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Max laughed again.  Are you going to let him get away with that, Gio?
The trouble with his decision to cut the darker emotions out of his life was how it had left Gio
feeling empty. He wanted to be hopeful like Luke, or laugh along with Max, but he couldn t. He and
Nick had something in common. They were both broken in their own way. Instead of rising to Max s
bait, Gio looked at his watch and said,  We told them we d be there for tonight s party. We should
get going. He motioned for his driver to put their bags on the plane.
The small Embraer Legacy business jet taxied down the private runway. All five of them sat in
one main area, facing each other. Julia was more interested in looking out the window than at the
luxurious details of the multimillion dollar aircraft. She took Gio s hand in hers.  I love flying. I
haven t visited many places, but the ones I ve seen have all been amazing. So flying, to me, means an
adventure is beginning. Thank you for letting me come with you.
Her innocent enthusiasm pulled at a part of Gio he d long considered dead. He leaned down and
nuzzled her neck before he realized what he was doing. When he saw Nick s mouth drop open in
shock, Gio raised his head and glared at all of his brothers.
After a moment of awkward silence, Luke said,  If you mess this up, Gio, you deserve to grow
old alone.
Gio shook his head in denial.  We re not . . . He almost said serious, but he looked down into
Julia s trusting blue eyes and bit off the rest of his sentence.
I told her I m not capable of love, but she doesn t believe that, does she?
One of us is wrong.
Watching the Andrade brothers talk was more fascinating than any in-flight movie could have
been. They all had dark hair, near-black eyes, and light olive skin. It was easy to tell they were
brothers, but they were also very different. Julia studied each of them intently and listened with her
heart.
Gio dressed in a classic style. Although all four were over six feet, Gio was the most
intimidating of them. His features were harsher and his face most prone to frowning. He seemed to fill
more space on the plane, and when he spoke his tone held a rigid authority. He was a walking ball of
tension. Like a soldier asked to stand guard through the night, he never relaxed. Who are you
protecting, Gio? What are you so afraid people will find out?
Nick had boyish good looks that he cultivated with expensive international flair. He belonged on
a cover of GQ, with a drink in one hand, a woman on his arm, and a cocky expression on his face.
Still, he shared a sad character trait with Gio: When he smiled, it didn t reach his eyes. Do you know
why Gio isn t happy? Is that what keeps you together but apart? Every once in a while, Nick would
look at Gio with anger burning in his eyes, even as he kept his tone light and joking. What is it you
can t forgive him for?
Luke was every bit as striking in his good looks as his older brothers, but he dressed to play it
down. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. He was the peacemaker of the family. Gio had said he was a
doctor, and Julia could see why it was his calling. He listened when his brothers spoke, and his love
for them was evident in everything he said to them. He seemed excited about attending the wedding in
a way that none of his brothers were. He doesn t know.
Max had a bit of all of them in him. He was tough around the edges like Gio. He dressed to
impress with expensive clothing tailored to fit him, and every now and then he would poke fun at one
of his brothers in a way that was almost playful. Gio had nailed him when he d called him a wild
card. Julia didn t know what his motivation for coming was, but she didn t believe that it was the
same as he d said. He didn t appear to have ill feelings toward any of them. If he knows, he d never
tell. Gio said Max owned and developed casinos around the world. She could see that. He plays his
cards close to his chest.
None of them mentioned their mother. Having met her, Julia wasn t surprised, but still, she
thought it was sad they were heading off to a large family event and not one had suggested she should
be there.
Before she thought it through, she asked aloud,  Where s your father?
All conversation died. Although he didn t look happy about it, Gio bent toward her and
explained quietly.  My father passed away years ago.
 I m sorry to hear that. The wedding we re going to is for the son of one of his brothers?
 Yes, my father was the oldest of three. The youngest of them, Victor Andrade, had one son
Stephan.
 And Maddy?
Luke jumped in.  Maddy is Uncle Alessandro s daughter. She s married to an amazing French
chef. If he offers to cook you anything I mean anything just say yes.
 I had the . . . Julia stopped and decided to be less than completely honest,  pleasure of meeting
Maddy. She was unexpectedly . . . welcoming.
 Maddy is certainly a character. Luke laughed, then grew more serious.  She keeps me up to
date with that side of the family. They ve had a rough time the last few years. That s one of the
reasons she s determined to mend the rift in the family.
Gio released his seat belt and stretched his legs out before him.  Don t build this up into
something it isn t, Luke. I, for one, have no intention of seeing any of them again after this weekend.
Nick left his seat to pour himself a Scotch from a crystal decanter.
Max leaned forward and asked,  Weren t you and Stephan close at one time?
 No, Gio answered succinctly.  Nick was. He and Stephan toured the global party circuit
together, both believing the tedious idea of working belonged to the generation who had created the
family business. Stephan outgrew that phase.
Nick downed his glass in one shot and poured himself another.  We can t all be you, Gio. The
perfect son. The perfect businessman. Completely lacking in conscience.
Gio stood slowly, his muscles flexing angrily as he did.  Stop drinking now, Nick, before you
make a fool of yourself.
Nick downed the second glass defiantly.  Or what? What would you do?
Gio walked over and took the crystal decanter from the counter. As calmly as if he were merely
picking up something he d dropped, he smashed the container on the corner of the bar, then dropped
the ragged top to the carpeted floor with the rest of the shattered glass and alcohol. In a controlled, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]