Page 148 of Alessio

“Yeah?”

“That’s what a family should do,” Siena said quietly.

Ginevra nodded. “You’re right, they should. I think because me and the girls were so used to depending on each other, and our mom, that we got used to it. We learned not to expect kindness from others because if we ever needed something, we could just go to each other for it.”

Siena set the dish down to the counter and offered a smile. “You probably don’t see me as your real sister, even if we are, but I hope you can someday, and that you’ll come too. I didn’t have a close family unit growing up, either. Dad preferred the boys, too.”

“Well …”

“What?”

“I wanted life to go back to normal for Greta and Giulia. Before all this happened, when the mafia hadn’t touched us, and we were just … normal.”

Siena let out a soft laugh. “Doesn’t work that way, huh?”

Not at all.

Ginevra tried to put as much distance between their life, and the people affiliated to the mafia as she could, and yet they still kept drawing her in. And while she understood people like Siena—or the woman’s boyfriend, John—were safe, she knew that didn’t matter.

All it took was one connection to become a target, and she never wanted her sisters to be that for anyone ever again.

“I just want them to be safe,” Ginevra whispered.

“And they will be. We made sure.”

Right.

For now.

Ginevra didn’t say that out loud. “And you love them, don’t you?”

“The girls?”

She nodded.

Siena smiled. “I do. And I never had sisters growing up—just a pair of asshole brothers that only cared about me when I was doing something for them. I was always the one expected to look after everyone else, and I do that with the girls, too. Except now, I don’t mind it. They don’t demand that of me, they need someone who gives a shit.”

“Yeah, they do.”

“And now they have you home, too.”

Greta and Giulia flew into the kitchen, their laughter high and breathless as they watched whatever loud video was playing on the tablet they were using. They had been the first ones to jump at the chance to have dinner at Siena’s place when she called earlier to ask. The girls fell into the chairs at the table, unaware or uncaring about Siena and Ginevra’s conversation. Not that she minded all that much.

She preferred them close.

She needed her family.

It had more people now.

“I had been so settled on what I wanted to happen when I came back for them that change scares me,” Ginevra admitted. “And I might seem a little too protective, but after everything, how should I be? So, I apologize in advance if I come off strong.”

Siena shrugged. “I get it.”

“Do you?”

“Of course, but you should know it’s easier to be open to change than to live with an ache in your heart because you’d rather things stay the same, Ginevra. That’s all.”

Ginevra had to laugh at that.