Chapter 39
ZACH
“That’s what he did … to Maya’s mom.”
The words stick in the air, a heaviness I still can’t shake.
I kept it brief, telling my brothers about our father and how he made a move on Maya’s mom, and how, when she rejected him, he made her pay for it by making sure she lost everything.
Her job. Her reputation. They had to leave the estate. Leave the state and start over.
Jett looks up, a pair of tongs in his hand. Everyone is silent. The only sound is the hiss of Jett’s BBQ grill.
We’re outside, gathered around the pool, watching him sweat while he cooks.
I’ve been wanting to tell them, but couldn’t find the time or place.
Now was the time. The women aren’t here, and it’s just the Knight boys.
I don’t care where our father is. I don’t feel bad that he hasn’t been invited. I’m starting to prefer it this way.
Jett lets out a low growl, setting the tongs down with deliberate care. Dex gets up and stares at the pool, shaking his head. Matteo, Enzo, and Rio stand shoulder to shoulder near the railing, all three of them staring at the skyline like it might offer answers.
“Jeez. That old man has no limits. No boundaries. There’s nothing he won’t risk.”
“That night of you party, I thought maybe the two of you had a disagreement. I didn’t want to stick my nose in,” Enzo says quietly.
Jett exhales slowly. “I don’t blame her for wanting to get off that boat.”
I nod. “That’s why.”
Dex goes very still. “He assaulted her mom,” he says flatly. “I can’t fucking believe it.”
I can’t either. “Takes a while to wrap your head around it,” I say quietly.
“He’s a piece of work, isn’t he?” Rio mutters. “That’s… that’s not just cruelty. That’s—”
“Systematic,” Enzo finishes quietly. “Calculated.”
“After what happened to Mom … what he did to her. Cheating on her like that,” I say, grimacing as I remember the past. “All these years I explained things away. Told myself he was … complicated. Difficult. That he loved us in his own way. I should’ve woken up then I should have realized why you all kept your distance from him. ”
“Welcome to the club, brother,” Dex says, raising his whiskey glass.
Rio arches an eyebrow. “Come over to the dark side. It’s not that bad. I promise.”
The dark side.
I stare out at the city again. “It’s not that simple.” Because it isn’t. Guilt burrows deep inside me. All these years I’ve been fiercely championing for my father, but now I can’t. Ever.
“I should’ve seen it earlier,” I say aloud. “After Mom died. After we found out about the other family.” I glance at my brothers. They’re not the Italian Knights, they’re just my brothers. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to offend.”
“No offence taken,” Rio replies.
“You were a kid,” Enzo says gently. “So was I. You wanted to believe in him because you’d already lost your mom. You were grateful he was still there. Don’t punish yourself for that.”
He understands.
“Thank you,” I say quietly.
Dex looks at me, eyes sharp. “You loved him, more than any of us.”
I don’t deny it. “I did. I didn’t know any better, but now I want to make it right. As much as I can.”
“How can you make it right?” Matteo asks.
“Maya’s mom struggled to find work, to hold things together. And the injustice of it, of what he did to her, then blaming her—”
Rio turns to face me fully now. “You have to make it up to her, dude. It’s the least you can do.”
Enzo nods. “What are you going to do?”
I hesitate. “I’m still thinking it through. But I’ve already decided. There are things our father took that don’t belong to him.”
I picture Maya’s face when I told her my first idea, and her immediate refusal, followed by her pride and the fear of obligation.
“I want to give her the Tribeca apartment,” I admit. “She won’t take it. She says it’s too much. That her mom won’t let her accept it either.”
Dex lets out a low whistle. “Reparations,” he says.
“That’s the word,” I agree. “I want to buy her mother a house. Something safe. Something that’s theirs. No strings.”
Jett studies me. “Those are super cool ideas. Make it happen, I say.”
