Page 40 of A Son Hidden from the Sicilian

“Why? To get one of your famous Lorenzo talk-arounds? No thanks.” She waved an expressive hand. “We’re your family, Lorenzo. I don’t know when you’ll get it through your thick head that it isn’t just you presiding over a kingdom with us your loyal subjects.”

She’d lectured him over this before, so he merely grunted and crossed his arms over his chest as response.

“So I should be nice to this woman?” Saverina demanded. “She isn’t an evil witch keeping your son from you?”

“No, she is not.”

“Doyoulike her?”

The question seemed innocuous enough, but nothing was innocuous when it came to his baby sister. Still, ignoring the question or giving too much of an answer would encourage her. “Yes. She is a good mother. A kind woman. A fine artist.” He stopped himself from saying more because she was watching him far too closely.

“Do you love her?” Saverina asked.

Like a knife to the heart. “Bedda Matri, Saverina. I am tired. Go to bed,” he muttered, turning for the door.

“If you can’t simply sayno, that’s a yes.”

Lorenzo took a deep breath. Maybe it was, but he could only hear the pain in Brianna’s voice.I need to go home. She needed to be away from him, and he needed to be away from her. Or they would only continue to hurt each other in ways that made no sense.

Because love was destruction. And if they didn’t destroy each other, they would destroy Gio.

Just as his parents had destroyed Rocca.

“It does not matter how I feel about her, Saverina.”

“Why? Is she married or something? I’m pretty sure if she was, I would have seenthaton a gossip site.”

Lorenzo stood at the door, staring at the knob. He couldn’t explain it to her. She didn’t understand. She didn’t remember all he remembered. In her mind, their mother was a ghost. Their father a drunk, at best. Rocca... Well.

There was no doubt a sadness and a trauma there, but this was simply part of life. Saverina did not know who or what to blame the loss of Rocca on, but Lorenzo did.

“There is nowhy. We’re simply being reasonable adults who are putting our son first. There is no reason to treat this as anything other than a business deal. We will come to an agreement about Gio, sign contracts if need be. Very luckily, we are on the same page about raising a child. And he will come first, always. That is what being a parent means.”

Saverina was quiet for a few moments, but he heard her get off the bed and cross to him. When she spoke, it was with uncharacteristic gentleness.

“It seems to me, if you love her and agree with her about how to raise your child, marrying her would be an option. Or at least keeping her here would be. Why would you let her go half a world away?”

Marry Brianna. He didn’t let himself think of it. It didn’t fit the plan. It was too dangerous. Perhaps if tonight hadn’t happened, he’d be able to find some way to...make that okay.

But he’d hurt her. She’d been shaken, needing to leave and go home becausehewas too much. What they felt, far too much.

This would never make them happy. It would only tear them into pieces, leaving Gio with pieces he’d need to stitch together to survive.

Impossible.

“You can’t let her take Gio back to America,” Saverina said, squeezing his arm. “I know you have billions and all, but think of the sheer time commitment it’ll take. Having had you as a father figure myself, I know he deserves you more in his life than that. You have to find another way, Lorenzo. One that makesyouhappy.”

Happy. He wanted to laugh, but the feeling was so bitter it seemed to coat his mouth with thick ash and no sound came out. He cleared his throat.

“You do not understand, Saverina,” he said very stiffly. “We have tried to make an arrangement here, but Brianna and I are too complicated.”

Saverina was never so easily swayed. “Youdolove her. I can hear it in your voice. Lorenzo. You can’t be so...youabout it.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you can’t plan, mold or control love so you want nothing to do with it.”

It was hard to argue with that. Indeed, this was part of what made love so dangerous. He didn’t see this as a bad thing. He considered it a very realistic outlook. But sayingsoto Saverina would not get him anywhere.

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