Page 78 of Sinful Mafia Prince

Luca couldn’t decide if that was an apology or an excuse. Was he supposed to say thank you now?Thank you for not killing me?Thank you for returning me to my life?Thank you for the use of your gorgeous villa in Lake Como, where I fell in love with your son?

He had no idea. So for once in his life, he stayed silent.

“Dom has called ahead and informed your school you will be returning tomorrow.”

That finally had Luca’s mouth moving.“Tomorrow?”He turned to Dom, who gave a clipped nod.“I can’t go back to school tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“Because… Because I’ll be jet-lagged.”

“Jet-lagged?”

It was true. Hewasjet-lagged. But more importantly, he was…Rossetti-lagged. He needed a day or three to wrap his head around everything that had happened before he even thought about school. How did they expect him to just show up to his surgery rotation tomorrow, pick up a scalpel, and operate on someone— Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t be doingthat, but the thought of having to concentrate on anything other than how jacked up his life had been over the last however many days, weeks, months? How long had it been? He couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“Luca? Are you okay?” Vincenzo asked.

“Am Iokay?”

“Yes. You dowantto go back home, don’t you?”

Of course Luca wanted to go back home. He loved Connecticut. Loved his life. His friends, his fam—

Oh shit, his family wasn’t reallyhisfamily, were they? What the hell was he supposed to do with that?

“Luca?”

Dom’s voice pulled him out of the rabbit hole he had just fallen down, and as a full-blown anxiety attack threatened, a strong hand took his elbow.

“Why don’t we get you into the car?”

Luca looked at Dom, his eyes wide as he thought about all of the ramifications he was going to have to deal with in the aftermath of this.

“I… My family… They aren’t really my family…”

Dom said nothing as he ushered Luca toward the car waiting behind Vincenzo’s, but he aimed a look at his father. No words were spoken, but Luca got the impression that a message had been exchanged between the two.

“Dom? What am I going to do about my…family?”

Dom held open the door. “One thing at a time, okay?”

Luca blinked, wondering when exactly he’d decided to trust this man over everyone else. Then he climbed in the car, because really…what other choice did he have?

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

YOU COULD CUT the tension in the car with a knife.

As Dom merged onto the highway, Luca stared out the window at the cars passing them by. It seemed they’d switched roles since the plane, with Dom waiting for some kind of conversation and Luca falling into a broody silence. But considering everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, Dom could hardly blame him.

But they were alone now, and it was time to get it all out in the open, whether Luca wanted to or not. It had been hard enough for Dom to keep his distance on the flight home, and he’d be damned if he did it during what might be their final moments together.

“Nothing has to change,” Dom said, breaking the silence. “With your family. I know you’re worried, but they’re still your parents.”

“Yeah, except they’re not.” Luca let out a sigh. “How am I supposed to just show up and treat them like nothing has changed? They know where I’ve been.Iknow where I’ve been. I hardly think Thanksgiving will be the same.”

“Did you have a big Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Does it matter?”

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