Page 68 of New Orleans Collection

“I know,” she whispers. “I just wanted one night of normal.”

I try to lighten the mood by adding, “I’m also pretty sure you are priceless.”

She grins at me even though she tries to fight it before her head tilts to the side as she looks back at the men and muses, “I wonder why my brothers are here though.”

The longer she studies her brothers, the more dread pools in the pit of my stomach. Her eyes start to go from them to me while I attempt to ignore them. It’s not completely effective considering I can feel their gazes on me and just how pissed they are.

“They’re not here for me,” she whispers. Suddenly, she gasps and then smacks my shoulder. “They’re here for you.”

I don’t meet her eyes because I know she’ll be able to see the truth in them if I do. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I try to deflect.

It might have worked too if a large hand didn’t land on my shoulder right then. I shiver at the contact because I know it’s Leo standing behind me without even looking. I tilt my head back and find my three men standing over me, their faces shuttered while their eyes blaze with anger. Having their attention on me in such a way sends a shiver down my spine and I can’t hide it even if I tried.

“Holy shit,” Viola breathes out next to me. I’m slow to bring my gaze back to hers, but when I do, she has something like happiness in her eyes as well as shock written all over her face. She points at me and then at her brothers. “How long as this been going on?”

I search her face and she doesn’t look away from me, even when her three men come around to stand behind her. I expect her to be angry and I breathe a sigh of relief when she just seems curious.

“For a little while now,” I admit softly.

“Well, I’m sure your father will be thrilled to know he no longer has to worry about you and your future,” Mom’s voice snaps me out of my focus on Viola and my eyes widen as I look at her.

She sits there with a huge smile on her face. I swear the woman does a little shimmy in her seat with glee. All I can do is groan and drop my head into my hands.

Mom seems to think Dad won’t have a problem with my relationship, but I’m not quite as optimistic as she is. I try and sink back into the chair I’m sitting in, but Gio leans over my head, his hand landing on my other shoulder to hold me in place.

“Cherise,” I can hear the smile in Gio’s voice, “it’s so nice to see you again. I hope you don’t mind us interrupting, but we weren’t aware our woman was meeting up with the ladies tonight and we were worried.”

Leo’s fingers tighten on my shoulder and when I glance up at him, he has an unreadable mask on and my heart sinks. He must feel me looking at him because his eyes come down and meet mine as he emphasizes, “We were worried.”

“Oh no,” I whisper as he lets his mask drop for a second, but only for me to see.

They weren’t just worried. They were scared out of their fucking minds.

Because I have a stalker who has sent me more than one gift and vaguely threatening messages. It’s not like I left without a trace, I did leave a note, but that doesn’t mean they still wouldn’t be worried.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as I stare into Leo’s eyes. “I’m so stupid for leaving without letting you know where I was going.”

His fingers tighten on my shoulder, and I realize Gio and my mom have been carrying on a whole fucking conversation while Leo practically strips me down to nothing with some eye contact. Holy shit, what are these men doing to me?

When I look over at Rocco, he’s not looking at me. His eyes are scanning the bar like he’s ready for danger to pop out of nowhere. His body is coiled tightly and I’m grateful he’s here, but I really wish he would look at me.

Rocco must feel the weight of my stare because he finally looks at me, but the disappointment I see in his eyes has me wishing I could crawl under the table and disappear. I hate the look in his eyes. More importantly, I hate that I’m the one who put it there.

Suddenly being out with my ladies, even though it is something I needed, doesn’t hold the same appeal it did when I felt like I was climbing up the walls and needed to get out. It certainly wasn’t worth worrying my men to this extent or making them doubt me and my feelings for them.

My eyes fill with tears, and I blink them away, not wanting to do this in the middle of The Sanctuary. Now, with everything in me, I want to go home. Being here is too much.

Leo leans down and kisses the top of my head. I wish I could soak up the warmth from the action, but part of me is worried by how much it feels like a goodbye. I wouldn’t blame him if it were.

My mom giggles, fucking giggles, at something Gio says and then he’s kissing the top of my head as well. I want to close my eyes and lean into the feeling of them being close, but fear stops me.

“Have fun, Tesoro,” Leo’s voice is husky in my ear. “We’ll be close by having a drink with our sister’s men.”

Before I can respond and tell him I’m ready to go home, his warmth leaves my side, and his hand is gone along with Gio’s. I want them back. I want them to wrap me up in their arms and then take me home so they can yell or whatever the hell it is they’re going to do so we can move on.

When I glance back, Rocco is now sitting at a table nearby with his brothers and the Falsini triplets. His eyes continue to scan the bar and while I hate that he’s mad at me, which is clear from the tension in his jaw, I do feel safer with him close by.

I never should have left without them knowing where I was going.

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