Page 83 of Ruthless Secrets
“Let’s just say, if she doesn’t like you, you’ll know about it.”
“How could she not like me? I’m delightful.” I flash her a wink.
I’m reluctant to untangle myself from Clara, but she needs to eat, and I promised Andre we would catch up before I head into the city.
Even though it would be easier for me to stay overnight and drive back to Westchester in the morning, the thought of sliding into bed with Clara is not something I’m willing to pass on, so the sooner I get my work done, the sooner I can get back to my girl.
I find my brother in his study, sitting behind his desk, typing furiously away on his computer. His hair is a little more disheveled than usual, as if he’s been running his fingers through it.
I’m hit by a pang of guilt.
Ever since Clara has come into my life, I’ve been distracted. While I have been working on dealing with Alfonzo, I’ve let a lot of my other responsibilities slide, which means Andre has had to shoulder the burden.
“Nice to see you keeping busy.” I chuckle as I close the door behind me.
Andre glances up at me, eyes wide, as if he didn’t hear me come in.
“So I’ve been thinking…”
Andre pushes back his chair and gets to his feet. “That’s never a good sign.”
“Fuck off. This is about Cillian Moore.”
My brother pauses. “What about him?”
He gets to work pouring us both a drink.
I take a seat on the couch and drape my arm across the back, watching Andre as he picks up the decanter of whisky. “He’s one of Tommaso’s biggest rivals.”
He frowns. “One of? I’d say he is the biggest.”
“Which is exactly why I think we should seek his help.” It’s an idea I’ve been mulling over for a few days but at some point, we’re going to have to take action, and I think this is the best way.
Andre replaces the decanter and picks up the drinks to carry over to the couch, handing me a glass. “I’m not sure… Cillian wouldn’t help us for free, and owing him a favor could prove to be a death sentence in itself.”
“We may not have any other options.”
Andre pops down onto the couch beside me. “Which is what worries me. I don’t like being indebted to people.”
“I’m aware.”
“Maybe we are more like our father than we realize…”
My hand tightens around the glass. “We’ll never be like him. We’ll make sure that our kids won’t have to deal with any of our mistakes.”
“Our kids… Sounds weird.” He shakes his head and takes a sip of his whisky.
I smile. “Yeah. I’m still getting used to it.”
Andre chuckles under his breath. “I thought I was outnumbered before. And now you’ve gone and added two more girls to the household.”
“I’m not in the slightest bit sorry.” I smirk.
“Fatherhood looks good on you.” My brother glances sidelong at me. “Which is something I never thought I’d say.”
I take a drink. “Tell me about it.”
“Rosa is going to be ecstatic when she comes home from camp tomorrow. Be prepared never to see your kid again.”
