Page 119 of Say I Do

“How about we get out of here?” Harlow asked. “Seriously, your meeting is running late anyway. Let’s leave,” he said.

His words were more of a plea than a statement. Some part of me appreciated that. I nodded at him.

“If they don’t come soon, we’ll leave. I’ll reschedule.”

Harlow smiled. “Okay.” He stood up and stretched. “I think I’m going to take advantage of that nice shower. I don’t even want to know why you have one in your office,” he said as he narrowed his eyes at me.

I snorted. “I guarantee you it’s not what you think it is. At least not as much as you’d think.” I nodded toward the bathroom. “Go shower. I’ll have clothes dropped off by the time you’re done.”

“Thanks.”

I watched as he hopped from my desk and made his way to the bathroom.Thanks. One simple word, but it felt different when Harlow uttered it. He wasn’t big on his please and thank yous, so for him to say it so easily made strange emotions stir in my chest. I watched his every step until he disappeared into the bathroom. We’d been out all day, so I understood his need to clean up.

Honestly, though, I was just glad to get him out of the room. He’d been worrying over me for days, and I couldn’t take those perplexed gray eyes anymore. Besides, I knew I couldn’t cancel this meeting. The longer he took in the shower, the more time I had to handle this situation.

My computer pinged. I looked at the alert from my secretary and clicked on her name.

“Mr. Vitale, your father is here with a guest. Should I send them back?”

I stood up abruptly. “Yes.”

My gaze flickered toward the bathroom.Shit.Harlow was still inside, but he’d be underneath the shower in a few moments. I knew how long it took him when he started his routine. I had a little time.

“Benito,” my father called as he strolled through my door.

I nodded. “Hello. Do you want a drink?”

“Of course,” he said.

I poured him the exact drink that I always had, scotch with a little ice. As I handed it over, I briefly wondered if it was even my favorite drink. Or did I like it because he did as well?

“Thanks.”

He took the glass I offered him and had a drink before my door opened once again. I froze. For a moment, I swore I was staring at Giancarlo, except for the fact that the man before me had blond hair and deep blue eyes. He grinned at me, and that illusion refused to shatter.

“Benito,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “Shit, come here.”

I rounded my desk and ended up in his arms. My brother slammed his hand against my back. I did the same. GianpaoloI hadn’t seen him in so long. It was like staring at a mirage. We pulled apart, and I cleared my throat to rid it of the lump that had settled there. I stared at my brother, and he stared right back.

“Hey,” he laughed.

“Hey.”

“Come sit down. Both of you,” my father interrupted. “We don’t have a lot of time before he has to get back. If they find him here, it’ll be a problem.”

He didn’t have to tell me that. We’d gone through a hell of a lot to get Gianpaolo stationed in the FBI. From changing his appearance to switching his DNA records, everything had to be done strategically to ensure he would be able to help the family without anyone realizing that he was a Vitale. So far, things had gone well. Him showing up in my office meant things were about to go to shit.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I sat down.

“It’s a shit show.” Gianpaolo took a cigarette from my father and lit it. He blew smoke up to the ceiling before he glanced at me again. “We’ve been following a lot of organized crime leads lately. Politicians are circling back around and making it their main concern for the public. Gotta secure those votes. You know how it goes.”

I scoffed. “Yeah. They want someone to throw under the bus so they look good and no one can see they’re full of shit.”

My father frowned as the shower switched on. “Is someone in your bathroom?”

I nodded. “Harlow went in a while ago. It’s fine.”

He looked me over before he grunted. “Sure.”

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