I felt the Italian material in my hands, a fabric that was so soft against my fingertips it felt like silk. But it had the ideal elasticity to stretch in all the necessary ways. It would be perfect for my next piece, a maternity ensemble that would look great on Muse. Her pregnancy had aroused me in ways I couldn’t explain, and now the lingerie I made for work was used for personal reasons.

After measuring the material, I cut it in the precise place.

A knock sounded on the door before Muse walked inside. She wore a green dress that was loose around her stomach. Her pregnancy had swollen her belly, making her stomach distended and round. She’d gained some weight everywhere, but her stomach was the most affected. “Are you busy right now?”

I put down the scissors and measuring tape, ignoring her question because it was stupid. I was never too busy for her. Never had been and never would be. I rose from the stool and moved my hand to her belly, feeling the curve underneath my hand. I could feel our baby inside her, feel it kick in the middle of the night when she was asleep. My eyes lifted to her face, and I saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on, the woman who would become my wife. “Everything alright?” I kept my hand on her stomach, waiting for a kick.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said. “But I just put on my wedding dress, and it doesn’t fit…” Her eyes fell in sadness, like that was something to be embarrassed about. “The baby is making me bigger at a much quicker pace now.”

“Good. It’s getting big and healthy.” I lifted up her dress so I could press my palm against her bare skin. Her belly was firm and warm, the curvature of her stomach sexy. I’d never had a thing for pregnant women, but when it came to mine, she made me hard instantly.

Her eyes held her sadness. “Yes, I’m happy about that. But...” She tilted her head down. “Never mind.”

My fingers moved under her chin, and I lifted her head. “Tell me.”

Her eyes were still hesitant, subtly fighting me. “I’m getting so big that I’ll never look good in a wedding dress.”

“You look good naked, so don’t worry about it.”

She hit my arm playfully. “I’m being serious. I don’t want to be insensitive to Vanessa, but I just hit my seventh month. If I wait any longer, I won’t be able to wear heels. And I want to be married before the baby comes…”

My mother told me what had happened with my father and Bones. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved. I respected my father for making the right decision even though it made Vanessa angry. My sister deserved a good man, not an enemy to the Barsetti line. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to get married…”

My hands went to her lower back, feeling the sharp curve in her spine from the weight of her stomach. “Then we’ll get married.” My eyes looked into her blue ones, seeing the emotions running deep.

“What about Vanessa?”

“Don’t worry about her. She’ll be happy for us.”

“I don’t know…she just lost the man she loves. She doesn’t want to watch anyone get married.”

“We’re family. It’ll make her happy.”

“I feel selfish for even thinking about it…”

I lowered my face so I could rest my forehead against hers. I spent every waking moment with this woman, and the time we spent preparing for the baby made me love her in a new way. I felt like we were a family even though we weren’t married yet, even though we didn’t have a child yet. It was hard to believe I was ever a jerk to her in the past. “You aren’t being selfish, Muse. The world doesn’t stop because of Vanessa.”

“I want to go to Florence and see her. Make sure she’s okay with it.”

I loved my sister, but I didn’t need her approval for anything. “That’s unnecessary.”

“I want to check on her anyway. Then maybe we could do the ceremony at your parents’ place. I’ll just have to get my dress let out…”

“You know I can do that for you.”

“You aren’t supposed to see the dress, remember?”

“Then Lars can do it.”

“No, he’s too old for that.”

“Trust me, he enjoys it,” I said. “Doing stuff for the family keeps him happy. So, you want to do this?”

She nodded. “I want to be Mrs. Barsetti.”

Hearing her call herself that only made me want her more. I couldn’t wait to hear people call her that, to refer to her as my wife. She wore my last name just as well as she wore my lingerie. “I do too.”

According to my father, Vanessa had her own gallery in Florence. It was in the center of town, right next door to a bakery. Her apartment was above the gallery, a two-bedroom space my father approved of. A cobblestone road was in front of it, the sidewalk packed with motorbikes. People were walking down the sidewalks, their coffees and shopping bags in hand. Florence was different from Milan because it was much smaller, packed with antique shops and small restaurants.

Muse seemed to love it as much as Milan. “I like it here.”

