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I knew that Ava got a little stressed being around her brothers when they argued, she just wanted everyone to get along. Considering she came from a family that seemed to fight all the time, I couldn’t blame her for being a bit sensitive to raised voices.
“That’s up to you,” she said. “I’m just trying to focus all my attention on these little angels and forget about the family drama.”
I stepped out into the hall momentarily, and I could hear their voices in the library nearby. Frowning, I thought twice about wanting to get into the middle of things. I trusted Gabe, but his brothers, especially Roman, were pretty intense. I closed the large French doors to the living area, not wanting their voices to wake up the girls.
I sat down on the couch beside Ava. “You have the right idea—focus on the babies, not their drama,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Roman brings drama wherever he goes.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“He’s my brother,” she muttered.
“Yeah, but so is Gabe and he turned out alright.”
“Dante isn’t too bad either, most of the time,” she said.
“True, and I remember pieces of Roman a bit growing up. He’s intense, but he’s a good guy deep down, or at least I think so.”
Ava nodded. “He is, he’s got a good heart. I just think that Dad kind of beat the goodness out of him, literally and figuratively. I hope that once Dad is gone, he finds his way back.”
I talked to Gabe often about their dad dying, but Ava barely mentioned it. I had tried to bring it up a few times, but she always shrugged it off.
“Are you going to see him?” I asked.
Ava shrugged. “I don’t know. I told my brothers I would try to drive up there tomorrow, but I am not looking forward to it,” she said. “Of all of us, Dad hated me the most.”
“He didn’t hate you.”
“No, he just had no use for a daughter,” she said.
“Well good thing that his opinion means nothing.”
She smiled at me. “I see the way Gabe looks at these girls, and it makes me so happy. I would have loved to have had a father that loved me the way he loves Lucy and Ari.”
“I know the feeling.”
“I hope that Charles is your dad and that you are able to experience that,” she said softly.
“Me too,” I agreed.
I also hoped that Ava would one day find peace with her own father.
22
Gabe
“Itold you not to fucking talk about business with me, and especially not today, of all days.”
“Then when?” Roman asked.
“Never, if I have my way. I told you; I want no part in any of it.”
“You’re a De Luca, Gabe, there’s no getting out of the family business. Tony wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t do business with the Mafia,” I said, walking over to my brother and standing face-to-face with him. My hands were balled at my sides, my cheeks were heated and likely red from anger. “Do not bring this bullshit into my house, under my roof, and into my family, you hear me? My daughters just came home a couple days ago. Today is a happy day, and you have no right to bring that shit here.”
Roman backed off, holding his hands up as Dante stepped between us. He was always the one to break us up when things got too heated, even when we were kids.
