Page 138 of Crazed

"About what?"

"He didn't say." She glances at the ceiling and takes several slow breaths.

I pull her to the corner of the hallway, away from Papà's office. "Why don't you just get it over with and tell him?"

"No," she firmly replies.

"Why not? If you and my brother are an item, then just—"

"Who said we're an item?"

I cross my arms. "You slept with Tristano, and it's just fun and games?"

Her face hardens.

"Tell me you aren't that stupid," I add.

"Why don't you ask your brother that."

"Meaning?"

She huffs. "You know Tristano."

"Still not following."

Her anxiety changes to disgust with a hint of sadness. "This is a conversation you should have with your bother, not me. I'm not the one with the issues."

"What issues?"

"End of conversation," she claims and brushes past me.

"Pina!"

She looks over her shoulder, firing darts at me with her eyes, and commands, "Stay out of it, Massimo."

I hold my hands in the air. "Fine. I have enough of my own problems."

"Yeah, you do," she mutters.

For two minutes, I regroup, doing the same thing I did before walking down the stairs. Then I ignore Pina and enter my father's office.

Papà stops mid-sentence. His scowl deepens. He seethes, "Nice of you to join us."

I go into defensive mode. "If you don't mind, my bride is alone in my bed. Let's move this conversation along."

Papà jabs me in the chest, roaring, "You don't decide to take a head member of a family out without my approval. How many times do I need to tell all of you this?" He glares between my brothers and me.

Stick with the story. Katiya's future relationship with my family hangs on this conversation.

I sniff hard, crossing my arms. "Maybe if you weren't so closed-minded, we could tell you our plans."

"But you didn't tell us, either, did you?" Dante accuses.

Anger builds in my veins. I hurl, "Let's not pretend all of us don't have our secrets."

"Like what?" Papà demands.

The room turns silent. My brothers and I don't move. Each of us tries not to appear guilty.

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