The Sinister Silhouette-D2D, page 16
I look back at Aria to find her watching me, her little brows pulled down into a frown, as if she’s worried I won’t like the picture.
I put as much enthusiasm in my voice as I feel and smile. “This is absolutely gorgeous, Aria. I love how the momma bird is protecting her baby eggs. You’re extremely talented.”
She beams a smile at me so bright, I swear I feel rays of warmth coming from her.
“Thank you. Uncle Luca said I take after him, Aunt Ella, and Pa. I want to work in his tattoo shop when I get old enough.”
I hold back my shock at Aria’s words, unable to imagine such a sweet girl working in a place like a tattoo shop. And the conviction in her tone says she’s perfectly serious. I wonder how Theo feels about the subject.
“I want you to have it,” Aria says, pulling me from my thoughts.
I look at her in surprise. “Are you sure? You don’t want to give it to your dad or Uncle Luca?”
“No. Daddy just puts them in a box in a closet,” she mutters. “And Uncle Luca already has a lot.”
My heart breaks at the sadness in her tone when she mentioned what Theo does with her drawings. I look over at the fridge and see not one drawing hanging there. You’d think Theo would be proud of her and want to show off her talent. Every household that has a child living in it should have a picture they’ve drawn on the fridge. A pang hits my chest when I remember Teresa’s pictures on my family’s fridge. They weren’t near as good as Aria’s, but they were still just as special.
I sniff to clear away the tightness in my throat. “Thank you. Do you mind if I hang it on the fridge?”
Her answering smile says I made the right choice. I walk over to the fridge, grab the business-card-size automotive magnet, and slip the drawing underneath it, making sure the magnet doesn’t cover any of the drawing.
“Whatcha think?” I turn back to Aria.
“Thanks, Jules,” Aria says, looking very happy.
A knock from the living room has us both looking to the kitchen doorway.
“That should be your uncle. Why don’t you pack up your drawing stuff while I let him in?”
“Okay.”
I leave Aria in the kitchen and cross the small living room. When I’m standing in front of the door, I look through the peephole. I’ve been warned a couple times by Theo to never open the door without looking to see who it is. Even without the warning, I wouldn’t have done so. I’ve only lived here a short time, but even I know we don’t live in a very good section of town.
When I see Luca standing on the other side of the door, I step back, but before I pull the door open, I drag in a deep breath. Luca makes me feel things I don’t ever remember feeling before. Not in a bad way; he just makes me more aware of myself. The couple of times I’ve seen him, I’ve felt his eyes on me. I’m curious about him, and from the looks he gives me, he’s curious about me too. He also makes me feel safe and protected. Out of everyone I’ve met since I woke up from my coma, it’s Luca I feel the most comfortable around.
I close my eyes and disregard the voice inside my head that says he makes me feel more than comfortable. Heat blazes in my cheeks, and I blow out a harsh breath, trying to push that feeling away. The last thing I want is for Luca to see me with flushed cheeks when I open the door.
When he knocks again, I know I’m out of time.
I unlock the sliding chain, then the dead bolt, before pulling open the door. As soon as I see him in the flesh, the darn heat comes back. Luckily, the porch light is crappy, so hopefully he doesn’t notice.
“Hello, Luca.”
“Jules,” his deep voice rumbles. I ignore the flutter in my stomach the raspiness causes.
Stepping back, I offer for him to come inside.
“Aria’s packing away her drawing stuff. Her overnight bag is there.” I point to the My Little Pony book bag by the door.
“Where’s Theo?”
I walk further into the living room before turning to face him. “Umm… I don’t know. He was supposed to be here forty minutes ago. He’s been working late the last few days for a client that needs his car fixed quickly.”
I know where he is, and while what he’s doing doesn’t bother me, it’s what he’s missing that does. He should be here to say goodbye to his daughter.
A muscle in Luca’s jaw twitches, and his eyes narrow. Anger marks his face, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Does he know what Theo’s out doing right now?
“Hey, Uncle Luca!” Aria runs across the room and throws herself against Luca’s legs. His face softens as he bends and scoops her up.
“You ready for The Wizard of Oz?”
“Yep, and this time I got popcorn. Daddy took me and Jules grocery shopping, and I made sure we got some.”
“Sounds good, but we have to eat dinner first or it’ll spoil it,” Luca warns with a smile. His already handsome face becomes striking when he smiles, and I can’t help but look at him.
“I’ve already had dinner,” Aria informs Luca, her legs swinging by his sides.
He looks surprised for a moment, then he moves his gaze to me.
“You fed her?” he asks, his brows arching.
His question and the surprised expression confuse me. Why would he think I wouldn’t feed her?
“Yeah. We had leftover chicken noodle soup that I made last night.”
He nods and looks back to Aria. “Are we taking Goodie tonight?”
“Nope. Jules said she’ll feed and hold him for me.”
He smirks. “Maybe she should just feed him, and you can hold him when you get back home,” he suggests.
“But Uncle Luca, he’ll get lonely,” she complains with a pout.