“It’s the capital of Tuscany.” I parked on the side of the road, squeezing in between two small cars. My father told me this was where Vanessa had been spending her time. She was still just as devastated as she was a month ago, never leaving her gallery or the apartment upstairs. She kept to herself, dealing with her misery in solitude. I didn’t just come here because Muse wanted to check in on my sister.

I was worried about her too.

She’d made her feelings for Griffin very clear, that she loved him in a way she would never love anyone else. I could hear the sincerity in her voice when she spoke, the way it cracked a little when there was so much emotion in her throat. I recognize the love in her eyes, because it was the same love that was in mine.

I was happy Griffin was gone, but I was sad my sister was in so much pain.

Muse and I entered the gallery, and fortunately, no one else was inside. The walls were covered with paintings, and I wasn’t surprised that most of them contained the man she loved. There was one image in particular that was too uncomfortable for me to look at. It showed him in her bed, shirtless with the sheets around his waist. I didn’t like to picture Vanessa with men, even though I wasn’t ignorant to the fact that she was a grown woman. It made me sick to my stomach.

Muse glanced at all the paintings, and instead of being disgusted by the one I hated, she actually smiled when she looked at it.

I grabbed her arm and gently pulled her away, not wanting my fiancée to look at Bones shirtless. The guy might be an enemy to my family, but there was no denying he was a handsome man.

Vanessa came around the corner, wearing jeans and a white V-neck. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose bun, and there was no denying she’d lost several inches around her waist. She was already thin to begin with, and she didn’t need to lose any weight. The scar from the gunshot was still visible on her left arm. Her olive skin contrasted against the white shirt she wore. It took her a moment to recognize us because it seemed like she was deep in thought. “Sapphire? Conway?” She blinked a few times before she finally allowed a smile to creep onto her lips. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Wanted to see your new gallery,” Muse said. “And it looks amazing. You did a great job with it.” Muse moved in and hugged her, turning slightly to the side to get her stomach out of the way. She held Vanessa for a while, supporting her friend with a warm embrace.

Vanessa hugged her back and let the embrace linger, clinging to it like it was exactly what she needed.

I looked away, feeling my sister’s sadness sink into my bones.

“How are you doing?” Muse asked quietly.

Vanessa didn’t answer.

Muse pulled away and rubbed my sister’s back, her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes emotional. When I’d pushed Muse away, she went to New York and tried to start over without me. She knew exactly how Vanessa felt, losing the man she loved. “Your paintings are beautiful.”

“Thanks, Sapphire,” Vanessa said, her words hollow like a rotted tree trunk. She turned her gaze to me next, her eyes lacking the usual light they held. She would normally greet me with a sassy comment or insult me in a playful manner. But now her social skills seemed to be nonexistent. She didn’t know how to interact with people.

I hated seeing my strong sister so crushed.

I moved into her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her in a rare gesture of affection. We hardly ever touched, but whenever she was struggling, the protective side of me emerged. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to have everything she wanted. When that didn’t happen, it made me feel the same pain she felt. I held her against my chest and rested my chin on her head, my hand running down her back. I felt her breathe against me, doing her best to keep her emotions intact. “I’m sorry.”

She turned her cheek against my chest, letting me hold her for the longest period in history. She breathed harder, like she was restraining the tears that burned in her eyes. Her arms remained around my waist, and she accepted the comfort that I gave her.

Muse watched us, her eyes watering slightly.

When Knuckles took my sister away, I was afraid I would never get her back. I was scared to lose someone I loved, and it made me realize just how much she meant to me. Now, I was even more convinced of my unconditional love because I felt so much pain listening to her try not to cry. “You’ll get through it, Vanessa.”

I must have said the wrong thing because she pulled away. “You guys didn’t have to come by and check on me…even though I appreciate it.”

“We wanted to see you.” Muse wrapped her arm around Vanessa’s waist. “We’re really excited for your gallery. And you have to show us your apartment. Your father mentioned that it was nice.”

“He’s never seen my apartment,” she whispered.

That’s what she thought. “Give us a tour, then we’ll grab something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” she said automatically.

“Maybe when we walk into a restaurant, it’ll get your appetite going,” Muse said. “That’s what usually happens to me…”

Vanessa gave us a tour of the gallery before she took us upstairs to her apartment. Most of the furniture was the stuff from Milan, and she had a few extra pieces that must have come with it. I spotted the painting on the wall, another one of Bones. This time, it was of him looking across a cold lake in the middle of winter. It showed his broad shoulders and his thick arms but not his face.

