I look around the room. At the men who stood in that fire with me. Who came out the other side. Stronger. Sharper. Unbreakable.
"They picked the wrong family," I observe quietly, meaning every word.
As if she'd been waiting for this, the door opens, and Jenna storms in. Her eyes, for once, don't go straight to Massimo, but land on me. Filled with fire that would burn a lesser man.
"Bro, what did you do?" Alessio questions next to me.
"You!" Jenna's finger is pointed at me, not giving me any time to respond to Alessio. "I want to see her."
My gaze moves from her to Massimo, who shrugs, but watches us with hawk eyes. He knows my temper. He knows I would never hurt a woman, but he's also seen Jenna and the damage she can do. He has a right to be concerned, even though his concern should be for me, not his wife.
"Who?" I ask, although I've already got a pretty good idea who she's referring to. Audra.
Jenna was more than a little perturbed by my covert stalking of Audra before. I glare at Massimo, knowing he's the only source who could've told Jenna that Audra is staying with me.
"Don't play dumb, Gabriel D'Amato, it doesn't suit you." She stops right in front of me.
She has to lean up to look into my eyes, but I swear I see fire dancing in hers. The height difference does nothing to diminish the fury emanating from her. Her hands become fists that she presses into her hips. "That woman you've been stalking. I want to talk to her. And if you're holding her against her will, by God, Gabe, I'll end you."
Damiano snickers, Alessio leans back in his chair. Enzo opens the microwave. I swear, if that bastard pops popcorn in it, I'll kill him.
"Whoa," I lift my hands in defense. "She's not there against her will. I swear, Jenna. It's just safer for her right?—"
"She will have to tell me that herself," Jenna insists.
Again, I turn my head towards Massimo, whose grin has spread so wide, it would circle his head if it could. Asshole.
"Fine," I concede. "Massimo, Jenna, would you two like to join Audra, Stacy, and me for dinner?"
Jenna inclines her head, "With pleasure."
Fuck, this is going to be interesting.
The door opens again,and everything in me tenses, but it's not more men. It's a woman. She walks in like a force of nature, green eyes scanning the area until they land on me. And then everything else disappears.
She comes straight for me. No hesitation. No fear.
"I don't know what that brute did or said to you," she starts, jerking her chin towards Gabe without even looking at him, "but if you're here against your will, you tell me."
Her finger snaps toward the man behind her. "And I'll have him take care of it."
The other man who came in with Gabe doesn't even blink. Just watches. Calm and lethal.
"He'll beat him to a pulp if he has to," she adds, like she's discussing the weather.
My eyes flick between them, trying to keep up.
"And I'll take you somewhere safe," she continues, softer now, but no less firm.
Then she straightens slightly, like she's remembering her manners. "I'm Jenna, by the way," another quick point at the man, "his wife. Massimo."
The man inclines his head just enough to count as acknowledgment. I stare at them. At her. I don't know exactly who she is. She looks vaguely familiar, but Massimo? I know for sure who he is. He's the head of the mob in Vegas. The big boss. Massimo Manetti.
Startled, I look at Gabe for some guidance, but he stoically avoids looking at me. My throat tightens. "I… I'm not being held here," I manage.
My voice sounds smaller than I want it to. Jenna doesn't move right away. Doesn't relax. She studies me like she's trying to see past the words, past the surface. Like she's deciding whether I'm telling the truth… or if I just don't know it yet.
Jenna's eyes don't leave mine. Not even for a second.
