Lissy Romano

50| Party night.

Xander Greco

I was ready to destroy anyone who even looked at her wrong. She's mine.

I know how it sounds—obsessive, over the top. I don't care. Seeing her standing there in the clinic's hallway with her wavy hair and that adorable look of hers, I couldn't stop staring. My chest ached, and I wanted to protect her from the entire world.

I'd been doing odd jobs for the Romanos, but they fired me. They didn't like the way I talked to Lissy, and honestly, neither did I. She makes me stupid.

Baby girl? Really? Could I have said something dumber? Every time I'm near her, my brain stops working.

When I found out from Enzo that she's his little sister, it hit me like a freight train. She's untouchable. No one crosses the Romanos without consequences. And if someone dared mess with their sister? They'd wipe them off the map.

I can't be with her. She's fourteen, and I'm eighteen. She's too young. She's not ready for anything serious—and she shouldn't have to be. But I'll wait. I'll wait as long as it takes. In the meantime, her brothers, unknowingly, will help me keep every other guy far away from her.

Then those two losers showed up, cornering her. I was furious—jealous, even. What could they possibly want from her?

When I overheard what they said, rage consumed me. I didn't think, I just acted. I marched up to them and punched that disgusting piece of trash in the face. They ran off like cowards, but the damage was done. She was shaken, her composure barely holding together. She didn't want anyone to see her cry, but I could tell.

No one will make my baby girl cry.

And now, seeing her sitting on the floor in the hallway, something broke inside me. My heart stopped.

What happened to her?

She said she was dizzy, but when I took her wrist and she flinched, I knew there was more to it. I pushed up her hoodie sleeve and saw the bloody paper towels. My mind raced.

I carried her to the bathroom, gently cleaned her cuts, and bandaged her wrist.

Why is my baby girl hurting herself?

It killed me to see her perfect skin marred. She's perfect. She doesn't need to do this.

But when I reached to pull her sleeve back down, she flinched again. That's when it hit me—someone had hurt her. She was scared, maybe even of me. She shoved me away and stormed off. I didn't follow. I couldn't.

It's not my place to touch her.

Instead, I picked up my backpack and watched from a distance, making sure she made it back to the gym safely. Then I left. I couldn't be in that school anymore. I hopped on my motorcycle and sped away, my thoughts spiraling.

I wanted to hurt someone—anyone. Whoever laid a finger on her deserved nothing less than death. But it wasn't her brothers. They love her, protect her. They've never hurt women, only the scumbags who deserve it.

My baby girl.

Lissy Romano

After volleyball practice, I changed into my regular clothes and waited for Vi.

"Lissy, there's a party tonight," she said excitedly. "Our classmates and some other people from school will be there. Wanna come?"

A party? No.
An escape? Yes.
Do I want to drink? Absolutely.
Smoke? Yes.
Drugs? Why not?

"Okay," I said, my voice steady, masking the chaos inside.

"What about your brothers?" Vi asked, rolling her eyes.

"I won't tell them," I said with a sly smile.

"Good. I won't tell Harley either. And Cole won't be with us—he's stalking Mia's date tonight, just in case something happens."

"Brothers," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

We left the locker room, and Dario was already waiting for me outside. He drove Vi home, and we texted about our plans for the night.

When Dario dropped me off at home, I rushed inside and scooped Jax into my arms. His tail wagged wildly.

"Hello, cutie! I'm home! How was your day, baby?" I cooed, pressing kisses to his soft fur and paws.

He licked my face, and I laughed, playing fetch with him for a while. His floppy ears and adorable face always melted my heart.

Dinner time came quickly. My brothers, one by one, started filtering into my room, asking about school. I gave them the bare minimum—everything was "fine"—just to get them to leave me alone. It wasn't a complete lie. Tonight, I'd go to that party, get drunk, maybe high, and everything would be just fine.

As I walked downstairs, Jax followed, his tiny paws padding behind me. I sat at the table with Domenico, Davide, Giovanni, and the twins. Their eyes scanned me, trying to read my mood.

Dante's expression softened, and he walked up behind me, kissing my head and rubbing my shoulders.

"What..." I began quietly, his affection catching me off guard.

But I needed this. I needed to feel their love. I needed them to be there for me, even if I could never bring myself to ask for help. The drugs and alcohol tonight would fill the emptiness.

When Vincenzo and Santino joined us, we started eating. I forced myself to clean my plate—not because I was hungry, but because I knew I'd be drinking later, and drinking on an empty stomach is stupid. At least I'd learned something useful in school.

Santino's sharp eyes caught me. He knew something was off.

"What's up, Lissy?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

All their eyes snapped to me, and I fought to stay calm. I couldn't let them know about the party.

"Everything's fine," I said smoothly. "The food is delicious."

"I'm glad you like it," Vincenzo said with a smile.

I nodded awkwardly, staring at my now-empty plate. I stood and asked, "May I leave?"

"Yes, you can go," Vincenzo replied, clearly confused by my formality.

"I'm going to sleep. I'm tired after practice. Goodnight."

"Are the practices too hard?" Davide asked, concern in his voice.

"The dumb coach didn't listen to us?" Dante snapped.

"No, everything's great. The coach is great. I'm just tired."

"Okay. Goodnight, sweetheart," Santino said.

Domenico, ever the doctor, added, "I can give you something to help you sleep better."

I followed him to the kitchen, knowing this would help sell my alibi. He handed me a pill, which I pretended to swallow while he wasn't looking.

Returning to the dining room, I said my goodnights and went to my room. Time to get ready for the party.

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