Page 12 of A Son Hidden from the Sicilian

Lorenzo laughed, though he felt no mirth. Still, the little accusation made it easier to focus on the present. “Ah, Dante, your talent for exaggeration knows no bounds. Slobbering? Honestly. Even the paparazzi couldn’t come up with such a story.”

Dante shrugged philosophically. “I was certainly interested. Interested to go digging. You’ve met the artist before, have you? In Florence.”

Lorenzo could not keepallemotion off his face. That shouldn’t be easy-to-find knowledge, and who could confirm it? At Dante’s grin of satisfaction Lorenzo knew his cold fury was echoing off him. A point for Dante, indeed, but a man could lose the battle and win the war.

Lorenzo would win this war.

“I’m deeply touched you would go through all the trouble to look into this for me, Dante. With so many labor disputes going on at Marino, you would thinkthatwould take up all your time and concern. How kind you would spare some for me.”

Dante’s expression didn’t even flicker this time. He only smiled wider. “Gio is a nice name. Isn’t it?”

For a moment, all Lorenzo heard was a faint buzzing in his ears. He could picture moving forward. Putting his hands on Dante’s throat and squeezing.

But he did not do this. For two reasons. One, he had the sinking suspicion Dante wanted him to. No doubt to aid in the rumors Lorenzo was a vicious monster.

Second, he saw Brianna. Watching him with a frown of faint puzzlement on her face. Her opinion of him didn’t matter at all, but he had plans. A vision for the future.

Maybe she’d thrown him a curveball, but he’d already recalibrated. He knew what his life with a son looked like.

Now he just had to recalibrate again. Because Dante’s curveball was nothing short of a threat.

“It seems congratulations are in order, Lorenzo. Though a confirming birth certificate seems to be missing. But that would suit you, wouldn’t it?” Dante clapped him on the back and smiled. “Hurt my child. Ignore your own. The press will love it. They’re probably halfway to New Jersey as we speak.”

And then he walked away.

CHAPTER FIVE

BRIANNAWATCHEDASLorenzo spoke to a man. Older, shorter, his dark hair sprinkled with gray and his smile not warm or kind at all, but the fact he was smiling at all made the whole thing seem...worse.

The look of pure fury on Lorenzo’s face was what held her attention though. She watched as Lorenzo’s hand curled into a tight fist in reaction to whatever the man said.

Brianna was frozen in space, hearing none of the conversation going on around her. She was sure she was about to see all that violence Lorenzo had been accused of on public display, and then she’d have to escape somehow. Get back to New Jersey, get Gio, then erase her entire identity...somehow, and then what?

But Lorenzo never moved. Just stood very still as the man spoke once more, clapped him on the back and then strode away. Lorenzo did not watch him leave. He did nothing for a few ticking seconds. Then his gaze moved.

And found her.

He did not immediately cross the room, as she’d thought he might, based on the sheer force of his gaze. Instead, he moved in a circular kind of path. Talking to this person, taking a canapé from that tray, taking his time.

Always coming for her. No matter whom she talked to, no matter how many sips of wine she took, she was far too aware he was headed for her.

Once he finally arrived, he slid his arm through hers as if they were still lovers instead of veritable strangers who basically hated one another.

She hated that she wished for the first.

He leaned close, his mouth at her ear. She wouldnotshudder. She wouldnotreact. “We must leave at once.”

Brianna might have argued, but she didn’t particularly want to be here. She couldn’t concentrate on any conversation with Lorenzo circling like a shark, and she liked even less the man he’d been talking to, whose eyes were on her everywhere she went.

She’d spoken to some people, made her rounds. Her manager wouldn’t be too happy with an early exit, but a migraine was beginning to pound behind her eyes and she needed space. Time. To think.

“All right.”

If he was surprised at her easy agreement, he didn’t act it. He kept that pleasant fake smile on his face and maneuvered them toward the exit. When they reached her manager, Brianna didn’t lie exactly. She explained she had a migraine and she needed some dark and some quiet to recover.

Once they were outside, everything about Lorenzo changed. His scowl was hard, his eyes harder. There was no mask, only fury.

His car and driver were already waiting for them right at the entrance. Worry began to displace her own discomfort.

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