“That’s so sweet!” Trace was the first to talk. “What did you guys do today?”
“I know what they did a few days ago,” Nixon said into his wine glass.
I kicked him under the table.
He didn’t even wince, the bastard.
“Oh, did you like my present?” Trace asked, her eyes alight with excitement. I’d always liked Trace, but yeah, not the best question to ask right then.
“Yeah.” Nixon leaned forward. “Did you have any trouble unwrapping it.”
I kicked him again.
But this time Chase yelped. “What the hell, Sergio? Why’d you kick me?”
“The present was… unexpected.”
My eyes narrowed. Not exactly a glowing review of my seduction skills.
“I mean, at first I was…” Andi’s gaze met mine. “…surprised.”
“I knew you would be.” Trace nodded encouragingly. What the hell had she given us? A dog? Shit, I hoped not, because it would be a dead dog by now.
“And then, I don’t know, it just felt natural,” Andi continued. “And perfect.”
It was getting hard to breathe. The air was thinning by the second.
“Oh, um…” Trace shared a confused look with Nixon. “…I’m glad?”
“Me too.” Andi blushed brightly before looking away and shrugging. “Monogram towels were really so thoughtful. I especially liked that Sergio’s had little mustaches on them.”
“Ah-ha!” I slammed my hand onto the table. Not meaning to do that out loud. Towels! Of course. I’d used one already.
All eyes turned to me.
“Forgive him, he really likes the towels.” Andi nodded. “Gets him all excited in the shower. I would know.”
I choked on my wine while I received curious stares from every single one of my family members.
“I’m happy for you… guys,” Bee interjected, rubbing her still-flat stomach. She was only in her first trimester. “You both look so happy.”
Could we not be the center of attention?
A knock sounded, and then Frank waltzed in. Thank God. He was always late to family dinner. I finally felt like I was out of the hot seat.
“Grandpa.” Trace rose up from her chair and kissed him on the nose.
He blushed and took his seat at the head of the table.
“Sorry for being late. I had a few things to collect.”
“Did you find them?” Nixon asked, his gaze cool and indifferent.
Frank’s eyes darted around the table then finally settled on me. “I did.”
“No better time than the present.”
“What?” Trace touched Frank’s arm. “What’s Nixon talking about?”
Frank poured a shaky glass of wine. “I guess it’s best to get things out before dinner. It’s hard enough as it is.”
Dread filled my stomach. This couldn’t be good, whatever it was. Frank rarely just announced things at family dinner.
“Trace…” His gaze was loving, adoring even as he tilted her chin toward him and flicked her nose with a chuckle. “…I am old.”
“No shit,” Tex said under his breath.
I held in my laugh.
“And the rest of you — you are so young. So… alive with ideas for your own families. Luca left the Nicolasi family to Phoenix. He has a small child on the way. Trace, you and Nixon have the Abandonatos to deal with. Mil and Chase, the handful that is the De Langes.”
“Here, here.” Chase lifted his wine glass into the air. I knew they were still giving Mil hell since she was one of the only female bosses in existence; then again, Chase was a trained assassin, so they didn’t fight it much.
“The Campisis…” Frank motioned to Tex. “…a tighter run family I’ve never seen.”
Tex did a little bow.
Frank let out a breath. “And my family… the Alferos, while I trust my men, I want to leave my family to blood.” His eyes fell to Trace. “You do not need the added stress of leading two families. I want you and Nixon to have beautiful grandchildren, I want you to laugh, to enjoy life as much as possible, which is why I need to do this.”
His speech was making me more and more uncomfortable. Andi shifted in her seat, her eyes downcast like she knew something. But how?
Frank pulled out a black folder. “It’s Luca’s.”
Wow, not what I expected.
Andi’s gaze met mine; she was so pale she looked like she was going to be sick. What was going on?
Frank set the folder on the table and opened the first page. A picture of a guy and girl around my age stared back.
Trace frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“More secrets…” Frank sighed. “Trace, your grandmother and I were not entirely honest with you.”
Nixon pulled Trace closer. Bastard knew what was coming; I could see it in his eyes.
“Before we went into hiding — three years before to be exact — your grandmother had an affair.”
The table was completely silent.
“With Luca,” he whispered. “She was ten years younger than me, still in her early forties.”
My mind tried to do the math, tried to put the puzzle together.
Andi was looking sicker by the minute, and Trace was well on her way to joining her.
“They had twins,” Frank continued. “A boy and a girl. They both went to live with Luca, though his lifestyle at the time wasn’t exactly child-friendly. He put them in the best schools, but when he discovered that by keeping them close he was putting targets on their backs, he let them go. He wanted them to live normal lives before getting sucked into the lifestyle he lived.”