Page 97 of Better Left Unsaid

We would never be a family.

We would always be exactly what we were, frozen—like a familybut notactual family. That tore me to pieces inside.

“I’m going to do it,” I told Vito, shaking my head as I picked up the pen beside the contract and clicked it open. “I’m going to Italy.”

He coughed. “Are you sure?”

I didn’t look up, my eyes homed in on the signature line. I wasn’t sure of much these days, but I was hoping this would prove to be the fresh start that I needed. So I nodded. “Maybe this will get my life on track.”

He pushed my arm with the back of his hand. “Hey, maybe you’ll meet a hot Italian female model or something.”

I gave him a dirty look. “Again, too soon.”

“Sorry,” he replied, leaning back.

All right. This was it. Part of me had hoped I would have heard from Maria, but maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t. It was the push I needed to do something for myself. Even if I didn’t give two shits about it.

I touched the tip of the pen to the paper and glanced up for a moment, saying a silent prayer that I was making the right decision. I believed the big guy had a plan for me, and I was fully leaning into that now. Whatever it was, let this take me down the right road.

I signed the contract and pushed it aside, clicking the pen closed. “Done.”

He clapped my back and grinned. “Good for you, man. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, bro.” I didn’t know if I’d say I was happy, but I sincerely hoped this was a step in that direction.

“When do you leave?” he questioned.

I ran my tongue across my teeth. “Let’s just say there’s no time for goodbyes.”

“Damn.”

Damn was right.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Dominic

I rolled myluggage to the door and retrieved my keys and wallet from the counter before slipping my aviators over my eyes. I looked around my house and hoped that when I came back, I was a changed man. I hoped that I would better accept that sometimes we couldn’t have it both ways, just like I’d told Maria.

I shoved my wallet and keys into my pocket and opened the door to find all of Maria’s sisters—and I did mean all of them, even Jade—rushing toward me like there was a fire up their asses. What the hell was going on?

“Shit,” Bianca yelled. “My purse is stuck in the door.”Um, okay.

Ignoring her, they all continued pushing me back into my house. “Ohmigod, were you leaving now?” Perla asked, eyeing my luggage. Uhh, that was kind of the exactly what I was doing.

I removed my aviators and put them in my shirt.

“You can’t leave. Not yet,” Allie said, blowing a hair that fell by her lips away from them. “You need to see this.” She waved a big ass binder in my face with both hands.

I cocked a brow and studied each of them. “What?” What could they possibly have to show me?

Bianca stepped inside my house to stand next to her sisters. They were barricading me in. “Listen, Deluca, you can do whatever you want. You can leave and go to Italy, but you have to have all the facts before you get on that plane, and we don’t see you for another six weeks.”

I crossed my arms. “Fine, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Allie continued holding on to the binder for dear life—what was in that thing?—as her eyes connected with mine, and she said, “On more than one occasion you’ve given me advice, Dom, and for the most part, I don’t listen because I’m, well, me. But I hope to hell you’re not like me and that you do listen when I tell you that you will regret getting on that plane if you don’t look at what’s in here.”

I peered down at the binder. It was white and unmarked with no hint as to what was inside. One glance at my watch, and I knew I didn’t have time for this. “I’m going to miss my flight,” I said, trying to leave with some semblance of dignity. Confessing your feelings and not getting the response you were looking for was not exactly something that promoted self-esteem.

---