Page 60 of Family Secrets

“What’swith all the muscle, Elizabeth? Did you say something to piss Gino off?”

Swishing her feet in the blue water, Elizabeth kept her head down, Lisa sat to her left as she always did during their Sunday trip to the salon.

“Not sure, we didn’t fight or anything.” It wasn’t a complete lie, at least not the latter. She’d gone to bed after agreeing to the security, Gino had taken a shower, and then gone into the living room to watch television. He was gone when she woke, no note or text message.

“Want to come shopping with me after this? I have to find something to wear to the fight tonight. Do you know what you’re—"

“I’m not going,” Elizabeth interrupted a little too loudly, gaining the attention of the girls around them.

“That’s too bad, Elizabeth. I was going to introduce you to my man, tonight.” Lisa wiggled her eyebrows. “That is if I can convince him to leave the bedroom long enough.”

Sitting back in her massage chair. “There will be other opportunities. If, as you say, you can pull yourselves out of the bedroom.”

* * *

Gino stoodat his bathroom sink trying in vain to fix his tie. He hated lying to Elizabeth, but Killian had been quick with the investigation and had what he deemed was huge news to share.

“Want some help?” Shifting his eyes in the mirror, he found the girl in question leaning against the door frame. Dressed in a hoodie and ripped jeans, her arms crossed over her the chest he loved to bury his face in.

“I’d love some.” Turning to face her, Gino leaned against the counter, leaning down and placing a kiss to the tip of her nose. She was makeup-free tonight, just the way he liked her, and it took everything in him not to cancel on Killian and stay home with her.

“I could get used to this; having you here, sharing my home…my name.”

Stopping her movements, “What are you saying?”

“Calm down, Elizabeth, only planting a seed. When all of this is over, and with your father’s blessing, of course, I plan to ask you to be mine forever.”

Elizabeth held her tongue, the intensity of the moment robbing her of an answer that wouldn’t be served up with tears. Instead, she focused on his tie, recalling how the man on the YouTube video demonstrated.

“Tony and a few guys from the office will be here while I’m gone. Help yourself to anything. Treat this house as if you own it, just like you do the owner.”

* * *

Elizabeth ruminatedGino’s words over and over as she sat in the center of his bed, the television on the far wall showed some movie marathon centered around romance. He’d kissed her breath away before he left, laying her gently on the covers before adjusting himself and promising to finish what he started later when he returned.

With no interest in the movie, Elizabeth climbed from the bed, padding her way to the kitchen when she found a half-full bottle of wine in the fridge. Pouring herself a healthy glass, she found the guys watching the weigh-ins of the match, the one part of boxing she didn’t care for.

Heading back into his bedroom, she reached over to move one of his pillows. When she bent too far over, the red wine spilling from her glass, staining Gino’s comforter.

“Oh shit,” she cursed, carefully setting the glass on the nightstand. If she could treat the stain immediately, she might be able to save the comforter. Having seen a twenty-four-hour dry cleaner down the block, she began the task of removing the blanket from the bed, when something caught her eye.

Elizabeth dropped to her knees, hot tears spilling from her eyes as the diamonds sparkled in the light from the lamp beside her.

“He likes to watch me get off with the pearls.”Lisa’s words echoed in her head.

“My brother is complicated.”Sully had tried to warn her.

“He’s in a relationship with another girl and is trying to dump her.”So had Lisa, in her own twisted way.

Tossing the blanket to the floor, Elizabeth ran to the bathroom, betrayal hitting her like a freight train. Staring at herself in the mirror, the girl reflected back at her a stranger. She’d allowed herself the luxury of feeling important in Gino’s world, but in reality, she was nothing more than a way for him to pass the time.

“You will always have a job at the Co-op in case things don’t work out as you planned.”Mr. Cullison's words were as fresh as the day he’d said them, encouraging her to turn from the mirror and take some action. She’d been the discarded toy of one man, she’d be damn if she'd be one again.

Entering the living room, her eyes flashed to the flat screen and the fight about to begin. Tony and another guy from the office sat on the sofa, their feet propped up on the coffee table beside carefully laid handguns.

“Hey, I was just about to come see if you were hungry. We’re ordering from the deli on the corner.” Tony offered, but her eyes were stuck on the screen.

The man behind the camera swept from Kane’s bouncing form in the center of the ring, to Gino, as he took a seat, a pair of blonde twins sitting to the left of him, Lisa on his right. Her fist clenched as Gino reached over, running his hand up Lisa’s leg and under her tight skirt.

---