Page 52 of Dex

Because the truth is, we are all brothers.

We just don’t act like it.

Matteo, Enzo, and I stick together.We had to.When our father moved us here, we had no one else.Mama came for a while, because we were teenagers when hell broke loose.When we realized that the nice American man who visited us occasionally, the man we called Papa, also had another secret family in the US.I remember the day we found out the truth.That the man we called Papa had another family.That he was already married when we were born.And his wife—Jett, Dex, and Zach’s mother—had died.It was suicide, we later discovered.It happened after she found out about Mama and us.She couldn’t take it.

Mama was so upset.Not only that the man she loved had another family, and was married, which made her suddenly a mistress, but now she had to carry the weight of a woman who had killed herself.Mama felt it was her fault, even though she’d had no idea the old man was already married.

I push the thought aside and glance back toward Dex.

Oh, hell.Is he actually laughing?

I watch as Daniela leans back in her chair, and throws her head back, as if she’s laughing, too.With her back to me, I can’t tell her expression, but … these two look like they could be on a real date.

Dex has taken off his jacket, his broad frame relaxed, his sleeves rolled up.That’s a flex pose if I’ve ever seen one.I’ve seen this guy in action and I can tell that he’s trying, but also holding back.

Like he’s stuck.

I finish my drink, then, just as I turn to order another, a woman slips onto a barstool two seats away from me.

The way she looks steals my breath away.

She’s stunning.

My eyes fixate on her full mouth and those beautiful lips stained heavy in a rich red lipstick.It’s the kind of lipstick that makes a statement, and this one says, “watch out”.Her long curly brown hair tumbles down her back, and thick dark lashes frame her big dark eyes.The bar is mostly empty, which means she’s deliberately chosen this seat.

My gaze lingers on her for half a second too long and when she catches me staring, I look away.

Damn.

“Sorry,” I say smoothly.“Didn’t mean to stare.”

She tilts her head.“That’s okay.”

I expect her to leave it at that.Maybe flash a polite smile and look away.

“Can I buy you a drink?”she asks.

I blink.

Well,hot damn.

That doesn’t happen often.

A beautiful woman sitting at a bar offering to buy me a drink?

Bold move.

I lean back, studying her.“You always go around buying drinks for strangers?”

“Let me guess,” she says, resting an elbow on the bar, those rich red satin lips curving slightly.“This makes you uncomfortable.”

“I wouldn’t say uncomfortable.”

“Confused, then?”

I try not to wince.“Intrigued.”

“Ah.”She leans in slightly.“And let me guess, you were about to say that if you had been the one to ask, I’d be expected to bat my lashes and say yes?”

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