“What? No way. I’m not the brother who walks around like he has a stick up his ass the whole time. At least I have a personality and this one thing they call…a life.” I winked at her, trying to play it down. The last thing I wanted was for my little sister to worry about me while she was planning one of the most important days of her life—her wedding.
She placed her hand on her hip. “Antonio might have a stick up his ass, but at least I know it’s that same stick that keeps him from doing stupid shit.”
I stared at her, deadpan. “Funny.”
“I’m serious. Dante. You can’t go around killing people when you don’t even know what Layla’s story is.”
“Jesus Christ. Someone needs to shove something in your annoying as fuck fiancé’s mouth.” I turned and continued down the stairs, the cluck of Karina’s heels making me painfully aware she was following me.
“Dante, I understand your concern about Layla. But I’m afraid I’m with Antonio on this one. She left you, leaving no trace to be found, and now she’s back and dating Matteo? Surely you’re intelligent enough to realize there are about a hundred reasons for you to not to get involved in this.”
“I don’t buy it.”
“I know you don’t. But do you really want to risk everything for her just because you don’t want to believe she moved on with a man like Matteo?”
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned abruptly to face her. “I don’t care what anyone says. She is not with Matteo out of her own goddamn free will. He is somehow controlling her, using her, and I will find out what it is and prove all of you wrong.”
Karina’s eyes softened. “Don’t get angry at Antonio and me. We are only looking out for you, and we don’t want you to get hurt. We’ve seen what losing Layla did to you once. I don’t want you to go through that again. I’m afraid you won’t survive it.”
I took a deep breath, trying my best to calm my racing heart. It irked me that everyone was up my ass about Layla, but I did understand my sister’s concern.
With a sigh, I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I appreciate your concern. I really do. But I know her, Karina. I know Layla better than anyone, which is why I’m not buying any of this.”
“Are you sure, Dante? Are you sure you really know her? Because maybe she’s not the same woman anymore. The woman you fell in love with.”
With a sullen look on her face and a whole river of pity running through her eyes, Karina made me think about it all. For a fleeting moment, I wondered “what if…?” What if Karina was right? What if Layla was no longer the woman I remembered? What if my actions were nothing more than a desperate man grasping at the last threads of a broken dream?
What was last night, then? If nothing of what I was feeling were true, and Layla was no longer the woman I had fallen in love with, then why did last night feel so absolutely right? Surely there was no way of imagining sharing something so intense with someone. My God, last night it felt like two broken souls had finally been reunited and put back together by the one thing powerful enough to heal any wounds. Love.
“No.” I shook my head. “No. I refuse to believe Layla is no longer the woman I remember.”
“Dante—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “Until you, or Antonio, or whoever the fuck else can prove to me otherwise, I will not believe anything other than that Layla is being used as a fucking pawn. And even if it will cost me my last fucking breath…I will not let her go.”
I turned and stormed off, more determined than ever to solve this whole goddamn mystery surrounding Layla. My instincts had never let me down before, and my instincts were fucking screaming.
Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs, Lucio came walking through the front door.
“Where is Kate?”
“Good morning to you too, cousin.”
I glared at him, silently conveying the message that now was not the time to fuck with me. “Where is she?”
“Do I look like her personal bodyguard?”
“Lucio, I’m serious. Layla is hiding something, and I’m convinced Kate knows what it is.”
Lucio shook his head. “Bro, I already tried talking to her. She won’t budge.”
“Maybe I can persuade her.”
“I don’t think so, man. She just said that Layla needs to be the one to tell you.”
I cocked a brow. “Tell me what?”
“Whatever it is Layla is hiding.”