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When I stopped talking, Carmen’s eyes drifted to him. “Look who it is…”
Shit. I hoped he wouldn’t see me, but the place was so small, it was only a matter of time before he spotted me.
Carmen raised her hand. “Antonio!”
You’ve got to be kidding me. “Carmen!”
“What?” she asked innocently. “Can’t say hi to your friend?”
Why was this happening to me?
Antonio stopped when he heard his name, and once his eyes took me in, he changed his direction and came my way, grinning in his typically charming way.
Conway immediately watched him, examining him like a protective older brother. He’d never liked Bones, could barely say two words to him. He wouldn’t like anyone, because in his eyes, no one was ever good enough for me.
Antonio was about to walk into a trap.
Confident as ever, he approached me and three strangers. He greeted me before he spoke to anyone else. “Vanessa, how are you?”
“I’m good…” I could have come up with something better than that, but words failed me when I needed them the most.
He patiently waited for me to introduce him to everyone, and when that didn’t happen, he did it himself. “Allow me to introduce myself. Antonio.” He extended his hand to Carmen first. “Family? You have the same features.”
“Carmen,” she said. “And yes, we’re cousins.”
He turned to Sapphire next. “Nice to meet you.”
“Sapphire,” she said. “This is my husband, Conway.” She smiled when she said the word husband, grinning from ear to ear.
Antonio extended his hand.
I expected Conway not to take it, to grill him with a million questions. But instead, my brother stood up and shook his hand.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Nice to meet you.” Conway gave him a firm grip and looked him in the eye. “How about you join us for lunch?”
My mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”
Antonio and Conway both turned to me at the same time. Conway glared at me, and Antonio seemed genuinely bewildered.
“You’re just going to invite him to eat with us when you know nothing about him?” I asked in shock. “You don’t know anything about this guy. He could be a rapist or something.”
Antonio lowered his hand, and instead of being offended, he smiled. “Uh…I’m not a rapist. Just so everyone knows…”
Conway continued to glare at me. “Knock it off, Vanessa. I’d like to meet your friend.”
“You’ve never cared about any of my other friends before,” I snapped. “You never made an effort—”
“Vanessa, be quiet.” Conway threatened me with his hostile gaze. “You’re overreacting.”
The only reason why my brother was being so polite was because he wanted me to forget about Bones. But if Antonio were just some random guy, Conway would have growled at him like a watchdog. He wanted Bones to be a distant memory so much that he didn’t care who showed an interest in me.
Antonio picked up on the tension. “I’m going to grab a coffee. I’ll be right back.” He headed to the counter so we could talk in private.
Conway sat down again, his wedding ring standing out because he’d never worn jewelry before he got married. He kept his voice low so no one would overhear us. “If you don’t want to die alone, I suggest you knock it off. Antonio seems like a nice guy, and I’d like to get to know him.”
“Because Father liked his ten-second interaction with him?” I asked incredulously.
“No,” Conway said with seriousness. “Because this guy doesn’t kill anyone. That’s why I like him. Griffin set the bar pretty damn low.”
I took a deep breath, insulted by the remark. “And you’re so much better? I’m sure Sapphire loved being a prisoner for—”
“Don’t go there.” He looked like he wanted to flip the table over. “I’ve been patient with you because you’re going through a hard time. I love you, so I’ve been pretty damn understanding. I hate seeing you in pain. I hate the rubble Griffin left behind. But my patience is worn out, Vanessa. I’m sick of your dramatic bullshit, and I’m not putting up with it anymore. The whole reason we’re here is to check on you. Don’t forget that Father is the one who made the decision, not me. I could be doing anything else right now, but I’m here with you—as are all of us. So instead of pushing us away and making an idiot out of yourself in front of this guy, chill the fuck out.”
Just when he finished his sentence, Antonio came to our table with a mug in his hand. “So, is that invitation still on the table?” He stood next to the chair, not crossing the line I’d drawn on the floor.
Conway stared at me, still pissed.
Antonio looked at me, his warm eyes full of patience.
I didn’t want to be angry with my brother, not when he’d always been there for me. And I didn’t want to make Antonio feel unwelcome, not when he’d always been so kind to me. It wasn’t his fault that I actually liked him. “Yes.” I finally looked him in the eye. “Please join us.”
