Denial (Careless Whispers #1)(60)

Giada sets her cup down as well. “What’s up with him and Gallo?”

“Gallo blames him for something in his past, like you do.”

“I don’t blame Kayden.” She purses her lips. “Okay, maybe last night I did. I was drinking and hurting.”

“I meant what I said. He’s hurting too. You have to know that—right?”

“He’s hard to know.”

“Because he carries the burden of so much loss that he can’t let anyone in.” I face her, hesitating to share Kayden’s past, but gamble that dropping a tidbit of his past is okay. “Do you know about his family?”

“He never talks about them.”

“He lost them when he was ten. That’s when Kevin adopted him.”

“Oh, my God. What happened to them?”

“It’s not my place to share that story, and please don’t mention that I told you at all. But I’ll try to get Kayden to tell you.” An image forms in my mind of a pretty redheaded woman who is smiling at me, and my chest expands painfully. My mother. She’s gone, and it hurts so much. I will away the tears threatening to form, my voice hoarse as I continue. “I think Kayden can relate to your loss more than you realize.” And me, I add silently, swallowing hard and forcing myself to look at her. “Instead of blaming him, I think he might be a good person to talk to.”

“He’s kind of scary.” Her lips curve. “And sexy, which is intimidating.”

I laugh. “Hmmm. Yes. I can relate.” We both end up smiling and there’s a connection between us. “Where’s your mother?”

“She died of cancer when I was ten.”

Cancer. The word slides inside me, and finds an open wound that has my mother’s memory all over it. I know it as familiar and horrible, just like I know sympathy can be painful. So I don’t offer it. “Tell me about her.”

She starts talking and we both end up lying down on the couch, while I clutch the phone and will it to ring. Better yet, I just want Kayden to walk through the door.



Loud knocking on the street door wakes us up, both of us jolting to a sitting position where we’ve fallen asleep on the couch. The throb in my head is instant. “Oh God,” I murmur, pushing through the dull ache to grab my phone and check it to find no calls.

“Good grief,” Giada mumbles. “Some customers don’t take no for an answer.”

I stare at the time on my phone in disbelief. “It’s six o’clock. We’ve been asleep for hours!”

“I feel better,” she says. “I needed the rest Adriel wouldn’t allow me.”

“And I needed to take pain medication a good hour ago.”

“You’re hurting?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

My phone rings and I see Nathan on the caller ID. “Nathan,” I answer, hoping he can tell me where Kayden and Adriel are. “Is something wrong? Where’s Kayden?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. I’m at the door knocking.”

“I’m at the store.”

“Right. Adriel said you might be, so that’s where I am. Are you going to let me in?”

“Yes. Coming now.” I end the call and stand, only to have a dizzy spell hit me that forces me to call on Giada for help. “Get the door, please. It’s my doctor.”

Giada’s eyes go wide. “Yes. Of course.” She crosses to the door while I’m pathetically forced to sit. When she opens it I’m able to stand again, steadier now.

Nathan speaks to her in Italian, and I’m fairly certain they know each other. Then he walks in my direction, looking exceedingly handsome and preppy in khakis and a white button-down, along with a tan leather jacket.

“What’s happening with Kayden and Adriel?” I ask.

“They’re fine,” he says, shrugging a brown leather bag off his shoulder and motioning for me to sit. I comply and he perches on the edge of the stone table across from me.

“What does ‘they’re fine’ mean?”

“Yes,” Giada chimes in, sitting next to me. “What does that mean?”

“Gallo arrested them.”

“What?” Giada and I say at the same time.

“Why?” I ask.

“Yes, why?” Giada echoes.

Nathan sets his bag on the table. “He says they threatened him. Kayden says that’s bullshit and I believe him. He’s too smart for that.”

“We have to go get them,” I say, trying to stand.

His hand clamps down on my arm, holding me in place, the look in his eyes sharp, hard, unlike anything I’ve seen from him before. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the many reasons why that’s a wrong decision. Besides, Kayden is a very rich, powerful man, and his attorney is a beast when he has to be.”

My stomach knots. “I feel like I brought this on them.”

“The Underground brought this on them,” Giada says, bitterness lacing her tone. “It’s dangerous, and Kayden is the ringleader.”

Nathan releases me and cuts a stern look at Giada. “Gallo’s bitterness over something personal brought this on. And ever since your father died, Kayden has been allowing his people to take fewer jobs and doing all the dangerous ones himself. Why do you think you have this store?”