beautiful green, but the soullessness she’d noted when first meeting him was gone.
“That’s actually really good to hear.”
“Yeah. His father would be real proud of me admitting I’m a fuckin’ pussy.”
She tipped her head as the pronoun he’d used more than once registered with a tingle across her nape. “Why do you keep saying ‘his’ father?”
His scowl returned. “Because the narcissistic asshole who let me live in his house didn’t sire me.” He sneered through the overenunciated word. “He married my mother when she was already pregnant. Promised her he’d raise me as his own. Asshole let me know good and early the favor he was doing by allowing me to be a part of his family.”
She cupped a hand over her mouth, her heart aching for the child he’d been. “Oh my God, Stefano. I’m so sorry.” Learning the reasons behind someone’s behavior sure went a long way toward understanding it. Who wouldn’t have lashed out when constantly reminded of the fact that they didn’t belong? Not that that justified him ruining Gabriel’s childhood, but still, she was sympathetic. “Did you ever meet your real father?”
“He died when I was little,” he said dismissively. “How’d you find yours?”
“Gabriel actually brought us together.”
Stefano went still, his eyes rising to meet hers. “What? Explain that.”
“Uh, well, my father’s in the same…business?”—she shrugged—“as you guys, and he asked Gabriel to watch over me because he had to leave the country for a while.” Was she supposed to speak so freely about their business? She wasn’t sure, so she left it at that and felt a moment of satisfaction at the wary look that entered Stefano’s eyes.
“Who is your father, Eva?”
She glanced at the door, wondering absently why Furio knew who her father was but Stefano didn’t. “Vasily Tarasov.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Eva’s reveal had Stefano laughing in a loud burst. “Finally! The missing piece of the puzzle.” Respect gleamed in his eyes but was soon replaced by worry. “And I’m so fucking dead.”
“Why didn’t Furio tell you? He knows.”
“Excuse me?”
“He mentioned it at the hotel.”
Stefano pursed his lips and let out a sharp whistle that had Furio and Alesio immediately falling into the room as though they’d been leaning against the door.
As Alesio looked between her and Stefano with an unreadable expression on his face, Furio threw up his hands.
“You haven’t even fucked her yet?” he barked. “What the hell have you been doing?”
Stefano stood. “You know who her father is?”
Furio turned enraged eyes on her. “You stupid, fuckin’ bitch,” he snarled.
Eva barely had time to regret knowing how to speak when Alesio’s shout had her surging to her feet. Gabriel’s cousin flew through the air, aiming for Furio. Eva understood why only when she saw the gun Furio was holding as he ducked to the side to avoid being tackled, at the same time bringing his elbow down so hard on the back of Alesio’s head Eva was sure she heard something crack. The younger man fell like a bag of bones.
Looking to Stefano, sure he’d help his cousin, she was momentarily stunned to see him with his hand on his chest. Blood was seeping through his fingers. “Oh my God!” She rushed forward, but never reached him because her hair was grabbed from behind and she was viciously yanked back. She grunted, landing hard on the dusty sofa cushions with Furio’s face looming over her, his mouth twisted in an evil sneer.
Pressing the gun into the base of her throat, he didn’t even look over as Stefano stumbled back into the wall and slid into a crooked sit. “After all my hard work, all he does when he gets you alone is have another fucking therapy session. You two want the truth? I’ll play.” He straightened, but kept the gun pointed at her. “Where should I start? Oh, I know.” He looked at his boss. “You weren’t the only one dicking Adrianna.” His smile was satisfied. “Yeah, I was in there, too. Sometimes only minutes after you finished with her.”
Stefano tried to say something but only coughed weakly, his skin losing color at an alarming rate as blood dripped off his wrist to land in small crimson splashes on the dusty floor.
“How the fuck did you manage to screw everything up?” Furio said, turning to her. “If you’d have shut your fucking mouth, they’d have killed each other in a matter of minutes, and I would’ve been set!”
Eva looked between him and Stefano, trying to figure out a way to calm Furio down while