by Kathryn Shay
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
The Gentileschi Sisters
Book 4
Kathryn Shay
How Deep is Your Love
Copyright © 2019 by Kathryn Shay
All Rights Reserved
Smashwords Edition
Published by Ocean View Books
Cover Design by Shelley Kay at Web Crafters
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Author's Note
The Gentileschi Sisters series
About the Author
Introduction
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Casarina, lived King Alessio Gentileschi and Queen Renata. Their seven girls are the center of their lives. All grown up now, these women journeyed to the United States to train or educate themselves but the king and queen fear they will never return home.
Who are the princesses of Casarina?
Callandra (Calla) Gentileschi, 31, heroine in NO OTHER LOVE, in the To Serve and Protect series. Married, with one child, Razim, she resides in the U.S. for six months and in Casarina for the other half of the year.
Francesca (Frankie) Gentileschi, 29, cop in Baltimore City, just transferred to a new task force. She uses the queen’s surname, Marcello.
Gabriella (Brie) Gentileschi, 27, grade school teacher in a low income area, plans to open her own school in the U.S.
Ravenna (Raven) Gentileschi, 26, artist, art therapy practice, and has illustrated her sister’s children’s book. She uses the queen’s surname, Marcello.
Evangelina (Evvie) Gentileschi, 24, dedicated neonatal nurse, main hobby is watching major league baseball.
Mariela (Mari) Gentileschi, 23, widowed at 20, she’s now in Georgetown Law School and has a five-year-old daughter, Lilliana. She uses her married name Moretti.
Alexandra (Lexy} Gentileschi, 21, has just sold her children’s book to an American publisher. She uses the queen’s name, Marcello.
The men of The Gentileschi Sisters:
Connor Marino, husband of Callandra, hero of NO OTHER LOVE.
Tyrell Beauregard Collingsworth, cop in Baltimore, on the same task force as Francesca.
Dante Federico, new Physical Education teacher at Gabriella’s school.
Blake Parker, gallery owner, plans a show of Ravenna’s art.
Mike Jagielski, star player on the Baltimore Raiders major league baseball team, meets Evangelina at a game.
Jordan Dubois, professor at Georgetown Law School, has Mariela as a student.
Ryder Reynolds, vice president of Reynolds Publishing, buys Alexandra’s children’s book.
Prologue
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Casarina, lived King Alessio Gentileschi and Queen Renata. Their seven girls are the center of their lives. All grown up now, these women journeyed to the United States to train or educate themselves but the king and queen fear they will never return home.
Who are the princesses of Casarina?
Callandra (Calla) Gentileschi, 32, heroine in NO OTHER LOVE, in the To Serve and Protect series. Married, with one child, Razim, she resides in the U.S. for six months and in Casarina for the other half of the year.
Francesca (Frankie) Gentileschi, 30, cop in Baltimore City, just transferred to a new task force. She uses the queen’s surname, Marcello.
Gabriella (Brie) Gentileschi, 28, grade school teacher in a low income area, plans to open her own school in the U.S.
Ravenna (Raven) Gentileschi 27, artist, art therapy practice, and has illustrated her sister’s children’s book. She uses the queen’s surname, Marcello.
Evangelina (Evvie) Gentileschi, 26, dedicated neonatal nurse, main hobby is watching major league baseball.
Mariella (Mari) Gentileschi, 24, widowed at 20, she’s now in Georgetown Law School and has a six-year-old daughter, Lilliana. She uses her married name Moretti.
Alexandra (Lexy} Gentileschi, 22, has just sold her children’s book to an American publisher. She uses the queen’s name, Marcello.
The men of The Gentileschi Sisters:
Connor Marino, husband of Callandra, hero of NO OTHER LOVE.
Tyrell Beauregard Collingsworth, cop in Baltimore, on the same task force as Francesca.
Dante Federico, new Physical Education teacher at Gabriella’s school.
Blake Parker, gallery owner, plans a show of Ravenna’s art.
Mike Jagielski, star player on the Baltimore Raiders major league baseball team, meets Evangelina at a game.
Jordan Dubois, professor at Georgetown Law School, has Mariella as a student.
Ryder Reynolds, vice president of Reynolds Publishing, buys Alexandra’s children’s book.
Chapter 1
Praying she’d be able to keep her eyes open for the drive home, Brie Gentileschi started her Volvo’s engine, checked the mirrors for any traffic in the teacher’s lot and backed up slowly. Oh my God! Another car was barreling down at her from the left. Her heart pounding, Brie put her foot on the brake so she could switch the gear to drive. Oh, God, she didn’t stop moving…
A loud crash.
A jarring bump.
The impact threw Brie back, then inertia thrust her forward into the steering wheel. Her head spun. When she recovered, she realized what happened.
