Page 103 of Highball and Chain

Enzo

My world tiltedon its axis. I’d had every intention of telling Shanna about the situation with the Lazios, but the timing always seemed off.

That’s bullshit. I had more than ample opportunity to come clean. I’d avoided it.

“I have no idea what color Nico will wear because I have no intention of marrying her.” Knowing anger and defensiveness would get me nowhere, I forced myself to speak in a softer tone. “Gabe is determined to break ties with the other families. As you can imagine, they aren’t happy to lose a business partner. There’s push back. The Lazios made a power grab by demanding I marry Nicolina.”

Shanna stared out the window. She could ignore me all she wanted, but I knew she’d heard me. I had less than ten minutes to plead my case before we reached the house.

“You saw Nico when she arrived. Does she look like a woman who wants to be married?”

Her shoulders tensed, telling me she was in fact processing what I’d said.

“My father supports the marriage. He ordered me to make it happen before I left Comiso. But the real problem is my mother. She’s—”

“And you didn’t think this was something I should know?” Her voice cracked. “Aren’t you the one who said secrets hurt people? Guess what? I’m freaking devastated.”

“I never meant for you to find out like this. I planned to tell you, but I didn’t want to hurt you unnecessarily. Gabe swore he wouldn’t auction me off like a prized stallion.” I reached for her hand, but she pulled away. “My mother is scheming to undermine Gabe’s efforts to end our associations. A wedding would—”

Shanna whipped her head in my direction. “Evelyn wants to stay in the…” She glanced at the driver. “To stay involved? Does Gabe know?”

“I’m not sure.” The fact it hadn’t dawned on me to reach out to my brother concerned me. Had I subconsciously bought myself time to consider my mother’s offer?

What does that say about me? About my feelings for Shanna?

“You haven’t called him?” She stared.

I turned from her and folded my arms. “I’d no sooner ended the call with my mother before Nico showed up. By the time that situation was settled, we had to run to the Quarter to check on your friend.”

“Uh uh. No way. You’re not blaming your lying by omission on anyone else. You’ve known about this for days. Plus, you had time enough to cook dinner and take me to bed between the time Nico arrived and Monty calling about Jack.”

I scrubbed my hands through my hair. “You’re right. I should have told you, but—”

“Stop while you’re ahead. No buts, no excuses.” She narrowed her eyes, and I knew I was in trouble. “From everything I’ve heard, Gabe is serious about getting out. What exactly does she think will change when you marry Nico?”

“There is no when. I have no intention of marrying Nico.” I don’t know what she saw in my expression, but she held up her hands and shook her head.

“Evelyn’s planning to put you in charge, isn’t she?” Shanna laughed a bitter laugh that pissed me off.

Rather than answering her, I went on the defensive. “My mother doesn’t call the shots.”

She gave me a look that said she believed otherwise. “I’m right though, aren’t I?”

Damn it. Why can’t I lie to this woman?“Yes.”

Shanna pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. “And you’re considering it?”

That she could read me so easily shook me to my core. Compared to most couples, we hadn’t spent that much time together, but what we’d lacked in quantity, we’d more than made up for in quality. Rather than sugar-coating or lying, I laid the truth out for her. “If I were in charge, I would have the authority to let Gabe and the others walk away without bloodshed. Not to mention, I could take care of the people in Comiso. However, this conversation is a moot point. Neither Gabe, nor my father, will allow me to step up.”

Furrowing her brow, Shanna licked her lips and closed her eyes. When she opened them, her expression hardened. “Are you keeping anything else from me?”

“No.” I wanted to hold her hand, to reassure her, to tell her I loved her and wouldn’t allow anything to get in our way, but it felt as if she’d erected a wall of ice between us.

“Is there a computer I can use at the mansion?”

The abrupt change in subject confused me. Sure, she had other things on her mind than my family, but I would have bet my right hand she had more questions. “Yes, several. If you’re planning to review the video footage, the one in my father’s office has the largest monitor.”

The driver stopped long enough to punch the code into the security pad.

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