AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My brothers and I all look very much alike. Both in build and facial structure. We all have dark hair, dark eyes, tanned skin, and bodies built like trucks.
“Then you should have eaten before you arrived.”
He rolls his eyes. “Lighten up, Vincenzo. I’m your brother.”
“Who never visits. So why are you here?” I ask firmly.
“Can I eat first?” he asks cockily, gesturing to his food.
I hold his gaze for a moment, knowing if I don’t let the guy eat, he may turn into something resembling a gremlin. So I mumble a, “Whatever” and move to the bar in the dining room to pour a glass of scotch.
“Can I get one of those?” he shouts at me.
I bite my tongue and pour him a glass. By the time I bring it back to him, he’s putting the dirty Tupperware in the sink. He takes the glass, swirls it, and takes a sip.
“It doesn’t go with that dish,” I say.
“Alcohol goes with everything.”
“You are so uncultured,” I say. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
He takes another sip and looks up at me, his expression suddenly serious.
“I need to talk to you about something important.”
“Okay,” I say carefully. My brothers and I don’t do serious, not outside of the family shit. And if this was something to do with Papa, or the family, Elio would be here. Which only has me more concerned.
After a moment, he adds, “Is there somewhere we can sit?”
I move out of the kitchen and into the large room around the stairs. It’s a mix between a study and a library that I rarely use. Like most areas of the house, I suppose.
“Well?” I bite out as I sit down.
Marco rubs his brow, sitting down in the armchair across from me. I give him a few moments to gather himself because this seems difficult.
“All this stuff going on with Papa having to retire, us taking over and keeping the family going…”
“What about it?”
He turns his unsure gaze on me. Something flickers in his eyes that has me truly concerned. Is he going to tell me he’s been diagnosed with some rare, incurable disease? Cancer? Of course I’m thinking the worst. How can I not?
He sighs and says, “Wife and kids. You want them?”
I’m not sure where he’s going with this, so I wait a beat to see if he’s going to add something more. He doesn’t, so I lean back in my seat.
“Hadn’t thought about it much until recently, but yes. I do now.”
Which is the absolute honest truth.
“Why?”
“Why not?”
Marco holds my gaze, and I take a moment to look at my brother. We do look so much alike, but now that I’m really looking, I see how much older he’s gotten. Over the years we’ve grown apart, and I hadn’t realized how much he’s changed.
“This life we live. Is it worth it? Worth the risk of losing it all?”
I narrow my eyes and say, “Papa always kept us safe. No matter what he was dealing with, our family always came first. There’s no reason we can’t do the same.”