I intend to. “I’ll need to convince Maya to take the Tribeca apartment, and then I’ll need her help convincing her mom. She worries about her mom constantly, about her health and the fact that she’s still working when she shouldn’t have to. This is me trying to put things right.”
“It’s very noble of you, brother,” Dex remarks. “Turning thirty has clearly given you a conscience.”
“Dude,” Rio cries. “he’s always had a conscience. It’s you who could do with one.”
Dex looks aghast. “Are you for real, brother?”
They trade insults, breaking the tension in the air, then silence falls again.
“I want to walk away,” I admit. “From him. From all of it.”
Dex stares at me. “You’re the one who loved him the most. And now you’re the one willing to walk.”
“We can’t,” Jett says immediately. “We all need to stick together.”
“So why do we stay?” I ask.
“Power and leverage, while making sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else,” Enzo says.
Dex shrugs. “We can’t leave, because if we do, he wins, and I never want that old man to win.”
Rio says nothing, but his silence speaks volumes.
Matteo leans back against the railing, crossing his arms. “I’ll tell you one thing. If he were lying dead in a ditch, I wouldn’t lift a finger.”
I startle not just at Matteo’s words but at his tone. He’s really pissed off. As he should be. As we all are. I move the conversation away. “The security issues—are they sorted?”
He makes a face. “We’re trying different things. Tightening access points. Watching patterns.”
“Good,” I say. “We have to be careful.”
We hear noises coming from the apartment. Brooke’s infectious laugh. Cari and Maya chattering. The girls are back.
Cari and Maya took Brooke out to pick up a rabbit. Apparently, my niece has decided that a sibling is non-negotiable, and Jett negotiated back with floppy ears and a cage.
Cari steps out first, smiling despite the carrier in her arms. Maya follows, careful and quiet, holding Brooke’s hand as she chatters excitedly about floppy ears and feeding schedules. The rabbit’s cage isn’t big, but it’s sturdy and manageable between them.
I move over to take it from Maya, then set it down carefully near the patio doors. Inside, a small grey-and-white rabbit shifts on its bedding, pink nose twitching, long ears flopping.
“Cute,” I comment, before taking Maya’s hand in mine. “You okay?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her.
“Yes,” she says, before pulling apart. I sense she’s not comfortable with public displays of affection just yet, especially around these boys. “Where are Raquel and Dani?”
“They’ll be here soon. Raquel’s finishing up on some work, and Dani’s at the gym.”
She looks visibly relieved. Brooke sees Jett and bolts towards him.
“Daddy!” She throws her arms around him. “Thank you for Mr. Whiskers!”
Jett groans softly. “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Cari laughs and slips an arm around him. He kisses the top of her head. Everyone peers at the cage in turn, murmuring compliments. Brooke drops down cross-legged beside it, examining her new friend. “He’s hungry,” she announces.
“Let’s get him some lettuce and a bowl of water,” Enzo says, taking her hand, and the two of them disappear into the kitchen.
Dex snorts. “You weren’t ready for Jett Junior, so you bought Brooke a rabbit.”
Jett shoots him a look. “It’s a very well-researched rabbit.”
“Of course it is,” Dex says solemnly. “Does it have a trust fund yet?”
That gets a faint huff of laughter out of everyone. I put my arm around Maya’s shoulder and pull her into me. I don’t want her feeling out of place, especially knowing it’s the first time she’s seen all of them since my birthday party.
Jett meets her gaze first. “I’m glad you’re here, Maya.”
Dex nods. “You okay?”
Rio gives her a quiet, respectful look.
“It’s good to see you again,” Matteo says.
Maya smiles at him. “It’s good to see you again, all of you. I’m sorry I didn’t stick around to say goodbye at Zach’s party.”
They all rush to tell her it was okay. Jett waves it off immediately. “You didn’t owe anyone anything.”
They all nod in agreement. Maya exhales, and her body relaxes as she leans into me. We stay like that for a long time. Surrounded by my brothers, with Maya snuggling up to me, I realize what we are at long last.
Family.