Page 147 of Toxic

I reach up and lace my fingers around his neck. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

31

Dante

The Next Day

Cara steps outof her car as I'm leaving Bridget's. Fire blazes from her eyes. She meets me halfway, seething, "Tell your brother to get out of my life."

I cringe inside. Still, I'll always have my brother's back where others are concerned. I sniff hard. "What's going on?"

"Uberto thinks I'm cheating on him with Gianni."

I cross my arms. Cara and Gianni have had such an on-again, off-again past that I wouldn't put it past them to hate fuck then deny it to whoever they're dating. "Why would he think that?"

Her eyes turn to slits. She tilts her head and jabs me in the pecs. "Stop playing dumb, Dante! You know everything Gianni does."

"No. I don't."

She huffs. "Like you two piss without the other one knowing."

"Cara, I don't know what's going on, so either get it off your chest or go inside. Bridget's waiting for you, and I've got shit to do today." I shift on my feet, trying to still be polite, but I'm not a fan of anyone poking me.

More rage fills her expression. "He went to Uberto's work."

The hairs on my arms rise. My brother has no business getting into any confrontations with an Abruzzo over a woman—especially one who has made it clear she wants nothing to do with him. I stay neutral, putting on a good face. Gianni and I are having words when I get home. I arch my eyebrows. "And?"

"And?" she snaps. "And he held a gun to his head, telling him I was his and if he saw me with him, he was going to shoot him."

My stomach dives. Gianni has officially lost it. I step closer to her and lower my voice. "I'll talk to him. But, Cara, what are you doing with an Abruzzo?"

"He's not an Abruzzo," she declares.

"You're wrong. He is," I insist.

"No. He's not. But if he were, I have nothing to do with your family wars."

"Don't be naive, Cara."

"I'm not an idiot. I know who I'm dating."

"Okay. Tell me what he does for a living," I demand.

"He's in the import business."

"Of what?" I question.

"Goods."

I snort. "You don't know. And you won't because he's into shit he'll never tell you. Be careful, Cara. I don't want to see you become a victim of the Abruzzos."

She groans, annoyed. "Talk to your brother. He needs to stop coming in and out of my life whenever he pleases." She pushes past me and stomps up the steps.

I close my eyes, take a few breaths, then get into my Porsche. I drive as fast as I can, getting to my house in record time. As soon as I storm through the door, I yell, "Gianni!"

He walks out of Papà's office. "What?"

I grab his shirt and drag him to the corner. "What the fuck are you doing?"

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