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“Okay.”
“Max told me you saw your parents?”
“Yeah, I did. We had dinner together.”
“And how was that?” I suspected seeing her family would remind her that our relationship wasn’t feasible, but she was so affectionate with me on the phone it didn’t seem like anything had changed.
“It was okay,” she said quietly. “We went to my father’s friend’s home for dinner…”
That set off alarms in my head. “That boy was there, wasn’t he?” My baby wouldn’t lie to me. Even if she could get away with it, she wouldn’t. That was why she was telling me this at all, because she felt too guilty keeping it from me.
“Yeah.”
“Did you tell him I’m your man?”
“No…but something else happened.”
My right hand immediately formed into a fist. If he tried to kiss her or make some other move, I’d have to murder him. It pissed me off enough letting him look at her, but if he touched her, that was a different ball game.
“My father talked to me privately and asked about you…not you, specifically…but about the man I told my mother I loved. My father and I don’t talk about these sorts of things. For most of my life, he’s kept me hidden away from the opposite sex—”
“As he should.” With a daughter that beautiful, what choice did he have?
“Anyway, he asked why it couldn’t work with us. I never really gave him an answer. I just said you weren’t right for me. Then he asked if he could meet you, since you’re the only man I’ve ever loved. He actually encouraged me because he said love only happens once. You’re lucky enough to feel that way for someone once in your life…let alone a second time.” Her voice went quiet, even though it seemed like she had more to say.
I didn’t want to meet the infamous Crow Barsetti. I wanted nothing to do with the asshole. I didn’t want to be involved with the rest of the Barsetti clan. I despised them all equally. But if I wanted to keep Vanessa, I had to suck it up and do it. I had to try—for her. Her family was important to her the way my comrades were important to me. They were my family. “You want me to meet him?”
“I…I don’t know.”
There was no way that would go well. It didn’t matter how calm and polite we both were. Tensions would be too high, and neither of us would be able to restrain our hatred. Even if we didn’t have guns, our fists would fly at each other.
“A part of me thinks it’s not crazy…”
“Baby, I don’t want you to become delusional with hope. There’s no way this will ever go well. There will never be a scenario where your father will accept me. I don’t blame him. It’s not like I’ll ever stop hating him. It doesn’t matter how much I love you.”
“I know the odds are slim…but I know how much my father loves me. I know he would do anything for me. Because of that, I think there’s a chance this could work. I can’t keep you as a secret forever. We have to try.”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “When you told your father I wasn’t right for you, he’s probably thinking I’m poor or something. He has absolutely no idea I’m his mortal enemy. This won’t end well.”
“This is what I do know—you’re the stubbornest man I’ve ever met. You wanted to kill my entire family. But not only have you dropped your vendetta, you’re willing to meet the people you despise because you love me. Once upon a time, we thought that was impossible. But look where we are now. My parents love me too, so I know there’s a chance. We can meet in the middle…somehow.”
“You’re going to blindside him.”
“We’ll do it in the best way possible.”
There was no best way possible.
“You’ll do this for me, right?” she whispered. “Tell me you’ll try.”
The idea of looking that man in the eye, along with his wife, made me sick to my stomach. It felt like a betrayal to my family line, to a family that lost everything—including their lives.
“Bones?”
Loving this woman had completely turned my life upside down. She changed who I was, turning me into a man I hardly recognized. Now I was domesticated, protective, monogamous, loving…everything I never anticipated. But I wouldn’t change anything, not when she was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. “I’d do anything for you, baby. You know that.”
“And my father would do anything for me too.”
Three days later, Shane and I returned home.
I took him to his place, where his wife was waiting outside. She didn’t even notice I was there because she was too busy sobbing into Shane’s chest. Her arms wrapped around him, and she succumbed to the grief of his injuries.
