Gian (Trassato Crime Family Book 1)

by Lisa Cardiff

  “I don’t have a problem with that as long as pretty boy over there keeps his hands to himself.” He raised his arms in the air, and I saw the last three letters of my name peeking out of the sleeve of his shirt.

  No way. This isn’t happening.

  Shock rippled through me, and I couldn’t look away from him. His eyes looked like my eyes. His hair resembled mine interspersed with gray. That bump on his nose was eerily similar to the one I saw every morning in the mirror. Bile burned the back of my throat, and I staggered into the chair behind me, my heart racing and my mind buzzing with a dozen contradictory emotions.

  “He’s my dad,” I whispered, my entire body vibrating and my chest incredibly tight like I couldn’t suck enough oxygen into my lungs. “I haven’t seen him since I was five. I didn’t remember much about him. My mom called him Al when I was younger. Then, she stopped talking about him entirely after he disappeared. He was more like a ghost than a real person.”

  My eyes sought out Gian. His head was bowed, his face was pinched, and his shoulders drooped with something akin to defeat. “I’m so sorry, Gian. I didn’t set you up. I promise. I would never hurt you or your family intentionally.”

  I reached out my hand, pleading without words for him to say something. Anything. I didn’t know what to do. My heart squeezed with the urge to comfort him, but deep down, I knew he wouldn’t welcome my touch.

  Gian cursed under his breath, his eyes glazed with rage and darkness. He shook his head, clearly unable to believe what was happening. “We’re all busy men. Let’s get this over with. What do you want, Alix?”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Gian

  I looked everywhere except at the woman who’d stolen my heart one piece at a time. She might as well have cleaved open my ribcage and wrenched my still-beating heart out of my chest. A bitter brew of humiliation mixed with hope churned inside my gut.

  Humiliation because I had fucked up. I should have made sure I knew everything about her before I invited her into my life for real. Hope because every cell inside of me wanted to believe she didn’t have anything do this with this. I’d witnessed her reaction when her mom called and mentioned her dad. Her reaction wasn’t fake, not entirely.

  Dammit, how did this happen? How could the one woman I should stay far away from end up being my sister’s best friend, and the one woman I wanted more than any other?

  “I want to clear up something first,” Alix said, his voice gruff.

  I curled one hand around the top of a chair, and my knuckles whitened. “Go ahead.”

  “Evangeline is telling the truth. I haven’t had any contact with her for nearly twenty years. As for her ex, I only screwed with him because I couldn’t stand the thought of my daughter marrying that schmuck.”

  Evie gasped. “What? Why would you do that?”

  Alix flicked his wrist. “He was a piece of shit. All I had to do was dangle a little bit of money and a piece of ass in front of him, and he took the bait. Believe me; you’re better off without him. You don’t want a man who can be manipulated so easily.”

  “You had no right.” Evie’s voice cracked on the last word. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

  He shrugged. “I did it for me as much as I did it for you. I wanted you to give up your acting pipe dream and move back to Nebraska, and I didn’t want anyone using you to get to me. As long as you’re in New York, you’re a liability. I can’t protect you here.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to get my rioting thoughts under control. “But you’re okay using her to get what you want. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” I sneered. He’d been playing with Evie’s life behind her back. He didn’t even have the guts to come out of hiding until she had something he wanted.

  He flung one beefy arm wide. “The stars aligned. What can I say? While I love my daughter, that doesn’t mean I’m above capitalizing on an opportunity that lands in my lap.” He chuckled. “You know, I always considered her a burden. Boy, did she prove me wrong. She reeled in a member of the Trassato family. I’ve been trying to negotiate with your father for years, but she batted her eyes, showed a little leg, and bam—” he punched his fist into the air “—she secured a proposal from you in a matter of days.”

