She didn’t look at him. Couldn’t bear to see his disappointed face. It’s not like she was actually going to act on anything.
But she knew there was something strange about that Shayna Johnson case. And there was a story yet to be told with Mike Jensen too.
And Ava would bet serious money that the occasional shadows that crossed Luc’s face had to do with his deceased partner.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mihail grumbled as she pulled her keyboard toward her.
Ava pretended not to hear him as she brought up Google and typed Mike Jensen New York Police Widow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Despite Nonna’s shrill insistence, Luc deliberately did not invite Ava along to the Moretti family dinner on Sunday.
And not because he didn’t want her there.
In fact, it alarmed him just how much he did want her there. For moral support…and because it felt right.
Like she belonged. With him.
But tonight, there were things he needed to say to his family. Things best not said in front of a reporter.
“So you’re still giving me the silent treatment?” Anthony asked, coming to join Luc on the back railing of the ferry as they headed toward Staten Island.
Luc stared out at the Statue of Liberty. “I’ve been talking to you all week.”
Anthony snorted. “Sure. If by talking you mean grunting and barking one-word answers.”
“This coming from the guy who once called conversation useless bullshit?”
“Why talk when you can act?”
“That’s a solid tattoo option, but makes for shitty relationships, Anth.”
It was a low blow, but Anthony, being Anthony, wasn’t fazed. He merely turned around so his back was to the water, resting his elbows on the railing as he studied Luc.
“You’re mad at me. At Vin. Definitely at Dad.”
Luc met his brother’s eyes. “You could say that.”
“Because we protected you.”
“Don’t even,” Luc said, standing up straight to face his oldest brother. “Don’t spin this. If situations were reversed, how would you feel, knowing your father risked his career to make a deal with the media, and then the entire family knew about it and didn’t tell you?”
“Not the entire family,” Anthony corrected. “Elena has no idea. Not sure about Mom and Nonna.”
Luc leveled his oldest brother with a look that said don’t try to distract me with details.
Anthony sighed and ran a hand over the back of his neck as he stared at the dock. Then, to Luc’s surprise, his brother looked up and met his eyes.
“I’d be pissed.”
Luc threw his hands in the air. “Thank you.”
“I’d be pissed and then I’d get over it,” Anthony continued.
“Really.” Luc drew out the word. “You, who still holds a grudge against the defensive lineman that sacked you in JV football? You’d forgive and forget?”
“We’re not talking about some chump fourteen-year-old with shit for brains. We’re talking about your family who did what they could to protect you.”
Luc leaned forward again, running his hands through his hair.
Anthony was right. His dad had been out of line to interfere. His brothers had been out of line to go along with it.
But you couldn’t argue their motive. They’d wanted to protect their bambino.
Hell, if Luc was completely honest with himself, it wasn’t even their interference that was eating at him.
It was the fact that he’d needed protection in the first place.
For nearly two years, Luc had thought it had all been in his head.
He’d thought the battle was isolated to his own messed-up brain as he tried to convince himself that he had to stop blaming himself for Shayna. That it wasn’t his fault that Mike was dead.
But if his dad had felt it necessary to “call in a couple favors” to keep the media off the story…
It meant there was something to hide.
And so even though Luc wanted to rail at his brother, and his dad…hell, he wanted to holler at his entire family for treating him like the baby.
But he couldn’t.
Because they weren’t the problem.
Luc was.