“It looks really nice.” Muse did her best to keep Vanessa in a good mood by being complimentary. She never addressed Bones or the horrible breakup Vanessa was struggling through. “And your commute to work is nice,” she teased.

Vanessa cracked a smile, but it was fake. “Thanks. You guys want some wine?”

“I’ll take some,” I answered. “Just water for Sapphire.”

“Of course,” Vanessa said, cringing at her ignorance. “I wasn’t thinking…”

“It’s okay,” Muse said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Vanessa walked into the kitchen and gathered the glasses and water.

I helped Muse onto the couch before I sat beside her.

“She’s such a wreck…” Muse whispered so only I could hear.

“Yeah…” It was worse than I’d thought.

“I feel so bad for her.”

“I do too.”

“I wish there was something we could do.”

“I think being here is all we can do.” Vanessa would have to get through this on her own. Right now, it seemed like the end of the world, but there was nothing she couldn’t overcome. She was much stronger than she realized.

Vanessa returned a moment later with a bottle of wine, a few glasses, and some French bread with olive oil.

I was surprised she had any food on hand since she seemed to have lost so much weight in a short amount of time. Muse and I sat on the other couch and faced Vanessa, seeing the heartbroken look in her eyes.

She didn’t bother hiding it. There was a distinct hollowness in her eyes, an emptiness that couldn’t be filled without the passage of time. Her skin seemed sunken in, like she was dehydrated. Her clothes didn’t fit her quite the same, baggy around the arms and stomach.

I wanted to say something to get the conversation moving, but seeing my sister so distraught erased my train of thought. I’d never seen her be anything but strong. In the face of serious danger, she had the nerve to laugh. She was younger than me, but I admired her in a lot of ways. She possessed Mama’s beauty but Father’s hardness. Our father let me get away with more things than her simply because I was a man. He was a million times harder on her, and not just when it came to boys and dating. When he taught her to use a gun, she was a natural, but nothing was ever good enough. He trained her to become a killing machine. When it came to me, he didn’t think I needed as much attention.

Vanessa crossed her legs and poured two glasses of wine. “So…what’s new with you guys? How’s the baby?”

Muse absentmindedly rubbed her stomach. “Baby is great. It’s been kicking a lot lately…mainly when I’m sleeping.”

The corner of Vanessa’s mouth rose in a smile. “Perfect timing, huh?”

“Yeah,” Muse said with a chuckle. “But I’ve been sleeping in late to catch up on the restless nights.”

Vanessa shifted her gaze to me. “And you don’t have to suffer at all…nice being a father.”

I didn’t have to deal with morning sickness, sleep loss, or discomfort. I got to enjoy all the benefits, like making love to Muse and getting off on her pregnant belly. Hottest thing in the world. I thought I was only attracted to thin models who could rock the runway in heels, but I found my pregnant and waddling fiancée to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. “Pretty much.”

“Got any names yet?” Vanessa was cooperative in the conversation, smiling when she was supposed to, but the hint of sadness in her eyes could never be erased.

“No, not yet,” Muse said. “We think we’re going to stick to names that start with a C, though. Seems to be a Barsetti tradition.”

Vanessa shook her head. “You don’t need to stick to tradition. The Barsetti last name is tradition enough.”

“We haven’t put a lot of thought into the name,” I said. “I’ve been more concerned about the baby getting here and being healthy. That’s all I care about.” My eyes went to Muse’s swollen stomach that stretched her dress. Inside was the little person who would become my whole world. They already were my whole world.

“The baby will be healthy,” Vanessa said with certainty. “And they’ll be wonderful and beautiful. Don’t worry about it.” Her eyes turned to Muse’s stomach. “I’m very excited to be an aunt, and not just to turn them against you.”

I let her taunt slide. “You’ll be a great aunt.”

Muse smiled. “Yes, you will be.”

Vanessa’s smile slowly faded away, like a different thought was entering her brain. It must have been something about Bones, because that look of depression returned. “Are you ever getting married?”