  I snatched my glass of wine off the table and took a huge gulp, feigning amusement. Underneath my tailored suit and lazy grin, my blood boiled, and my skin crawled. I wanted to defend Evie. At the same time, I instinctively knew that was exactly what he expected from me. He wanted me to fly off the handle and show my hand. He wanted to know if I’d fight for her, and how much I’d be willing to give up to keep her.

  “As enlightening as your little speech was, let’s cut to the chase. What do you want?”

  “I want access to all of the Trassato controlled territories to expand my business.”

  While not unexpected, Alix’s demand reverberated through the room with the force of a grenade.

  “No,” Dominick said firmly. “That’s not happening.”

  “Then he’s not marrying my daughter.” Alix pointed his finger at Evie. “You. Get up. We’re going.”

  Konstantin stomped across the room and seized Evie’s arm, trying to pull her to her feet. “We need to leave.”

  She slapped his hand. “Are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere with you or that maniac.”

  “Get over yourself. You’re engaged to a fucking capo, not an altar boy. Do you know what that means?”

  I lunged at her brother, snagging him by the collar of his shirt. “You touch her again, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

  His nose flared. “Is that a threat?”

  “No.” I shoved him backward. “It’s a fucking promise.”

  Dominick’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Let her go, Gian. Your engagement is over. I won’t negotiate with them, and even if we did, you could never trust her. She’s toxic.”

  “Don’t touch me.” I sidestepped his hold. “This isn’t over.”

  “Like hell it isn’t. You’re done with her.” He ripped his gun from a holster around his waist and jammed the barrel against my chest. “I’m not bending over so you can marry this puttana.”

  “Shut the fuck up. Don’t talk about my fiancée like that!” I roared, my vision narrowing. I swatted the gun away from my chest and pinned Dominick against the table. He didn’t fight me. He stood there with a fucking smirk on his face. “Do you understand?” I seethed, glaring at him. “Do you?”

  “You think you can threaten me?” he scoffed. “You may be my nephew and godson, but that won’t stop me from putting you in your place.”

  “Go ahead,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Enough!” Evie jumped out of her chair, her eyes wide with panic and her hand clutching the sleeve of my suit. “Gian, can I talk to you alone for a second?”

  I released Dominick and dragged her by the arm to the kitchen. The staff froze mid-task. “Get the fuck out of here!” I yelled.

  Knives, plates, and pans clattered to the floor.

  “Move!” I repeated, my eye twitching like a fucking lunatic.

  Three men in white shirts and black pants scurried out the back door with their eyes glued to the floor.

  “We can’t be together anymore,” she said, her lips quivering.

  An adrenaline-laced tremble shot down my spine. “We’ll find a way to make this work.”

  “Maybe, but at what cost, Gian? What will you have to give up? And at what point will you start resenting me? Resenting us? I can’t let you do this.” Her voice wavered, her gaze dancing around the room.

  “Let me take care of this, sweetheart.”

  “What happens if you have to walk away from everything—your family, your friends your life—to be with me? Are you okay with that? Is that even possible?”

  “It won’t come to that.”

  “You don’t know that. They could kill you. Your family could disown you.”

  I shrugged. “Some things a
re worth fighting for.”

  She wiped her hands down the sides of her thighs. “I don’t want to fight.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t like what you do. I don’t like what my so-called family does.” She sucked her lower lip into her mouth. “I don’t want to be a part of that life. I want to dance, act, and sing, without worrying if someone will take a shot at me when I’m driving down the street, or worse.”

  My heart stuttered. “Yesterday you told me you loved me, and now, all of a sudden, you have a problem with what I do? I don’t buy it. Not for a second, Evie. Don’t push me away again because you’re scared.”

  She lifted her head, looking straight at me. “Gian, take a step back and think about this. Our relationship has been a colossal disaster from the start. I never wanted this. You never wanted this. We were forced into this situation. It was supposed to be temporary until we could bow out unscathed. Now I have the chance. We both do, and we need to take it.”

  I captured her chin, forcing her to look at me. “That’s what you want? You want to bail on us without trying?”

