Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I said nothing.
“You put Will in the hospital . . . but still won’t give me a chance.”
So, she did know.
“Why, Con? Why do you do this to us?”
“Because I want a woman who knows me so well that she knows when my twin is impersonating me. I want a woman who runs to me with her problems instead of plotting to hide the truth. I want a woman who doesn’t carry on an emotional affair in front of me like I’m too stupid to figure it out. Who takes advantage of unwavering trust. I want a woman who didn’t drive my brother to Cosa Nostra and then further away to get himself killed. I want a woman who doesn’t divide my family but makes it stronger. That’s what I want, Isabella—and that’s not you.”
Prologue XI
Constantine
It’d been a year since I’d last seen Isabella.
We hadn’t talked since I’d ripped her to pieces over the phone. She didn’t say a word when I finished. Just hung up. I didn’t mean to do it, but I fucking nuked our relationship—or what was left of it.
I blamed her for my brother’s death, and even though I meant it with every fiber of my being, it was the most fucked-up thing I’d ever said. She didn’t deserve it and I should apologize for it, but I didn’t want to open the box that finally felt shut.
I returned to Taormina, nine years after Isabella and I broke up, and walked to Rosticceria Da Cristina after it opened for the day. I’d texted my mom after I checked into the hotel, and she told me she was at the office.
I walked inside and immediately caught up with the boys behind the counter. “My ma driving you crazy yet?”
“Only every day, man,” Georgio said. “It’s not even the high season yet, but it’s already busy. Gets busier every damn day.”
“Yeah, I know how that goes.”
We continued to catch up, talking about the restaurant, sports, recent events on the island, the last eruption of Mount Etna. The second I showed my face, I knew it would make it back to Isabella. My mom would mention it to her mom, and since neither of them knew what happened last time I was here, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell her.
I wasn’t sure if it would provoke her or if she would continue to pretend I didn’t exist.
Then I felt this stare on the side of my face, scalding like a hot pan and deep like a knife. I didn’t even check my peripheral before I turned to look at who stared at me so hard through the window.
My eyes immediately locked with the green eyes the color of vines . . . with the sparkle of an emerald. There was something mesmerizing about them, something unique even though I’d seen green eyes a hundred times. Something within the color struck me . . . the longing . . . and the sadness.
My vision drew back and took in the rest of her, beautiful brown hair around her shoulders with a gold chain around her throat. She was dressed in just cutoff jean shorts and a deep-blue tank top with sneakers, but she was fucking gorgeous.
God fucking damn.
And she was alone.
She didn’t look away right away, even when she’d been caught, as if she couldn’t stop staring at me the way I couldn’t stop staring at her. As if time stopped for both of us. Even though she was seated, I could tell she was tall, with long legs for days, every part of her body slender and toned like she was on her feet a lot.
“Con?”
“Hmm?” I kept my eyes on hers.
“Did you hear what I said?” Georgio said. “Your mom is thinking of opening a third location.”
“She said what?” I turned back to him when the news caught me by the midsection. “She can barely keep up with the two.”
He shrugged. “That’s what she said. Look, I’ll show you the plans.” He headed to the office, and I followed behind with the others. He went to her desk, opening the folder that sat there. “She applied for a loan and everything.”
I flipped through it, and while I was disturbed by my mother’s idiotic business plan, I kept thinking about the woman outside.
What if she left and I didn’t get a chance to talk to her?
What if I didn’t even learn her name?
I shut the folder. “I’ll talk to her about this. Make sure this gets canned.” I walked out of the office and left them there.
“Con, where are you going?”
“I gotta take care of something real quick.” I rounded the corner and came back to the front of the store. People were already there, waiting to order. I looked right past them and out the window to where the woman with the green eyes had been sitting.