Page 16

Aiden’s red sports car is similar to the color on the maple trees as autumn takes hold of the world around us. Some of the leaves are starting to turn brown, drifting down toward the ground as the breeze shakes them loose from their branches.

I have leaves I have to burn.

It’s not the best excuse, but it’s going to be enough to get Aiden to stay outside to talk instead of going in.

One of these days, I’m going to have to tell him the truth, but he’s not going to be happy when he finds out.

My sisters will all be thrilled. They love kids, but my older brother might disown me.

Although, if Gia does something to push me and I get rid of her before Aiden knows, then that’s one less factor to worry about. I could tell him that the child came from an affair. He would never have to know that Bianca is a Rinaldo.

The plan has some merit, but I’m not sold on it yet. There are too many moving pieces I haven’t assessed deep enough yet.

Aiden parks the car and gets out, tucking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “It’s starting to get cold out.”

Nodding, I step down from the porch, jerking my chin in the direction of the backyard. “Let’s go back there and talk. I have some leaves and other yard trimmings that I need to burn.”

He nods, boots crunching on the leaves that cover the ground. “Sounds good. It’s not too horrible. You got some coffee, though? Had to set out before I had the chance to make more than one coffee.”

“Sure. You want to go rake some more leaves while I do that?”

Aiden hums to himself, already rounding the corner of the house.

As soon as he’s gone from sight, I hurry inside and shut the door behind me, nearly running into Gia as she comes out of the kitchen with Bianca and a bottle in her arms.

Bianca grins around the bottle when she sees me, shoving it away.

Gia glances out the window and stares at the new car sitting in the driveway. “What’s going on?”

“Aiden is here, and he doesn’t know about you.” I stride into the kitchen and over to the window that looks out at the backyard. “Stay out of the fucking way. If he sees you, this all goes to shit.”

Aiden’s back is to the house as he rakes up more leaves, adding them to the pile beside the burn barrel.

I start the coffee machine as Gia follows me into the room. Motioning for her to step out of the room, I follow her into the hallway that runs between the kitchen and the primary bedroom.

She scowls, shifting Bianca in her arms and catching the bottle before it can fall to the ground. “What the hell is your brother doing here? I thought I was being held hostage. Usually that means that there’s nobody other than the captor here.”

“I’m sorry, did you want to set the terms for being held captive?” I ask, sarcasm dripping from my voice. I crowd her, forcing her back against the wall as heat radiates from her body. “If you want to be the one to dictate how this is going to work, go ahead, but I thought I was being pretty humane.”

Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip, a rosy flush on the tops of her breasts. As she stands there, she keeps her mouth shut but there’s irritation shining in her eyes. If I had the time right now, I would teach her a lesson.

Unfortunately, I’m too busy trying to keep her alive until I decide what I really want to do with her.

The coffee maker whizzes as it finishes filling the pot.

“I have to go out there and talk to him, but he has no clue that I was ever involved with you and he has no clue about Bianca either. Which means that you need to go upstairs and stay away from the windows.”

The color drains from her face as she spins and heads for the staircase just off the living room.

I take a deep breath, combing my fingers through my hair before going to fill the coffee mugs and heading outside.

The scent of burning wood and leaves fills the air as I step outside, curls of steam wafting high from the mugs.

Aiden looks up from the fire. “We’re going to get snow soon. If you wait until then, you won’t have to burn the leaves. They’ll be all covered up.”

“I’m not burning all the leaves.” I hand him the mug and point to the leaves at the bottom of the trees that line the edge between my property and the woods. “Those ones are staying for the animals, but everything up here needs to go.”

“It’s a lot more effort than you need to put in.”