Page 29 of Forbidden War (Forbidden 2)
The corner of Armani’s mouth twitches at Karina’s question.
“Only family knows—but I suppose you’re technically family now, so.” He takes out his cell phone and a moment later, Karina’s phone buzzes under the table. “That’s a link to a dropped pin on a map, and the GPS coordinates.”
She doesn’t look at her phone, only nods.
Just then, Dante’s phone rings. He looks at the screen and swears. “I have to take this.”
Karina jumps to her feet and goes around to the other side of the table. “I can help Frankie. You go ahead, Dante.”
My brother looks at his wife for her approval, then excuses himself when she nods. Karina takes Frankie’s arm and helps her out of her chair, leading her out of the room. I wait for the sound of their footsteps to recede before turning on my brother.
“Fucking tell me what your attitude is all about? What’s going on with you?”
“Your wife, that’s what.”
“Dammit, Armani.”
His chair topples back as he jumps to his feet and leans across the dishes of cold breakfast food on the table to glare at me. “Do you understand that the baby Frankie is carrying right now is the only hope this family has? This child is our chance for a fresh start, our chance to make sure the Bellanti name means something good in the future. She’s innocent, Marco. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she gets the family and the future she deserves.”
You could hear a pin drop between us. Or a tear, because I’m close to letting one fall.
I hear what he’s saying but I really, really hear what he’s not.
Frankie’s baby is going to have the loving family, and the peaceful future, that the rest of us Bellanti boys never had. Thank God our father isn’t here to influence the child, but that doesn’t take the risk away. If we don’t clean up this mess with the Brunos, Dante and Frankie’s kid—all of our kids, should the rest of us ever have any—will be permanently stained.
Just like we are.
Blinking rapidly, I step away from the table and turn my back. Jesus. I can’t believe Armani just wrecked me by saying the most unexpected thing.
Clearing my throat, I run a hand over my mouth. “I get what you’re saying, but Karina isn’t the enemy here. I wish you’d see that.”
“I guess we’ll find that out soon enough, won’t we?”
I look at him then, but his expression isn’t any less cold.
“Yeah, I guess we will.”
