“I just want to make sure you’re alright. I know we don’t get along, Sergio, but you’re still my brother. I want you to be good with everything.”
“I’m fine, Gianni. And let your wife know I’m committed to Rachel. Her sister has nothing to worry about.”
I focused back on the scene in front of me, hopefully cutting off this conversation before it goes any further.
“I’ll see you inside.”
He squeezed my shoulder, but I didn’t respond, just downed my whiskey. He headed back inside. I gripped the railing, inhaling the salt air to calm my anger, when a raised voice from below captured my attention.
My heart stopped inside my chest when I recognized Seraphina, who stood beside the passenger side door of a blacked-out Audi with her arms folded over her body. Even though I hadn’t seen her in over a year, she was still as beautiful as ever.
I couldn’t hear what was being said, but he looked angry. When her husband stepped toward her, she shrunk away from him,and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like her body language. She seemed afraid of him.
He pointed his finger in her face, her head dropped, and her shoulders deflated. As he argued, she didn’t say anything back. She dropped her arms and shook her head before he grabbed her hand.
My knuckles had turned white from how tightly I gripped the railing. Then her eyes landed on mine, like she sensed me looking at her. However, she looked away, but not before I saw it.
Fear.
I watched her until I couldn’t see her anymore then blew out a breath as anger swirled inside me.
“What the fuck,” I mumbled. “Something’s not right.”
I made my way inside to find her. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, and it wasn’t any of my business, but now I was making it my business. She was fucking scared, and it wasn’t because of seeing me. She feared him.
Chapter Six
Seraphina
Our night was a disaster from the start even before we left home. Dorian was in a foul mood even though he was the one who had agreed to come to this dinner. The entire ride here was filled with tense silence because he didn’t like what I was wearing, which was modest compared to what he normally had me in.
Silence was never good when it came to my husband. Others looked at him as a loose cannon, but with me, he was a brooder, letting his anger build. And then he’d explode when I least expected it.
Dorian tolerated my sister, and he didn’t like my brother-in-law. He always had something negative to say about the Puglisis because he was a Drakos. I didn’t even know there was bad bloodbetween the two families when we started dating. But my family didn’t know about his true feelings because Dorian Drakos was a master manipulator.
However, I couldn’t just put their ignorance of my situation on Dorian. I’d done a good job hiding what was happening inside our home. I made it seem like my husband was the perfect gentleman, even though it was the opposite, just to keep the peace. My sister was pregnant and a hothead. And Gianni, although the calm one, would lose his mind if anything upset Phoenix, especially while she was pregnant. I’d rather keep everything a secret than get my family involved.
Then there was Sergio, who had always been someone who could read me. I hated how aware he was when it came to my emotions, which was why I was rattled as soon as my eyes landed on him after my argument with Dorian when we arrived at my sister’s place. The way he glared at our interaction, I knew tonight was going to go downhill fast. I didn’t know how much he witnessed, but by the look on his face it had been too much.
As Dorian pressed the doorbell, his grip tightened on my hand, and I winced. “Dorian, you’re hurting me.”
Before he responded, the door opened, and I plastered a smile on my face, and so did he.
“Dorian,” Gianni said, sticking out his hand.
His greeting was polite but bland.
“Thank you for having us.” Dorian let go of my hand and grasped Gianni’s hand in a firm handshake.
I flexed my fingers to remove the ache.
Gianni stepped aside and let us enter, then closed the door. The air was cool and smelled of citrus and sea salt. Like most homes in Santorini, it was like you stepped back in time.
Whitewashed walls reflected the intense Mediterranean sun, which kept the space cool. Arched doorways and windows created a sense of openness. And charcoal-colored volcanic floors throughout added to the earthy vibe of Santorini. Other than my family being in Greece, the architecture was one of the reasons I fell in love with the place.
Gianni wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed me on the top of the head. “How are you, Sera?”
I couldn’t tell him the truth.
