Page 245 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“A couple of weeks before the baby was born.”

“Wasn’t that when the issue happened at the shelter?” Tommas asked.

Cara made a face. “Yeah, around that time.”

Tommas scowled, but hid it quickly enough by taking a drink of his coffee.

“That wasn’t Gian’s fault,” Cara said, shifting Marcus to sleep over her shoulder as she took a seat beside her brother. “That was completely unrelated to Gian, Tommy.”

“So you said before. A domestic abuse victim’s husband, right?”

“Right.” Cara rubbed a hand over her son’s lower back. “And Gian just happened to … get himself in the middle of it, which was mostly what ended up on the news.”

“And you, too. You ended up on the news, Cara.”

“Not by our choice.”

Tommas sighed, and looked around the penthouse again. “I guess he moved you in after that, huh?”

“Actually, I kind of did that by myself. He didn’t really say a thing either way, because it was what he had been asking for the whole pregnancy. It was a few days later that he finally did something about me moving in.”

“And what was that?”

Cara’s gaze darted away from her brother as she admitted, “Signed the deed for the place over to me. This place isn’t his, now. It’s mine. No one can take it from me, no one can force me out of it. It’s all mine.”

Tommas let out an appreciative sound, surprising Cara further. “Well, then.”

“I do like the penthouse.”

“It’s very high up.”

“I feel safer here, Tommy. It feels right to be here.”

“Are you happier here, too?”

Cara looked back to her brother to find he was searching her face for any sign of a lie or maybe even discontent. “I’m happy with him.”

“Even knowing what you do—even after everything?”

“I don’t excuse Gian. I only choose to love him. The rest is details. Those don’t matter.”

“They never should.” Tommas nodded, and then reached for Marcus. “Now, give me my nephew. It’s time for him to wake up and meet me properly. Where is Gian, by the way?”

Cara handed the sleeping baby over. “He thought I might like to spend some time alone with you first before inserting his presence, too.”

“That’s fine and great,” Tommas replied just as fast, “but it doesn’t answer my question.”

“At the mansion.”

Tommas’ gaze cut to Cara just as Marcus woke up. “Is that where she lives?”

“Her name is Elena. His wife. You can say her name to me, Tommy.”

“Again, not my question.”

“It is.”

“I see,” her brother said softly.