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With that thought in mind, I got back in my SUV, locked the doors, and hightailed it out of there. I’d have to talk to Mom, but we couldn’t continue to be their victims. Especially not with the baby coming in a few months. It was time to let him all the way in. Between Alec and his brothers, I was positive they could keep us safe.
CHAPTER 9
Allesandro
“YOU’RE FIRED UP this morning. Any particular reason you aren’t saving all that energy for Clarke?”
I slammed my fist into the heavy bag, relishing the way the impact reverberated up my arm.
“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, Luc. This is my normal workout.”
“Not on days when you have an early class.”
He was right, but I wasn’t about to clue him in to the fact I’d slept like shit because my girlfriend hadn’t stayed over. I’d spent half the night worrying about her and the other half talking myself out of driving to her house to check on her. Something had seemed off when we parted ways, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was driving me bat-shit crazy.
We’d had a fantastic day after the little hiccup at the car dealership. Honestly, I was prepared for Quin to lose her shit when she realized I was buying her a car, and she did not disappoint. My plan had not included professing my love in the middle of Frederick Audi, but when her stubborn ass began to show, my emotions took over.
Once the papers were signed, she followed me back to my apartment, where I made us a quick lunch of leftovers from her party. Then we drove the short distance to Rocky Gap State Park. She’d mentioned once how she and her parents used to spend their weekends hiking. After her dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, those times ceased to exist.
I understood the reasoning behind their sacrifice; however, nothing was more crystal clear than the forlorn expression in her eyes when she spoke about their adventures. She missed them terribly. So I decided to give her new memories; ones we could share with our children. And it worked perfectly. Her smile, when she saw where we were headed, lit up brighter than any fireworks display I’d ever witnessed.
We hiked for hours, taking one of the more ambitious trails which led to the top of Evitts Mountain. Holding hands the entire walk, we crossed over a small stream using the man-made footbridge while she educated me on the indigenous plant species we encountered along the way. She was in her element, which made me wonder why she’d studied accounting in college rather than following in her father’s footsteps. When I’d asked, she simply replied she hadn’t wanted to turn something she loved into a chore.
Not wanting to get caught out in the forest after dark, we turned around about halfway up and made it back to the trailhead just when the sun started to set. When we got back to my apartment, I wasn’t ready for our night to end. Unfortunately, when I invited her to come inside, she said the hike—while incredible—had brought back a lot of old memories, prompting her to want to be near her dad. I completely understood, yet there was no mistaking her sudden shyness. My girl was not shy in the least, which led me to believe there was something else at play.
“Are you my schedule keeper now?” I pounded the bag once more.
“Nah,” he scoffed. “Just don’t want you to burn out before your target arrives.”
It was my turn to scoff, then. Keaton Clarke was not my “target” per se, more like an annoying gnat I wanted to swat out of the air. He’d, no doubt, walk into Quattro sometime in the next fifteen minutes with an attitude the size of the mountain I climbed yesterday. Too bad for him, I was done playing his games.
One of the reasons, besides sleep deprivation, I was hitting the bag so hard this morning was the text I’d received from Rico late last night. Using the partial license plate I’d given him, he was able to confirm the black SUV was registered to none other than the current thorn in my side, Agent Clarke. The bastard hadn’t even bothered to try to hide. He had some serious explaining to do before I called Waverly, which was happening the second I finished beating his ass.
“Don’t worry. Fratello.” I picked up the sanitizing cloth and began wiping down the bag. “I’ve got plenty of pain to dole out.”
“Excellent, because your little stalker just arrived.”
Sure enough, Clarke was smack-dab in the middle of a group entering through the front door. As per usual, his glacial gaze locked on mine. I was accustomed to the perpetual pissed-off scowl he wore like a fine suit, but it had been replaced with a smirk that had every one of my instincts roaring to life. This fucker was up to something.
“Let the games begin.” Luc slapped me on the back, then moved to join Rico, who was standing at the edge of my mat holding a bag of M&M’s in one hand, while giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up with the other.
Idiots.
“All right,” I hollered to the group. “Find a partner and let’s begin with a few defensive maneuvers that just might save your lives one day.”
The next ninety minutes, surprisingly, went off without a hitch. There were no snide comments or backhanded remarks from Clarke, in fact, he’d been impressive throughout the session. For once, it seemed he was able to control his hostility long enough to learn what I taught, then execute it to near perfection.
I’d made the decision, after talking it over with my brothers, to confront him without a big audience. So when class was over, I asked him to stay behind. I should’ve known better than to think his good behavior was anything more than a ruse.
“How’s your pretty little girlfriend?” he commented, looking over his shoulder as the last of the group left the building.
My body stiffened. “Excuse me?” I growled.
“Oh shit,” came from both Rico and Luc as they moved to flank me, their candy long forgotten.
He was less than twenty feet away, hands fisted at his sides, but I covered the difference between us in six long, menacing strides.
“Why have you been following me?”