  We locked gazes. I refused to look away first. Her eyes glistened. I bent my head, pressing my lips against hers, my grip still firm on her chin. Even though she didn’t kiss me back, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting her.

  I tasted her salty tears, felt her sorrow. I smelled her delicate jasmine scent.

  A half-gasp, half-whimper escaped her lips, and she pulled back. When she looked up at me, she swallowed, her eyebrows pinching together.

  “I don’t want to try. It’s not worth it. We’re not compatible…not for the long run. We have different goals and dreams, and now’s the time to pursue mine. I have to put myself first, and that means walking away from you and this whole mess before it destroys me.” Her words came out ragged and grief-stricken.

  “Give me a little more time.”

  “No. I’m walking out the door now, and I don’t want to see you again. Don’t try to contact me. Don’t try to find me. Just let me go. It’s for the best. You know it, and I know it.”

  I slammed my fist into the wall next to her head. She flinched, clutching her heart.

  “You’re not fucking going anywhere.” I punched the wall over and over. Drywall showered her head like pixie dust. My knuckles cracked open. Blood dripped from my hand. “You’re mine. I won’t let you go.”

  She covered her tear-streaked face. “I’m not yours, and you’re not mine. We had fun, but it’s over now. I don’t want you, and you don’t want me. Not really.”

  This isn’t happening. She wouldn’t give up on us so easily.

  My heart squeezed. Pain sliced through me with more misery than I thought possible. My hands curled into her shoulders, and I tugged her against my chest, clawing at her like a fucking animal. “Don’t lie to me.”

  Tony’s arms closed around my waist, hauling me backward. “Let her go, Gian. It’s done.”

  I struggled against him, kicking and yelling. “Fuck you, Tony. You don’t know anything.”

  “This is the way it has to be,” Evie whispered as Tony dragged me out the back door of the restaurant.

  The minute the door slammed behind us, Tony released me.

  “Get a hold of yourself, man. You’re acting like a fucking pussy.”

  I buried my face in my hands. My shoulders jerked up and down, and my eyes stung. I couldn’t believe I was about to burst into tears for the first time in twenty years. My life was spinning out of control. Despair and rage wrapped around me like a straightjacket, and I wanted to storm back into the restaurant and kill Alix and Dominick and set the place on fire.

  Instead, I walked away with every inch of me still aching for her.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Evangeline

  The moment the door closed behind me, I wanted to die. I’d torn Gian’s heart out, but I might as well have torn out my own. I ruined us. I had pushed away the only person who ever wanted to fight for me.

  I wanted to take back my words. I wanted to run after him and tell him I lied. Tell him I loved him. Tell him I wanted him. Only I couldn’t. Not now, not ever. He had already sacrificed enough for me. I wouldn’t let him sacrifice his family and honor too. While I might not like what his life entailed, I wouldn’t let him throw it away for me.

  Likewise, I refused to play into my father’s twisted logic and hand him the Trassato territories on a silver platter so Gian could be with me, a woman who he’d only known for a couple of months. I’d rather spend the rest of my life missing him than lining Alix’s pockets.

  I swiped away my tears and strode out of the kitchen with my head held high. My shoes hammered against the floor like detonating bombs.

  “Where are you going?” Konstantin asked.

  I kept going, not meeting any of the stares searing into my flesh. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Don’t walk away from me, girl.” Alix caught my arm the second I stepped over the threshold of the door.

  Shivering with disgust, I broke his grip. “Gian and I are over. You’ll have to find another way to get what you want.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-SIX

  Evangeline

  One Week Later…

  “Evie, you were great up there. They’d be crazy not to give you a part. I’m so proud of you. You’re so much better than Mom ever was.”

  I spun around. “Kon, what are you doing here?”

  My brother shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans. A yellowing bruise circled one of his eyes, and he had a scab on his lower lip. “We need to talk.”

