Twice Shy [ON GOING]

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

Viktor

I parked in Aurellio's driveway before I carefully climbed out of my car. I stepped onto the dirt before frowning down at my shoes that were as dusty as they've never been.

This guy seriously needs to pave his driveway.

I fixed my suit before I walked up to his mansion. Aurellio opened his frontdoor before he came standing in the doorway to watch me.

"Viktor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked me with a smile on his face.

"Is that a fake smile, Giordano?" I asked him before laughing at him and his smile dropped from his face.

"Come inside, asshole." He told me in an annoyed tone so I looked over at him with a smile on my face. We walked through his house until we reached a spacious white living room.

"You know it's fine to admit that you've missed me." I added and he briefly glared over at me before he started pouring us some drinks.

"Come on, Viktor. You know I can't disclose that kind of information with you." He uttered before he handed a glass over to me and we sat down across from each other.

"You're here to talk about my sister, aren't you?" He asked me and I nodded before downing the glass of whiskey in my hand.

"You didn't break up with her, did you?" He suddenly asked me in concern so I looked at him as if he was an alien.

"Why would I break up with her?" I asked him in confusion.

"You tell me, brother." He narrowed his eyes on me so I glared over at him.

"Have you been talking shit about me to her?" I asked him in disbelief and he raised his hands in defense.

"Maybe, maybe not." He smirked at me so I just shook my head at him.

"I'm here to ask for Gia's hand in marriage." I pointedly told him and he looked at me in shock before he got up from his chair. He started pacing across the living room and I frowned at him.

"Well what are you asking me for?" He wildly asked me in panic. "You can't just dump this responsibility on me." He told me in disbelief.

"Yes, I can. You're her brother. And she hates Kemal right now." I explained and he frowned at me.

"I mean does she even want to marry you, what if I agree to this and she didn't want me to give you my blessing?" Aurellio asked me with a smirk on his face before he started laughing at me.

"Funny." I told him in an annoyed tone and he gulped the whiskey in his hand down before he nodded at me.

"Before I give you my blessing-- you're gonna tell me where you buried Emily." He told me and I pulled my face in distaste before I poured another glass of whiskey for myself.

"No, give me your answer first." I insisted so he lightly shrugged at me.

"Go ahead, Viktor. You have my blessing. But if you hurt my little sister-" he started so I tilted my head to the side and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright, I know. I've done enough damage. But just tell me already." He uttered as he poured himself another drink.

"I already told you, my men took her back to Egypt." I blankly responded to his question.

"Don't you think I checked, Viktor? I checked everywhere and she wasn't there. What did you do to her?" He angrily asked me so I glared up at him.

"Emily isn't dead." I uttered and he smiled at me before he let out a scoff in disbelief.

"Come on, Viktor." He looked at me in shock.

"I couldn't bring myself to kill her. So, I told her to run and never come back. If she cared about you or if she loved you even half as much as she claimed that she did she would've come back for you a long time ago." I told him and he shook his head at me.

"You didn't kill her?" He frowned at me before tilting his head to the side. "I don't believe you." He scoffed at me.

"That's on you, brother." I blankly told him.

"Where is she?" He angrily asked me.

"Let sleeping dogs lie, Aurellio." I flared my nostrils as I glared into his eyes and he clenched his jaw in anger. "If she wanted to she could've come back for you but she didn't. It's been five years. I think it's time for you to move on."

"Don't tell me what to do, Viktor. All of this- you knew all of this and you still kept it from me. You saw what that shit did to me- for years. And you just kept quiet?" He yelled at me with tears in his eyes.

"Your reaction right now is exactly why I didn't tell you." I calmly told him and he shot daggers at me with his eyes.

"Where is she?!" He angrily yelled me.

"You loved her that much?" I asked him in disbelief and he looked at me with a frown on his forehead.

"I did and then you took her from me. My own best friend." He told me in disbelief. "You didn't even love her but your ego was hurt. That's why you did it, right?"

"I loved her, Aurellio, that's why I did it. In my own twisted way I cared about her. I know I'm not innocent but neither is Emily. She betrayed you just as much as I did." I pointedly told him and before I could stop him he punched me square on the jaw.

I frowned up at him and he looked at me in equal disbelief.

"I'm tired, brother." He told me so I pulled him into a hug and surprisingly he hugged me back.

I've always held Aurellio and Ivan in the same regard. They've always been my closest friends. They were the brothers I never had.

"Forgive me." I told him and he angrily pulled back from me.

"It's all good, brother." He nodded at me.

"The last time I heard she was in Cuba." I told him and his eyes widened at my words. And without wasting another second he called his right hand man.

"Are you sure it's worth it to bring her back?" I asked him in confusion.

"I'll know when I see her, Viktor. I just want to see her." He told me so I slowly nodded at him in understanding.

"Fine. Just keep Gia out of this." I demanded and he nodded at me.

"I will." He uttered in understanding so I gave him one last nod before I left his house.

This can't be good because wherever Emily goes, disaster follows.