Page 30 of Ruthless Vengeance
“My little brother’s changed.” Andre chuckles, shaking his head. “A couple years ago, I was convinced you’d never settle down. I thought I’d be carvingplayboyinto your gravestone.”
I scoff. “There were times I thought the same, but then....”
Andre tilts his glass toward me. “But then Clara happened.”
Clara happened.
The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and I drain the rest of my drink before getting to my feet.“I should get back.”
To where, I don’t know. The thought of going back to the Westchester house and running into Clara feels too much like I’m tempting fate.
But then I think of Zoe, and my chest tightens.
No matter what, she is still my child, and I can’t just walk away from her.
Andre lifts his eyes to me. “There’s one more thing.”
I turn, already on edge. “What now? Don’t tell me Rosa’s pregnant too.”
“Fuck, no. But it’s to do with Tommaso.” He exhales, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What about him?”
“There are rumors going around that Tommaso’s sons are out for vengeance.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Really?”
Andre nods, the muscle in his jaw flexing. “Apparently, they came sniffing around the warehouse once we left, and they’re not happy.”
“Shit.”
“Word is, they’re looking to make you pay. You killed their father, after all.”
I let that sit for a second before letting out a dry chuckle. “Andthiswasn’t important enough to lead with?”
Andre shrugs. “I figured you’d be more focused on the Clara situation.”
He’s not wrong, though learning that Tommaso’s sons are keen to avenge their father’s death is not something I should ignore.
Then again, my life is already a clusterfuck at this point, so how is this any wonder?
“Let them come,”
Andre’s expression turns serious. “Just be careful. But if there’s arealthreat, we’ll deal with it together.”
Andre’s right but until then, I have bigger problems to worry about, and whether I want to admit it or not, Clara is still at the center of them all.
Chapter Nine
CLARA
I siton the edge of the bed, my stomach churning as I watch Zoe sleep.
It’s almost three in the morning, and Marco still hasn’t come home, and I’m starting to wonder if he ever will.
The house is quiet while everyone sleeps, but my mind is loud, filling the silence with every possible worst-case scenario.
I know I messed up.