Releasing the seatbelt, she exited the car. A coworker leapt out of the oncoming vehicle that had halted a few feet away and rushed over. “I’m so sorry, Brie. I was in a hurry because my kid’s sick. Are you hurt?”
“I’m, um, no I’m not hurt, Betsy. It’s my fault anyway. I thought I put my foot on the brake, to go back into where I was parked, but I must have kept it on reverse. Are you hurt?”
“No. I stopped short but I’m okay. What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing. The near accident wasn’t your fault. Go pick up your son.”
Betsy angled her head to the side. “I don’t recognize the car you hit. I’ve never seen it here before.” The staff was small at Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elementary School. “Whose is it?”
“I—”
A deep voice came from behind. “It’s mine.”
Brie glanced over her shoulder.
Betsy said, “Dante?”
He crossed to them. “Are either of you hurt?”
Shaking her head, Betsy shot a glance at Brie.
“I’m fine. But your car...” Brie looked at the white vehicle more closely. “The whole back end is smashed in.”
“What happened?” Dante’s voice was calm, but concerned.
Betsy explained about her part in the accident.
“Go then. You can get around Brie’s Volvo.”
After Betsy left, he said, “Gabriella, don’t worry about the car.”
“Are you kidding? This is going to cost a bundle. It’s a classic, isn’t it? I hope the back end can be fixed. I’ll pay for the repairs.”
“My sisters and I own a collision shop. One of them will come tow it, and we’ll do the work.”
She stared at the crumpled back end
. “I’ve never seen this one in the parking lot.”
He hesitated. “First time I’ve driven it to school. My Chevy wouldn’t start this morning, so I took this one.”
“And I crash into the trunk.” She felt tears in her eyes but willed them back. She’d spent sixteen months building up her confidence and inner strength, and she wasn’t going to be fragile ever again. Especially for something like this.
Reaching out, he touched her arm. “You okay?”
“Definitely. I’m so sorry, Dante. I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep well and barely made it through the day. I should have called an Uber to get home.”
Leaning back on his heels, he jammed his hands into his pockets. “Back-to-school this year has to be hard for you.”
“It shouldn’t be. So, how do you want to handle the car?”
“I’ll phone Tris right now. She’ll have somebody out here in no time. I hope your car is okay. Why don’t you try to pull it away and see?”
She peered down at her hands. They were shaking.
“Want me to I do it?”
“No. Call your sister.” She went to her car, opened the door and slid inside. He’d turned his back to her so she breathed in deeply for a few moments to calm herself, then started the engine, made sure the car was in drive, and moved forward into the space it had occupied.
When she approached him, he was still on the phone. “Yeah, I know, honey. Just send somebody. It isn’t drivable.”
“I’m so sorry,” Brie reiterated when he clicked off. “As I said, I’ll pay for everything.”
“Not necessary. Like I said, my sisters and I...”
“Stop it, Dante.” Her words were sharp so she softened her tone. “I have lots of money and I insist.”
His dark chocolate eyes twinkled, a bright spot in the dismal situation. “Yeah, somebody told me about the princess stuff.”
“So I’ll take care of the cost.”
“I have another idea. You can pay me back by having coffee with me every day in school for the rest of the week.”
She was about to object, but she remembered what he told Lexy last spring when she came to talk to Brie’s students about her books....
I replaced him, you know.
Eddie Smith? The man who’d kidnapped her.
Yeah.
That’s right, he taught physical education.
I’m afraid nobody here likes me.
I’m so sorry.
That’s okay. I’ll win them over.
Ashamed that she hadn’t done anything last spring about the shunning, she said, “I’ll have coffee with you if that’s what you want, but I’m paying for repairs, too.”
“That’s something we can discuss when we meet tomorrow.”
She hoped agreeing to spend time with Dante Federico wasn’t a mistake. In all honesty, she’d avoided him because he caused her to flash back to when she was kidnapped. The last thing she needed was to make the nightmares return.
* * *
“Hell, Federico, what happened to The Pony?”
Dante shrugged at his colleague in the physical education department who’d come out of the gym and over to them. “An accident.”
Will Casey whistled. “A damned serious one.”
Brie stepped forward. “I backed into him. I’m going to pay for repairs.”
“Oh, okay. But, geez, Dante, you been working on this car for the whole time I’ve known you. Even before, you said. You finally got the thing up to speed. It’s your baby.”
Will’s comment was well-intended, but Dante didn’t want to make Brie feel any worse than she obviously did. “No one was hurt. That’s the most important thing.”
Will’s eyes widened. “Sure. Glad you’re okay, Brie.”
She gave Will a weak smile, then he left. She leaned against her car. Today her hair was up in some kind of knot, making her seem younger. Her appearance was contrary to the buzz around school that Brie was older than her years. “Why did he call it a pony?”
“That’s a term to describe a compact, highly stylized car with a sporty or performance image. Like a racehorse, I guess.”