“Actually, we were thinking about doing it soon,” Muse said. “I’m getting so big, and I know once the baby gets here, we’ll be too busy and tired…”

“You should do it,” Vanessa said. “Enjoy being married for a few months before your family grows.”

I knew Vanessa wouldn’t be offended about us tying the knot. She’d never been a self-absorbed person, even in her darkest hour.

“We were thinking about doing it on Saturday, actually…” Muse lowered her hand from her stomach. “My dress needs to be let out a little bit, but that shouldn’t take too long. We wanted to do something small, just a dinner at the house.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Vanessa raised her glass of wine. “I’m in.”

“You’re sure?” Muse asked uncertainly.

“Of course.” Vanessa took a drink. “Why wouldn’t I be? I’m excited to have a sister. It’s much better than having a brother.”

Muse smiled. “I just wanted to make sure.”

Vanessa’s smile faded away when she understood the reason Muse was concerned. She connected the dots slowly, and then reality hit her. “If you’re worried about me because of what happened with…” She couldn’t say his name. She grimaced, like the formation of the words on her tongue somehow stung her. “Don’t be. I’m very happy for both of you. This is a really exciting time in your lives, and I’m very happy to share it with you.”

When we told my parents about the wedding, they were both excited. Father was a little different, obviously upset over his shaky relationship with Vanessa. Muse made the plans with my mom, and together with Lars, they planned the dinner and the decorations. Lars agreed to adjust her dress so it would fit her just right, and I was left to wait around until the big day.

That was fine with me. I didn’t care about planning a wedding. All I cared about was the woman who wanted to be my wife. Her dress would be beautiful, but it would be more beautiful on the bedroom floor.

I was working on my laptop in my old bedroom, the one Muse and I were using for the time being. For the actual wedding night, I would take her somewhere else. It would be strange to spend our honeymoon in my parents’ house. I would have flown Muse off to a beautiful place, but since she was so late in her pregnancy, getting her around was nearly impossible.

A knock sounded on the door. “Can I come in?” Father’s deep voice penetrated the solid wood of the door.

“You never used to ask when I was a kid.”

He opened the door, a slight grin on his face. “You didn’t have any rights as a kid.” His ripped arms stretched the sleeves of his t-shirt. He carried himself like a king, even when no one was watching. He lowered himself into the chair across the room and leaned back, resting one ankle on the opposite knee. He seemed happy I was there, sharing the house with him and my mother once again, but there was a definite sadness in his eyes.

I knew the cause of his sorrow. “She’ll come around.”

He lifted his gaze and met mine. Heartbeats passed, but he didn’t blink. It was strange to see him without a glass in his hand. Mama probably cut him off. I’d never seen my father drunk, but then again, maybe he was always drunk and I’ve never seen him sober. “You think so?”

I gave a slight nod. “She’s the strongest woman I know…but don’t tell her I said that.”

My father would normally crack a smile, but this time, he didn’t. “She is.”

“She just needs more time.”

“How was she when you saw her?”

She looked like a ghost. Her olive skin wasn’t as dark as it usually was. She didn’t wear makeup, and her eyes didn’t shine with that inner brightness. “Defeated. But her good qualities are still there. She seemed genuinely happy that Muse and I…I mean Sapphire…are getting married. The old Vanessa is still in there…just buried deep under her sorrow.” I shut my laptop and gave my father my full attention.

“That’s what you call her?” he asked. “Muse?”

I gave a slight nod.

The corner of his mouth rose in a smile before it fell down again. “I can’t remember the last time I addressed your mother by her first name. Sometimes I forget what it is.”

“Same here.”

We sat in silence for a while, my father’s hands coming together in his lap. His gaze moved to the open window, the view of the vineyards endless. He was always composed and rigid, but right now, he seemed particularly stiff. “It was a hard decision. It was hard because I knew how much it would hurt her. I know she loves him…and I think he loves her. But I had to do the right thing. I’m not going to be around forever, and I want to die peacefully, to know my only daughter is with a man who will do a better job taking care of her than I ever did. That’s all I want. Maybe it’s selfish…but it’s what I need.”

I wasn’t a father just yet, but I felt the same way about my baby. Whether it was a boy or a girl, it didn’t matter. It would be nice to know they had someone else to take care of them if I weren’t around. “What changed your mind?”

