Page 76 of Bossy Ex's Brother

“You think? But I don’t have time for that bullshit right now.” I pushed past him, continuing toward the door, willing to go on a complete suicide mission if it meant I would get some information about where Jane was. Then I stopped abruptly and turned back, nearly slamming into Lorenzo, who was right behind me.

“Where the fuck did they take her?” I asked, suddenly feeling the anger nearly overwhelm me. Lorenzo took a step back, but I continued to advance, getting in his face again. “Was this your idea? Is this your sick way of trying to get her back?”

Lorenzo’s eyes flared in offense, and his jaw tightened. “Of course not. I would never do something like that.”

“Wouldn’t you? Because I don’t fucking know anymore. And frankly, I’m not sure I fucking care.”

There was a flash of hurt on his face, but I didn’t care about that either. I would do a lot more than emotionally hurt him if I found out he was somehow involved in Jane’s disappearance.

“What do you know?” I asked him.

“Not much,” he said. “But you should talk to Don Filippo. He might know something.”

“Might? Isn’t he the motherfucker who took her?”

“I don’t know anything about a kidnapping,” Lorenzo said. “And believe me, I would know.”

I crossed my hands over my chest. “Why? You his right-hand man?”

When he didn’t say anything, I knew I’d hit the nail close to the head. I barked out an incredulous laugh.

“Unbelievable.” I shook my head incredulously. “I didn’t let you join the Coppolas, so you go join these animals.”

“It’s not what you think,” Lorenzo said. “And not everything you’ve heard about them is true either.”

“Spoken like a true brain-washedmafiosoidiot.”

The familiar temper flashed in his eyes, and he shot back, “Last I checked, you’re in a mafia too.”

“Yes. But not because I bought into any of this brotherhood bullshit. I only did it so I could support mom. To give you a life out of this fucking bullshit, something better than this. Something you didn’t deserve at the end of the day. Something you gave up to go off and become the Moretti’s lackey.”

“I did it to protect you, you bastard,” Lorenzo snarled, stepping up to me. I cocked an eyebrow, eyeing him. “Do you think I felt good about all the bullshit you went through because of me?” he continued, his eyes flashing with anger andsomething else. Hurt. “How much you sacrificed yourself for Ma and me? No, that shit didn’t feel fucking good. I didn’t want to go off and be the good brother while you rotted in this hell for us, knowing you might one day get offed by receiving the wrong intel. Just like Don Antoni. It’s why I risked my life to enter a deal with the Morettis and climb their ranks. And it’s why I’m risking my life now by taking you to Don Filippo.”

The silence echoed and throbbed in the atmosphere. The air was emotionally charged, and I couldn’t tell if we were about to start kicking each other’s asses right here. Fury was still roiling inside me, and all I wanted to do was find Jane and get the fuck out of dodge. That was it.

And maybe kill whoever took her because they’d made a grave mistake and touched the one woman they should never have.

I was going to leave, but I was going to burn shit down first before I did.

But first, I had to get through this bonehead.

“Protect me?” I scoffed. He thought I wanted him to be here in this same bloody, rat-infested world that I’d gotten myself into? No, I wanted him to do better, to be out there being the son that our mother could be proud of.

But instead, he’d chosen to join the bloody dark world. And he said he did it for me.

“What fucking bullshit,” I snarled.

Lorenzo didn’t respond to that.

“How did you stay hidden for so long?” I asked the question that plagued me for years. He’d disappeared off the earth. For a second, I thought he’d left the country entirely, flown to Mexico or something. But even in Mexico, my intelligence would have found him. Even easier since he was right next door with the fucking Morettis. There was no way we wouldn’t have gotten wind of it.

Unless…

It all started to compute in my mind, and then realization dawned with the fresh sting of betrayal.

“Brandon.”

Lorenzo’s lips tightened, and I knew I’d hit the nail on the head.

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