Page 101 of Cassio

Margaret disappeared after dinner, excusing herself with a headache. Luca wasn’t far behind her. I didn’t have a good feeling about those two. Margaret was a wild thing. Luca didn’t need wild; it would send him off the rails.

Áine gave me the idea of a carpool, so I convinced her I’d drive her home. After all, we were neighbors.

“Cassio, I have to warn you,” Jack grumbled, muttering a few curses under his breath. He hid it well but he wasn’t pleased to see his daughter married to me. I couldn’t blame him, except that she was mine. Even though I was talking to Nico and Jack, my eyes were on Áine the entire time. “I see my daughter cry once, you’ll be dead before you know it. I see her distressed, I’ll torture you before I kill you.”

Nico grinned. “Oh, payback is a bitch,” he rumbled. “Add a few more threats, Callahan,” Nico encouraged him. Fucker!

I couldn’t well flip him a middle finger in front of my future father-in-law.

“Got it,” I told Callahan in a cold voice. If he was threatening me about anything else, he’d be dead. Since it was for the well-being of his daughter, I’d give him a pass. “Heads up though,” I warned him. “Áine won’t be seeing Dr. Taylor anymore.”

Jack stiffened, his eyes flickering to the women. “Áine told you about it?”

“We both agreed it was for the best,” I told him, keeping it brief. “Please make sure your wife understands that too.”

Jack shoved his hand through his silver hair. “It was bound to happen,” he muttered. “It was one of the reasons she insisted on moving out.” I cocked my eyebrow in surprise. When I didn’t say anything, Jack continued, “Áine remembers the events through nightmares and disjointed images. They give her headaches, bad migraines. Emily could spot it and would take her to Dr. Taylor before the headaches got too bad. Áine liked to push her timeline. Extend the length of the visits further and further apart, grasping for those wretched memories. To understand them. Those two got into it and Áine insisted on moving out. Emily frets over her, and our daughter hates it not understanding what it all derived from-”

We all knew what it was derived from. Áine’s mother blamed herself. It didn’t make any sense but there it was. Just as I blamed myself for my mother’s death and Benito’s wrongdoings against my friends.

I nodded in understanding. Jack put his one hand on my shoulder, the move fatherly. “You just make sure you take care of her. And keep her from that filthy half-brother of yours.”

He walked away without another word, joining the women.

“Do you have a time and location for that final belle auction yet?” I asked Nico once Jack was out of earshot.

He shook his head. “I’m working on it. I have a list of women they intend to use for this auction. I gave a heads up to Luciano and Vasili. Isabella and Grace are on that auction list too.”

“Does Bianca know?” I asked him.

Nico’s eyes sought out Bianca. He was worried too. Despite all his security and guards, he couldn’t help but worry. He finally found something good and just like the rest of us, he was scared of losing it. The rage he went through after his sister’s death would be doubled if something would ever happen to Bianca or their kids.

“No,” he finally answered. “I told her there are some bad things going on and we had to be on high alert. She kept the twins home this week, which suited me fine.” Except he knew keeping them in the compound indefinitely wouldn’t work.

“All good with pregnancy?” I asked him.

Nico’s face actually softened. “Yeah, all good. Strong heartbeats. Got sonogram pictures. Bianca didn’t want to share them with you and overshadow the engagement.”

“Nonsense.” Just as I said that Áine and Bianca joined us.

“What’s nonsense?” Bianca inquired.

“I want to see the sonogram pictures,” I told her. “After all, I amthefavorite uncle. The other one disappeared on us.”

She chuckled. “Just you wait until Luca hears that.” She glanced behind her. “Girls, leave Mrs. Callahan alone. We have to go.”

Jack’s wife was giving them treats for the road. They’d be hyper and it wasn’t like they needed more energy.

Áine rolled her eyes. “Just so you know, sheneverlet me have sweets at that age.”

Bianca chuckled. “Just you wait until you have your kids. It will make you even more resentful.”

Áine’s cheeks reddened. “Let’s see those sonogram pictures,” she changed the subject. “I hope you have boys and they look like your husband.”

Twenty minutes later, I had Áine in my car, driving home.

“Fancy car,” she commented as I left Jack’s compound. She twirled the engagement ring around her finger. I was happy to see her wearing it.

“It’s just a car,” I answered. “Áine?”