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Looking at my sister, I uncross my arms, placing my hands on my hips, needing a distraction.
“Dad’s back?”
My mind starts racing, wondering why now. No way we’d get that lucky. There has to be a reason he’d come home, and if I had to guess, it has something to do with me.
“Why?” I ask.
“As if I know?” CC says. “Who’s this baby Gabe that Mia-bug mentioned?”
Looking over my shoulder, taking in the entryway, I see CC’s weekend bag opened with clothes spilling out of the top.
Guess I have a house guest.
Not that I mind. I prefer my sister to stay here. Back when my father lived in the States, CC used to live here on the weekends. She’s hated being under the same roof as my father ever since our mom’s death. I can’t blame her for that.
“My son,” I finally tell her, blowing out a long breath. “Congratulations, little sister, you’re an aunt, again.”
Caprice stares, not saying a word. If it weren’t for her eyes widening in shock, I might not think she heard me.
“H-how?” she stammers, finally, shaking her head. Her dark brown eyes snap away from me, glancing over my shoulder, up the stairs. Bri and Gabe have already disappeared from view, but that doesn’t stop my sister’s eyes from searching the empty space on the landing.
“Well, you see, sis,” Luca answers, walking past me and plopping down onto the couch on the other side of Mia. He smirks, making me shake my head. Leave it to my brother to make jokes about this situation. “When two—”
Caprice smacks the back of his head, stopping the inappropriate thought on his tongue.
“Ow.” He scowls at her, rubbing the back of his head. “What workouts have you been doing? That really hurt.”
“I took up kickboxing.” She shrugs, turning her head back to face me as Eric and Justin walk out of the kitchen. CC’s eyes cut over, taking them both in. “Don’t I know you?”
Her head cocks to the side, looking at Eric, and remembering him from when we were friends in high school. Before he can answer, she shakes her head in quick succession, then her eyes land on me.
“I’m getting sidetracked. What the heck do you mean you have a son? Since when? And seriously, how, D? And with Bri? No way.” Her head shakes again, her loose dark hair swishing from side to side with her movement.
“It’s a long story.”
And one I don’t particularly want my sister to know the details of.
“Well, I got time. Let’s hear it, but first, coffee.” She stands.
“No, you don’t have time for it. Like I asked, why aren’t you in class? And don’t BS me with Dad being home. You could have sent a text and still went to school.”
Luca and Caprice graduating college is important to me. I promised my mother I’d look after them and make sure they were taken care of, but more importantly, safe.
Part of taking care of them is making sure they get a great education and will always have something to fall back on if something were to happen to the business. And with our dad back, all of my hard work legitimizing everything could go to shit.
Hell, that could be a good thing. Let him do something illegal and get caught.
Isn’t that what I want?
But there is something about the business that I’ve always wanted on the up and up for my siblings. There’s always been a part of me that’s wanted to make it a success.
Until the summer my father forced my hand, law enforcement was never on my radar. I never understood why Eric wanted to be a cop like his father.And then I did.
“Head’s not really in school work today. It’s not like I miss often, D. Let it go, okay?” She doesn’t pause to allow me to disagree. “Besides, you obviously have a ton of crap to fill me in on, and you can start by explaining why I’ve been kept in the dark that you have a baby.”
Her eyebrows furrow, her expression accusing as she passes, heading to the kitchen.
She pauses, eyeing Eric again.
