Page 78 of Ruining Him
Cole has slowly been lowering his mask around me, whether that’s because he knows I can see past it or he’s trying to open himself up to me, I’m not sure. What I do knowis this is a way for him to let me into his life, to see behind the smoke and mirrors that he shows the rest of the world, and to see him in a different environment.
The gates swing open, and I spot a camera directed towards us. Cole pulls forward and drives up the narrow road before pulling to a stop outside of a mansion. Because of course, he lives in a mansion.
“My mom is going tofreakwhen she sees you,” Gracie says from behind me, and I give her the side-eye, only to find her leaning forward in the gap between me and Cole, a conspiring smile on her face.
But why would their mom freak when she… Oh, hell no.
“You didn’t tell her?” I ask Cole.
He looks at me, biting his lip almost as though he’s nervous.
“I didn’t tell either of my parents that I was bringing someone.”
I groan. “Why? What the fuck were you thinking, Cole? It’s bad enough that you dragged me here in the first place, but to not tell them I was coming?”
“Shhh,” he hushes me. “Everything will be fine.”
“It will not, especially for you, because I’m going to fucking murder you.”
He parks the car and smirks at me. “You’re hot when you get all murdery,” he purrs and climbs out of the car as Gracie does the same, leaving me to glare in his general direction before I do the same and follow behind them up the steps that lead to the entrance of the home.
The door flies open before we reach it, and a short woman with graying hair throws herself at the siblings.
“My babies,” she cries with a noticeable Italian accent. “I missed you both.”
I shuffle where I stand, feeling awkward as hell. The movement must catch her attention, because she turns towards me before looking at Gracie.
“You brought a friend? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I’d have had a guest room set up for her.”
Gracie grins towards Cole. “No need, Mama. She’s actually here with Cole.”
Their mom gasps, and I inwardly groan at the questions she’s no doubt brimming with, but I’m saved fromthathorrific event by Cole clearing his throat and telling her that we’ve had a long drive—I wouldn’t consider three hours long, but whatever—and that we need to get settled in.
“Of course, I’m sorry,gioia mia,” she says to Cole before turning to me. “And I guess he’s leaving me to introduce myself. I’m Gloria, Cole and Gracie’s mother. It’s nice to meet you.”
I give her a small smile. “I’m Lana. Thank you for having me.”
She waves her hand around in the air in a dismissive gesture before ushering us through the house and towards the second level.
“I assume your…frienddoesn’t need a guest room?” Gloria asks Cole, and he shakes his head, carrying both of our bags up the stairs. I follow behind him, taking in the family pictures on the walls that must date back centuries, before we reach a room that Cole lets us both into.
“So, that was your mom,” I say as Cole puts our things in the closet.
“Yup.”
“And you’re Italian?” I ask, confused. How the hell did I not know this?
He shrugs. “My mom is Italian, but we try to keep that outof the media. She only really switches to Italian when it’s just family. The rest of the time, she can pass for American.”
I sit on the bed and tilt my head to the side, examining him. “Why would she hide that?”
He flings himself down on the bed beside me and takes a lock of my hair in his fingers. “Every family has secrets, little menace. Let’s just say… my mom’s side of the family had more than most, and it’s safer for everyone if they remain that way.”
“Meaning your mom comes from the Mafia,” I deadpan, and his eyes widen, clearly not expecting that to be my first guess. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together when he’s talked about his mom’s side of the family a little in the past week or so while we’ve been getting to know each other.
“How did you…” He trails off and shakes his head. “Of course, you would get it on the first try. Yeah, my mom came from a Mafia family, but she left when she was young. We don’t have much contact with her side of the family anymore. Most of them are dead anyway, just a few cousins left that we rarely ever see. My mom didn’t want me to grow up in that life, so she tried to put as much distance between us as possible.”
I nod, having the feeling I know exactly which family he’s talking about, but he’s entitled to his secrets, just like I’m entitled to mine.
