All I Believe (Firsts and Forever, #10)(74)

“Was that news from San Francisco?” Andreo asked before wiping his mouth with a paper napkin.

I nodded. “It’s such a mess. Jerry’s on a rampage. He’s furious with Dante and Vincent for lying to him, and for protecting you and Luca. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but this isn’t just going to go away.”

“Do you think Jerry can track us here?”

“I’m sure Dante covered our tracks. He probably paid someone off to make the passenger list from that private flight go away.”

Andreo said, “It’s surprising that Dante and Vincent are on our side. They were directly affected by what my father did. If anyone had cause to hold a grudge, it would be them.”

“They despised your father, but they’re also both truly exceptional people. They’ve managed not to let the actions of one person color their opinions of your entire family.”

“They’re better men than me,” Andreo said, looking down at his coffee cup. “I really believed all you Dombrusos were the same, a bunch of lowlife thugs. But then, I learned that from my father, so I should have known not to just accept it.”

I had to ask. “What kind of a father was Sal Natori?”

“Cold. Demanding. He raised me to be a soldier in his army and the heir to his blood-soaked throne. The fact that I wanted no part of his legacy was irrelevant. I’m so glad Luca barely knew him and was spared all that shit.”

“What about your mom, what was she like?”

“I don’t really remember her. She died when I was four.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “What happened to her?”

“I think my father killed her, not that I have any proof. He would never tell me how she died.”

“So, who raised you?”

“A long string of nannies,” Andreo told me, balling up his sandwich wrapper and getting up to toss it in a trashcan near the door.

“Sounds like a lonely childhood.”

He shrugged and said, “I survived. If you’re done interviewing me, I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if my brother needs anything.” Andreo returned to the chair in the corner and tried to fold his large frame into it.

“I’m glad Luca has you in his life,” I said after a pause.

“I’m glad he has you, too.” A minute later, he was snoring softly.



*****



My cousin Gianni looked better than I’d ever seen him. It was more than the fact that he was tan and toned. There was something in the way he carried himself, a relaxed confidence that I hadn’t seen before. I watched him and his boyfriend Zan approaching the medical center from the window in Luca’s room. They were hand in hand, deep in conversation, their heads inclined toward each other. Alexzander Tillane was a very famous pop star, and a couple months earlier they’d sailed off in search of some peace and privacy, away from the relentless paparazzi.

I met them in the hall outside Luca’s closed door, and when he saw me, my cousin’s forehead creased with concern. He hurried to me and grabbed me in a hug, and I said, “God, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Nicky.”

“Hi Zan.” I went to shake his hand, but he pulled me into a friendly embrace instead.

“Good to see you, mate.” He had an English accent, diluted by years in the states.

“You, too.” I took a quick look at him when he let go of me. He was quite a bit older than my cousin, but you’d never know it. Aside from some streaks of grey in his elbow-length, thick brown hair, Zan could have easily passed for twenty-eight or so.


Like his boyfriend, he also looked tanned, healthy and happy. He was a nice guy, but being around him was just a bit surreal, since I’d grown up listening to his music. It always seemed weird to look into the face that had been on my album covers (and yes, I’d bought vinyl as a kid, because I’d thought it was cool).

“There’s someone I want you two to meet,” I said.

Gianni hesitated and asked, “Are they both in there? Both of Sal Natori’s sons?”

“No. Andreo went out to buy himself a change of clothes, so it’s just Luca. How much has Dante told you about all of this?”

“A fair amount. He asked me to keep an open mind,” Gianni said, tucking his black hair behind his ear. He was growing it out, and it almost reached his shoulders.

“Okay, good.”

There was uncertainty in his big, blue eyes as he said, “I’m not gonna lie. This is weird for me, Nico. I grew up hating the Natoris, and not just the one who murdered my parents and sister. I hated all of them for the feud that led to their death. It’s kind of hard to just let go of that.”

“I understand, believe me. But you know me better than anyone, Gi. I wouldn’t fall for a monster. Luca’s such a good guy. Please give him a chance.”

“Dante told me Luca took a bullet for you. How is he?”

“Stable and really drugged up, so he’s not in pain,” I said. “Considering the amount of morphine going into his system, it’s surprising he’s as lucid as he is.”

“Alright, let’s go meet your man. I have to say, I’m more than a little curious,” Gianni told me.

“Sure. Oh, one more thing. Remember the story of my first kiss when I was fourteen? I know I told you, probably more than once.”