Chapter 2 A Dangerous Proposition

Izzy used the tip of her fingers to trace the edge of the business card that Santino had slipped into her palm, its sharp corners slightly pricking her skin. She stared at it for a moment, a weird sensation stirring in her chest somehow, she felt connected to him on some level, though she also acknowledged some red flags that screamed warning.

Giovanni's acute voice interrupted her thoughts. "You aren't seriously considering what he said, right?" His tone was thick with disbelief and irritation.

Izzy pulled her gaze from the card and looked at her brother. "I'm not hiding anything, Giovanni. I don't know why he called me but I won't let him use me." She was convincing herself more than him. Her voice was confident but in his head, she was sure that Santino DeLuca was a hell of a lot more dangerous than her brother was letting on.

Giovanni's face darkened with intensity. "You are missing the point, Izzy. The DeLucas are playing a game and obviously they don't give a damn who happens to get hurt in their way, most particularly you."

She clenched her jaw, patience thinning. "I can take care of myself, Giovanni. I don't need you to protect me from some man I don't even know." she managed to say.

Giovanni grabbed her wrist, tightening his fingers around her flesh. "You don't have the choice to pick when you participate in this mess. It's your birth-right, Izzy. You can't just walk away like it's nothing. You can't" he said.

Before she could reply, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Giovanni, let her go." it echoed

Izzy turned to find Sofia a few feet away, standing poised and purposeful, her eyes darting between the two siblings. An unreadable look crossed her face as she stared at Izzy, then looked back at Giovanni.

"Izzy's not a kid," Sofia said, keeping her tone low and calm. "She doesn't need you to protect her. And if Santino truly wants her, there's really nothing, absolutely nothing the two of us can do about it."

Izzy's heart skipped a beat hearing Sofia's words. She didn't know what shocked her more, the truth of what Sofia had said or the numbness in her voice as she spoke.

Giovanni released his grip on Izzy's wrist, his jaw tight with frustration. "I'm not involving her in this mess. Not like you were."

Sofia's lips twitched, but she did not say a word. Instead, she spun on her heels and went away, her heels clacking against the marble floor like the clock tick.

Izzy felt guilty about the deal for a moment, but that feeling passed when she understood what was really going on. The DeLucas weren't after her family's power, they were after her. And no matter how much she tried to deny it, she could not ignore the way Santino had looked at her. He was magnetic in more than one sense, provoking her in a manner she could not possibly explain.

She looked at the business card again, her eyes still holding onto it.

Later that night, long after the party had ended and her brother had retreated to his study to attend to some family affairs, Izzy found herself pacing the living room of their family estate. The card had burned a hole in her pocket to make her decide.

Why was she even thinking about it? She had declared herself done with that world. Done with chaos, constant watches, and the crime little by little. So why did the idea of Santino DeLuca, a man she hardly knew seem like an irresistible force?

Her mind flashed back to when he had looked at her across the room, his intense gaze freezing on her like a predator about to pounce. There was no denying it: Santino DeLuca was dangerous, but he was something else too irresistible.

The phone vibrated on the coffee table, pulling her back to reality. An annoyed she sighed and reached for it. It was a message from Giovanni.

Giovanni: I'm coming over. Don't make any decisions without me.

Izzy rolled her eyes. There was no way her brother was going to control her every move. She shot off a quick reply.

Izzy: I'm not a child, Giovanni. You can't control me.

She hit send then, before she could perhaps change her mind, tossed the phone aside. She needed some clarity, needed to stop feeling so torn. She stood up and walked over to the big window that overlooked the city, her mind still racing.

A loud knock at the door interrupted her again. This one seemed more urgent. Her heart missed a beat.

She opened the door to be met by Sofia, who was standing there, stiff as a post and her look betrayed nothing.

"You're not here to give me a warning, aren't you?" Izzy asked, her voice was sharp.

Sofia stepped inside, not waiting for an invitation. Her eyes flicked over the room as if to make sure they were alone. "I have a message delivery. From Santino."

Izzy's pulse quickened. "I thought he wasn't interested in my family."

Sofia's lips twisted into a little, sour smile. "Santino doesn't do things like other people. You should have realized that a long time ago." She paused, eyes drifting around the room till they landed on Izzy. "He wants to see you. He says it's time you found out what's really going on."

Izzy's breath caught in her throat. "What does that mean?"

Sofia's expression tightened. "I don't know. But if it's Santino, nothing is ever just a conversation."

Izzy felt her legs weaken, a knot twisting in her stomach. She had known Santino for less than an hour, and already it was driving her into a game over which she had no control. Was this the life her brother wanted for her?Was this the world she fought to be part of, no matter how hard she had fought?

"Why come to me?" Izzy whispered. "Why not just let him do what he does best, take over, frighten and manipulate?"

Sofia's eyes got narrowed and her voice grew harder. "Because Santino is not like your brother. He doesn't want to use force, not yet. He's trying to create something. And as much as you may hate it, Izzy, you're in that plan now."

Izzy clenched her fists at her sides, racing thoughts in her head. "What if I don't?"

Sofia didn't flinch. "You have no choice; he's already made the decision."

The sound of a revved car engine came from afar. Izzy glanced out the window and saw just enough of a sleek black car that was propping itself at the front of the estate. Her heart quickened because she realized Santino was closer than she had thought.

Turning to the door, Sofia's expression was one you could not fathom: "You'll meet him, won't you?"

Izzy hesitated, fear and curiosity battling in her mind. "I'll think about it."

But Sofia was already gone, leaving Izzy alone with the haunting sound of an approaching destiny.