Now, knowing that all of Frankie’s classes were online, I knew she’d be home every night to cook for Nix and herself. Even if Nix were busy elsewhere, Frankie would still make dinner and set him up with leftovers. That’s how I knew, as I scanned my palm, that homemade food would be meeting me in their kitchen. Did I consider it rude to invite myself to dinner? Not at all.
We were family.
I passed the foyer, not bothering to announce my arrival. As long as everyone’s clothes were on, that’s all I cared about.
It wasn’t until I cleared the east wall that I heard a female voice that wasn’t Frankie’s. A foreboding sensation ran down my spice as I recognized the voice.
Roberta fucking Regal.
I knew this wasn’t my house. I knew this was Nix’s domain and Frankie’s happiness was paramount to him. I knew Frankie still considered Robbie a close friend.
I knew all of that.
I knew it, but that knowledge did nothing to tamper down the rage that consumed me at just the sound of her voice.
“What’s all this?” I asked as I saw them all sitting cozily in the kitchen table. The second I spotted Luca, my dark mood really took a turn for the worst. “Since when do you let just anybody in this building?” I saw Robbie’s entire body tense and straightened, but I was too mad to care about my lack of manners.
This woman almost got my sister killed.
“Ciro, stop it!” Frankie snapped.
I stood, itching mad, as I stared at the table of four; Frankie and Nix on one side, Luca and Robbie sitting on the other. All heads were turned towards me except one.
“Stop what?” I snapped back. “It’s a legitimate question, Frankie. No one who isn’t a Benetti is allowed in this building. So, I’m just asking what the fuck is she doing here?”
Phoenix stood up. “Ciro, you’re out of line.”
“But am I a liar?” I tossed back, knowing he knew I was pointing out the truth.
Luca sighed, and stood up as well. “No, you are not,” he conceded. “However, we felt it was best if the girls had dinner here, rather than somewhere…in public.”
“Oh, we did, did we?”
This time, Frankie stood up, but she stood up with enough force to make her chair scraped back. “Knock it off, Ciro,” she hissed. “Robbie’s my friend. I missed her and wanted to see her.” She threw her arm out to gesture around the kitchen. “What you see here is a compromise. Phoenix doesn’t want me…going out just yet, and I wanted to see Robbie. Everyone felt it was safer to have dinner here. Robbie’s still healing, too.”
“Everyone did?” I bit out. “Who’s everyone, Frankie? Because, before tonight, I was never left out of the loop. Especially when it came to the traffic in this fucking building.”
“I got permission from Luca,” she yelled, tempers rising. “And…considering your…your reluctance towards my friend, I thought it best you weren’t included so you wouldn’t ruin dinner!”
That stung.
That stung and fueled an already out of control flame.
Fuck. This. Shit.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” I yelled back. “She almost got you killed!”
“That’s enough, Ciro!” Phoenix thundered. “I know Frankie’s your sister, but you better watch how you talk to her.”
“He’s right,” Luca added. “You need to calm down, Ciro. Francesca hasn’t done anything wrong.”
I could feel my entire body rush hot. My blood was boiling. It wasn’t that they were coming to Frankie’s defense, it was no less than I’d expect. Nix and Luca always played mediator when we were younger, and Frankie and I would get into it. What was pissing me off was that, for the first time in our lifetimes spent together, I’d been left out.
Now I know why Frankie ran six years ago.
“I know Frankie’s done nothing wrong,” I replied coolly. “There’s only one person in this room who’s done anything wrong.” With that, Robert Regal finally stood up, and it took everything in me not to give myself away.
She wasn’t the same battered woman when I saw her last.
The woman stood around five-five to my six-one and gone were the blood and bruises on her face. She had a scar above her eye, and I remembered the gash that Basco hadn’t been able to sew up, but it didn’t take away from her surprising beauty. Robbie had hair the color of milk chocolate, big brown eyes surrounded by dark lashes with a touch of mascara adorning them. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched, except one had a blank spot where the scar cut in. Her nose was delicate, and she had high, rosy cheekbones. With face was heart-shaped, and she had a pair of lips that should always have a dick between them.
The rest of her was fucking me up, too.
She was wearing a loose-fitting peach dress that stopped just above her knees, but the flowing fabric did nothing to hide her big tits and wide hips. She was built like a goddamn pinup girl. Fuck, did she have a fucking rack on her.
And that just pissed me off further.
“I’m standing right here,” she said, “If you have something to say, say it to me.”
This girl was either reckless or just plain fucking stupid. I didn’t relish killing women, but I’ve done it before. “I already have,” I reminded her. “Or did you forget about our little heart-to-heart the night you almost got my
