Gian (Trassato Crime Family #1)(40)

“Yeah, maybe so.” He glanced to the side. “Dominick has Tony digging into her past just to be sure.”

“Great.” I tossed my napkin on top of the table and stood up. I’d lost my appetite. For longer than I could remember, I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps, make him proud, and lead his crew. Now, I didn’t know if I’d made the right decision. This was bullshit. I’d never get rid of the shadow over my head. “Tell him to have fun with that.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home to my fiancée. After last night, I’m a little reluctant to leave her home alone. I’m sure you understand.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I didn’t need to hear anything else from him. I got the message loud and clear. Dominick didn’t approve of Evie. He wanted her gone, and the thought pissed me off so much, I wanted to keep her around purely to spite his nosy ass. My family wanted me to marry a good Italian girl within our circle of associates. I always thought I would too, but the more time I spent with Evie, the more I resented the idea.

My life had been scripted from the moment I popped out of my mom’s womb. I’d go to school, join the family business, marry a girl from the neighborhood, and pop out a couple of kids, hopefully boys. Then the cycle would start all over again. I never questioned it…until now.

I pulled into the garage in the basement of my home and ran up the steps to the main level.

“Evie!” I hollered, a twinge of unease raising the hairs on my forearms. When I reached my main floor, glass crunched under the soles of my shoes.

What the f*ck?

“Evangeline? Where the hell are you? Are you hurt?”

I ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. If someone hurt her, I would find him and rip him apart limb-by-limb with my bare hands. A sickening brew of rage and fear bubbled up my throat.

When I reached the landing, she stepped into the hallway, my overnight bag tucked under her arm and Carmela trailing behind her.

“Oh, crap.” She came to an abrupt halt, her hand flying to her chest. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

“What the hell is going on?”

She glanced at Carmela from the corner of her eye. “Someone threw a brick through the window in the front door, and—”

“I noticed. Why the hell didn’t you call me?” Itching with the need to touch her, my hand edged toward her then paused mid-reach. I didn’t know how to act with my sister’s gaze boring into me with the force of a high-powered microscope.

Evie leaned her hip against the doorframe. “I did. More than once, actually, and it went to voicemail every single time. Luckily, your sister was in the neighborhood.”

“What’s your problem, Gian?” Carmela asked, her finger pointed at the center of my chest. “There’s no need to be an *. Evie was scared, and I was in the neighborhood. I asked her to come stay with me because I didn’t want to leave her here alone, and I had no idea when you’d be home. Do you have a problem with that?”

I dragged the heel of my hand down the side of my face and blew out a weighted breath. This night kept getting worse and worse. “Evie, are you okay?” I asked, softening my tone. I wasn’t mad at Evie. Far from it. I was pissed at myself. I shouldn’t have left her alone, not after last night. I should have called Tony even though every day that passed my doubts of his trustworthiness multiplied.

“I think so.”

She didn’t sound okay. Her voice cracked on the last word, and my heart screamed with some unfamiliar emotion. An animalistic possessiveness surged through me at the thought of anyone having the nerve to hurt her, and all reasonable thoughts fled.

Without question, I had managed to turn Evie’s life upside down in a matter of weeks. While I knew that made me a worthless bastard in most people’s book, I couldn’t let her go.

Two steps and I had her cradled in my arms. I buried my head in her hair, inhaling the faint scent of jasmine. I didn’t have the luxury of feeling this way about anyone, especially Evie, but damn if I didn’t give two f*cks anymore.

I’d been caught up in her from the first second I saw her, and that hadn’t changed. I had protected her when it went against every oath I made to the family, and I wouldn’t stop now. Her soulful coffee-colored eyes made me believe she got me in a way no one else ever had, except maybe my twin. That was different though. And truthfully, Carmela and I had grown apart since Rocco died. She clammed up emotionally, and I couldn’t reach her anymore. It was like a part of her died along with Rocco.

I smoothed my hand up and down Evie’s back, and she sighed. “Did you see anything?”

“No.” Her eyes slipped closed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I think they might’ve wrote something on the brick. I didn’t want to touch it.”

My muscles pulled tight like a rubber band ready to snap. “Good. You don’t need to worry about this. I’m on top of it.”

I would be, because I was nowhere near as calm as I pretended to be on the surface.

“I’m fine.” She pulled away from me, and my arms hung awkwardly next to my sides. “I’m not hurt. Just a little on edge. I’m sure it was nothing.”

“You’re probably right,” I agreed, not believing a single word out of my mouth. I glanced at Carmela. “Thanks for coming, sis.”