Luca laughs, and I can’t help but giggle with him. The look in her eyes when she thought about her hamster getting lonely is adorable.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind holding him.”
His eyes twinkle and a smile plays on his lips as he sets Aria down on her feet.
“Just make sure you wash your hands before you hold him. He likes the salt on your hands and will take a nip out of your skin if you don’t wash them first.”
“Oh, okay.” I rub my fingers, not looking forward to getting bitten by the small creature.
“Go tell Goodie bye.” He ruffles her hair before she has a chance to run off.
He takes a step closer to me once she’s out of the room and a warm spicy scent drifts around me. The smell seems familiar in an odd way. I draw in a deep breath, liking the smell and wanting more of it, then feel heat creep up my cheeks when Luca’s mouth tips up at one corner, totally catching me trying to get another whiff of him. Luckily, he doesn’t call me on it.
“Theo normally doesn’t bother to feed her on the nights she stays with me.” He explains his surprise from a moment ago.
I frown. “But why?”
Something flashes in his eyes before the look drops away. “The thing with Theo is he loves Aria a lot. He just doesn’t really know how to care for her like she should be, and he knows she’ll be fed at whoever’s house she’s staying at. That’s why Mom, Dad, Ella, and I are always around to take her when he needs us to.”
Sympathy hits me with this news. I’ve seen the way Theo is with Aria, and I can definitely see the love he has for her, but I also see the neglect at times. Forgetting to remind her to brush her teeth before bed, not brushing her hair after her bath, letting her make her own lunch in the mornings before school, or letting her eat sweets right before dinner are just a few examples. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but the fact that it’s there at all is sad.
I’ve also noticed his lack of patience with her, and those times I want to snap at him. I don’t though, because she’s not my child and I have no right to tell him how to parent his kid. I’m still an outsider. As long as he never lays a hand on her I’ll keep my mouth shut and just do what I can behind his back to ensure she’s getting what she needs.
“Thank you for looking after her. Something tells me she’ll be better off with you here.”
My heart does a flip inside my chest and something warm settles in my stomach. Luca’s words mean a lot. I’ve been so restless lately with not remembering a part of my past. It’s left me feeling lost and alone. While Theo’s world has changed since I awoke, he at least has things and people around him that have always been there. With me, nothing is the same. It’s nice to know that although I may not like my situation at the moment, someone else is benefitting from it.
I smile and look at Aria as she comes back into the living room. “She’s special,” I tell him softly, and mean it.
“That she is.”
“I’m ready, Uncle Luca!” she says loudly, picking up her backpack and pulling it over her shoulders.
Once she’s done, she walks over to me and wraps her arms around my legs. I’m shocked for a moment. My worry over her being wary of me since the night she saw me and Theo in her room was unfounded. The next day, she was very open and talkative, like we had been friends for years. And the connection has only grown since, as we’ve spent a lot of time together. But I’m still surprised by her affection.
I pull away from her and look down. “How about I give you a proper hug?”
I squat down, and her arms go back around me, her hair hitting my face. Her little girl powdery scent hits me and emotions clog my throat. Once upon a time I wanted kids of my own. I still do, but it seems so unobtainable right now. I just can’t see myself having a baby with Theo, especially after what Luca said about him not caring for Aria as he should.
I look over Aria’s shoulder and my eyes meet Luca’s. Although they’re soft as he watches the exchange, there’s something dark in his crystalline blue gaze, almost mirroring a keen sense of sadness.
Before I have a chance to wonder about the poignant look, Aria release her arms from around me and places a kiss against my cheek. The little girl couldn’t be any sweeter if she tried.
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Okay,” she chirps.
As I open the door and the two walk out, I notice Luca has a firm grip on Aria’s hand, not letting her walk away without him. A brief look at the neighboring houses, and I understand why.
“Tell Theo I’ll have her back tomorrow around three.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“Lock the door once we leave.”
I nod. “All right.”
Luca gazes at me a moment longer, a strange look overcoming his face, before he turns with Aria and they walk down the sidewalk. I stand in the doorway as he secures her in her car seat, then walks around to the driver side. Instead of opening the door, he stands there and stares at me. It takes me a minute to realize what he wants. With a wave, I close the door, making sure to secure both locks.
I lean back against the wood, my knees unexpectedly feeling weak all of a sudden. After I’ve composed myself enough to where I won’t fall flat on my face, I push away from the door. As I walk across the living room back into the kitchen to tidy up, the warm, spicy scent hits me again, and I wonder once more why it seems familiar. Another thought filters in.
Why does the scent make me want to run to the source and throw myself into his warm embrace?
Luca
AFTER JULES CLOSES the door, I climb inside the truck.
“You ready to hit the road?” I ask Aria.
“Yes!” she squeals, making me chuckle.
Before I back out of the driveway, I grab my phone from the middle console. A sardonic smile curves my lips as I type out the text message.
Me: Just picked up Aria. You might want to be there the next time to say goodbye to your kid. Jules is looking good by the way.