My father’s gaze turned back to me, and he held my look for a long time. After a slight shake of his head, he cleared his throat. “Doesn’t matter. He’s not right for her.”

I knew he was hiding something from me, but I didn’t press him on it. “I think you made the right decision. When our hatred runs so deep, it’s unlikely the Barsettis will ever accept someone like him. Maybe Vanessa loves him, but she can love someone else.”

My father closed his eyes for a brief moment and nodded. “I hope so.”

“But I do hate her misery. I’ve never seen her this low.”

“Neither have I. I stopped by her gallery to see her last week…she can barely look at me.” He took a deep breath, his features tightening in obvious pain. “I know I need to be patient, but having my only daughter hate me is killing me. I can barely sleep.” His eyes shifted away, the pain coating his entire expression.

My father was such a strong man that I’d never pitied him. He never allowed anything to bother him. If he carried any pain, he hid it from everyone. But now his sorrow was so deep he couldn’t hide it. He wore it on his sleeve, showed it in his face. “She doesn’t hate you, Father. I know she doesn’t.”

He wouldn’t look at me.

“If she did, she wouldn’t still be here. She would have run off with him and turned her back on all of us. But she didn’t. We’re the most important thing in the world to her. She needed your approval to be with him, and when she didn’t get it, she let him go. She loves you more than she’ll ever love a man.”

He turned his gaze back on me, the emotion burning in his eyes. “That’s nice of you to say, son.”

“It’s the truth. Be patient, she’ll come around.”

“I’ve never been a patient man…but I suppose I’ll have to learn to be one.”

“You’re getting married tomorrow.” Carter sat across from me at the picnic table on the grass. Mama and Muse were working on the decorations for outside, placing the colorful flowers in the gazebo where we would get married. “We’ve got to hit the town tonight. It’s your last night as a bachelor, so we’ve got to make it count.”

“I haven’t been a bachelor for a long time.”

“You may have been whipped for a long time, but you have been a bachelor.” Carter drank his beer and watched everyone work in the yard. “Come on, we’ll take our fathers and hit a strip club.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You want to take our fathers to a strip club?”

“Why not?” he asked. “It’s a bachelor party.”

“They’re whipped even more than I am. No way they’d set foot in that kind of place.” My father was too rigid for something like that. I’d never even seen him glance at another woman. He seemed to only have eyes for my mother.

“They’re men just like us. I’m sure they’d come.”

“Carter, we aren’t going to a strip club.”

“Why the hell not?” he demanded. “It’s one time, one night. Sapphire doesn’t seem like a woman that would care.”

She wouldn’t care. She knew I worked with models all day, every day. I designed sex clothes for them to wear so men would fantasize about fucking them. It made them buy my lingerie for their women at home. “I don’t care that she doesn’t care. I’m the one who cares.”

He rolled his eyes and took a drink. “When did you get so lame?”

“I’m gonna be a father in a few months, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“So that means you need to be boring?” he demanded. “Pussy shit?”

“You want me to slam your face into the table?” I countered. “I don’t mind going out for a drink or two, but I don’t want to watch women get naked. When you find the right woman, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.”

“I’ve found a lot of right women,” he said. “But I’ll never understand your point of view.”

“Because they aren’t the one.”

Carter dropped the hostility. “So, we’ll head to Florence for a drink?”

“That works for me. While we’re there, I think we should invite Vanessa.”

Carter looked even more skeptical than before. “Your sister? You want to invite your sister to your bachelor party?”

“It’s not a bachelor party. And yes, I think it would be good to get her out of the house.”

“Jesus, that sounds terrible. That means Carmen will have to come.”

“Not a bad idea.”

Carter grimaced, like he’d just taken a bite of spoiled food. “This is how you want to spend your last night as a single man?”

I hadn’t felt single in a long time. “I saw Vanessa last week, and she looked awful. She’s not staying at the house for the wedding because she’s still avoiding Father. She could use the company. I’m not happy about it either…but that’s what families do.”

Carter didn’t argue, understanding my point immediately. Family was important to both of us. It was something we both agreed on without saying a word. He sighed with disappointment but didn’t express his anger with words. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

Carmen and Vanessa sat across from us at the table in the bar. Carmen was dressed up in a blue dress with her hair big and curled. She wore a lot of makeup, and she was attracting attention with every passing second.

