30. Chapter 30
Connor
“Come on, Grace, just talk to me. I just want to know you’re okay.” I knocked on the front door again, knowing she wasn’t going to answer it. But she breathed on the other side. I could hear it when she’d sniffle and when she exhaled heavily. Her hand probably rested on the knob. “Please?”
“What are you doing here?” Giaco asked. I hadn’t heard him pull up. Behind him, Ronan and Enzo braced themselves, and, unknowingly, my spine did the same. The muscles in my forearm twitched.
I looked at the flowers and sighed. “I just need to talk to her.” The image of her tied up and looking down the barrel of Mickey’s gun made my stomach twist.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Ronan stepped around Giaco, for the first time getting in my face more than his older brother. When it came to Grace, I couldn’t blame him. “I suggest you stay away from her.”
“You have some nerve coming around here at all.” Giaco cracked his knuckles, and Enzo grinned. I looked again at the flowers—poor choice of defense. Instead, I held them up.
“I promise, I tried to stop them. I know you have nothing to do with any of this. And I know who does.” I was surprised when they paused to listen. I lowered the flowers. “I can help you.”
Giaco shook his head, stepping forward. “We don’t need your help.” It was no secret they had a good lawyer—arguably the best in Boston.
Ronan shook his head, stepping around me for the front door, but Giaco stayed firmly planted where he was. “I can make this go away completely,” I said when his hand rolled into a clenched fist.
“How?” He narrowed his eyes, like he was unsure whether to believe me. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d believe me either.
“I can prove it wasn’t you.” And I would do exactly that.
Giaco looked past me at Ronan, and when he spoke, I turned. “Why should we trust you?”
“I know who did it, and they can burn behind bars. They deserve worse than that.” I sighed. “And I love your sister more than anything. I never wanted anything to happen that could hurt her.”
“You’re lucky we don’t kill you,” Enzo said, sounding almost disappointed he wasn’t.
I shook my head and glanced at the door behind me—the one I imagined Grace leaning against to listen to this entire exchange. The door she’d open for her brothers as soon as I walked away. “If your sister doesn’t forgive me, I hope you will.”