Page 16 of Connected

Chapter 6

Joaquin

“Violet,” Rocco murmurs, quickly lowering the gun. I divert my eyes to my sister, watching as she slowly peels her hands away from her face. Swallowing, she stares wide-eyed between me and Rocco, her gaze lingering on the gun still in his hand.

“Put that shit away,” I growl, reaching out to pull her into the apartment. Snapping out of his trancelike state, he tucks the gun back into his jacket pocket. Violet doesn’t move away from the door once I close it and for a moment, I wonder if my twenty-year-old sister is in a state of shock.

Being eight years younger than us, Violet was just a kid when Rocco and I started running wild on the streets of Brooklyn. I don’t even know if she remembers his father getting deported or when he and his family moved to Italy. I don’t think either of us paid her too much attention when Rocco returned from Italy either. She was an annoying teenager who got in our way until she wasn’t. It was like I blinked and suddenly, my little sister who snuck out of the house to follow me and Rocco was a young woman auditioning for the New York Academy of Ballet. There was no ignoring her anymore, she was destined for bright lights and stages across the world.

“Vi, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you call me?”

Her gaze snaps to me and the shock flees her face as she narrows her eyes.

“Why didn’t I call you? I’ve been calling the both of you for two days,” she snarls, glaring between the both of us. “I guess you’ve been too busy shooting shit to answer me, though.” She looks at Rocco. “I’ve never had a gun pointed at me before. You really know how to welcome people,” she mutters, rolling her eyes.

“Glad you enjoyed it, Bug,” he quips, flashing her a smile. I almost laugh at his use of the nickname he gave her years ago, but then I notice the way his eyes rake over her.

“Don’t call me that,” she snaps.

“You never used to mind,” he reminds her.

“I’m not twelve anymore, Rocco.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

Asserting my body between them like a shield, I glance from Violet to Rocco. The cocky fuck remains impassive, shoving his hands into his pockets nonchalantly like I didn’t just witness him eye fuck the shit out of my sister.

“What’s going on here?”

“What are you talking about?” he replies, stealing another glance at Violet. The fucker actually has the audacity to wink at her. I step to him, getting in his face.

“I’ll kill you,” I warn.

“Relax,” he chuckles. “I’m just busting your balls, besides . . . ” his voice trails as he turns so she can’t hear him. “It’s Violet, man. I’d never fuck with your sister.”

“I can hear you idiots,” Violet calls from behind me. Turning around to face her, I watch as she plops down on the couch and kicks up her legs. “And just to be clear,” she continues, looking at Rocco. “You’re not my type.”

“Right, you’re into men in tights these days.”

“Don’t knock it,” she chastises. “There’s nothing wrong with men in tights. They hug everything, leaving very little to the imagination and no room for surprises. There’s nothing worse than a guy hyping up his dick and lowering his pants to reveal one of those mini hot dogs you get at a buffet.”

“Sort of like when a girl stuffs her training bra with tissues and coincidentally gets caught in the rain,” Rocco retorts.

Violet’s cheeks flush as she stares daggers at him.

“Again, I was twelve,” she grinds out. “Since you’re so full of yourself, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

“Careful, Bug, I may have just promised your brother I wouldn’t touch you, but I never said I wasn’t down for a little game of show and tell.”

“Damn,” she says, snapping her fingers. “I knew I should’ve stopped at the airport gift shop and bought that magnifying glass in the window.”

I must have missed the memo where my sister got a smart mouth and started playing with dick.

“Who are you?” I question, shaking my head.

“Aww, you missed me, big brother. That’s cute. Now, which one of you is going to go downstairs and get my bags? By the way, I used your Uber account to call for a car since neither of you could pick me up from the airport.”

Rocco comes up beside me, keeping his eyes fixated on my wild child sister.

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