AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I couldn’t let her go, and if I told Gabriel that, he’d try to kick my ass for it. I didn’t think he’d succeed, but I wasn’t in the mood for a brawl today.
“I’ve never known you to be smitten.”
“Smitten?” I chuckled and shook my head, grabbing the black coffee in front of me and taking a sip. If there was one thing Italy did better, it was espresso.
“I’ve never seen you in a relationship.”
“That’s because I’ve never been in one—not even now.”
Gabriel exhaled an exasperated breath and leaned forward. “I’m your brother, and I don’t know a thing about what’s happening in your life. It's not all business between us, you know. We’re family, and that means something to me. You were the best man at my wedding for a reason, and I’ve never kept a secret from you.”
At his wedding.
I knew he used it as a blow. As a reminder of the past we had between us.
I’d been there for the wedding, and I’d been there to exact revenge on his wedding night when his new bride had been killed.
I’d seen and experienced it all with him, and I owed him the truth.
“She caught us doing some mob business, and I kept her for questioning. She’s been around for a couple of weeks while I had a background run on her to ensure she wasn’t a threat on other fronts. Now she’s here, and I don’t want to let her go.”
“She’s not a threat, though?”
“She isn’t,” I told him. “When we get home, I have to release her, but I don’t want to. I really don’t want to fucking let her go, but I can’t hold her hostage forever.”
“Because you have feelings for her?” he asked.
Feelings didn’t seem to captivate the way I felt about Sienna fully, but I nodded nonetheless. “If she wanted me that way, I would never let her go.”
It was the truth.
Hell, it was more honest than I’d been with myself in the weeks we’d spent together, and I had to cement myself for the real possibility that she’d never stay with me. She’d seen me do things that most people wouldn’t be able to forget or forgive, and I knew that. I knew a woman like her wouldn’t settle for a criminal like me.
Would I be just like my father if I forced her to stay?
I took a deep breath and held up the paperwork between Gabriel and me. “I’m done talking about her. We have shit to do.”
He saw the diversion for what it was and stared for a long moment.
Finally, he nodded.
“It sounds like you have a lot to figure out.”
***
Bria sprinted around the circular table, her long blue dress trailing behind her like a “superhero cape” as she put it. Gabriel tried telling her to slow down, but she had too much fun with her extended aunts, uncles, and distant cousins to even consider listening to reason.
“Bria,” I warned for the second time as she skidded to a halt after nearly falling.
“I’m fine,” she shouted back, continuing on.
I opened my mouth to say something more, but Sienna rounded the corner and strode into the room, taking in the pre-set table where Gabriel and I sat. Her eyes veered down to Bria, and she smiled as she knelt. Bria, not bothering to slow her run, dove into Sienna’s arms.
“I went to Auntie Lia’s house today, and we made two big cakes,” she said, holding up her hands as if to demonstrate the exaggerated size of the cakes. “I ate half of one.”
“That explains a lot,” Sienna said with a little laugh. Despite it, though, something festered in Sienna’s eyes. Something dark and unhappy. I’d have to ask her about it when we were alone, but I didn’t say anything as she lifted Bria in her arms and sat the child on one of the chairs. “It looks like everyone’s ready to eat.”
She nodded, and Sienna finally met my gaze.
