And why were my uncles so mad?
Of course, they’d always been fiercely protective, but this seemed like something more.
“So.” Gio’s voice was hard. “You have finally come to claim them? After all this time?”
Them? Who was them? Confused, I frowned and looked to Papi. He was reaching inside his suit jacket, probably for another hanky, while Sal stood straighter as if he hadn’t just been hunching over.
As if they’d just turned into transformers of the human variety, every single one of my uncles stood to full height and glared. What the heck was going on? They’d never appeared so… dangerous.
“Val,” Sal said in a clear angry voice. “Get your brother.”
“No need,” Dante said from behind me, and then I was shoved behind him and out of Sergio’s reach, as his muscled hand thrust me backward. “I heard there was something going on.”
“Guys,” I said in a pleading voice. “It’s an engagement party, have you all lost your minds? Besides, Sergio saved me from getting groped by Nico!”
All the men’s heads turned toward me, including Sergio’s. His face was a mask of complete indifference. I would have expected him to look smug, but instead, I couldn’t read him at all. Clear blue eyes blinked at me slowly. Geez, he really was attractive.
I shivered.
“What the hell!” Dante roared. “You left her alone? With that idiot?”
“Eh.” I shrugged. “Nico’s harmless.”
“I meant him.” Dante sneered in Sergio’s direction.
With a mocking smirk, Sergio said, “Why… I’d almost say you were… afraid of me.”
With a violent curse I’d never heard my brother utter — ever — he charged Sergio, only to be held back by all three of my uncles.
“Val,” Sal barked. “Leave us.”
“But—”
“Leave!” All of the men yelled in unison. All but Sergio. He gave me a brief glance and then a nod of permission.
And oddly, it was like I needed to know it was okay.
That everything would be fine.
Because when Dante had moved.
I’d seen a flash of a knife in his hand.
And it broke my heart.
What had my brother gotten into?
And were the strangers part of it?
Did this have to do with the blood on his knuckles? Had he finally taken things too far?
I left with a sinking stomach, legs heavy, I moved down the hall and walked back into the party, wondering if that was the defining moment of my life.
Where everything was about to change.
They were fighting. Hardly rare for my family.
But something about the way they all stood.
And the way Sergio’s eyes drew me in.
Something was different.
Something was changing.
Nico glanced at me from across the room, and I had a brief moment of insanity where I was tempted to flip him off then throw cake in his face.
Which wasn’t me at all.
Huh, maybe I had some of Dante’s anger after all. Maybe, somehow, I’d inherited that as well from our dead parents.
Strength.
The thought made me smile to myself.
So quick bright things come to confusion —A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Sergio
HE KNEW.
That was my first thought.
The second?
Holy shit, he was huge for a nineteen-year-old.
And finally, the third?
A horrifying lump in my throat — because he looked exactly like Luca. Hell, the bastard even stood like him. God help me if I had to kill him, because it was like I was staring into the face of one of my mentors.
Even though my emotions were going into overdrive, I kept the smirk in place, and of course didn’t hesitate to make sure Val escaped unscathed, without knowledge of the dark. I at least owed her that after treating her like complete shit. She didn’t deserve my anger.
And the last thing I wanted was for Andi to be upset with me — she did say she’d haunt me if I was an ass, and I wouldn’t put that past her.
Nobody moved as Val left the room and walked down the hall.
It was quiet, but the air was electric, like someone had just released years worth of tension in that tiny space.
I had to give it to them; the uncles had appeared feeble, until they were forced to quit the little act.
Old and senile, my ass.
They looked powerful.
And angry.
So very angry.
Well, good news, folks! I knew anger well, and I wasn’t beyond kicking some old man’s ass just because I saw him using a cane ten minutes ago. I had to be angry, to be indifferent, to get through the next few days, or, God help me, weeks, in a constant state of dark emotions, because the minute I let in the light…
It hurt.
Damn it.
Everything hurt.