Brutal Vows (Queens & Monsters #4)(89)

“My business, that’s what. Just because you’re married now doesn’t mean I need to give you an itinerary.”

“Maybe not. But you will give me a copy of that marriage contract. Email it to me. Right now. I want to know the terms you negotiated.”

Indignant that I’m issuing commands, he starts to sputter something about being the head of the family, but I ignore that and speak over him.

“I met with Alessandro.”

Silence. I hear him breathing on the other end of the line, but other than that, he doesn’t say a word.

“Massimo, Tomasi, and Aldo, too.”

“When? Why? What did they want?”

“This morning. They contacted Declan O’Donnell and arranged it. They seemed very interested in what you might be up to in your spare time. You know, like when you mysteriously go missing.”

Another silence, this one fraught. I feel his nervousness as plainly as if he’d reached out and grabbed me with a trembling hand.

“What’s happening, Gianni? What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Nothing. Don’t be stupid. I have everything under control.”

I say softly, “I have half a mind to tell Quinn a nasty lie about something you said about me and send him over there to rearrange your face, so you’d better stop bullshitting me or this conversation is over.”

He snarls, “Twenty-four hours with him and suddenly you think you’re in charge of this family?”

“I’ve always been in charge of this family. I’ve just been letting you hold the reins for a while. Now talk to me before things get out of hand.”

“Fuck you, Reyna. I’m not telling you anything.”

We sit and breathe angrily at each other for a while, until I decide he’s not worth getting upset over. Whatever it is he’s into will come out in the wash eventually.

“Lili and Juan Pablo made it to Mexico safely. In case you’re interested.”

He mutters an oath in Italian. “I’m not interested. I no longer have a daughter.”

“Do you still have a mother? Because she’s been sitting alone in a hotel room all day and night. I’ve been worried.”

“Are you joking? She’s been having the time of her life. When I got back to the room, she was hosting a party for the housekeeping staff. I’ve got a two-thousand-dollar room service bill sitting here with her signature on it.”

That makes me smile. And I suppose I shouldn’t have worried about her. She’s been through as much as I have and is still surviving.

“We’re leaving for New York in the morning. What are your plans?”

“They’re in development. I’ll let you know. By the way, you’re welcome.”

He pauses. “For what?”

“Jesus Christ, Gianni. You’re a fucking asshole. Don’t forget to send me the contract.”

I disconnect and set the phone on the counter. When I open the bathroom door, Quinn is right there, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

He says, “You could’ve asked me for the contract.”

“Earwigging, were you?”

“Aye. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”

“Really? What a stupendous surprise.”

His smile is as soft as his eyes. “I ordered room service. Thought you might be hungry.”

“Oh, thank God. I really like Sloane, but I’ve never had a worse meal in my life.”

“She’s very into her health.”

“Is she into Declan’s health? Because it seems like her poor husband could starve to death eating that shredded cardboard she calls food.”

He reaches out and brushes a strand of hair off my cheek, tucking it behind my ear. “Declan would eat broken glass if that’s what Sloane was serving.”

I recall how his eyes tracked her every movement and smile. “He does seem a little obsessed with her.”

Quinn pulls me against his chest, wraps his arms around me, and stares down into my eyes. “Aye,” he says gruffly. “The Irish take love very seriously.”

Don’t melt. You have a lot of important things to get to. If you melt, you won’t get to any of them.

I think he can tell I’m flustered by that comment, so he changes the subject. “Declan says he’ll have information for us within a few days.”

“About what?”

“Who came into the house after Lili.”

I furrow my brown in confusion. “How can Declan get that information?”

His smile is mysterious. “He’s got friends in low places.”

“Well, that’s good. Though I doubt Gianni will care at this point. He just told me he doesn’t have a daughter anymore.”

“Let’s stop talking about your idiotic brother now.”

“Deal. What should we talk about instead?”

He considers me in thoughtful silence for a moment, then swings me up into his arms and takes us back to the bed.

Stretching out beside me, he slides a heavy arm over my waist and puts his nose into my hair. With his eyes closed and his voice rough, he says, “Think about what you want. What you really want, not what you think needs to happen. Let’s talk about that.”