The fourth is her brother.
Dominic Milano steps out of the passenger side and buttons his jacket. He's younger than Gianna by a couple of years. Dark-haired, sharp-jawed, built lean. There's something almost boyish in his face, even with the tattoos on his hands and the way his eyes sweep the perimeter with the same calculation as his sister. And then there is Fabio. The middle brother. A smaller version of Dominic.
Gianna says something to her security. They stay by the cars. She walks toward the house with her brothers behind her, which is either a show of trust or a show of power. Probably both.
Jett opens the door. I hear him say something. I hear her laugh as they walk in.
She doesn't hesitate in the doorway. She walks straight to the table, pulls out a chair directly across from Hunter, sits, crosses her legs, folds her hands in her lap, and looks at each of us in turn.
Hunter. Romeo. Colten. And finally, me.
I look back. I know I look like shit. I haven't shaved in a week. The bruises from the championship ride are still fading yellow across my jaw. My eyes have that hollow, red-rimmed quality that comes from grief compounded by insomnia compounded by heartbreak.
Dom sits beside her on the left and rests his hands flat on the table. Fabio takes the seat on her right.
"Ace. Right?" Gianna says.
"Yep. That's me."
She studies me for a beat longer than comfortable. Then shakes her head.
"I never believed in love, you know. Growing up the way I did, the way my family created my path, love was never part of the design." She pauses. "And then I met Harper. And the way her eyes lit up when she told me she was quitting, that she wascoming home to you, I almost, for a split second, believed that love was a reward in this life."
She leans back and crosses her arms. I honestly don’t know what to say; she’s performing quite the opener.
"And now I sit here, opposite you, and I know my first instinct was correct." She leans forward, her elbows on the table. Eyes locked on mine. "Love is a weakness. Love will kill you faster than anything in this world. Love is evil."
I open my mouth to argue, but quickly snap it shut. I guess she has a point.
She pours herself a whiskey from the bottle Hunter set on the table and takes it back in one motion.
"But in this life, I was taught to fight for what I want. That's why I'm sitting in the lion's den surrounded by a bunch of cowboys." She glances at Hunter, then back to me. "I know what I want, and I won't stop until I have it."
Her gaze sharpens. "You've stopped fighting. Harper deserves better. Better than you. Sure as hell better than Hudson."
The words should make me angry. A week ago, they would have sent me across the table. Now they just land on the pile with everything else. Another truth I can't argue with from a woman who has no reason to lie.
She looks to Dom beside her. Grabs his cheek with genuine affection, the kind that breaks through her composure and shows you the sister underneath the boss.
"Someone like this guy. You see, Dom would have put a bullet through Hudson's skull, kidnapped her, and locked her away until she came to her senses."
I choke on a cough. She grins as Romeo looks her brother over.
"You and Harper got on well, didn't you? At the gala?"
Dom smiles. "Yeah. We did."
I clench my fists under the table. Every muscle in my body fires at once, the jealousy surging through me before I can stop it, and then I let it go. I know exactly the game she's playing. She's poking at wounds to see which ones bleed.
I’m too numb to play her games.
"Then go ahead and save her yourself," I say.
Colten shoots me a look. I don't react.
"Enough," Hunter cuts in. "We aren't here to discuss Harper. Or the past. Or my brother's private life. You brought us Carson, so you've got our time. What do you propose?"
Romeo rolls up his sleeves, crosses his arms, and sits back, his gaze still locked on Dom. He's here to listen for Enzo. They're making moves on LA in the background, and the final chess piece to take is the Milano family itself.
