“A former agent, according to you. So what? You forget I live in Chames with Eddie’s security company. I don’t bat an eyelash when it comes to a female agent, and it’s obvious Anda can hold her own. She was meeting all of us for the first time, after what was clearly an awful day for her, while you yelled at her, harangued her, and shamed her, all while Ethan tried to break her hand off from holding it so hard. She never talked back, though she likely wanted to.”
Eddie rubbed a hand down her back. “Baby, that’s something you would do, but that’s not what everybody would do.”
“I’m a very good judge of character and I have a feeling she’ll be just like that. I want to get to know her, if for no other reason than Ethan loves her, which is so appallingly obvious I can’t believe you’re ignoring it to focus on the woman’s job. Or former job.”
“She’s still not good enough for him,” Marcello countered.
“She saved my life,” Ethan said, breaking into the fray, and all eyes turned to him. He told them how she’d sacrificed herself to get him to safety. “She doesn’t deserve to be talked about negatively. You have no idea what an amazing person she is. Give her a chance. I love her.”
Marcello bit back. “Even if she did do that and even if you do love her, it’s obvious she doesn’t love you back.”
Their mother spoke up. “Then you aren’t looking close enough, Marcello dear. She does love him. She just doesn’t like him very much right now. She doesn’t seem to like any of us much right now, not that I can blame her after everything we’ve just put her through. She risked her life to save my son tonight, and she’s committed to our country. Marcello would never have sent her to spy on Ethan in the first place if he didn’t believe in her abilities and loyalty. Though it is clear that in sending her, he didn’t believe in his own brother’s character, and I thought I’d raised him better than that.”
And with that effective parting shot, his mother gracefully and powerfully left the room, his sisters and sisters-in-law trailing.
With only the men left, he only had to wait another three seconds for someone to make the first move.
Marcello strode forward and punched him in the face.
“Motherfucker. You didn’t need to do that.”
“Seriously? You became a fucking agent and didn’t tell me. What is wrong with you?”
Alex was there in a moment to hold Marcello back, while Nate helped Ethan and gave him a handkerchief to help with his now bloody nose.
Jesus. “You still didn’t have to punch me. I understand you’re frustrated, but that’s no reason to attack me.”
“What it did was show me that you aren’t ready to be an agent. You saw me coming and yet you didn’t defend yourself against me. How were you even cleared to be in the field? You shouldn’t be there and you’re not going to be there anymore.”
He dabbed his nose with the handkerchief then tossed it in a trash can nearby. “If you came at me again, I still wouldn’t defend myself.”
“Yeah, because you don’t know how. You should never have been in the field, and you certainly shouldn’t have been going on missions. When I find out who approved this, they’re gonna get fired.”
“No, Marcello,you’rethe one not getting it. I’ll never defend myself against you not because I’m not able to, but because you’re my brother and I won’t fight you.”
Marcello stilled.
“You think I didn’t know how you were going to react when you found out? You think I don’t know you? You’re the ones who don’t know me, don’t understand me, but I know all of you. How could I not? You’re my big brothers. I’ve watched you, all of you, my entire life. I’ve looked up to you, and I’ve just wanted you to be proud of me. When I grew up, I wanted you to treat me like a man, so we could be true brothers, but we never quite got there. So, no, I won’t raise a hand against you, Marcello, because you’re my big brother and I love you. Even if you are a goddamn asshole.”
Ethan started walking out, and his father called after him. “Please, my son, stay. Let us talk things through.”
He paused and caught his father’s gaze. There wasn’t disappointment there as he’d expected, but there was just a little pride and a lot of love. “I can’t leave Anda alone with our sisters and Mama. If you want to yell at me some more, you can do it when I come back.”
He continued walking out and down the hall, catching sight of an agent outside the room she must be in. Though he didn’t doubt that Anda could hold her own in that company, he wanted to prove to her that he would be there for her whenever she needed it. He couldn’t erase the past, the things he’d said or the actions he’d done, but he could try his best to prove he was different moving forward. He just hoped that was enough.
* * *
ANDA
Present Day…
Vallerian Royal Palace
Bunker
Anda was escorted to a smaller conference room, this one with a table for eight, a long couch, media center, and a water station. Though the couch looked very tempting to sink into and possibly sleep forever, anxiety kept her up and pacing.
God, what was she going to do?