Vanessa was of the opposite nature. In jeans and a t-shirt, she was dressed too casually for the bar. The only reason she got inside was because she was still pretty no matter how sad she looked. She didn’t wear makeup, and her hair was pulled back in the same bun she’d worn the other day.

Carter wasn’t happy about the girls tagging along, but he didn’t make a fuss about it. He enjoyed his beer, his eyes scanning the room for a possible woman to take home. Carter went through women with the same efficiency I used to possess. He had good looks, lots of money, and he had the kind of confidence women were innately attracted to. It was surprising that I’d settled down, but the possibility of that happening to Carter was nonexistent.

He would never be a one-woman kind of guy.

Carmen spotted a man across the room, her eyes following him as he carried his beer from the bar to the table where his friends were waiting. “He’s cute.”

Vanessa drank her scotch, her eyes cast downward. “Go talk to him.”

“I pointed him out for you.” Carmen tucked her dark hair behind her ear, her eyelashes luscious and thick. Carmen had the same exotic look that Vanessa had, but she possessed her mother’s features a little more. As a result, she was a very beautiful woman…much to my uncle’s annoyance.

“Thanks.” Vanessa still didn’t look, obviously not interested in anyone in that bar. “So, what next?”

“What do you mean?” Carter asked.

“Are we going to a strip club next?” Carmen asked.

“Or a club in general?” Vanessa asked.

“We’re keeping it quiet tonight.” Having a drink with my family was enough of an adventure. I kept Muse in mind, constantly worrying if she was doing okay. My parents were there if she needed something, but the bigger her belly became, the more I worried.

“Seriously?” Vanessa asked, her eyebrow raised.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Carmen said, appalled.

“What?” Carter asked incredulously. “You guys want to go to a strip club?”

“Not necessarily,” Vanessa said. “But this is a bachelor party, right?”

“Not really,” I said. “We’re just getting a drink and enjoying each other’s company.”

“Enjoying each other’s company?” Vanessa asked. “You never enjoy my company.”

“Very good point,” Carmen said, her fingers wrapped around her beer. “Carter never enjoys mine.”

“I’m not interested in strippers. I’m not interested in anything crazy.” I had a famous face, and I hated being recognized everywhere I went. I was usually recognized by women, and most of the time they tried to make a move. I used to live for those moments, to have beautiful women show interest, but now my life was different. I’d never wanted to settle down because I didn’t want to be boring, to stop living life on the town. But that happened anyway, and I didn’t regret it.

“So, you are boring,” Vanessa noted.

I would normally put her down in some way, but since she was going through a hard time, I let it slide. Until she was better, I would keep my mouth shut. “I’m a committed man.”

“Boring,” Carmen said. “When I get married, I’m hitting the strip club. I’m gonna dance on the bar and give my panties to some stranger.”

Carter cringed. “Anyway…”

Vanessa turned quiet, the sadness entering her eyes.

Carmen realized what she’d said and wore a look of regret. “I just meant—”

“Don’t walk on eggshells around me,” Vanessa said gently. “Really, it’s fine. I’m going to be this way for a long time, but you shouldn’t have to watch everything you say to avoid offending me. Heartbreak is a complicated thing…I’ve never felt this way before. Everything reminds me of him, so I can never really escape this pain. Even when I sleep, he’s there…” Her eyes drifted down to her scotch. She gripped the glass tightly, the only person there who’d gone straight for the hard liquor.

“I’m sorry,” Carmen whispered. “I wish there were something I could do…”

Vanessa rubbed her back. “You’re already doing something.”

“You know, maybe you should start seeing someone,” Carmen said. “They say the quickest way to get over someone is to get under someone else…”

I would normally grimace or tell them to drop the subject, but I bit my tongue. Vanessa had to put up with my relationship with Muse since they were friends, so I should be quiet and not say anything.

“I’m not interested in that,” Vanessa said, her eyes heavy. “I can’t even picture myself with someone else. I’m not there. I won’t be there for a long time.”

Carmen gave a slight nod. “I understand. Griffin was really hot.”

“It was more than that,” Vanessa said. “It was deeper than that.”

