Chapter 49: Step Sis… I’m Stuck

The late autumn air nips at my cheeks. It’s my first time outside in what feels like forever. The sun feels different on my skin, warmer somehow, more precious now that I understand how easily it can be taken away.

“You are smiling so wide right now,” Caterina observes, her crimson eyes studying my face with that mixture of possession and genuine delight.

“I’m just happy to be outside with you,” I say, the truth slipping out before I can filter it. “It’s been a while.”

My hands hang awkwardly between us, our fingers loosely intertwined. I can’t actually grip her hand with my damaged fingers, but she holds mine carefully, her thumb occasionally brushing over my scarred knuckles. It’s a gentle reminder of both her cruelty and her care.

Boston bustles around us, people rushing past on their way to important meetings or casual coffee dates. Women in suits, their confident strides carrying them past us without a second glance. Men are fewer, their colorful clothing and carefully styled hair standing out against the sea of professional females.

“Where are we going?” I ask, glancing up at Caterina’s perfect profile.

“We’re going to Knife & Bone,” Caterina says, her crimson eyes lighting up with that predatory excitement I’ve come to recognize whenever she’s about to introduce me to something new. “It’s that steakhouse that just opened up down the street. The owner’s a friend of mine.”

She tugs me closer, her mouth curving into that possessive smile that sends shivers down my spine. “I want to get some protein into you. I feel like you haven’t been getting enough protein lately.”

I chuckle, the sound coming easily now. “Uh, okay.”

The drugs make everything pleasantly soft around the edges but not enough to dull the simple joy of walking outside with her, feeling the crisp air against my skin after weeks of luxury confinement. I’m just starting to appreciate the normalcy of the moment when…

“Adam!”

The voice slices through the ambient city noise like a knife. I freeze mid-step, my damaged hands twitching in Caterina’s grip. I know that voice. It’s been so long, but I’d recognize it anywhere.

“Adam, for fuck’s sake!”

I turn slowly, dread pooling in my stomach like ice water. And there she is, striding toward us with that driven walk I’ve known my entire life. Jessica. My sister.

Her green eyes are blazing with fury.

“What the fuck, Adam?” Jessica snaps as she reaches us, not even acknowledging Caterina’s presence. “You’ve been dodging my calls for over two months!”

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of how I must look to her. Thinner, paler, my hands visibly damaged. The expensive clothes Caterina dresses me in can’t hide how fundamentally changed I am.

“Jessica,” I manage, the name feeling strange on my tongue. “I…”

“Don’t ‘Jessica’ me,” she cuts me off, her eyes finally flicking to Caterina before returning to me. “I’ve been worried sick. I tried to file a police report…”

Jessica’s angry tirade suddenly cuts off mid-sentence as her gaze shifts Caterina. The realization dawns across her face, her eyes widening with shock as she takes in our intimate posture.

“Holy shit,” she breathes, her professional demeanor cracking. “Caterina De Luca?”

The name falls from her lips with a mixture of recognition and disbelief. Jessica takes an involuntary step backward, her composure momentarily shattered as she processes who exactly is holding her brother’s mangled hands.

Caterina’s crimson eyes gleam with satisfaction at Jessica’s reaction. She tightens her grip on my fingers possessively, her thumb stroking across my scarred knuckles with deliberate tenderness.

“We met at the hospital, remember?” Caterina reminds Jessica, her voice carrying that dangerous velvet quality. “After Adam’s... assault.”

She pauses meaningfully on that last word, her crimson eyes never leaving Jessica’s face.

Jessica’s brow furrows as she processes this information, her mind clearly trying to fit these pieces together.

“Yeah, I remember meeting you,” Jessica says slowly, her eyes darting between us with growing confusion. “You’re Claire’s boss.”

I can almost see the wheels turning in her head, trying to reconcile the woman she briefly met in the hospital with the notorious figure now holding her brother’s hand on a Boston sidewalk.

Caterina’s lips curve into a prideful smile. “Yes, well, since then, Adam and I have become lov…”

Jessica doesn’t let her finish. Her gaze drops to my hands, really seeing them for the first time. The scarred, slightly warped fingers. The surgical marks. The permanent damage.

“Adam, what happened to you?” she gasps, snatching my wrists and pulling them closer for inspection. The movement is too quick, too rough, and I wince as pain shoots up my arms.

