Page 37 of Merciless Desires

“Who are Rocco and Santino?”

When we reached my door, she trembled against my side. Her initial shock wore off and now she could process what had happened. I needed to prepare myself for a possible freak-out.

“My attorneys.” I opened the door and led her inside. “Well, Rocco is also my brother.”

“The one you recently found out you had?”

“Yes.” I took my suit jacket off and removed my gun from my waistband and set it on the foyer table.

“Tell me about that.”

“Why?” I took her hands in mine. “You’re freezing.”

“I’m not as used to being shot at as you are.” She rocked back and forth. “I need a distraction. Talk to me so I don’t lose it.”

I let go of her hands and walked to the gas fireplace and switched it on. I poured two glasses of vodka from the bar and brought them over to her. “Here.” I handed her one. “Drink this.”

She took a sip and then crinkled her adorable nose. “Can’t I have a glass of wine?” She tried to hand the glass back to me. “I don’t like this.”

“Drink it,” I said.

“You’re so bossy.”

“It will steady your nerves.” I guided her to the sofa. “Sit with me.”

I finished my drink and set it on the coffee table before sitting down and pulling her into my lap.

“You have two?” She rested her head on my chest. “Brothers.”

“It took some getting used to, especially because Rocco was raised by the Torrios, a rival family, but we’ve grown to trust him. It was strange at first because it’s always been me and Romero, but I like having another brother.”

My father had an affair after Romero was born and before I came along, so that gave me another older brother. It was an adjustment, even more so for Romero, but Rocco was our brother in every sense of the word.

“It helps that he’s a lawyer too. For situations like tonight,” I said. “The cops like to harass us.”

“You really do get shot at a lot, huh?”

“Well, the last time we did, Romero was actually hit.” For as long as I lived, I would never forget that day. “It scared the shit out of me. The thought of losing my brother showed me a reality I knew existed but I didn’t want to believe it.” I brushed the hair from her face. “I felt that way again tonight.”

“Why?” She had stopped shaking during our conversation. Maybe she did need the distraction?

“Because I thought I could lose you.” I stroked her hair. “I don’t know if I could have lived with that pain.”

“I didn’t realize I meant that much to you.” She handed me her glass. “I’m done with this.”

I quickly finished what was left in her glass and then placed it next to my empty one.

“We’ve been friends for a long time,” I said. “We spent a lot of time together. Why would you think you didn’t mean anything to me?”

“I didn’t say anything.” She twisted in my lap, straddling me so we faced one another. “It’s just that we haven’t really been the way we used to be since I got here.”

“No, we haven’t.” I took her face in my hand, regretting how these past few days had gone. “That’s my fault.”

“I don’t want us to be distant.” She leaned into my lips, sweeping hers against mine. “I could have lost you tonight too.”

“You didn’t.”

“But if I did and we never…” She gazed down. “I can’t lose you.”

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