My sister’s sadness bothered me, and I wished it would end. I missed her outgoing personality, her fearless ways. I knew this relationship had changed her forever. She would never be quite the same. But I still didn’t want Bones back in our lives. “Vanessa.”

My sister turned toward me, displaying features that were similar to my own. She looked more like Mama, and I looked more like Father, but it was obvious we were related. “Yeah?”

“How about you stay at the house tonight?” I knew it would make both of my parents happy, particularly my father. Vanessa used to love staying at her childhood home every chance she got, but all of that changed overnight.

Vanessa stared at me, but her expression didn’t change, still full of heavy sorrow. “I don’t want to.” She said it simply and without a drop of emotion. She held my gaze before she turned back to her scotch.

I kept looking at her, surprised she’d given such a deadpan response. “It would mean a lot to Father if you did.”

“I’m not ready to pretend everything is okay, Conway.” She spoke directly to me while our cousins listened to every single word. They were silent, blending into the background while music played overhead. “Because everything is not okay. I’m happy for both of you, and I’m excited to see my brother get married. Sapphire is a wonderful person, and you’re very lucky to have each other. I’m excited to call her my sister. But my issues with Father are separate, and I can’t dwell on it tomorrow. But no, I’m not going to sleep over and pretend everything is okay. Father made the wrong decision.”

Carter shifted his gaze back and forth between us, the tension palpable.

Carmen cleared her throat, twirling a strand of hair at the same time.

Our cousins were aware of the situation, but the intensity of our discussion was obviously heavy for the lighthearted evening. “Guys, could you give us a minute?”

“Sure thing.” Carter couldn’t wait to get away from the table. He headed to the bar, taking his drink with him. Carmen joined him, the two of them sitting together. They were distant with one another, so it was obvious they weren’t a couple.

Vanessa kept staring at me. “Let’s not talk about this right now.”

“Too late. It’s happening.” I drank my beer then returned the heavy glass to the table. “I know you’re upset, but Father did the right thing. He’s protecting you. I don’t have a son or a daughter yet, but I’ve been preparing for it since the day Sapphire told me she was pregnant. So I understand how he feels. I want the best for my little one. Vanessa, Griffin is not the best.”

“I’m not looking for the best. He’s the man I fell in love with. It’s not like I have a choice of who I love. That’s not how it works. If you ever had a choice, you never would have fallen in love with Sapphire in the first place.”

She had me there. “You will meet someone better, Vanessa.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’ll love him better. I’ve been with plenty of other guys—”

“I don’t want to hear about that.” In my fantasy world, my sister never hooked up with guys. She was a nun who painted.

She rolled her eyes. “Get over it, Conway. I’m a grown woman who can do whatever she wants. Your immaturity is completely sexist. You can sleep with every woman in Italy and nobody gives a damn, but with me, there’s a double standard. It’s bullshit.”

“I’m not sexist. I just don’t want to hear about your personal life. I don’t talk about mine.”

“Yes, you do,” she argued. “You make comments here and there. Your promiscuity has never been subtle, Conway. Mama and Father have never cared, and I’ve never cared. But when it comes to me, everything is different. Sapphire was being hunted by a psychopath that kidnapped and almost killed me, but Mama and Father never even raised an eyebrow at her. She’s been far more dangerous than Griffin has ever been. It’s bullshit—and you know it.”

We’d had this conversation before, and I couldn’t deny the stark differences between our relationships. “Sapphire has never been an enemy to this family. She’s an innocent woman who would never hurt anyone.”

“Griffin would never hurt me or any of you.”

“Except when he wanted to murder us all,” I snapped. “I’ve got a wife and a kid to look after now. It gives me peace of mind knowing I don’t have to worry about Griffin anymore. I understand that you’re angry, but Father made the right decision. It was really hard for him, Vanessa. I’ve never seen him so low. You’re all he thinks about. He thinks you hate him.”

“I told him I didn’t.”

“That’s not enough to convince him. Show it.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “Did Father tell you why he changed his mind?”

“No.”

She finished her scotch and turned back to me.

“Are you going to tell me why?”

“It’ll make you uncomfortable.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

We sat in silence for a while, quiet conversations filling the bar. Carmen and Carter kept talking over at the counter.