I drop my phone in the cupholder, knowing damn good and well the message I sent is going to piss him off. That’s what the asshole gets for not being at home when he knew I was coming by. I don’t know for sure where he is, but I have my suspicions. It’s customary for Theo to be out whoring around on Fridays, and I don’t see this one being any different. It’s almost seven in the evening and he gets off at four thirty, if he even makes it that long. Jules’s excuse of him working late almost made me laugh, but my anger overruled it. Theo never works late.
My phone dings in the console. I back out of the driveway before picking it up and looking at the screen. It’s Theo’s response. I don’t look at the message, not needing to see the tirade I’m sure it will be.
Screw Theo. His ass should know better. It’s one thing to sleep with women while Jules was in a coma, but a whole different thing now that she’s awake and living with him. The thought makes me want to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze.
He’s damn lucky his daughter was there, because I’m not sure I would have been able to hold back from taking Jules into my arms. I wanted to touch her so fucking bad. My emotions are all over the place regarding her. I shouldn’t want her, but I do. I shouldn’t have feelings for her, but I do. I know it’s wrong of me to want to touch her, considering she’s my sister-in-law, but damn it all to hell, I fucking do. I want her to be mine, not Theo’s. He doesn’t deserve her. And what makes it harder to hold back those feelings is she’s sweet and caring and shy. And she obviously adores Aria
“Can you turn the music on?” Aria requests, breaking into my thoughts.
“Sure can, squirt.”
I turn the knob so the stereo beats through the speakers. As I navigate through the streets of Silver Hills, I silently applaud myself for not giving into the craving while in Jules’s presence.
I’m just not sure how much longer I can last.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jules
I’M SITTING ON THE couch, looking down at the fourth finger on my left hand when the front door opens. I nervously sit up and turn around to see Theo walking in the door. This is the first time we’ve been alone in the house.
I run my thumb over my bare finger. Theo looks angry about something and it ramps up my anxiety. I jump when he tosses his keys on the small table by the couch and they slide off the other side. Bending over, I pick them up and put them back on the table. Theo walks into the kitchen and comes back a minute later with a beer in his hand. When he sits on the chair next to the couch and agitatedly runs his hands through his hair, I know something is wrong.
Before he has a chance to say whatever it is he obviously wants to, I decide to ask something I’ve been curious about. I pull in a deep breath for courage and turn my head toward him.
“Where’s my wedding ring?” My voice comes out squeakier than I wanted, giving away just how nervous I am.
Theo takes a swallow of his beer, then leans his elbows on his knees.
“We decided to marry on the fly, and you were attacked right afterward. We never got the chance to get you a set. We were going to go together and get you an engagement and wedding ring.”
I nod, accepting his explanation. I knew it was last minute that we got married and the attack happened right afterward. I just assumed that Theo would have already bought a ring.
“I want you to stay away from Luca.”
I snap my eyes to his at his forceful tone. His expression is cold as he looks at me.
“Excuse me?” I ask, not sure I heard him correctly.
“Stay away from Luca. If he comes to the house, don’t open the door. He can wait until I’m here.”
Before I can stop my mouth from forming the words, they slip out. “You were supposed to be here, but you weren’t.”
His eyes narrow and his mouth forms a firm line before he growls. “I told you I was working.”
His anger both shocks and frightens me, and I sink back into the couch. I have no doubt his words are lies, especially since he’s not wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he left this morning to go to work. I’m sure he keeps a change of clothes in his car, because he can’t very well pick up a woman with grease on his jeans.
Theo sees my frightened state and the hard look in his eyes softens. His head falls between his shoulders, and I watch as he pulls in several breaths before he looks back at me. The anger is gone and is replaced with worry and wariness.
“Just please do as I ask, Jules.”
“But why, Theo? He’s your brother.”
His nostrils flare, and I know he’s working at keeping his temper in check again.
“There are things that happened before your coma that you don’t know about.”
Luca’s words from his last visit to me in the hospital come back to me.
“There are things you don’t know. If you did, you wouldn’t want me here.”
They left me curious as to what he meant, but I didn’t know Luca enough to demand he tell me what he meant. There’s obviously something that I’m missing, and it has to do with me. It’s about time I know what it is.
I square my shoulders and look Theo straight in the eyes, letting my resolve show on my face.
“Tell me,” I command with a firm voice. I’m proud of myself because I’m normally meek and timid, but this crap is getting old. I’ve seen the way the brothers look at each other, like they want to do harm to the other. I assumed it was something that happened between them years ago, but I had no idea it had anything to do with me.
When I hold my eyes steady on Theo, silently telling him I’m not backing down, he exhales heavily. He puts his beer down and comes to sit beside me on the couch, a little too close for comfort, but I don’t let it bother me.
“Seven years ago,” he starts slowly. “It was Luca who attacked you.”
“What?” I say incredulously. I had to have heard him wrong. “But I thought you said we had never met. That no one knew we were together.”
“He was the only one, and it was by accident. Actually, I’m not sure how he found out about us.”
I twist my hands together. “But I don’t understand. He acts like he hadn’t met me until the hospital? And besides, why in the world would he attack me?”
