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“I’ll take care of the puppies while you’re gone,” Dillon said. I knew he would.
Maria blushed then backed away, but there was no doubt about how strongly they felt for each other, their initial reaction a clear indication.
The same way you feel when Gabriel walks into a room.
Shut up, little voice.I certainly didn’t need to be reminded how my body had betrayed me. I tugged on Theodora’s arm before she had a chance to get up. “What did you mean about Nico? Why don’t you think he had anything to do with it?”
She seemed sheepish, darting a glance at her sister before answering. It would seem Nico was her dirty little secret. “Because we’ve been seeing each other in private for a few months. I don’t hate the thought of getting married to him. I was shocked when I was attacked and what the asshole said scared me. Maria assumed it was Nico and I let her think that. Because of it, my brother beat him up.”
“Because he cares about you.”
“I realize that, but he’ll start a war and that can’t happen.”
“You’re certain Nico didn’t have it done to make a point?”
She shook her head. “The guy who did it wasn’t one of Nico’s men. I know all of them. Okay? Please don’t tell anyone. Please. I’ll be banished or worse.”
Christ. The girl was in love with the man. I guess it was true that every family had secrets. “I’m not going to say a thing, but you need to be careful. Gabriel is out for blood.”
“I know. He’s a good man, Sarah. I know what he did to you was wrong, very wrong. But he and Luciano were so close. I’ve never seen him so devastated except…”
She didn’t need to finish her sentence. Gabriel hadn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone outside of the family given what happened to his fiancée. Then his only other true friend was killed. “I think I can handle shopping today.” As I stood, Maria walked closer. “I have an idea,” I told her. “We’ll go shopping another day as well, but I’ll insist I come get you.” I threw Dillon a quick look and she immediately figured out what I was saying.
“I think I’m going to like having you as another sister, maybe more than my real one.”
“Hey!” Theodora snapped. “Not fair.”
As they started laughing, I couldn’t help but join in. They had a special bond, just like Carrie and I did.
Just like normal people.
As we headed for the door, I stopped and patted Dillon on the arm. “You’re a good man. I’ll see what I can do.”
A wry smile crossed his face, and he nodded both out of respect as well as if to tell me he’d keep our little secret.
As we walked out, I only wondered what other dark, dangerous secrets were lurking in the shadows.
In both our lives.
* * *
Gabriel
“Fuck,” I hissed as I headed toward the private door to the club. There were a few cars in the parking lot, some of which I didn’t recognize, but the employees would arrive shortly given the opening time. Bruno walked out, giving me a nod.
“He’s not here,” he said as he scanned the vehicles.
“You’re certain of that?” Dillon had asked Bruno to check the security tapes at the club. Something else I’d give the man credit for.
“Positive. I’ve been watching the cameras after I got here given Dillon’s phone call. Besides, the asshole is always bragging about the old Trans Am like it’s worth a million bucks. Piece of shit.”
I walked inside, not waiting for the elevator, taking the stairs two at a time. I stormed into my office, my hand on my weapon. Bruno had been the one to open up the club, sending Dillon the short video. I headed for the camera system, pulling up the footage he’d tagged.
“I knew it was an employee or a regular. They must have waited inside until the last person left,” he said.
It had to be an employee who’d worked in the club, or the security system would have been activated. Few employees knew I’d installed additional cameras in the private area just in case something exactly like this happened. While no one else had a key to my office, that didn’t mean there weren’t ways of picking the lock. There wasn’t a single one manufactured that couldn’t be bypassed. If I remembered correctly, Demarco had been a high-end thief before joining the family.
Bruno stood behind me as the image came into view. As the perpetrator moved toward the computer, he made certain he didn’t face the camera, but he didn’t have to.
