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Anxiety churns through me, turning my breakfast into a ball of lead in my stomach. I breathe through it, clinging to Finn's hand like it's a lifeline. So long as he's by my side, I can get through this. I can get through anything.
"It's just him and Silas," Giant says.
Finn jerks his head in a nod, relaxing slightly. I think he expected Domani to bring the entire organization with him to meet me. He has his brothers situated all over the neighborhood like they're prepared for an invasion. It's overkill, really. But he's in beast mode and there's no convincing him that he's being irrational. When it comes to my safety, I think he may always be a little bit nuts. My manreallydoesn't like that Silas made me cry.
"You ready to go out and meet him, pretty baby?" he asks me.
"No. I mean yes. I mean no."
Finn smiles at me, cupping my cheek in his palm. His dark green eyes settle on mine, his forehead resting against mine. "He's going to love you, Scarlett Crawford from Gatsby Books. Trust me."
I do trust him, more than anything.
So I take a deep breath and nod.
He runs his lips across my forehead in a tender kiss and then leads me outside to the front porch, Giant following behind us. Silas pulls into Aunt Ophelia's driveway in his town car. Domani's in the passenger seat, crammed in like a sardine in a too-tiny can. Whoa. He's a lot bigger in person, almost as massive as Giant.
Silas kills the engine.
The passenger door opens, and my brother climbs from the car.
His hazel eyes meet mine.
For a moment, I don't even breathe. We have the same eyes. I knew it, of course. He's sent me pictures of himself, and I've seen him on FaceTime. But seeing him in person is different. For the first time in my life, I'm breathing the same air as someone with my eyes…as someone who shares my blood.
"Hi,sorellina," he says, his deep voice soft.
I fly down the stairs, flinging myself against his chest. He catches me in a fierce hug, his arms closing around me. For the first time ever, I hug my brother, bawling.
"Where is your aunt,sorellina?" Domani asks, glancing around the living room once we finally make it inside. "Did she not wish to meet me?"
"Oh, she wished," Finn mutters beneath his breath, making Giant laugh. As soon as Aunt Ophelia found out about Domani, she was completely on board with having a new addition to the family, especially one in the mafia. She said she could use some muscle in this family to take care of a few things. Finn and I quickly agreed that she didnotneed to be here for this meeting.
God only knows what she wants Domani totake care offor her…or who. Knowing our luck, it'd be someone high up in the government or some foreign dignitary. Or Pat Sajak. She's been holding a grudge against him since she didn't make it onto Wheel of Fortune in the nineties. Regardless of her plans for my brother, they will not be bearing fruit. I'd much prefer for my aunt to live out the rest of her life here at home, not starting riots in super-max.
With her, anything is possible.
"She's at dialysis," I say quietly.
"She's ill," Domani says.
I nod. "Renal failure."
Sympathy flashes across his face. "I'm sorry,piccolina."
"Me too," I murmur. "But don't count her out just yet. She may outlive us all. She's a warrior."
"True story," Giant says. "I want to be half as badass as she is when I grow up."
"God save us all," Finn says from beside me. "That's just what this town needs."
Giant flips him off.
Domani watches them with interest from his seat on the couch and then shifts his gaze in my direction. "I brought you something, Scarlett," he says quietly, reaching into his jacket. He pulls out a thick manila envelope. "I'd hoped to convince you to come back to Chicago with me, but I can see that's not going to happen."
"Fuck no, it's not," Finn growls, tensing beside me. He pulls me closer, as if he intends to physically prevent Domani from convincing me to leave Silver Spoon Falls with him. "She's staying right here with me."
"You want me to go back to Chicago with you?" I ask quietly, surprised.