Jessica looks worried about me, her professional facade crumbling completely as she stares at my damaged hands. For a moment, I see the little girl who used to bandage my scraped knees when we were kids.

“Ohh uhh,” I stammer, my brain scrambling for an explanation that won’t reveal the hammer, the breaking, the months of captivity disguised as love.

“Actually,” Caterina interjects smoothly, her voice slipping between us like silk over steel. “Adam had a terrible rock climbing accident some time ago.”

She gently pulls my hands from Jessica’s grip, her touch possessive yet warm. Her crimson eyes soften with practiced concern as she looks at me, the performance so convincing I almost believe it myself.

“It was at that new indoor climbing facility in Cambridge,” she continues, her thumb tracing the surgical scars on my knuckles. “Adam was showing off, weren’t you, baby? Trying to free-climb without proper safety equipment.”

I nod dumbly, grateful for the ready-made explanation. “Yeah, I... I fell pretty bad.”

“Forty feet,” Caterina adds with a dramatic sigh, her free hand moving to stroke my cheek. “I nearly had a heart attack I saw him fall. He shattered both hands trying to break his fall.”

Jessica’s eyes narrow skeptically, darting between my face and Caterina’s. “Rock climbing?” she repeats flatly. “Adam, you’re afraid of heights. You won’t even go on the Ferris wheel at the Topsfield fair.”

I feel sweat beading on my forehead despite the cool autumn air. “Well, I... I was trying something new,” I stammer, the lie tasting sour on my tongue.

“He was trying to impress me,” Caterina says with a fond laugh, her fingers tightening slightly around mine. “We’d only been dating a few weeks, and he wanted to show me how athletic he was.”

Jessica stares at us, skepticism written all over her face. She crosses her arms, her tailored suit jacket pulling slightly at the shoulders.

“So you two are... together?” she asks, eyeing Caterina with undisguised suspicion.

“Yes,” Caterina purrs, sliding her arm around my waist with practiced possessiveness. “Since we met at the hospital.”

Jessica’s eyebrows shoot up. “Jesus Christ!” She exclaims. Jessica turns to me, her green eyes flashing with hurt. “And you couldn’t return a single one of my calls?”

I shuffle awkwardly, my damaged hands twitching at my sides. “I’ve been... recovering.”

“For two months? Without a single text?” Jessica’s voice rises, drawing glances from passersby. “Adam, I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere!”

“I’m sorry, Jess,” I mumble, guilt washing over me. “I should have called.”

Jessica’s gaze shifts between us, her analytical mind clearly working overtime. Her eyes narrow as she focuses on Caterina.

“Wait a minute,” she says slowly. “What the fuck happened to Claire?” Jessica asks bluntly. “I know most men don’t stick with just one woman but you told me you were a one woman kinda man.”

Caterina’s crimson eyes gleam dangerously in the autumn sunlight. The temperature around us seems to drop several degrees despite the pleasant weather. Her arm tightens around my waist, fingers digging into my side with just enough pressure to remind me who I belong to now.

“Claire and Adam are in the middle of divorce proceedings,” she says smoothly, her voice carrying a threat. “It was all very amicable. Claire is an addict, after all. She’s actually due to finish rehab any day.”

Jessica’s face falls, genuine hurt replacing the anger in her eyes. She reaches out hesitantly, almost touching my arm before pulling back as if afraid I might break.

“I knew she had problems, Adam, but you could have come to me,” she says, her voice softening. “I know you don’t get along with my wife that well, but still, you’re always welcome in my home.”

‘Jessica has a wife? I guess that tracks.’

I feel a sharp tug on my arm as Caterina shifts her stance, her patience clearly running thin. Her crimson eyes flash with annoyance as Jessica continues to look at me as if Caterina isn’t standing right there, holding onto me like a prized possession.

“Excuse me,” Caterina cuts in, her voice dripping with forced politeness. “I don’t mean to interrupt this touching sibling reunion, but Adam and I have reservations.”

Jessica blinks, clearly taken aback by Caterina’s abrupt tone. She looks between us, her eyes narrowing as she takes in how Caterina’s arm is wrapped possessively around my waist, how my body seems to naturally lean into hers despite the tension.

