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She didn’t have a look of horror on her face but one of mild surprise. “Oh, goody. My past coming back to haunt me.”
“Have you ever seen a dead body before?”
Another cute little snort. “Mike’s idea of a good time on Halloween was to insist we dress up as a member of the zombie crowd and break into a morgue. Good times were had by all, especially when the cops showed up.”
All I could do was laugh. It would definitely seem she wasn’t so innocent as I’d believed.
As Tony pulled into the parking lot of the local morgue, my muscles tightened. Before I had a chance to open the door, Selena grabbed my arm again.
“If your father was murdered, do you really think you can figure out who is responsible?”
“Cupcake, I will find the asshole who took my father’s life. And when I do, the motherfucker will pay the ultimate price.”
While I didn’t share with her what I planned on doing, there was no doubt about my plans.
I would kill the motherfucker with my bare hands.
“You really want me to interfere with your family now? I mean, I could just wait in the car,” Selena asked as we stood just outside the portico leading into my father’s house. Now Gilly’s house. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact he was gone.
And I’d still yet to grieve. Not completely.
Maybe because I was furious with him for not confiding in me or in one of my brothers. “You’re my fiancée, Selena. While I understand you don’t want this arrangement and we consider it business, my stepmother needs support from as many people as she can get. And you’re important to me in so many ways.”
“To help you solve this horrible crime.”
I ripped off my sunglasses, shoving them into my jacket pocket and turned toward her. Curling my hand, I brushed my knuckles down her cheek. For all the sparring we’d done, all the little fights that had really been staged, I liked getting closer to her. Maybe there was a smidgeon of a romantic guy in me after all. “Baby, I need you for much more. As I said, you’re very special in so many ways. I might not be the best of men and certainly not your ideal prince or the fabulous fairytale you hoped for, but I will try and make our time spent together as enjoyable as possible.”
Selena sighed. “I don’t need fairytales, Valerio. I just need honesty.”
That much I hoped to be able to promise her. “Understood. It’s all about trust. Come on, cupcake. Let’s meet the rest of my family.” The last time I’d been in the house had been when I’d been coerced into coming to a barbeque Gilly had insisted on. I’d hated her fawning over us for so many years. I’d hated the period when she’d come into our lives, getting pregnant with another kid. Hell, I’d hated Gage until he was seven, often treating him badly although the boy had wanted to be just like his two big brothers.
But over the years, the woman had softened me, her love of my father and the entire family becoming the glue that had held us together.
I’d never been considered a compassionate man under any circumstances but in walking into the family room, the emptiness hit me first, the loss tremendous. But it was Gilly jerking up from the couch, racing toward me and throwing her arms around my neck that almost broke me.
“Oh, thank God you’re home. I needed you, Valerio. I need you now. What am I going to do without him? What about the company? What about the house? I can’t go on. I just can’t. He was my everything.”
She was sobbing, clinging to me as if I was her lifeline. Even with her voice muffled from her face being pressed into my chest, I heard every word said in despair. I glanced at my two brothers, both of whom had risen to their feet.
Braxton nodded toward Selena before shaking his head. He didn’t need to say anything. Our world had been altered, shoved into something maybe we’d believed we were far removed from.
Tragedy.
“You’re going to get through because all of us are here. Don’t worry about the company. There are plenty of people to ensure it will continue to run smoothly, including me.” I eased her aside and she cupped both sides of my face. I could swear the woman had aged in a few short days.
“Your father loved you. All three of you. You were his world. I know he didn’t say it often enough but he adored the men you turned into,” Gilly said before noticing there was another visitor. “Oh, my God. This must be Selena. Valerio’s father called me right before… anyway he was happy you were getting married.” Tears still streaming down her face, she shifted to Selena, pulling her into a hug.
I could tell by the look on Selena’s face that she was somewhat uncomfortable but within seconds, she plastered on an expression indicating she could handle this.
Sadly, I wasn’t certain I could.
“I’m Selena. I’m so sorry for your loss. I have no doubt he was a great man.”
Gilly had longed for grandchildren, even if they came from Braxton and me instead of her flesh and blood. I’d never stopped to admire or respect the woman well enough, her ability to merge into our little family pretty amazing.
“You’re going to make that boy very happy. I can see it in your eyes. Sebastian will smile down from heaven.”
“Did Pops say anything else on the phone?” I had to ask.
