Page 119 of Secrets of the Brother
She refused to see me and like a fucking idiot I respected her decision, but fortunately I'd had someone watching the house, which was how I'd found out she had thrown out all of her artwork before leaving. I collected every scrap of paper I could find and had them bound up in these cherished leather volumes.
I had often flipped through them over these last few months.
I took the book from her and carefully closed it before bending to pick up the books from the floor and return them to the shelves in order. “I retrieved them,” I said simply.
“Why?”
I slid the last volume into place. “Because it was my fault you were throwing them away. I couldn’t stand the thought of you destroying this part of yourself because of me. So I saved them.”
She gestured toward the shelves. “You know, some of those sketches are really old and not very good.”
I snatched her around the waist and spun her around as I lifted her high. “Bite your tongue, woman. Each one of those drawings is a masterpiece.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “You’re biased.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “Damn straight, I am.”
She tilted her head to the side and stared at me.
I cocked one eyebrow up as I carried her to the bed and set her down in the center, pulling the blanket up to her chin. I then leaned over her. “What?”
Her lips quirked up in a smile. “I’m just trying to imagine the great Enzo Cavalieri digging through my garbage bins.”
“I’m glad the thought amuses you. Get some sleep. I need to talk with Papà and Cesare. I’ll be up later.”
I kissed her on the forehead and crossed to the door.
Just as I turned off the light switch, Bianca’s soft voice called out through the darkness. “Enzo?”
“Yes, babygirl?”
She sighed. “This was a really strange day.”
I paused. “It was.”
I could hear the hesitation in her voice. “I’m not sure how I feel about everything that happened.”
It was too much to hope that I could decree that I loved her then fuck her senseless, and that would make everything final. “I know. Get some sleep. I’ll be up soon.”
CHAPTER31
ENZO
Ipaused as I walked through the dark kitchen and lifted the cloth napkin covering a large wooden tray, knowing it covered fresh-baked fenneltarallileft to cool by Rosa.
I looped several of the twisted breadstick snacks over my fingers and popped one in my mouth, before returning the cloth and continuing on my way to the armory.
As I bit into the still warm, crispy yet chewy cracker and savored the buttery herbal flavor, I thought of my girl tucked under the covers in my bed.
The only way I was going to get Bianca to stop fighting being with me was if I put a stop to this bullshit investigation and dealt with her parents. The sooner the better.
I left the kitchen and crossed through the small antechamber into the armory. I was pleased to see Alfonso relaxing before the roaring fire in a tufted, tan leather chair with brass nail head trims.
Above him over the mantle hung the stuffed ten-point red deer stag’s head my father shot fifteen years ago the first time he took me out hunting. Alfonso nodded in greeting before leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
The massive walnut and glass gun display case which took up a good portion of the back wall was unlocked and open.
Cesare and my father stood nearby over a sturdy rectangular workbench with four Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon shotguns in various stages of assembly strewn before them.
