Chapter 8 Jamie
JAMIE
Icame home to Dad’s house on Sunday evening for dinner.
While I hadn’t exactly grown up in what I would call a normal home, it wasn’t as bad as I was sure most people thought it was.
Dad wasn’t the most affectionate man in the world, but he wasn’t abusive. He could be careless at times, but I knew he loved me in his own way.
And I knew he loved Caine, too, even if he was less affectionate with my brother.
So I tried to make it home to see him once a week, even though I was still angry with him from that day in his office.
When I entered the house, everything was quiet except for the subtle sound coming from the kitchen as the cook prepared dinner.
I didn’t go there. I went straight to Dad’s office, hoping to see him.
I found Tito, my cousin, instead. He was just on his way out of the office before I could enter, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw me.
“Jamie. What are you doing here?”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “Tito, what are you doing in my father’s office? Is he in there?”
I tried to look around him and into the office, but he had the door closed before I could.
“Nothing. I was just leaving some documents for your dad. Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
He took a step forward, forcing me to take a step back, and another one, and another one, and before I knew it, we were away from the office and out in the living area of the house.
His eyes hardened as he stared down at me. “You should learn how to mind your own business, Jamie, especially when it comes to things involving the family. I would hate to see you get hurt.”
He said it softly enough, and if I didn’t know any better, I might have thought he was truly concerned about me. But his words and the way he looked…
It sounded a hell of a lot like a threat.
I hardened my eyes. “Anything that has to do with the family is my business, or have you forgotten my last name is Caparelli?”
I knew I hit a nerve when a tic moved along the side of his eye.
Tito was my cousin on my mother’s side. And as much as he liked to think of himself as a Caparelli, a name vicious enough to invoke fear in men across New York, he wasn’t one, and he never would be.
I tilted my head back and kept my eyes locked on his dark-brown ones.
He wasn’t the tallest man around, nowhere near Reign’s height, but he was taller than me.
And what he lacked in height, he more than made up for in bulk.
Add to the fact that he had his black hair shaved down to a buzz cut and more tattooed skin than bare, and I could admit he was fucking intimidating as hell on a good day.
It was a good thing I wasn’t easily intimidated, especially not in my family’s home.
Movement came from my left, and I turned to see Dad walking in. Tito tensed at the sight of him. I shot him another look before moving away.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, sweetheart. Are you here to have dinner with your old man?”
I nodded and watched as his eyes softened a little. He raised his hand, and I held still, bracing myself for the touch. I knew it was coming, but I still didn’t like the feeling of his hand on my head as he gently patted me.
“Good. You should come home more often.”
“You should think about taking your own advice,” I said. It had been years since I had left home, but I could still remember how often it was, how normal it was for me to go days without seeing him.
He shrugged, his eyes moving over to where Tito was standing.
“Are you staying for dinner too?”
Tito nodded and stepped forward. His eyes moved over to me briefly before he said, “I brought over the documents you asked for, sir, and left them on your desk.”
So he wasn’t lying about doing that, but still…
I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had done more than just drop off documents.
Something didn’t feel right. I just didn’t know what it was, but I knew I couldn’t just outright accuse him of anything.
Whether he had the last name Caparelli or not wasn’t relevant. He was still a made man, and I… wasn’t.
Dad nodded absently. “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”
We followed Dad into the dining room, where Gina was already setting the table. She was a heavyset woman with warm brown eyes that always seemed to sparkle with life, no matter what, and short brown hair cut into a bob.
She smiled warmly at me when she caught my eye. I moved in closer to her, letting her familiar scent comfort me.
“How’s my girl?” she asked in that heavy Italian accent of hers.
“Good,” I answered.
Gina had been our cook since I was a little girl, and she was always kind to me.
I knew many people were nice to me because they worked for my dad, but Gina had always been kind because she loved me. She was more of a mother to me than my own mom, who left just before my eighth birthday.
I wished she had left sooner.
Eight wasn’t so young that I didn’t remember how she had treated me like her perpetual punching bag since the moment I took my first breath.
And she had been so careful about it, making sure not to leave any marks that Dad could see, and ensuring I wouldn’t tell another soul about it for as long as I would live.
Even now, Dad had no idea.
I was sure it would break his heart if he did. And he would surely hunt her down himself and kill her.
I shook my head as a plate piled with food was placed in front of me. I looked over at Dad.
There was a serious expression on his face when he said, “Eat. It looks like you have lost weight since the last time I saw you. I don’t like it.”
It hasn’t been that long since I last saw him. I nodded and ate my food without complaint.
It was best I didn’t tell him. As much as I didn’t like my mom, I didn’t want to have her death on my conscience.
As far as I was concerned, as long as she didn’t show back up in my life again, I would take this secret to the grave with me.
I walked out of the library just as my shift ended for the day, stretching a little.
I had been feeling sore all day. Being the Director of Development for the city’s public library wasn’t exactly backbreaking work, but it could be a bit tedious at times.
A group of women who worked here walked past me. They were all giggling and laughing together as they discussed where to go for a drink.
A small pang hit my chest at the sight. If Etta managed to leave her family’s restaurant early, or if she ever had the day off, she would have been waiting for me on the steps.
I could almost imagine her standing there, grinning like a fool once she caught my eyes, before rushing over and enveloping me in one of those hugs that I just fucking missed so much.
No one had hugged since she died.
No one except…
“Reign?” I muttered.
I rubbed my tired eyes, so sure I was seeing things, but nope, he was right there. He was leaning against his illegally parked car in front of the library, his hand in his pocket, and his expression ominous.
He didn’t look like he was in a good mood.
So what the hell was he doing here?
Waiting for me?
In front of me, the women’s giggles grew louder as they all turned their attention to him. I rolled my eyes.
Yes, he was good-looking, but he was nothing more than a man.
An arrogant man.
Who had kissed me without my permission.
Slowly, I walked over to him, kicking his shoe.
A small smile formed on his lips. I couldn’t see his eyes, as they were covered by sunglasses, making it hard for me to gauge his emotions.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Waiting for you?”
“Why?”
The group of women moved closer to us, as if wanting to get a better look.
“Come and take a drive with me.”
“A drive?” I asked suspiciously.
His smile widened. “Afraid I’m going to kidnap you?”
I shook my head. “I would like to see you try.”
“You think a little thing like you would be a match for me?” He seemed amused at the notion that I thought I could best him in a fight.
Yeah, I didn’t think I would. Even with my heels on, I barely reached his shoulders, and the man was built like a boulder. I didn’t think there was even any fat on his body.
I shrugged. “I’m resourceful.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it one bit.”
He unlocked his car door and opened the passenger side for me. “Come on, princess. Want to risk it with me?”
I hesitated.
I had expected we would go on a second date. But I expected it to be planned.
This was unpredictable. Reign was unpredictable.
I looked up and met his eyes. He was watching me, his face expectant, as if there had never been any doubt in his mind that I would go with him.
And I was about to prove him right.
I got inside the car anyway, hoping I wouldn’t come to regret it.
I was surprised when, instead of closing the door, he bent down and helped me put on my seat belt, his arm brushing up against my breast.
I sucked in a sharp breath, and his amused eyes found mine. He’d done that on purpose.
I narrowed my eyes on him. Lucky for him, he pulled away before I could slap him. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him once he got inside the car.
“What?” he asked innocently.
I shook my head. “Let’s go.”