“Of course,” Jessica says slowly, her mind visibly processing every detail of our interaction. “But I’d like to speak with my brother alone for a moment if you don’t mind.”

Caterina’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Actually, I do mind.”

The words hang in the air between us, the casual ownership in her tone unmistakable. I feel Jessica’s eyes on me, waiting for me to stand up for myself, to insist on a private conversation with my own sister. But I stay silent, my damaged hands twitching uselessly at my sides.

‘I’m in good boy mode right now.’

“Adam and I have fallen in love in the brief time we’ve spent together,” Caterina announces, her voice softening as she glances at me with practiced adoration. “I’ve been helping him move on from Claire’s betrayal. The gambling, the debt, the lies, it was destroying him.”

Jessica’s eyebrows shoot up. “Debt? She owed more than just me?”

“Oh,” Caterina says with false surprise, “I assumed you knew. Claire gambled away their savings, their house equity, everything. Adam was drowning when I found him.”

The half-truth slides so smoothly from her lips that even I almost believe it. Jessica’s face pales as she processes this information, her protective instincts clearly kicking into overdrive.

‘Wait, did Claire lose the house on top of selling me. What a fucking loser.’

“Adam, why didn’t you tell me?” she asks, hurt evident in her voice.

I open my mouth to respond, but Caterina speaks first.

“He was embarrassed,” she says, her hand moving to stroke my cheek in a gesture that feels both tender and controlling. “Men often are when they’ve been taken advantage of. I’ve been helping him rebuild his confidence, haven’t I, baby?”

I nod mutely, feeling Jessica’s eyes boring into me, searching for the brother she knew before all this began.

Jessica’s eyes narrow, her professional demeanor giving way to the protective older sister I’ve known my entire life.

“I’m sorry, but this looks ridiculous. You’ve known my brother for what, two months? And suddenly, you’re just coming in and replacing his wife?”

Caterina’s fingers tighten around my waist, her nails digging into my side through the expensive fabric of my shirt.

“Adam is perfectly capable of making his own decisions,” Caterina replies, her voice honey-sweet with an undercurrent of steel.

Jessica snorts, gesturing toward my damaged hands. “Is he? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like he can barely function without assistance.”

The air between Caterina and Jessica crackles with tension. I can see Jessica’s brain working overtime, analyzing every detail of this bizarre situation. Her eyes flicker between my damaged hands, Caterina’s possessive grip, and my unnaturally calm expression. She’s connecting dots I desperately need her to leave unconnected.

My stomach twists with sudden, visceral fear, not for myself, but for Jessica. I remember Candice’s dead face, the way she hit the ground.

‘Please, god, no. Please spare Jessica. She’s the only family I have left.’

“Jess,” I interject quickly, my voice steadier than I expected. “I’m really happy with Caterina. She’s been with me through some really hard times.”

Jessica’s eyes widen slightly at my interruption. I can see the surprise on her face, probably because I’m not arguing with her, not asking for her help, not showing any of the signs she’s looking for.

“She helped me through the surgery,” I continue, each word technically true while hiding the horrific reality behind them. “She’s been there for me. She even feeds me every meal… Among other things.”

I lean into Caterina’s side, feeling her arm tighten around me in approval. The small gesture sends a wave of relief through my system, good boy behavior rewarded with her silent praise.

“I really do love her,” I say, the words falling from my lips with disturbing ease.

Jessica stares at me like I’ve grown a second head.

“Is it alright if we talk about this later?” I ask, deliberately softening my voice. “I’m just kinda hungry right now.”

Jessica’s eyes narrow at the obvious deflection, but before she can argue, Caterina smoothly intervenes.

“We’d be happy to schedule something,” she says, her voice dripping with false warmth. “Perhaps dinner at our penthouse sometime soon? You could bring your wife.”

‘I’ll die before I let Jessica get involved with us.’

I watch Jessica wrestling with her instincts. She knows something is wrong but can’t quite put her finger on what. I can see the conflict raging behind her eyes, push now and risk alienating me, or retreat and gather more information?

“Fine,” Jessica finally says, her voice tight with restraint. “But I’m not letting this go, Adam. Something isn’t right here.”

Caterina’s hand slides possessively over mine as they interlink together.

“It was lovely seeing you again, Jessica.” Caterina’s words sharp as knives.

“Likewise.”

Jessica: