Page 57 of Forbidden Property
“So you’re done with the lotion and anime tits?” Renzo smirks at finally getting an edge over me by bringing up one of my more embarrassing memories from our childhood. He’s such a fucking asshole.
“That was once.”
Renzo’s smirk turns into a smile. He laughs and taps his cigarette on the railing again. “You jerked it to a cartoon, Gino.”
“Learn how to respect a locked door, you fucking asshole.”
“I’m never gonna let that go,” Renzo says, laughing louder. I know it takes seeing me in pain to make him laugh, but I let it slide because at least it’s better than him sulking over Geralynn.
“Fine. I don’t care. Maybe I’ll hit up Geralynn tonight now that she’s done with you.”
My brother’s mood shifts in an instant. The drink flowing through him doesn’t do much to stop him from getting pissed the fuck off over a pretty harmless joke.
“If you go near Geralynn, I’ll split your dick down the middle and fuck the hole with a sawed-off shotgun.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to tell her that you love her?”
His tone darkens considerably now that I’m broaching a sensitive subject like the woman he should have tried being nice to years ago.
“I tried that, you fucking baboon.”
“What, she didn’t care?”
Renzo tosses the cigarette over the edge of the balcony and shoves his empty glass across the table.
“That’s it, we’re done here.”
“Don’t be so sensitive,” I say to him, reminding him that if we can’t act tough, both of us are cooked.
“Did you invite me out to push my goddamn buttons?” Renzo asks me, smoothing his hair and looking at his seat like he doesn’t really want to leave, but he definitely wants me to shut the fuck up. I’ve never seen him this twisted up in knots over a woman.
“Geez, Renzo. You are such a prick. Have you ever considered that your unpredictable moods scare the crap out of her?”
“My moods aren’t unpredictable.”
“You’re a goddamn psycho.”
He pauses, reconsidering blowing this up further considering he needs me if he ever wants a chance at understanding the woman he loves. Renzo might share my physical characteristics but emotionally, we couldn’t differ more.
“It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t care. If you’re not going to drop it, I’m going home.”
He’s better off with her than without her. Nicki went about it in the most fucked up way and I think getting them drunk and alone in a room together would have been enough but… I’ll do the hard work of unraveling the complicated mess my sister got them both into.
“Sit your ass down and have a beer.”
Renzo shakes his head and I smile because he mutters, “Fuck…” And sits back in his seat again. No more escape, just plotting. What we do best. Spending all the time I have with Peter has given me an opportunity to learn how tothink smarter.
“We need to do something diabolical to get your girl back.”
Renzo seems genuinely confused. “Like what?”
When he gestures for another cigarette, I hand it over. This is just like our schemes back in Italy – sitting on a balcony, smoking and drinking, plotting how we were going to take over the world. This is a lot easier than that, right?
“How did you get her to fall for you in the first place?” I ask him.
“She didn’t fall for me,” Renzo says with a scowl. “That’s the point.”
“She just climbed into your bed for one last fuck then?”
