My Step-brother, My Enemy

Chapter 4

The sunlight through the windows force me out of my slumber and I stand up from my position on the floor beside the door with an ungraceful yawn. I am brushing my teeth when I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

“Coming.” I mutter through toothpaste and rinse off my mouth in a bid to answer the door. I head to the door and pull it open to see Gabriel at the door. “Gabriel, hi,” I smile warmly at him.

“Sienna,” he says “Always a pleasure.”

“Is there anything that brings you to my door this early in the day”

“Early?” he raises an eyebrow “it’s past noon.”

Shit!

I look awkwardly at Gabriel, “I didn’t have a good night.” I pull at my hair. “what did you say you wanted?”

Just then I notice that he has a package in his hands.

“I am here to deliver a message. There’s an underground fight tonight, it’s an exclusive gathering and it’s important that you attend.” he says.“A limo will be ready to pick you up when you are ready”

I sigh. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” my gaze strays to the package in his hands. “What’s that?”

“Oh, yes,” he stretches the package to me, but I don’t take it. “Boss insisted that you wear this dress for the gathering”

I take the package from his hands. “Vincenzo or Adrian?” I lock gazes with him.

He swallows and looks away. “Adrian.”

“I’m not wearing it” I push it back in his hands “tell your boss that’s what I said.”

“Miss- Sienna,” he begins, his face a bit flushed “I can’t do that, I was sent here to deliver it and I have. If you don’t want me to be in trouble because of this, you will take it”

I stare piercingly at him for a long moment “Fine, just go” I take the package from him.

He turns away but after a beat, he turns back to face me “You know, I can only deliver it. No one can force you to put it on” he smiles charmingly and walks away.

Of course I get his point.

I open the package and look at the red dress Gabriel brought. It definitely was beautiful, but I wouldn’t wear it anyway. I threw it in my wardrobe and got out a sleek black dress. That was what I was going to wear.

I headed to my bathroom and took a long shower and when I came out, there was food in my room with a card that read- courtesy of Gabriel. I smiled and ate up my late lunch.

Soon, some helps came into the suite to help me get ready for the event, I got dressed in my black dress, applied some makeup and I headed downstairs to where the limo was already waiting.

Gabriel was already there and he opened the door for me to go in to the very rear seat in the vehicle, then he went to the passenger seat next to the driver to sit.

Just as I reached the back of the car, I saw a suited Adrian already seated there by the window. He was dressed in a navy blue blazer and equally navy blue trousers that stretched against his muscular thighs, he had on a pair of shiny black loafers too and with his slicked hair and sophisticated style, no one would suspect we were going out to watch grown men fight.

“Why didn’t you take the other limo with your dad and my mum? You certainly were early” I ask him as I sit down on the plush leather seat.

He gave me a double-over “what are you wearing?” he asks, ignoring my question.

“A dress.” I answer curtly, just to annoy him.

“Didn’t Gabe deliver the package?” he asks but quickly turns to look ahead at where Gabriel was seated “Gabriel!” he yells.

“Stop!” I yell back at Adrian. “He gave me a red dress.” I say.

“Then why do you have this on?” he peers at my black dress with distaste. “Are you aware that this exclusive gathering means a lot to us?”

“As if I care.” I rolled my eyes. “And moreover, this is what I want to wear.” I feign a smile at him and adjust to the other end of the seat, intent on ignoring him for the rest of our journey.

“If that’s how you want to play it, little princess” he whispers, so only the both of us can hear. “let’s clash and see who comes out” he smirks and relaxes into the chair, ignoring me as well.

“Come to think of it, I was only told that this is an exclusive gathering, what does it entail?” I asked, folding my hands under my chest. “Because I won't have you drag me to an unknown gathering without an explanation, Adrian Moretti.”

“As if you can go against my orders.” He simply replied, his gaze fixated on the tablet in his hand. “It's is a meeting done once a month. Many mafia clans bet on fighters each month. Whoever wins, take the goods of every other clan as the reward.”

“And what is the said reward?” I arched my brows.

“It has nothing to do with you, Little princess.”

As soon as he replied, a call came in. “Are the goods and fighters ready?” He asked the person on the other end of the call.

“Make sure you bring the best fighters. We can't afford to lose against the Devil Den’s clan. Father won't let that happen.”

……….

The limo comes to a stop and we walk into the place, with Gabriel and Adrian on either side of me, I suspect my mother and Vincenzo are already inside dealing with his own side of business. I put my nose in the air and I walk into the building. The air is thick with smoke and testosterone and it takes everything in me nothing to rush out of the building, I can see Adrian give a mocking smile in my direction as well.

Dickhead.

The men around look buff and dangerous and I can feel them ogling their eyes all over my body, most of them eyeing me like prey.

The first fight starts and while at the beginning, I am mildly irritated and frightened, by the third fight, I am actually enjoying the scene and I find myself fangirling over some of the fighters. Through the corner of my eyes, I can see some shady deals going on in the dark and people reporting back to Adrian, I ignore them and continue watching the fight. Gabriel sits beside me, so whenever there is a fighter I am rooting for, he puts up playful banter and I find myself feeling at ease in this dangerous environment because of his friendly face. It feels good that in this entire mess, I have one ally.

All of a sudden, I lock eyes with Adrian and I can see him glaring in my direction, I raise an eyebrow and trace his look to where Gabriel and I are holding hands. If looks could kill, mine and Gabriel’s hands would be on fire right now, it’s like Adrian is warning me with his eyes to let go of Gabriel’s hand, but I don’t oblige, instead, I take it a step further.

I caress Gabriel’s neck and give him a playful kiss on the cheek, and then a hug when the fighter I was rooting for wins. I can sense the tension radiating all over him and he suddenly starts walking in my general direction. Before I can think, Adrian grabs me, forcing me to let go of Gabriel and pulls me out of the room, away from the ring.

Away from where people are in general.

OkHe traps me in a corner of a dark hallway and whispers against my ear “If you want to play games, Sienna, play them with someone who can handle you”

I instinctively hold my breath, but he doesn’t pull away, he remains close. His face is inches away from mine.

“What are you even talking about?” I mumble, my voice catching somewhere out of reach.

He places his hand on the wall, beside my head “You like testing me, don’t you? His voice is a dark whisper.

My heart races as he trails his fingers up my arm “Whaa- what are you doing, ace?” I whisper, my eyes pleading with him to stop, but he doesn’t. He leans even closer, his lips a breath away from mine and just when I think he will do something stupid, a gunshot rings out from the club. I quickly push away from him and we break apart.

“f**k” he mutters under his breath, and then he touches my cheek with fake softness “this isn’t over” he whispers and walks away from the hallway, leaving me breathless. I am a mess and my pulse is thrumming.

Thrumming from something other than fear.