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I take that back. He is sweet to Jessica, Bruno’s woman. The thing is, Domani’s brain works differently than the rest, but we don’t question him on it. He does enough for the family (being our main interrogator), to be able to behave however peculiarly he wishes.
Domani stands, towering over Melissa, his face expressionless, as usual. “Brunello told me on the way over here that you’re our new sister.”
Melissa’s eyes bug at the swift pace of our family when we want something for our own. “I… I…”
Domani nods once. “When is your birthday?”
Melissa blinks at my brother who looks intimidating even when he is trying to be kind. “June fifth.”
He makes a mental note in that steel trap of a rigid brain that he has. “Brothers get their sisters birthday presents. That’s what Brunello told me.”
Shit. He’s going all out, attaching before she’s properly agreed to anything. He’s going to scare her off with his unusual nature.
Though, I suppose if she’s going to run, now is a good time for it. I cannot change Dom to make him better understand the world. I wouldn’t want to be with someone who didn’t take a shine to my brothers and love them for all their quirks.
Melissa nods. “I’ve never had a brother, so your guess is as good as mine.”
“I have another sister,” he informs her. “And now I have two. Jessica’s birthday is August thirteenth. And yours is June fifth.”
Melissa’s hand moves to Dom’s elbow, and instantly, I exhale as she smiles up at him. “When is your birthday?”
“My birthday is Brunello’s birthday. We share everything.”
She nods, as though he answered the question perfectly. “I see.” She coils her arm through his. “Thanks for tying my shoe. Can you take me to the spot where I’m supposed to meet Lance? We’re getting close to noon. I can’t imagine Lance will be okay with tardiness.”
Domani nods. “I’ll make sure you come home. Giovanni loves you, so you’ll come live with us. Then I’ll have two sisters in the house.”
Melissa turns her chin over her shoulder to give me a serene smile. “I think we can make that happen. I’ve always wanted a big brother, and a boyfriend who’s kind and thoughtful.”
Domani nods as he reaches for the door. “I’ll make sure Giovanni remembers your birthday.”
I love the tender way she regards my brother. “I’m sure you will. Thank you, Domani. You’re a good brother.”
I follow behind once they step over the threshold. While I don’t want her to leave our hotel room, there is no way I am letting her out of my sight if this is the path she is choosing.
10
I’ve never cared to be embarrassed by my brother’s behavior, but Domani is uncommonly chatty today as he drives us to the exchange while Antonio fits Melissa with a tracker in the backseat. My stomach twists as I ride shotgun.
“Giovanni is a good man, Melissa. He never lets his cars get low on gas. Always prepared. His shoes are always shiny, too.”
That’s because Domani has a thing for keeping shoes clean. He polishes all our shoes in the evening, or else he can’t sleep.
I try to keep chagrin off my features. “That’s good enough, Domani. She gets it. You don’t have to sing my praises.”
Melissa smiles at Dom in the rearview mirror. “What else do you love about Giovanni?”
Domani turns onto the main road without missing a beat. “He knows how fast any car can go. He’s always on time. He killed Johnny the Butcher, who made the worse sandwiches.”
Melissa’s eyes bug. “He what?”
Domani nods, as if he’s being helpful. “Oh, yeah. The pastrami was always sliced too thin. How can he not know what a quarter-inch thick means? He’s a butcher. Or was, anyway.”
I lean forward, awash of humiliation. “Thanks, Domani. You don’t need to talk me up anymore. She gets the picture.”
Melissa smirks at me. I can tell she likes Domani, which honestly, is one of the harder sells when letting someone into the fold of our family.
Antonio clips a tiny tracker into the cuff of her jeans. He’s been watching the interactions quietly, keeping to the sidelines of the conversation, as usual. Antonio is more comfortable behind a screen than in front of actual people. He’s thinner than Bruno, Dom and me, though not entirely unassuming. He pushes his thick-rimmed black frames up on the bridge of his nose. “Okay, Melissa. This one here is going to make sure we know where you’re being driven. It’s not a model our family uses, so he’s not going to be on the ball looking for it.” Then Antonio drops something slightly larger—about the size of a quarter—into her purse. “That one is for Lance to find and think he’s all clever. That’s the model we always use, so he’ll be looking for it. He knows we would never send you in without a retrieval plan.”
