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“You told me you wouldn’tcontacthim.”
Her eyes flashed. “I changedmymind.”
He stalked toward her. “That’s not your decisiontomake.”
“He’s my brother.” She walked to the bar, poured herself a drink and tossed it back. “If it’s not my decision, whoseisit?”
“You put us all at risk.” He hated himself for saying it. He wasn’t worried about himself or Cole or anyone else. It was the thought of losing her that had shaken him tohiscore.
She turned to face him. “I’m sorry you think that,” she said. “For the record, I was careful. No onefollowedme.”
“Cole was on your tail the whole time,” Damian said. “Did youspothim?”
“No, but since you were having me followed, I imagine Cole would have noticed a tail, don’t youthink?”
Her attitude was getting under her skin. He’d expected her to beg forforgiveness.
To be sorry atleast.
He hadn’t been prepared for her show ofstubbornness.
“I’m glad you can be so cavalier about this, Aria.” He turned to face the window, wishing he’d had time to pour that second drink. “It was foolish.Reckless.”
A moment passed before he felt her hands on his shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have told you. I knew you wouldsayno.”
He spun to face her. “You’re fucking right I would havesaidno.”
“Why?” she cried. “Why is it so wrong for me to want to talk to mybrother?”
“Because he’s a blind spot for you, Aria,” he said. “You don’t know him like you thinkyoudo.”
“And you do?” shechallengedhim.
“I know more than you think,” he saidsoftly.
She lifted her chin defiantly. “Bullshit. You’ve met him once. I’ve known him my whole life. I know he can be erratic and stupid, but I also know he can be kind and generous. I know Malcolm brings out the worst in him, but I also know I’m the one person who can keephimsane.”
His fear for her mingled with his anger, all of it from the samesource.
All of it stemming from his desire to protect her, his terror over losing heragain.
He tried to stuff it down, to keep it in the locked box where he’d been keeping his anger since getting Aria out of Greece. The rage had served him well when he’d been planning her rescue, but it wasn’t what she needed from him once shewassafe.
It wasn’t working. All he could see was Aria’s terrified face as she’d been pulled over the balcony in Capri, the squalor of the apartment in Greece, her pale skin and emaciated form, the compliant way she’d let him bathe her in Italy, so unlike the fiery woman he’d met in New York threemonthsago.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Aria,” he saidquietly.
He walked to the bar and poured himself another drink with shakinghands.
“Then tell me! If you know so much about Primo, tell me, because right now it just seems like you want to keep me from mybrother.”
He drained the drink and turned toward her. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a voice screaming at him to becareful.
To begentle.
It was stifled by the roar of his fear andanger.
“It was him,” he said. “It wasPrimo.”
