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Marco
“Who’s the girl?” Sophia is on me before I can reach the stairs to my bedroom.
“Seriously?” I groan.
She smiles big. “What’s her name? Where’s she from? I heard she was new. Is she new? Tell me all the details!”
“You are too much.” I climb two stairs then turn. “Her name is Evangeline. She’s moved around a lot, and yes, she’s new. She lives with her grandmother, who works for the Bradford assholes.”
“Nice face.” She frowns.
“Those lacrosse pricks again. Don’t worry.”
“Of course I worry. Should I call the headmaster? I will march down there and--”
“I’m fine, sis. I have to fight my own battles, and the next time they come at me, you may have to bail me out of jail.”
“Fair enough.” She nods. Sophia’s taken to the mafia life with ease, and I have to say I’m proud of her. No longer content to live in our family’s old shadow, she’s bloomed as the queen of the Davinci dynasty.
“Okay, bye.” I move to turn away.
“So, is she pretty?” Sophia is relentless, a trait she’s taken from her husband.
How do I answer that? Evangeline’s gorgeous. A fucking knockout. Thick legs, round ass, great rack, and a face that I know is going to haunt my dreams. But I don’t need Sophia making googoo eyes at me anymore, so I say, “She’s pretty, yeah.”
“I knew it!” She jumps up and down.
“Don’t you have some blogging to do?” I take two more steps.
“Yes.” She sighs. “Fashion trends for winter.”
“Great. You run along and do that. I’ve got … homework to do.”
She laughs. “Homework? Sure. Work on your lying,” she calls as I make my escape. “Davincis need a strong poker face.”
“She’s right.” Nick greets me at the top of the stairs. “You don’t show your enemy the knife until it’s already coated with his blood.” My brother-in-law can be a bit … caustic. But he claps me on the back. “This girl sounds nice.”
“Great, everyone knows.” I stride down the hall to my room.
Nick walks behind me. “Got a call from Richard Bradford. He apologized for any offense his son may have caused. Do I need to make a visit to the Bradford estate?”
“Did you hear the part about me fighting my own battles?”
“Yes, I did, and I’m proud of you.” He puts a thick hand on my shoulder. “But I’m here if you need me. Family is forever, Marco.”
I turn and meet his dark eyes. Nick is a dangerous, cruel man, but he loves my sister more than seems possible, and a good portion of that love has transferred to me. He’s overprotective, but I can’t fault him for it, not when my own father would have sold me out in a heartbeat the same way he did to Sophia.
“Trent is an asshole, but he’s one I can handle. I only got this”—I gesture to my face—“Because he sucker punched me and had his boys waiting for me.”
“Ah.” He squeezes my shoulder and drops his hand, a wicked glint in his vicious eyes. “But now you’ve learned. Don’t let anyone get the drop on you. You put them in the ground before they even know they’re dead. It’s the only way to live.”
“Noted.”
“C’mere.” He pulls me into a rough male hug, then claps my back and sends me into my room. “Bring the girl for dinner. It would make Sophia happy.” He closes the door before I can protest.
I flop onto my bed and stare at the beams in the ceiling, but I don’t see them. Not really. All I see are two big blue eyes, a shy smile, and a beautiful girl who’s turned out to be the biggest surprise of my life.
* * *
