Page 148 of The Best of Us

Alessandro shut my bedroom door and stood in front of it as if I wouldn’t fight his ass when I was ready to leave. “I need to be there with you.”

“No, you need to get back home to your pregnant wife who could have your baby any minute.” I dropped my bag on the bed and slapped a hand to the side of my neck at the throbbing vein there ready to pop. “There’s only one person getting on that plane who has the Costa last name.Me.”

“Izzy’s coming,” he guffawed.

“She’s an Ashford now.” I winked just to be a dick, but maybe he deserved my anger. He was pissing me off trying to have my six. I didn’t want him leaving his very pregnant wife to help me save my son’s girlfriend.

I gave my word to Colin, so Lennon was my responsibility, not his. Lennon was being used as another chess piece in a power play game. Fucking A, I really hated people (most, at least).

“I think you need to calm down and think this through.”

“Do I not look calm to you?” I rage-hissed.

Guilt was making a fierce comeback, clawing to the forefront of my mind while also slithering its way around my heart, squeezing it damn near to death after it’d only just started beating again.

Had I not walked out of that room in Aruba, I’d have been in Colin’s life—and in Juliette’s—from the beginning, and none of this would’ve ever happened.

No, this wasn’t me working through the stages of grief, this was me back in Hell after narrowly escaping there.

I stared at the floor in a daze, every muscle in my body locked and loaded, ready to throw down with my brother if I had to.

Exhaling a deep breath, I tried to pull myself together.Colin’s safe. I didn’t fail tonight.I shook my head, disagreeing with my own damn thoughts.I did fail. Lennon’s in danger.

If Lennon didn’t survive, would Colin wind up just like me, living a life full of bitterness, anger, and spite? Walk the road of revenge as I did while hating me on top of it? No, I couldn’t let that happen.

“I know what’s going on in your head.” His voice was low and steady, interrupting the chaos in my mind. “Believe me, I do. I was there last year with Callie.”

He tossed a hand behind him as if signaling toward his past.

“But you have a son in the mix you didn’t know about, so that has to make things a hundred times more confusing. You’ve been the glue that has held our entire family together. Therock. The father to us all, stepping in when Dad fucked up.Younever let us down. Never let us walk alone. And you actually expect us not to be there for you when you need us the most?”

I stepped away from him, lifting my hands in the air. “I will not let you miss out on your child’s birth. Nor will I take the chance that Callie or Maria become widows if something happens to either of you out there.”

“But you’ll risk making Izzy one by bringing Hudson with you?” He cocked his head, staring me down as if offended that I was allowing my brother-in-law to have my six but not my flesh and blood.

“No, I . . .” I cursed in Italian, my hands flailing to my sides.

“Callie has two weeks until she’s due. That woman is ten times more stubborn than I am, and she won’t let that baby come early if I’m not there.” He set a fist over his heart. “We are all coming.” He leaned forward, snarling, “End. Of. Fucking. Story.”

“Don’t do this to me,” I breathed out.

“Colin will lose his ever-loving mind with you over in Ireland without him on a rescue for the girl he loves. Never mind that he’s already run once. You know he’ll do it again if you don’t bring him.”

He didn’t even pause for a breath during his lecture. Well, I needed one.

“And as you pointed out, we have the entire League and Juliette’s brother’s team to keep everyone safe. Better for Juliette and Colin to be overseas with us than here without you.”

Before I could shut down hisslightlyreasonable point, someone knocked.

“Dad?” Colin, of course. He had to be there to plead his case as well.

“Yeah?” I choked out, waving him in as if he could see me.

Alessandro opened up, letting him in. “I’ll call my wife and let her know I’ll be back Tuesday instead of tomorrow.” He didn’t give me time to argue, patting Colin’s shoulder on his way out.

“Let me guess, you’re here to lay into me, too?” I dropped onto the guest bed and rested my forearms on my legs. I was worn the fuck out.

Colin shut the door and propped himself up against it. “Do you think we’re right about everything?”

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