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I took another step back, frustration growing in my chest. “You’re holding me accountable for consequences you won’t even tell me about,” I replied, my voice raising.
She ran a hand over her forehead, trailing one of her fingers over the scar. That was all the confirmation I needed to see that the scar had everything to do with this situation. But she wouldn’t tell me how, and I didn’t think I could press it out of her. “I know,” she whispered, taking a deep breath. “I know, okay? It’s hard for me to let it go, but I can try to be more civil. I understand your motivation, but it’s hard not to think about the what-ifs. What if you’d just told me the truth? I would’ve never—” She stopped herself again. “Everything would’ve been different. Better.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her honestly. I didn’t know what had happened, but I knew I hadn’t been there to protect her, and I knew that in some way, my lack of communication had driven her toward whatever had happened. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when I should’ve been.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I know you are,” she said, nodding. “I’ll try to forgive you, I really will, but it’ll take me some time.”
As I stepped away from her, I saw the rift between us growing thinner. The hatred faded just a touch. I didn’t know what happened, and she didn’t know the full extent of what had driven me, but it seemed there were a lot of unspoken reasons for the animosity. I’d learn about it eventually, and when I did…I would handle the situation, and the person on the other side would regret the day they touched Sierra.
14
SIERRA
“You’re an ass,” I said to Carlo as I brushed the dirt from my work gloves after setting a sheet of drywall on the floor. “More of an ass than anyone I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of assholes.”
“I told you I’d carry it in myself,” he said, holding up his hands in mock defeat.
I scowled at him, though I knew I was overdramatizing the situation. I didn’t particularly care, though. I had one day a week where I didn’t have to work on the Lucchese mansion, and instead of working there, I was here, carrying sheets of drywall into Carlo’s home.
“I told you I’d carry it myself,” I repeated with a low, mocking tone. “Are you going to hang and finish it yourself, too? Oh, and will you tie in the electrical for the monstrous lights you decided you had tohave?”
Carlo chuckled and walked back out to the fully loaded truck, but I didn’t bother going back out to help him as I looked at where Louis and Tommy sat at the kitchen table, playing a game of cards and glancing up at me every few moments. Bella was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, placing the small chunks into a bowl. “One of you could help,” I said, scowling at all of them.
Bella giggled as if asking for help was a joke and flashed her fresh nails. “These are too expensive to risk breaking.”
I shot a look at Tommy and Louis, and Tommy went to stand before I pointed the finger at him. “Absolutely not,” I remarked. “You have a perfectly capable brother whowasn’tshot this year.”
He widened his eyes and dropped back into his seat, raising his hands as if to defend himself. I shot my gaze over to where Louis stood, but he shook his head and pursed his lips. “I liked the house the way it was before renovations, but I appreciate the offer.”
My eyes narrowed, and I understood exactly what Bella had meant when she’d said Louis was an ass of epic proportions. “Where’s Frankie?” I asked.
Bella gestured to the office. “He’s working like usual,” she said with an eye roll.
Carlo strode back inside the room, carrying a sheet of drywall before setting it against the stripped wall and placing his hands on my hips. I couldn’t help but gawk at the veins that bulged in his muscular forearms as he stood there, but I forced my eyes away quickly. We could be on civil terms, but I wouldn’t swoon over him.
“Okay, well there is a lot that needs to be done to get started today, and I don’t have enough time to prolong this,” I said, clapping my hands together. I glanced over my shoulder at Carlo. “Unless, of course, you want to change your mind and nix the renovations.”
“You’re the one who got caught by your brother. Now we need to make the story authentic.”
I narrowed my eyes at Carlo. “I’m not the one who said I was renovating the house.”
He smirked. “Semantics.”
I could’ve punched him, but I opted instead to clench my fists at my sides and take a deep breath. No good would come from getting into a physical altercation with Carlo, especially when his brothers all stood around the house and would break it up before I could land a good hit.
“I can help you guys,” Tommy insisted, standing up with no sign of discomfort. It still felt odd to see him moving about more easily, especially when he could hardly make it two steps by himself a month ago. If I’d met Tommy before Carlo and Frankie, maybe doing this would’ve been a little easier. He wasn’t like his other siblings, and it was easy to see that as he eagerly offered to help. Even though he’d found a place in my life, however, I couldn’t see him as more than a friend. Maybe it was because he was too nice, or maybe it was the way he reminded me so much of my own brother. Maybe, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I couldn’t see anything romantic in Tommy because Carlo was the only one able to capture and hold my attention.
“If you’re trying to fuck her, I think you’re too late,” Louis piped up. “You’ll have to take it up with Carlo, and he doesn’t like to share.”
I clenched my jaw, shooting daggers at Louis’s harsh comment. “Do you have a thing for being punched?” Carlo asked venomously.
Louis only shrugged, not even moving his eyes from the cards in his hands. “It’s hard to play poker without my partner,” he said, scowling at Tommy.
Tommy only smiled down at his brother and flipped his hand up, revealing a full house. “I win this one.”
He made his way toward me, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. “You seem unfazed by your brother,” I said as he made his way to my side and leaned into the wall beside me. His slim body contrasted Carlo’s so much that I almost did a double take between the brothers, but I stopped myself.
“Growing up with three assholes makes one easier to take.”
