:Are you kidding me! Sure man. I would love to have Reggie stay with me. I can show him all my new paintings, plus don’t forget I have the new exhibit next week. You said you would come.
Me:I will be there. Also, I need you to be at the house this Saturday when I arrive back home. Have Sal set up the basement.
Luciano:???
Me:Because Dwayne is with Reggie.
Luciano:Come on Gio. That was a long time ago. Let it go, man.
Me:I will…after.
I knew Luc wouldn’t respond. Luc was a pacifist. He hated violence. He wasn’t opposed to it; he just preferred a more gentlemanly way of dealing with things. Plus, Luciano had a way of making anyone feel comfortable enough to talk. If anyone could get to the bottom of the big mystery, it would be Luciano.
In all honesty, looking at Reggie now, I had a hard time seeing him as a biker or a member of any club. Dwayne, yes. Reginald, no. Where Dwayne was rough and crass, Reggie was kind and intelligent. In fact, Reginald was just starting his senior year of college when he left. He only had two more semesters before graduating. For months all he could talk about was what he planned on doing after graduation. Now, he was a member of a motorcycle club?
I didn’t buy it for one minute.
If it were just him and me on the plane, I would make Reggie tell me what was going on, but not with Dwayne around. Reggie always deferred to his older brother.
The stronger one.
The one who listened to nobody.
Me:Bambina, are you still friends with the dean at school?
Illyria:yes???
Me:Have him pull Reggie’s records and send them to me.
Illyria:Why???
Me:Because I asked you too.
Illyria:fine.
Me:How did the Chem test go?
Illyria:I don’t want to talk about it. Gotta go. Bye.
“Reggie, we need to get your guest settled in a seat.”
“I’ll go get her.”
Moments later, Reggie returned with the woman in question. She indeed was beautiful with her long wavy blonde hair and striking gray eyes that looked to have seen too many horrors this world held. And when those gray eyes landed on mine, something unfurled deep within me. It was almost as if she could see the real me, the one I kept hidden from the world, even my family.
I said nothing as Reggie placed her in the seat next to me, the only one left available to her. “Layla, this is my cousin Giovanni Valentinetti. Don’t worry, he is a lot nicer than he looks. He won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Where are we going?” her soft whisper of a voice caressed my ears. She wasn’t what I expected. I could tell she had nothing to do with the Golden Skulls, yet she was the sister to one of the members. Typically, women associated with motorcycle clubs were a lot stronger, not timid, and soft-spoken. Her small hands gripped the armrest tightly. I could see the whites of her knuckles. Her breathing had become labored as she tried to calm the raging storm within her. Whatever happened to this young woman wasn’t pleasant, and from what I saw, I felt a strong urge to avenge her. I didn’t take anyone harming a female, regardless of who they were. Especially an innocent one.
“We’re heading to New York City for a little bit, then we’re going home to Chicago. Gio has been gracious enough to host us while we stay there.”
As she turned to me, I stared.
She was stunning. Her soft pale skin glowed like creamy froth. Her plump rosy lips formed the perfect bow, emphasizing her high cheekbones and striking gray eyes. She looked more like a beautiful butterfly than a real human being, and when she tried to smile, I could see the fear hidden behind her eyes.
She was scared of me.