She spoke again. “Father asked Griffin something he never should have asked. He pried into my intimate relationship when it was none of his business. Griffin gave him an answer he didn’t want to hear, so Father pulled a gun on him. It was unfair. We’d spent the last two months trying to get our parents to see the man I love for who he is now. And then information from the past came up, and it was like the last two months never happened. It was unfair—completely unfair.”

I wasn’t sure what secret she was hiding, but it made me think of the skeletons in my own closet. When I met Muse, I wasn’t good to her. I demanded sex from her, took her virginity, and kept her as a slave. The only reason I started to treat her as a person was when she demanded for me to. I wasn’t a saint by any measure, but I’d never killed anyone or vowed revenge on someone’s family. “You picked the worst possible man to love, Vanessa. Mama and Father have been through a lot, and you chose the one person they can’t tolerate. With all the men out there, you come home with the only man Father can’t stand. You’re putting all the blame on him, but you didn’t give him much to work with. What did you expect him to do? He did his best, Vanessa. He’s always done his best for both of us. You’re being a brat, you know that?”

Her eyes filled with hatred. “How would you feel if Father took Sapphire away?”

“I never would have loved a woman who wanted to kill my family.”

“You say that now, but you don’t know. Trust me, I tried not to fall in love with Griffin. When he told me he loved me, I took off. But it was impossible, Conway. It was just as impossible as it was for you not to love Sapphire.”

“Even so, you aren’t giving Father the respect and compassion he deserves. We’re both damn lucky that we have a family. Sapphire has no one. You have a father who’s willing to protect you even if that means you hate him. Be grateful.”

Her eyes flashed like she wanted to sink her nails into my throat. “I never said I hated Father. Obviously, I don’t. I’ve never taken my family for granted. If I did, Griffin wouldn’t be gone. So stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not trying to hurt Father, but I can’t say I agree with him. He’s hypocritical.”

“He’s just looking after you, Vanessa.”

“I’m a grown-ass woman who doesn’t need someone to look after me.”

“If you think Griffin is a good guy, then you obviously do.”

Her eyes narrowed even further. “He’s gone, Con. There’s no reason to continue to tear me down about it. If you think he’s a bad man, you should take a look in the mirror.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Sapphire told me everything—the truth about your relationship.”

Immediately, the adrenaline flooded my system. My blood boiled, and my veins burned from the heat. Father knew my secret, but that was different. I never wanted my mother and sister to know what I’d done.

She cocked her head slightly. “You kept her as a prisoner, forced her to please you, and never treated her like a real human being. So sit there and tell me how you’re any better than Griffin.”

I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t have an answer.

“Tell me,” she pressed. “What’s the difference between you? Because I don’t see a damn thing.”

“For starters, I never tried to kill Sapphire.”

Her eyes narrowed. “But forcing her into a life of sexual servitude is any better?”

“It wasn’t like that—”

“That’s how she made it sound. Fortunately, she was attracted to you and fell in love with you. And she didn’t have a penny to her name and had nowhere to go. You had more power over her, and you took advantage of it. Don’t pretend otherwise, Conway. Griffin has always been honest about who he is, and I respect him for it. In that regard, he is better than you. He’ll say the truth even if he’s hated for it. That’s a man, Conway.”

My sister had pissed me off a lot while growing up, but she’d never said anything so insulting to me. “Don’t compare me to him.”

“Then don’t judge him unfairly.”

My hand shook under the table because I wanted to pick up my chair and slam it onto the floor. Even if my sister was right, I didn’t appreciate the unfair sentence she’d just given me. “Maybe I don’t tell you every little detail because it’s none of your business.”

“Yet, my relationship with Griffin has been everyone’s business.”

“It’s different. He—”

“It’s not different. Father didn’t give a damn how you treated Sapphire, even though it was morally wrong on so many levels. But with Bones, it’s a completely different perception. It’s sexist. Fundamentally sexist.”

“It’s not sexist. You’re the victim in this situation.”

“I’m not a victim,” she hissed. “I was loved and protected by the strongest man on this planet. He worshiped the ground I walked on. Before he left, he bought me a gallery, an apartment, and a car. I’ve never been happier than I’ve been with him. No, I wasn’t a victim. Far from it.” She pushed her chair back and stood up, dismissing the conversation once it reached its peak. She turned around and stormed off without saying another word.

And I didn’t try to get her to stay.