Her Safety

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, I arranged for one of Angelo's men to drive Victoria home and I insisted she kept me constantly updated in the form of pictures. She laughed at my neuroticism, but after the past few days, no place or person felt safe and I wanted to take extra precautions. I made sure that breakfast was on the table and the pots and pans were washed before I got dressed. I was going to visit Ang whether Mark liked it or not.

I reentered the kitchen to find my siblings tearing the breakfast apart, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there!" I joked, fluffing my brother's hair. He whacked my arm away with one hand while stuffing a blueberry muffin in his mouth with the other.

"I'm going out for a little. Do the dishes when you're done and don't wake Ma up. I don't remember the last time she's slept in."

I quickly pulled my coat on and tightened my scarf around my neck. Like clockwork, one of Ang's men were in my driveway, waiting to drive me anywhere I desired. It was one of the perks to dating Angelo, though I never saw myself getting used to it.

"Hi David," I smiled politely, shutting the door behind me. "Do me a favor and take me to Angelo's house please."

He stared at me through the rearview mirror, apprehensively, "Does Mark know about this?"

I chuckled, "Don't be silly. Of course, he knows." Lie.

The car ride was tense and silent and it made me wonder if Angelo's men needed to have their guards up around me. The thought never crossed my mind, especially because I was used to them protecting me. But now, in the wake of the accident, they had been extra cold.

"So... How's your morning so far?" I asked politely.

I watched his expression, which was unchanging, "Nice."

The car went silent once more. I didn't feel like I was in danger, but David sure wasn't going through the effort to make me feel more comfortable around him. I didn't know the protocol the guys had to go through to keep security measures tight in the wake of an imminent threat, but I was sure that Ang wouldn't want me to feel unsafe around the very people he pays to make me feel safe.

I curiously peeked my head out of the window, partially for some fresh air and partially to take in the view of colossal homes and gorgeous landscaping all around me. It suddenly hit me that I hadn't been to Angelo's house before and I had a pit in my stomach. I didn't think it through enough. Who would be home with him? What if Mark wouldn't let me in? Would Angelo be happy to see me? We kept driving and driving until the road became narrow and the houses began to fade in the distance. The road winded slightly and eventually we reached a massive estate. It was, by no surprise, protected by tall, steel gates. The driveway spanned the entire front yard with a gorgeous fountain in the center and gorgeous, lush landscaping around the sidewalk which led to the intricately carved front double doors.

"Hey Mark," David's deep voice suddenly broke the silence, causing me to jump. "I brought Miss Sorrentino, we're at the gates."

I held my breath, waiting in painful silence to hear Mark's reaction. "You brought who?" He barked back. David narrowed his eyes at me. Uh oh.

I smiled sweetly, tilting my head to the side, "It was supposed to be a surprise," I lied.

David kept his burning gaze on me as he spoke through clenched teeth to Mark, "She asked me and I couldn't say no to her. Ang would kill me if I made his girl cry."

I covered my mouth, unsuccessfully stifling my snicker. I was also brushing profusely, but I hoped my hands covered my red cheeks. The funny thing is Angelo probably would have killed him if he made me cry.