Chapter 24
Fatigue drainedevery ounce of my remaining strength. I stopped outside of the place I was sharing with York and the girls. My hand hovered over the keypad. I could go in there and be ignored or berated all over again. A part of me was hoping for the latter; at least then York would be talking to me. Even if his words hurt more than a knife to the arm. Blood still trickled from the wound, dripping to the carpeted floor and leaving behind a mess someone else was going to have to clean up.
I checked the cameras for what felt like the hundredth time. York wasn”t in the living room or kitchen. The spare rooms were empty. I hadn”t placed a camera in his room, although I”d wanted to. Respecting his privacy could only go so far. I stood there for a few more minutes, ignoring the men standing guard down the hall. Hope was all I had left, and even that felt fleeting. Nothing was working out the way that I”d hoped.
My phone buzzed, and I took the offered distraction for what it was.
Hunter: York took off. When are you coming back in?
Summer: Shit is insane. We could use the help.
Jamie: I can”t be doing your work, man.
Who was I supposed to be right now; Paul or Paolo? I”d spent years as Paul, an FBI agent, all while craving to be myself again. Now that I looked the part, I was still left with no family, and the one man who”d I”d fallen for hated my guts. I felt more lost than ever.
Paul: I”ll be out for a bit. I took family emergency leave.
Hunter: Make sure to bring back some cheese from Wisconsin.
Jamie: Hope everything is okay.
Summer: Here if you need anything.
The team who meant nothing to me gave me more support and understanding than the people who I gave a damn about. A broken laugh left me, and I turned away from the door. I headed toward the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. I punched in the code Benito gave me and it took me to his place. The doors slid open, letting me into his penthouse. A moan echoed around the dark room, and I froze.
”Who the fuck?” Harlow asked. He flipped the light on, a knife in both hands. Benito pulled his gun out as well. When Harlow saw it was me, he groaned and pulled his dress back on. ”Great, I”m going to the bedroom. Benito, don”t take fucking forever. Emika just started sleeping through the night but she”s up at the ass crack of dawn.” He grumbled as he made his way to what I assumed was their room.
”Sorry,” I blurted out. Not sure what for anymore. It felt like everything was coming down way too fast and it was all my fault.
Benito sighed. ”Don”t worry about him.” He put his gun away and moved around on the couch. ”You need to crash here?”
I wanted to be with York but that wasn”t going to happen right now. ”Yeah.”
He was up, patting the couch. ”All yours. Not the greatest for more than one night.”
I nodded. Talking felt like a chore.
”Gin”s fine. He’s, well, you’re the twin.” Benito pinched the bridge of his nose, seeming to collect himself. “You know how he is.”
Do I? It was starting to feel like I”d really lost my brother. He could be a hothead but the way Gin looked at me said he wanted nothing to do with me.
“I never told him you were still alive, but you know how he can get. If we would have told him what was going on, he would have looked for you regardless of what we said. Dad was right about that much.”
We”d been over the reasons countless times, but now that we were telling the truth, the lies felt unwarranted and hurtful.
”Enzo would have understood, but I didn’t want to stress him out. He was in such a fragile state back then… ” Benito looked away. ”They will come around and things will be back to how they used to be.”
I was starting to doubt that. ”Sure. Thanks, Benito.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. ”We”re brothers. No matter what, we always have each other”s backs.”
It felt like they were brothers and I was an outsider that had been forgotten. Nothing more than a ghost. ”Yeah, I know. I think I”m just going to pass out for a bit.”
Benito opened his mouth, probably to lecture me some more. I was saved by his husband just in time. Harlow popped his head out the door. He cleared his throat and the smile that took over my brother’s face spoke volumes. ”I”ll see you in the morning.” He paused. ”We need to talk about what”s up with you and York Washington. He”s not just some random agent that has it out for us.”
My stomach clenched. ”He”s off limits, Benito. I mean it. This is the one thing I”m asking for.”
”I don”t know if I can give that to you, Paolo. Whatever is going on between you two, I need you to remember the only thing that matters. Family comes first.”
Right, family first, but I’ve been putting them first my entire life.
He headed for his room, leaving me alone again. I was always alone. For a second there with York, it hadn”t felt so daunting, but now it was the same old suffocating emptiness.
I pulled up the camera feed, switching to multiple tiny screens on my phone. Grabbing the throw pillow, I tossed it on the couch along with a blanket. I wasn”t going to get a wink of sleep but I hadn”t thought I would. Instead of closing my eyes and resting, I watched the cameras the entire night.
Sunlight hit my face before it bathed the luxury living room in a warm glow. For the first time, I saw the baby stuff scattered around the place. Blankets, clothes, and toys. There was a swing, baby jail, and some contraption that had all the primary colors and covered an entire corner of the room. Crying pierced the air, and I sat up instantly. I held my phone, the battery in the top right corner was red. It was going to die soon.
I glanced up only to see Benito, shirtless, heading for one of the other doors. The cries intensified before he shut it behind him and they became muffled. I stretched, cracked my back, and my arm screamed in agony. My skin pulled and the scab split open where Enzo had cut me. Blood spilled out, and I applied pressure.
Shit. I hadn”t thought it was deep enough to warrant stitches. My judgment might have been slightly off.
”Who”s the prettiest girl in the world?” Benito cooed as he walked out, bouncing his daughter in his arms. In all my life, I would have never thought I”d hear my brother talk to anyone like that, even a baby. He stopped on his way to the kitchen when he saw me watching him. ”Your arm still bleeding?” He rocked his baby in his arms. She was bigger than the last picture I”d seen of her.
”Yeah, I might need it glued.”
Benito nodded. ”I”ll have Melony come over.”
