Page 64 of Dirty Big Sins

Before she could say whatever it looked like she had on her mind, one of the security guys popped his head through the door and said, “It’s time.”

I started to move us toward the door and Zia froze. The fear in her eyes awakened more of my protective instincts and I wanted nothing more than to whisk her the hell out of here and get us both as far away from this nightmare as possible. She did not deserve this.

The marks against Romeo were stacking up with every passing hour. He had a lot to answer for and I couldn’t wait to confront him. His time was coming. Very soon.

“If you don’t want to do this just say the word. I’ve got my plane on standby and we can get the hell out of this town right now.”

She glanced up. “Neither of us can leave. We have obligations. Don’t you have a fight tomorrow night?”

“Sure do. But my priorities are changing. This right here is more important and if this is too much for you, none of it’s worth it.”

Her face transformed, the fear in her eyes dissipated and she visually softened. She didn’t hate the idea of being whisked away. Or at least that I’d made the offer. But I could see the gears working and knew she wouldn’t take me up on my offer.

Instead she took a deep breath, patted down the sides of her hair and stood ramrod straight. “No. As much fun as making a break for it sounds, this is too important. And the only solution any of us could come up with to turn this around. I’m not going to run out on Gabe and Nina like that. There’s more at stake than just my reputation so I’ve got to see this through.”

Damn. A tight fist squeezed around my heart. I loved her backbone. And her loyalty. Soon I was going to have to tell her exactly what that meant to me and how I felt about her. It was time we cleared the air and got straight with each other.

“All righty then. Just don’t forget to breathe, baby. You’ve got this. And I’m right here beside you.”

She turned and stood on tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss on my mouth.Fuuuuck. I loved this woman.

“Thank you, Vincent.”

I didn’t get a chance to say anything else. With her hand still in mine, she walked us out into the room and onto the stage with the cacophony of cameras clicking, multiple voices all asking questions at once and the sound of my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

We posed for pictures until I thought my face would freeze in its expression. By the time Sybil announced we would take a few questions, my admiration of Zia had grown and my patience with the press had waned. It was time to end this three-ring circus. Hell, it was time for me to get off the celebrity train once and for all. While Zia shined in front of the camera, I realized I was sick of it.

I could retire today, let her take the center stage and be happy with it. While I still loved the sport, the rest I could leave behind without a look back. The time had come for me to make a permanent change.

“Zia, when did you meet Vincent and was it love at first sight?”

The crowd laughed and Zia right along with them. She knew how to work a crowd.

“I think love at first sight would be a bit of an assumption.” She looked up at me. “But I did have the pleasure of meeting him while I was on vacation in Italy. I’d planned on hiding away in my grandmother’s villa, licking my wounds and instead he found me and well, life happens when you least expect it, right?”

The room erupted in murmurs and I heard many agree with her sentiment. I squeezed her hand.Good girl.

“Vincent, what about you? You look like you might have finally been bitten.”

I laughed, keeping it light. “Trust me, if and when “I am bitten”, you will not be the first person I tell. That will be between me and the love of my life.” I dangled that tidbit out for them and let them interpret that however they wanted. She deserved more than a roomful of reporters when I finally confessed my true feelings.

“So this relationship isn’t what caused your recent divorce? He does have a certain kind of reputation when it comes to the ladies.” That one had hit a little too close for comfort and I sensed a slight reaction in Zia when her finger jerked against mine. My own smile faltered as I pinpointed the reporter who’d flung that zinger in her direction. Fortunately, she had it together and didn’t miss a beat. “Absolutely not. I didn’t meet Vincent until my divorce was final.”

Sybil spoke up immediately after. “And make no mistake, we will not answer that question or any like it again. It’s a complete fabrication and an insulting one for anyone to imply anything else has gone on. In fact, that’s all we have to say tonight, folks. Thanks for coming out.”

Zia and I hugged on stage one last time before we turned to leave.

“Zia! Aren’t you worried that those pictures will affect your standing as a reality star on a family network? And are the rumors true that you’ve been fired for sexual immorality?”

“Zia! Zia!” Another overzealous reporter shouted. “What about your mobster godfather? There are rumored reports that he is still alive. What can you tell us about that?”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

ZIA

The room exploded.Shouted questions, the publicist trying to shut them down, security surrounding us as we did our best to exit the press room. What had started off on a positive note had gone off the rails about as bad as it possibly could have. How the hell did anyone know about my being fired? Had the network already made an announcement without informing me?

Bastards.

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