Bitten With Lies Book 1

Chapter 18

Luca

"I still don't see the reason he wants Caterina dead, be it may she is not his blood but she has done no harm to him or his business" I said thinking about it because it really didn't make sense.

"Which is what I was trying to fucking find out but your father doesn't trust me and didn't want me near their plans so for years I've been trying but yet every time I get any closer your dad kicks me out" Damon said angrily

I looked at Damon and back at Valentina trying to process all this information and in the corner of my eyes I saw Caterina standing in the alleyway of the seating room that is beside the kitchen. Her nose was red so were her eyes and it was puffy making me figure she heard everything. Damn I just want to go over and hug her. Nobody noticed that she was standing there yet.

"If I give you Caterina, you think putting her in the Witness Protection is going to safe her" I asked and Valentina looked at me with a frown

"It's completely off the chart and strictly hidden, no one will find her" she said confidently

"If what you say is true and my father is in this whole thing putting Caterina in the Witness Protection Program will only make her an open target" I said and saw Damon frowning, Valentina looked confused as well.

"Thomson Ryder, is the head of the Witness Protection am I right?" Valentina looked like she was starting to figure out but I gave out information anyway "He and Volkov's have been in alliance for the past 10 years, the moment you put Caterina in all it would take is a phone call from my father" I finished.

I heard Damon suck in a breath as I heard tsking behind me "I didn't know you both were that stupid, if I knew earlier I would have not led you here" Dmitri said from behind me and I saw him jump in the window "How long have you been there?" I asked as he slumped down on the sofa sighing "I knew you were the idiot one, I didn't know your brother was one too" Dmitri said towards Valentina "Shut up!" Valentina said angrily towards him making him smirk.

I turn to where Caterina was and found her not there anymore and so was my sister so I assumed she was with her as I stood up "We need a new plan and figure out this whole shit, deal with it" I said looking at Dmitri and walked out towards where Caterina was.

I walked through the seating room and found Anna standing near the window looking out towards the garden. I stepped closer and saw what Anna was seeing, Caterina sat down hunched over a huge tree she had in the garden surrounded by flower bushes. She was facing sideways with her knees up and she hid her face in between her hands. She's crying.

Anna noticed me standing "I tried to help but she didn't want anyone with her" she said sadly looking at Caterina through the window. "Dmitri might need some help why don't you go see what he's up to and make sure he doesn't kill anyone" I said and she nodded stepping out of the room.

I took a breath and stepped out to the garden, I stepped closer towards the tree and the closer I got I realised she wasn't only crying but she was hyperventilating. "Hey, hey" I said crouching over in front of her, she was breathing way too fast and she looked like she cried her eyes out. "Shh, breath Caterina" I held her face in my palms and she tried to shift away.

"Look at me" I said but she kept looking away "Look at me Caterina" and she did, and I saw her puffy red tear-stained eyes that made me feel such agony. "Breath" I said towards her softly and her shoulder shook with her sobs "I-I can't-t, I-I" she stuttered and she sobbed.

I pulled her in towards my chest rubbing her back up and down soothingly "Shh it's okay baby you can, you just need to breathe okay, slowly please" I said pulling away from the hug "Breathe love" I said, pushing a strand of hair away from her face as we did the breathing exercise together until I deemed her okay.

She calmed down a little and we ended up leaning against the tree with her head on my shoulder, we just sat there in silence neither of us knowing what to say. "When did it start?" I decided to break the silence.

When she didn't answer I decided to elaborate "Your panic attacks, this is twice now I've seen since you've been with me" I explained and she sat quiet for a few seconds.

"Since I was 3" she said softly "I use to hide them, only Valentina knew, my mama probably knew but she didn't act like she knew" she said. "How do you know how to handle them?, the both times you did breathing exercises with me" she said.

"Anna, she used to have them when she was in her teens, I learnt everything I could to help her when she needed me" I explained and she lifted her head and smiled at me "Valentina did the same thing too" she said as she looked sadly towards the garden.

"We don't know the whole story yet, I'm not asking you to keep hope but just be strong" I said and she took a deep breath wiping away her tears. "I should have known" she said softly as if she didn't want me to hear but I did anyway.

"Known what?" I asked as we both stood up "I was nothing like him, I wanted to please him my whole life but I always saw that I was nothing like him, in every way"

"Valentina was the splitting image of him, the same anger, same stubbornness and if she wanted something she would get it, she was exactly like him that it made me feel so different but I brushed it off by trying to please him" another tear fell from her cheeks and I reached to wipe it off.

I made her look at me "You don't have to please anyone, you're perfect the way you are" I said softly which made her smile a little, and that made me smile.