“Interesting. Are you a classic car buff?”
“Damn straight I am, and proud of it.”
“My father was, too.”
“Your father the king?”
This time her smile reached her eyes. They were blue like the water in Cancun where he went on spring break last year. “Having a hobby like that is good.”
“What about you, Brie? Do you have a hobby?”
“Yoga. But that’s therapy now, I guess.”
“Yoga’s great for physical fitness. Our district is offering some classes this year at the high school. How often do you go?”
“At least three times a week.”
She had a sculpted body, without an ounce of fat on her. The dark blue sundress she wore today revealed tanned and toned skin. “I-”
He got distracted from her body—thank God—when a truck drove into the parking lot. Pride swelled inside him like it always did when he saw the slogan. Federico’s: Fast, Frugal, Friendly!
Tris opened the door and hopped down. He was surprised when sister number two, Lucy, exited the other side. Why would they both come? When they approached him, Tris slid an arm around his shoulders. “Sorry, buddy.”
Lucy kissed his cheek. “You weren’t involved, right?” She spared Brie a glance. “She crashed into your car when it was parked.”
“Yes.”
Turning her attention to the vehicle, Tris whistled. “Lots of damage.”
“It’s cosmetic. She wasn’t going that fast.”
“Let’s hope there’s no frame damage.” Lucy went around the side and squatted down to inspect the undercarriage.
Tris turned to Brie. “Hi, I’m Tris. Dante’s older sister.”
“Gabriella Gentileschi.”
Arching a brow, she moved closer to him. “Ah, the princess who doesn’t like Dante.”
Lucy stood. “Who doesn’t like Dante?”
“Nobody,” he said, embarrassed. “Girls, enough!”
“I don’t really know him. Look, can we talk about the car?”
“Yes, your highness.” Again, Tris, this time with an edge in her voice. Because she was the oldest, she’d never liked being bossed around. “We’ll tow and fix it.”
“I want to pay for the repairs.”
“Fine by me. But we’re doing the work.”
“Keep a tab on your hours and parts needed and give it to me when you’re done. Or I can write you a check in advance to get the material.”
“No. We got it covered.” She watched Brie and frowned. “Sorry I didn’t ask sooner. You all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m upset that I did this, but at least the car can be fixed.”
Tris turned to Dante. “Let’s get our baby loaded.” She and Lucy returned to the truck.
“Go ahead and leave, Brie. We’ll take care of everything.” He touched her arm. “You can drive, right?”
“Yeah, I’m wide-awake now. Again, I apologize for the accident.”
“I’ll come see you in the morning to schedule our coffee.”
She nodded, then headed to her car. Her grim expression told him this was far from over for her.
Man, she was one complicated woman.
* * *
This isn’t a big deal, Brie. It can be fixed.
She was calm now as she slid into the front seat and closed the door. But Vittorino’s face swam before her eyes as it so often did when something went wrong. What the man who’d been sent by Callandra’s ex had done to her—mostly emotionally—wasn’t as easy as this hiccup.
Also, the encounter with Dante made her remember the man whose position he’d taken at school—Eddie Smith, the PE teacher who’d helped Vittorino grab her.
Her therapist had made her realize she could manage the symptoms. So she knew how to do that today. She’d checked the schedule on her phone and started the car.
In ten minutes, she arrived at Yoga Vision. The sight of the place calmed her, like always.
Grabbing the duffle bag she always kept in her trunk, she walked inside. The small entry conveyed a hushed atmosphere. “Brie, hello.”
Most of the staff knew her by name. “Hi, Cindy. I’m not too late for this class, am I?”
“If you hurry and change, you can make it. I’ll sign you in.”
Brie changed quickly into black capris and an ice-blue top. Once out on the floor, barefoot, she rolled out her teal mat with a peacock prancing across it and sat in a lotus position. Her hands on her knees, she breathed in, then let the air out. The calming Dalai Lama chant that filled the room seeped into her pores for a few minutes, then it stopped. She opened her eyes.
The large loft sported cedar wood covering every inch of the walls and ceiling, except for two skylights and several windows around the perimeter. Up front sat a tall, slender man, but with the long, lean muscles common to yogis—Caleb, one of her favorite teachers. Instruction was the most important element in a good yoga session.
The mellowness of his voice washed over her. “Happy yoga, class, all. Whether you come from a stressful job, from being cooped up all day, or from a state of relaxation already, welcome.
“We’ll start with pranayama. Close your eyes and breathe normally but concentrate on what you’re doing.” After thirty seconds, he added, “Now increase the length of the inhale, but keep the exhale the same.” About a minute for this. “Now, increase the exhale. Slowly, take in air...slowly let it out.” Two minutes for this. Time passed. “Finally, we’ll inhale slowly, hold for four seconds, exhale slowly, then hold for four more seconds.”