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“You sure?”
She glances away then back at me. “I’m sure.”
"Karma." I lean closer. "If Michael is anything like Massimo, and I’m assuming he is, then I think he’ll want you share whatever it is that’s worrying you "
She shakes her head, her features pinched. "It’s really not that big of a deal.”
I frown at her, not quite believing her. "Whatever it is, you need to tell him, Karma."
Her brow furrows. She bites down on her lower lip, then nods. "You’re right, of course. I’m going to tell him... Very soon."
"Why not right now?"
"Not now. This is your event."
"Your health is more important." I’m about to stand up, but she grabs hold of my arm and tugs me back down. "I promise, I’ll tell him. Besides—" She jerks her chin toward the doorway. "I believe there’s some drama about to unfold."
"Drama?" I turn to follow the direction she’s indicated, then pause when I notice the couple at the doorway. The man is in his early twenties. With dark hair and dark eyes, his build is lean, with broad shoulders. His features are striking. He wears a beard and mustache, and his hair is long enough to brush his shoulders. His jeans are frayed at the edges, his jacket worn out with wear. He also has a scowl on his face. The way he strides into the room reminds me of someone.
The woman is curvaceous, with big brown eyes, auburn hair, and an olive complexion that hints at her exotic heritage. Her eyebrows are furrowed, her gaze slightly angry.
JJ watches them with a narrowed gaze. His shoulders are bunched and strain the jacket he’s wearing. The few times I’ve seen this man, he’s always been impeccably dressed. He’s an attractive man, with his thick, wavy hair graying at the temples, the lines that fan out from the corners of his eyes, and the bunched tendons at his throat, not to mention, he’s every inch an alpha male. He’s the same height as the man who stalks past the Sovranos and heads for the bar. Only where JJ has the kind of presence that commands a room and a physique that’s as impressive as any of the Sovranos’, the other man—who is definitely his son—has yet to fill out the promise of adulthood hinted at in the lines of his body.
The woman—who, I assume, is his son’s girlfriend—joins the young man at the bar.
Conversations come to a halt. I glance around the room to find the rest of the Sovranos are watching the unfolding scene with interest. My gaze clashes with familiar gray eyes. I shiver. Massimo watches me from under hooded lids. His lips quirk, and a slow burn begins low in my belly. Will I ever be able to watch him without getting turned on? Probably not.
The muted voices of the arguing couple reach me. I turn to find the girl leaning toward the man. Her body language indicates she’s half angry, half trying to appease him. She touches his hand, and he jerks it away. She says something, which only makes him glower. She seems to be cajoling him not to drink, which considering it’s not yet noon, is a reasonable ask. The young man tosses his head. He replies in tones too low to hear, but judging by their exchange, which grows more heated by the moment, the two of them are in the midst of an argument.
"You seeing what I’m seeing?" Karma mutters.
"I assume that’s JJ’s son and his girlfriend?"
"You assume right."
"And they don’t seem to be getting along all that well at the moment?" I hazard a guess.
"I’m guessing there’s more to it than meets the eye.”
She jerks her chin toward the other side of the room. I turn to find JJ with his arms crossed over his chest, his brow furrowed. His features have a look I can only describe as yearning. His gaze is fixed on someone. I follow his line of sight to where his son’s girlfriend now has her fingers clasped together. She’s biting her lips as if trying hard not to reply back to the other man.
"What’s JJ’s son’s name?" I ask.
"I believe it’s Isaac," Karma replies.
Isaac’s lips move, he tosses back his drink, slaps his glass on the bar counter, then reaches for the bottle of whiskey again.
She grabs it from him. The two struggle for a few seconds. She manages to wrest it from him, and that’s when his features contort. He raises his arm.
Silence descends. I sense Michael tense. Massimo moves forward, but it’s JJ who dashes across the room in time to grab his son’s arm before his palm can touch the girl.
