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I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, how about you start by putting on a big happy face. Your long-estranged brother wandered back into your life. Yay? If you really want to play it up, showel jefehow grateful you are for being the asshole who brought you two back together.”
She looked at me like maybe I’d lost my mind—I got that look a lot—then turned to Brute.
“It really is good to see you. I’ve missed you,” she said while her lips quirked up in a smile.
The words were right, the smile felt real, and yet, there wassomething.
I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
And yet, she crossed the room, closing the distance between her and her brother. She didn’t hug him, but she stood there meekly and let Brute wrap his arms around her, pretty much swallowing her up in his much bigger frame.
“I understand why you felt you needed to get out,” Brute said as he let her go and she took a step back. “But getting out and running here?” He shook his head. “That, I don’t understand.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I never understood any of the shit dad and the club did, but no one seemed to mind that.”
Maybe that’s all it was, some long-buried resentment that vibrated lightly in the air all around her. But even that didn’t sit quite right.
“I have to get back, Brute. I got out without a tail, but that’ll only last for so long.”
Brute nodded. “We’ll figure out a way to get there, put on some big old, happy reunion for thecapo.But I’m not just leaving, Leeri. Understand?” He phrased it like a question, but there was just something about Brute that brooked no refusal.
Maybe it was his sheer size or the commanding tone in his voice. I had a feeling, though, it was something deeper than that. It was the way he ruled and made it look effortless. Like a king in his kingdom. He didn’t have to convince you he belonged there; it was in his blood and written in his bones, and you’d damn well bow or your head would roll. Or, I suppose in Brute’s case, it would go up in flames. The man had a thing for fire.
Brute opened the door to walk Leeri out and found Vito waiting on the other side.
“ZiettoVito, could you entertain our guest for just a moment,per favore?” I asked before they could leave the room.
Vito nodded indulgently, and I grabbed hold of Brute’s arm, holding him back as Vito escorted Leeri out into the hallway.
“Something doesn’t feel right here, Brute,” I said, eyeing the door while I threw on a robe.
Brute looked at me, eyes narrowed. “You don’t know her, Greta.”
I shrugged. “Neither do you. I told you there’d be hard calls. Well, welcome to what we do. I’m afraid I’m fresh out of welcome baskets.”
“If you’re saying you think she’s part of whatever Domínguez is up to…”
I shook my head. “I’m saying I don’t know. Something about her just isn’t sitting right.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair—coming up short, like always. “Then I guess I’m going to have to find out, darling.”
“If you blow our cover—”
“Yeah, I know, you’ll kill me. It won’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done.”
I nodded, glad I’d made myself clear.
He reached for the door handle, but turned back to look at me. “One day, darling, you’ll have to tell me about that,” he said, then he opened the door, slipped out, and closed it behind him.
“No, I won’t,” I said to the door and shoved every memory trying to sneak its way out back to the darkest, deepest recesses of my mind where it belonged.
Chapter Twelve
Brute Hastings
A fucking party.
At thecapo’sestate.
