“He’s in,” I say a minute later when he texts back that he’ll meet us at the country club.
He knows I hate that fucking place, but not many bars are open before five.
Dominick and I take separate vehicles since we’ll be going home afterward. We arrive before Lorenzo and order our drinks.
“So, you’re really okay with all this?” Dominick asks, always worrying about me.
If I didn’t know it came from a place of love, I’d be annoyed that he’s questioning me.
“Yeah, I’m more than okay with it. I’m just …” I think for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain how I’m feeling. “I’m freaking out a little because I thought it’d take some time. I figured we’d get married and have some hot sex on our honeymoon, and eventually, she’d get pregnant. But, fuck, she’s due in less than six months.”
“Who’s due in six months?” Lorenzo asks, sliding into the seat next to me.
I glance at Dominick, who smirks knowingly.
Lorenzo looks from Dominick to me, the words swirling around in his brain. When he connects the dots, he curses under his breath and then punches me in the arm, making me laugh because the guy needs to work on his strength training.
“Are you fucking serious? You knocked my damn sister up out of wedlock?”
Dominick snorts out a laugh.
“I mean, you walked in on us a few times. Don’t act like you didn’t know your sister and I were fucking,” I deadpan. “Besides, we’ll be married in a few days.”
“You’re a dick,” Lorenzo hisses. “And I need a strong drink.”
He orders a drink from the bartender and then pulls out his phone, but I snatch it out of his hand.
“You need to act surprised when Dani tells you,” I tell him. “We didn’t discuss how we would be telling everyone. So, don’t go texting her and shit. Let her tell you.” I set his phone on the counter, but before he takes it back, a text from Hillary pops up.
“You’re texting with that bitch?”
“No …” When I glare, he sighs. “I’m not. I just haven’t blocked her. She keeps texting and apologizing, trying to say that even though it started as a way to make money, she fell for me and misses me.”
“Fuck that lying bitch,” I bark. “You’re not thinking about forgiving her, are you? She’s only saying that shit because she’s in bumfuck, Georgia, waitressing at a shitty diner, and she knows you’re loaded.”
“Because she couldn’t possibly genuinely care about me?” he mutters.
I stare at him for several seconds and realize how disconnected Lorenzo and I have become. I’ve been so focused on his sister that I haven’t paid enough attention to my best friend to see just how badly he’s hurting. I suck at this whole feelings bullshit, but being around Dani for the past couple of months has opened my eyes and forced me to open up.
“You’re one of the best men I know,” I tell him. “Since we were kids, you’ve been like a brother to me—no, fuck that.” I shake my head. “You are my brother. And if there’s anyone who deserves to be happy, it’s you. You remind me so much of your sister with your big fucking heart and how much you care. Every fight I’ve gotten into, every time I lose my shit, you’ve been right there by my side. The same way you’ve always stuck by me, I’m always going to stick by you, and I’ll always be honest with you.
“And the truth is, Hillary is a gold digger. You’re one of the easiest people to love because of how much you care. But that bitch isn’t capable of loving anyone but herself. And that doesn’t say shit about anyone but her—and most of all, not you.”
I throw my drink back and set it on the bar top a little too hard,then take a deep breath because I can feel myself getting worked up. The same way I care about Dani and my brother, I care about Lorenzo, and it pisses me off that he’s hurting over a bitch who doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as him, let alone be loved by him.
“Thank you,” Lorenzo says with a soft smile. “That means a lot to me.”
“Yeah, well, I hope you took notes or recorded it because I’m done with this heart-to-heart shit.”
Dominick chuckles and pats his hand on my shoulder. “I like this new you, bro.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I grumble. “Now, enough of this girl talk. We need to discuss finding whoever is coming after us. I’ve got a goddamn baby on the way, and some psycho bitch has all our heads on a target.”
Dominick sighs. “We’ve gone down every avenue, until he,” I quirk a brow, and he adds, “or shemakes another move, we’re at a standstill. I put additional protection on Peyton and Damien, and she knows not to go out unless it’s necessary, but aside from that, I don’t know what else to do. If they wanted us dead, they would’ve done it. Whoever it is wants to fuck with us.”
“Speaking of which,” Lorenzo says, “I was down at the building department the other day, dealing with some permits, and you know the parcels in front of the expansion? The twenty acres that we haven’t been able to acquire?”
“Yeah,” Dominick says, his brows furrowed.