Movement on my phone caught my attention. The girls were up early again. This time they were in the kitchen whispering too low for me to pick up on the cameras.
”Have her come down to my place. I’m gonna head out,” I said, my eyes not leaving the phone until I looked up to make sure Benito had heard me.
Benito tossed a dry dish towel at me and I graciously wrapped it around my arm. I left and headed back down to my floor. The guys in the hall nodded at me. For a second, I froze. What was I supposed to do? As Paul, it would be weird, but as Paolo, I knew I was owed respect. My family name demanded it.
I punched the code into the keypad and let myself in. Both girls jumped as I stepped through the door. Their eyes widened and fear was etched on every inch of their faces. Nyra dropped the bowl of beaten eggs and it spilled over. Navy was the first to move. She grabbed the kitchen scissors and held them up in her trembling hands.
Right, my hair was changed and I wasn”t wearing contacts anymore. I was stupid. I should have stayed at Benito’s for a bit longer. I cleared my throat.
”Girls—”
”Daddy! Paul!” Navy shouted.
Even now, she looked for me to come save her. The ache that was steadily chipping away at me eased back a little.
York”s door flew open and he was down the hall in seconds. The butcher knife in his hand glinted in the overhead lights. He probably slept with it now. York”s bare chest caught my attention instantly. All deep brown skin and cut muscles. Even while on leave for three weeks, he hadn”t stopped working out.
”Paolo!” Navy shouted again for me. Nyra was shaking. She hid behind her sister, her gaze never wavering from me.
Shelly was next to come scrambling down the hall. She let out an ear piercing scream that bounced off the walls.
York was the only one who hadn”t said anything. He stared at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. His lips dipped further into a frown. The weapon in his hands stayed pointed my way.
”Girls, go with Shelly to your room.”
”Should we get help?” Shelly asked. Her voice was wavering. She moved closer to York instead of grabbing for the girls.
She was pissing me off and it was too early in the morning for that. I was already in a shit mood. Nyra”s head tilted the side, she squinted at me.
”Paul? I mean, Paolo?”
I smiled at her. ”Sorry to scare you, honey, I forgot.”
York took the scissors away from Navy but never stopped staring at me. ”Girls, go with Shelly while I talk to Gianpaolo.”
Both girls looked between us. It reminded me of how worried Gin and I used to be when our mother would tell us to go to our room when her and our dad would get into arguments. I tried smiling to reassure them but it fell short when I wasn”t certain about what was going to happen either. Shelly turned them away from us; her glare was nothing more than another annoyance.
Once the sound of the door closing hit my ears, I stepped into the room further. ”York.”
He put the knife down. ”You even look like them now. How fucking stupid was I?”
I stepped toward him and he took another step back. Why is everyone treating me like I’m the bad guy?
”What happened to your arm?”
I nearly forgot it was bleeding again. ”Noth—” I blew out a breath. ”My brothers didn”t take it well. Me being back.”
”Huh, didn”t think bastards like your family gave a damn about being lied to.”
I groaned, what was I supposed to say to that?
”The girls weren”t expecting you to look like a gangster. If you”re going to insist on being here then do something about it.”
I spread my arms. ”Like what?” Who was I supposed to be? Was I supposed to play Paolo out there and Paul in here? Did I abandon everything I knew for everything I had grown accustomed to? Which was right, which was really me? Although I changed my outward appearance back, I still felt off.
”Figure it out.” York walked away.
He came back shortly after making two bowls of cereal and a bagel. He carried them to the room without another word my way. We were back to the no talking thing. Nothing could be worse. I punched the wall. My knuckles dragged against it, radiating with pain. I did it again. At least it took some of the edge off.
I went to punch the wall again but the door opening stopped me. York walked back into the living room with files and papers in his arms. He plopped down on the sofa, not looking my way as he started going over documents.
”Need help?” I asked cautiously.
No answer.
The wall was looking promising again, but instead, I took a seat on the opposite couch, fine with watching him instead.
There was a knock at the door, and I was up. York went stiff on the other couch but made no move to get up. I opened the door, and pink fluffy curls were the first thing I noticed.
Melony was a sight for sore eyes. I hadn”t seen her in forever. She glanced at York before looking my way. Her eyes widened and a huge smile came over her face. At least someone was happy to see me.
”Paolo.” Melony pushed her way in. She sat her bag down before she wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled me in for a hug, her cotton candy pink hair tickling my nose.
”Hey, Mels.”
She pulled back, and for a split second, the smile was gone. She punched me in the arm, the same one Enzo had cut.
”Ouch.”
”You deserve it. I thought you were dead. I can”t stand your family for this shit. I”m charging you extra for emotional distress.”
That was fair, how come everyone else couldn”t react like that? She ushered me to the kitchen where she instantly got to work.
”Not deep enough for stitches, but Enzo has a knack for handing out damage. Just be happy he held back.”
I felt eyes on me and looked up only for York to turn away.
”Hey, did you have to check up on Gin?” I asked.
Melony shook her head. ”No, was called in for you and that”s it. Why?”
”Him and Benito went at it. Just making sure it didn”t get too bad.”
Melony finished with wrapping my arm and not so gently patting it before she started packing her things away. ”I’m sure things will get better.” She hugged me like when we were teens. “I’m glad you’re alive. “
“Thanks,” I said.
Warmth blossomed in the middle of my chest. I walked her out, locking the door behind her. For a minute, I stood there, sucked in a deep breath, and tried to calm down.
I turned to look at my boss. ”York, are you going to keep ignoring me?”
The man said nothing, flipping through notes he had. I wanted to shake him. Instead, I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen before heading to my room for a shower and maybe some rest. I plugged my phone up and like the masochist that I was, I turned the camera feed on and watched York.
I”ll give you this space but you will never get rid of me.