  “That’s funny. I’m pretty sure we don’t have anything to talk about.”

  I slung my dance bag over my shoulder and pushed open the door to the outside. Wind whipped my hair around my face. The smell of an impending rainstorm mixed with grease from the burger joint next door hung in the air. I pulled my hood over my head and darted down the clogged sidewalk.

  Halfway down the block, Kon tugged on the back of my jacket, stopping my retreat. All pretenses of humor had disappeared from his face. “I’m not done talking to you.”

  I sighed. “You know what? I don’t care.”

  “Why aren’t you answering Mom’s calls? She’s worried about you.”

  I ripped my hand out of his hold. “Because I don’t have anything to say to her, just like I don’t have anything say to you or my sperm donor.”

  “Don’t be like that.” He frowned. “We’re your family, and you need us. Especially now.”

  “No, I really don’t. Quite honestly, if I never see any of you again, it’ll be too soon.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

  I curled my hands into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. “You guys lied to me about everything.”

  “Come on, Evie. Don’t be like this. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

  “Seriously?” My voice was low and accusing. “My entire childhood was a lie. Do you have any idea how many hours I’ve wasted combing over every conversation and event in my head, searching for missed clues and hidden meanings?”

  “We did what we had to.”

  Squeezing my eyes closed, I shook my head. They had dangled the truth right in front of my face my entire life, and I’d been too trusting to follow the breadcrumbs. Every time I thought about it, I felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my skull.

  “Those summer camps on the East Coast weren’t really summer camps, were they? You spent the summers with Dad. You lied about joining the Army. When I questioned Mom about our dad, you never said a word to contradict her.”

  My attempts to stay calm failed. Childhood memories banged around in my head, and they no longer seemed sweet. They were tainted with betrayal and lies.

  I yanked on the emerald necklace Kon gave me for my sixteenth birthday and crumpled it into a ball. Its sharp angles bit into my palm, but it was better than letting it hang
around my neck like a noose. “This necklace.” I shoved my fist into the center of his chest, and he grunted. “It wasn’t from you. It was from him. You didn’t save all your money from shoveling snow off our neighbor’s walks. He gave it to you to pass along to me. And those stupid Russian classes Mom made us take.” I ground my teeth together. “Ugh. I can’t even go there.”

  He pushed my hand away. “Get a fucking grip, Evie. Don’t jump to conclusions. There are two sides to every story.”

  I flung my hands into the air, the chain of the necklace slipping like sand through my fingers. “Then please, by all means, tell me yours. I’m dying to hear what compelled my entire family to keep me in the dark about the fact that my sperm donor is a lying, murderous criminal.”

  A bolt of lightning flashed through the sky followed by a rumble of thunder. A few drops of rain slapped against the gray sidewalk.

  “Don’t make this into something bigger than it is. We did what we had to do to keep you safe. Mom and Dad didn’t want you to get caught up in Dad’s life.” His lips pursed into a tight line. “It’s dangerous.”

  “So their solution was to let me fumble around in the dark like an idiot?”

  He scrubbed his hand down his face. “It kept you safe. It allowed us to do things we couldn’t otherwise do.”

  “Like what? Bury my ex-fiancée under gambling debts so he has to mentor some woman whose sole purpose was to encourage him to cheat on me? Was that fun? Were you lurking around the corner when I caught them fucking? Did you laugh? Was it funny to watch your sister get her heart ripped out of her chest?”

  “He didn’t have to gamble. He didn’t have to cheat. We might have manipulated things to shove him in that direction, but he could have resisted the temptation.”

  I stared at him. Deep down, I knew he was right—though, it didn’t lessen the blow. “You didn’t have to meddle in my life. You could’ve told me what you thought of him.”

  Konstantin tugged on the end of my ponytail exactly like he did when we were kids. I wanted to melt into him and let him shelter me from this like he did with so many things when we were younger. I stepped away to stifle the urge.