Red

CHAPTER 45.

A pair of forest-green eyes stared back at me from the photo I woke up to. River. The familiarity stung. I closed my eyes, trying to swallow down the ache.

Rafael's voice came quietly. "River Caruso Greco. CEO of this hospital. And a few others. Main headquarters opened in Italy when he was nineteen."

I looked at him, jaw tight. "What the hell happened, Rafael? Why am I here?"

He exhaled. "You collapsed. Stress and exhaustion. Red, you've been going nonstop. I can't have you passing out on me again."

I let out a weak laugh and hugged him. "You saved me again?"

"Not fully," he said, smirking. "Lorenzo brought you in."

My breath hitched.

He saved me? I thought he was done with me...

But another thought hit even harder.

"Rafael... who is RG?"

He smirked like he'd been waiting. "RG is River Caruso Greco. Lorenzo's cousin."

My heart stopped. "His... cousin?"

"Mm-hm."

"What the fuck, why would Nava send me to investigate River's cousin? And why the hell did you act like you worked for him?"

Rafael shook his head fast. "I never worked for Nava. Lorenzo recruited me first, he wanted eyes in the station because he suspected Nava wasn't loyal. And Nava used you because he suspected I wasn't loyal to him."

"So he used me as bait," I muttered.

"As a spy," Rafael corrected softly. "You had a motive, your grief for River. Nava saw that and twisted it. He used you to gather intel on Lorenzo's organization. Every training session? Every assignment? He wasn't helping you get justice. He was using you to helped Artem."

My stomach dropped.

"And that information I gave him..." I whispered. "What could it do?"

Rafael didn't sugarcoat it. "It could burn Lorenzo's entire empire to the ground."

My chest squeezed painfully.

"And the day he called me to the station?" I asked.

Rafael nodded. "Nava already knew Artem killed Lorenzo's dealer. I tried to interrogate him, tried to get ahead of it, but he didn't trust me. So he turned to the person he knew was vulnerable."

"Me," I said bitterly.

"You," Rafael echoed. "He used your heartbreak. Your desperation. Your attachment to River and unfortunately you were the perfect one to use."

Of course I was the perfect one to use, he took the love I have for him and twisted it for control. I closed my eyes as Artem's voice echoed.

Ahh, the power of love... even in naivety.

He did warn me and I fell for it so easily. I couldn't help but laugh, I laugh so loud my side hurt, I laugh until water spill from my eyes and my heart unclenched.

Rafael stared. "Red... is everything alright?"

"No," I said honestly. "But for once, I finally see everything clearly."

I wiped my face. "I need to tell Lorenzo."

Rafael stiffened. "That's a death sentence if he thinks you betrayed him."

"I did," I whispered. "But not on purpose. He deserves the truth."

Just then, Fire kicked open the door with balloons. "Well damn, y'all depressing as hell."

Rafael snorted. "And you're obnoxious."

"Bite me," Fire said.

"Ew."

______

"You've had a long week," Viviana announced. "We're going out tonight. New York clubs are calling."

She wiggled her eyebrows as Sveva strolled into my room with dresses and heels.

I still felt a bit tired about everything but I needed to get frassed out, even if it's just for one night, to forget about my current life situation.

"Of course! can I invite someone?"

Sveva grinned. "Absolutely as long as she can hold her liquor."

"Bitch, she can chugged more than a whole bottle don't play with my girl like that but she's pregnant so she can't rock like that tonight."

Both women chuckled and in curiosity I asked. "Who is going to watched the kids though?"

"Oh Lorenzo volunteered to do so."

Stunned at that, a small smile came to my lips at his try at effort with Xam. I nodded and then head to the bathroom to begin with a long relaxing cold shower.

With a towel wrapped around my body, I brushed my teeth to lighten the heaviness I felt and then chatted to the girls as I picked out my clothes for the evening.

I decided to let loose for the night and tried something that I never did before. Make up.

Allowing Viviana to take the lead, she did my face in heavy makeup including dark smokey eyes and applied around my lips with a combination of lipliner and lip gloss.

A black bandage off the shoulder see through midi dress grip around my body and stop above my knees, it showed a lot of skin from my knees up to my chest area.

Normally I would care, but for tonight I decided that I just needed to forget.

With some black fishnet ankle pumps to complete the look, I carried a mini black leather bag which had my phone, ID and some cash.

And with a little bit of alcohol in our system seeing that we took a toast before we left, I sent a text to confirmed Rosa's coming.

After a few minutes, we all settled into the car and then drove off to the club where Rosa told us to meet her.