Page 179 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

Yeah, he knew.

“How could I not, now?”

Siena nodded. “I always will.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Not for killing her father, but for everything that came before.

Matteo got what he deserved.

Simple as that.

Siena patted his cheek. “Let’s talk about anything other than all of that. I don’t have much time. It was hard enough just to get the time away to be here, John.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“What?”

“How?”

He had been told—during the one visit from Andino—that Siena was being heavily controlled by her brothers. His cousin hadn’t explained much more, only that he had a line of contact occasionally.

Siena smiled slyly. “I took up yoga. It gives me an hour or two a couple of times a week to get away. I sneak out the back.”

“How tight of leash do they have you on?”

Her brothers, he meant.

Siena frowned. “So tight it’s killing me.”

He appreciated her honesty, but … fuck.

“It’s okay,” she added quickly. “It’s not forever.”

He didn’t know how.

He didn’t know anything that was happening beyond these walls. His father and Andino made sure to keep him in a place where he was simply dealing with himself, and nothing else. John knew they were making the right choice in that regard.

If he didn’t take care of himself first, then bad shit happened.

And what happened leading up to this moment could never happen again. Or, he was going to try his hardest to make sure it didn’t happen again to this severity.

“How bad is it?” he dared to ask. “The streets, I mean. The families.”

He didn’t know if she would tell him.

He wouldn’t blame or push her if she didn’t.

Siena’s eyes drifted down to their connected hands. “It’s bad.”

“How bad?”

“It’s war, John.”