Page 78 of Depraved
We’re spread out around the table. Dom is next to Drew to my right and Luca with Gretchen seated across from us. The table is filled with pasta, bread, and wine, and overhead globe lights set the mood, casting shadows and light where needed.
This is family. And Sarah seems to fit as if she was always meant to be here.
We didn’t discuss how we’d act before we came. There wasn’t any point to it. I’m not keeping my hands off her, and she doesn’t want me to. But since our Thursday night at Church—and her admission of love—we’ve been holed up at my place, fucking and living in a bubble.
She loves me.
That one piece of truth has burned a hole in my chest. We haven’t spoken a word about it, but it’s all I can think about.
Sarah smiles at me as I lean in and kiss her forehead. My eyes shift back to the group, who just keeps talking as if nothing’s happened.
The funny thing is, I think my brothers saw this coming because there wasn’t a shocked face in the room as we walked in. Just a lot of knowing grins and nudges shared between them.
The night is rowdy as my brothers and I toss insults back and forth, drinking too much whiskey and enjoying good food, while the girls seem to suffer us with eye rolls and humor. Sarah’s stuck hearing all of it unlike Gretchen and Drew, who leave occasionally to check on the babies.
It makes me think about what Sarah would look like carrying my babies.
“It’s strange to think you three just met.” She laughs, pulling me from my fantasy. “I would’ve thought you grew up together if I hadn’t known.” Sarah smiles as she sips her wine, melting into my touch on the back of her neck.
She looks beautiful tonight. Then again, I can’t think of a time in which I don’t see her as beautiful. Even when she’s yelling at me…actually, that’s when I think she’s the hottest.
“Yeah, I guess we’re all pretty much cut from the same cloth. Then again, our uncle’s passing had a way of bringing us closer together,” Dominic says coolly, relaxing back in his chair and exchanging a look with Luca.
My foot wasn’t the only one on Uncle Giovanni’s chest.
Sarah’s eyes dart between them, shifting to me. I can see the question. She knows about my part in Gio’s demise, but now she suspects they had something to do with his death, too. This girl’s too criminally wise. I lean down and kiss her temple, whispering. “For another day, Billy.”
She gives a nod, never dropping her happy expression.
“And here I thought we were all brought together because I almost died,” Luca complains humorously.
I hate when he jokes about when he was attacked. It was fucking terrible to find out you have a brother only to hear he probably won’t make it.
“Come on. You know I hate when you joke about that.”
“Look at you, just a big softie,” Sarah teases, gently elbowing my hard gut.
I look around the table and nod. “Only for these jerks…and you.”
Her eyes stay fixed to mine, and then she inhales deeply, breaking away back to our riveted audience.
“It’s a long story, but our uncle Giovanni kept us apart. He lied to our father, God rest his soul, and to us. It wasn’t until Gio thought Luca was going to die that he let Dante know about us. But we’ve made up for lost time. There’s no family stronger.” Dom asserts holding up his glass.
We all do the same, taking sips for good luck.
“You know, Sarah,” Luca pipes up, placing his glass on the table with a stupid grin on his face. “If we knew that all it would take to get you to family dinner was shooting this asshole, I would’ve hand delivered the gun.”
My chest shakes with my laughter as Luca perfectly executes a change of subject. I pull Sarah in closer to me and whisper in her ear, “Here it comes.”
Dom joins me laughing, and Drew smacks his stomach. “Quit it.” She scolds as he gives her a growl, nipping at her ear.
Gretchen shakes her head at Luca but smiles as she says, “By the looks of you two, that bullet was like some kind of twisted little cupid’s arrow.”
“You two deserve each other.” I smirk, pointing to her and Luca.
Gretchen stands, telling Luca she’s going to check on their daughter, Ella, and he brushes a kiss on the top of her hand.
Grinning over at Sarah, whose cheeks are now blushing from the teasing, I wink. “You want me to make them disappear?”
