Page 84 of All Your Lies
I don’t need to glance at Alexa to know the comment stung.
“Alexa may be a capo as you three are, but the difference is she is to be my wife. This puts her higher in rank and importance, and she deserves the same respect as you. I won’t put up with anything less.”
The transition of putting a woman in a boss’s role hasn’t been smooth, though I’d never mention that to her. These stupid fucks and their fathers need to get out of the Dark Ages. This will happen whether they like it or not.
“Understood, boss,” Rocco says with a begrudging huff as he looks at his sister. “Should we begin?”
“Not until Marco arrives.” On cue, my brother walks in. The fucker was probably listening on the other side of the door.
“Someone mentioned me?” he asks as he walks in with a smile before coming to stand between Alexa and me.
I narrow my eyes at him, silently warning him to step away from Alexa, but he remains unfazed and unmoving.
I have to get out of this townhouse and into a bigger house with a bigger office. Being crammed in here is making my already bad mood worse.
“Okay, let’s get to business. What do you have for me, Rocco?”
He looks over at his sister and then back at me. “There were once whispers of you marrying my sister. Now that is no longer,”he says as he looks over at Alexa. “We’d like to propose a marriage between her and Marco now that she’s of age.”
I observe Marco, who has become as still as a statue, and unfortunately, Alexa, too. Alexa looks over at Marco and then at me before leveling Rocco with a glare. “No.”
I feel the air leave my lungs as those two letters, that one simple word, gut punch me.
Did last night mean nothing to her? Will I always be second best to him?
twenty-six
Alexa
ROSIE’S WEDDING
“May I cut in?” Marco asks from the other side of Gage.
I go still in Gage’s arms. Throughout the night, I attempted to keep my distance from Marco. While I’ve moved on from being upset, I still have little interest in being in his presence.
“Absolutely the fuck not,” Gage spits.
“It’s fine,” I say, stepping back. I don’t want him to ruin Rosie’s day by making a scene. I don’t believe he will, but I also don’t know. His fuse seems to be a lot shorter than it’s ever been.
Gage mutters something to Marco as they have a stare down. I can’t help but compare the two as I’m stuck between them.Gage is reminiscent of a fallen angel who screams temptation, sin, and rebellion. While Marco still looks like the boy next door—ordinary, likable, probably writes in a calendar and irons all of his clothes before he puts them on.
At one point, I believed Marco was the one who made my heart race, but he never did. It was always Gage.
“Graphic, I dig it. No worries, baby bro,” Marco says to Gage.
A huge smile graces Marco’s lips as he pulls me into his arms. “Laugh as if I said something funny to piss him off.”
My head tilts back, and I laugh. Because why the hell not? I’m down to be petty and piss Gage off a little.
“I wanted to apologize,” Marco murmurs.
“There’s no need.”
“There is,” he says as he leans closer to my ear. “You will always be one of the most beautiful girls in the room, and I’m sorry for making you feel less than you are. I just never had the courage to tell you I’m-I’m only attracted to men.”
I pull back and look into his eyes that are a mix of sorrow and vulnerability.
“But I saw you.”
