Thankfully, this was only for a few months.
Vanessa turned back to me when she picked up on my mood. “You don’t like it.”
I glanced around, not caring about the nice furniture or the big TV on the wall. “Not my style.”
“You might change your mind.”
I was even less likely to do that than her father. The soldier inside me was constantly on the lookout for an attack. I hadn’t told anyone I was coming here, so it would be virtually impossible to find me. Even Max didn’t know what I was up to. “Have you told them?”
“No.”
“Then this is going to be a big surprise.” Her parents would be thrilled Vanessa was close by, but then their happiness would be thwarted by the inked murderer she came with. Despite my handsome features, my overall appearance didn’t aid in my efforts to get them to accept me. I was a terrifying man covered in formidable tattoos. I looked the same on the outside as I did on the inside—like a murderer.
“Yeah…” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But I think they’ll be happy about it…for the most part.”
They would only be happy when I wasn’t in the room. “I’ll unload the truck.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I got it,” I said quickly. “I’ll bring everything in, and you’ll unpack it.”
“Sounds like a good setup.”
After being there for a few days, we finally made our move.
We drove to the winery with her paintings in the bed of the truck. The winery was ten minutes away, and the entire drive was spent with a scenic view. Spring had infiltrated the land, and the bright sun cast the fields in a golden hue.
Vanessa could hardly sit still because she was both nervous and excited.
We pulled down the windy road toward the entryway of the winery, cobblestone making up the Tuscan-style buildings. The land full of flowers and trees, it had the iconic look of an Italian winery. Past the buildings was the rest of the property, vineyards that stretched out endlessly in the distance.
I parked the truck and killed the engine.
A black sports car was parked beside us. A flashy car wasn’t Crow’s style, so I assumed it belonged to his brother. I hadn’t interacted with Cane much since I first came to the house, but I suspected he hated me as much as his brother did.
Vanessa stared at the view outside the window, infatuated by the place she’d spent her childhood. Ever since we came to Tuscany, her eyes lit up a little more than usual. Being home made her undeniably happy. I was surprised she ever left in the first place.
“Ready?”
She nodded before she got out of the truck. She came around to my side then grabbed my hand as she headed to the entrance.
I dropped her hand, giving her a slight shake of my head. Her father didn’t like it when I called her baby, so he definitely wasn’t going to like watching me hold her hand. It would irritate him, so it was best not to do it.
We walked down the hallway and met Crow’s assistant, an older woman who looked like she was approaching retirement. She let us approach Crow’s office without warning him, knowing Crow would want to see his daughter no matter what he was doing.
Vanessa tapped her knuckles on the door before she opened it. “Hey, are you busy right now?”
Crow sat behind his desk, his hands pressed together with his fingers resting against his lips. A glass of scotch was in front of him. Cane was there too, drinking with him, probably discussing their mutual hatred for me. But the second Crow laid eyes on his daughter, he lowered his hands, and like I wasn’t standing right behind her, the affectionate glow entered his face. As if time had stopped, she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. “No. Tesoro, I’m never busy when it comes to you.” He rose to his feet and came around the desk to hug her. He wrapped his thick arms around her and squeezed, his chin resting on her head. The fatherly love was in his eyes, and even though she was a grown woman, he still held her like she was a child. “I’m always happy to see you.”
Cane stood up next and smiled at her. “Hey, sweetheart.” He hugged her next, his affection matching his brother’s. “What a nice surprise. I’m tired of doing all the work around here.”
Crow looked at me next, and all the joy drained from his face instantly. I was the storm in summer, the hurricane that would destroy his whole life. I was nothing but a nuisance to him, the evil that couldn’t be defeated. I’d seen that look of hatred in every man I killed, but none of them hated me as much as he did—even though I’d claimed their lives.