Page 65 of Knocked Up by my Best Friend's Brothers

I can’t help but chuckle nervously, quick to reject the premise. “No way. You don’t understand, Cass. The Mancinis are a huge family. They’ve got ties everywhere, including within the government. The handful of Mancinis that were incarcerated because of what I did to Perry-Sage were basically disposable. In the bigger picture, they were losses the family could manage.”

“Were the two who killed Brett arrested?” Nathan asks.

“No, Brett’s killers were lower-level goons.”

River is on his phone, searching through news outlets for information. “It says here that Jacob Mancini was one of the highest-ranking family members who was arrested and convicted in relation to Perry-Sage. His brother Jonas took overhis side of the family business in the meantime, along with Jacob’s children.”

“Brett’s killers were cousins of the big guy, I think, by some degree.” I shrug the memory away, not even willing to entertain the idea of remembering their faces. “Point is, most of the damage I did affected Perry-Sage. That corporation was just one of many the Mancinis employs to do their dirty work. If I come forward, nobody will be able to protect me.”

“It’s like we’re not even here,” River sighs as he looks at his brother.

My face burns as I try to find the right words to explain. “I know you’re here. I see you, River. I see you, Cass. I see you, Nathan. I see the three of you, and Lord knows I want you in my life. I trust you and I feel safe with you. But the Mancinis… They’re bigger and worse than anyone you’ve ever met, I promise.”

“You should visit Kandahar one day if you really think that,” Nathan mutters.

“You have your lives here, your business, your reputation. If anything, I’m a liability. These people are ruthless killers. It’s not you I fear for, dammit. I know you can handle yourselves. It’s everybody else, Teagan included,” I insist.

“The Mancinis already know you’re here,” Nathan bluntly reminds me.

My shoulders drop in defeat. “Twice now, they’ve made their presence known. I don’t know what they’re planning.”

“You said they left you notes,” River cuts in.

I nod once. “One, a while back. A second one, tonight.”

“Can I see them?”

There’s no reason why not, so I take them both out of my jacket pocket and hand them over, watching the Hawthorne brothers look over each piece of paper and analyze every single detail in sight.

The silence overwhelms me while the rest of the world continues to flow beyond these white walls.

“It’s the same handwriting,” Nathan concludes.

River seems conflicted. Quieter than usual. I’m not sure where I stand with Cassius, either, and it pains me. Deeply. I’ve fallen for them in more ways than one, and the prospect of losing what little peace and love I’ve found here hurts.

“You didn’t see the driver at all?” River asks, looking at me.

“No, it was dark. His headlights were too bright.”

“That was on purpose,” Cassius says. “You weren’t supposed to see him. He’s taunting you. What does the V.M. stand for?”

“I’m guessing the M is for Mancini, but the V…”

Nathan frowns, scrolling through his phone again. “We’ll figure it out.”

“We?” I ask. “How do you think this is going to end if the three of you get involved?”

“Honestly, I’m also wondering,” Cassius snaps. “You’ve been keeping quite the secret from us, Christa. How on earth did you imagine you’d survive after what happened, especially when you know the kind of people you’re dealing with?”

“I didn’t think—”

He cuts me off. “That’s right, you didn’t think.”

River tries to intervene. “Come on, bro, this isn’t the time—”

Cassius won’t have it. “No, it’s definitely the time.”

I guess I deserve the reprimand, maybe worse, after everything I’ve done, everything I’ve allowed to happen. Everything I’ve kept secret out of fear and self-preservation. “Christa, we’ve been tossing and turning, bending over backward to make you a part of our lives, to be with you. You didn’t want to tell Teagan. She found out, anyway. And that blew up in your face.

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