Page 55 of Cassio

“Yes, maybe not the best scenario,” she admitted reluctantly. “I still don’t agree with forcing her to marry you.” She shook her head. “Who is it anyhow?”

“Áine Callahan.”

She gave me an odd look.

“Do you mean Áine Evans?” Her question surprised me. “That name is very unusual and I only ever heard it once.”

“You know her?” If she did, maybe she could put in a good word for me. I groaned silently. Good word or not, Áine would be my wife.

“She interned for a real estate company for a few months. It was during our college years.” She turned her eyes to Nico. “Yours, actually.” Nico nodded; we both knew it. Though her connection to my sister was a novelty to both of us. “Anyhow, she also did a few weeks for John’s construction company. It was how we met. We hung out while she was in town, but then she went back to New York. We stayed in touch but things got busy. For both of us.”

“Well, well, well,” Luca grinned. “It’s a small world.”

“Did she date anyone while you guys hung out?” From all the questions, no idea why that one came out?

Bianca shook her head. “No, nothing serious.” For a moment she hesitated, like she struggled. “Cassio, please, think about what you are doing. She’s a really good person.”

“So I shouldn’t marry her?” I challenged her, slightly agitated.

She sighed. “I am not saying that. Áine spent the night once at our dorm, my last year of college, and the nightmare she had was-” She searched for words, her eyes full of emotion. It was what made Bianca so much better than us. She cared about others more than herself. “I don’t know. By how shaken up she was, it was bad. Now that you told me that Benito kidnapped her, it explains it. Don’t make things worse for her.”

I could feel Luca’s eyes on me. Until recently, the two of us were the only ones that knew what happened to her. Not including Áine’s parents. It would seem not even Áine herself remembered. Well, except in her nightmares.

“Cassio will do the right thing, Cara Mia,” Nico comforted her. “How about we tell them the good news?”

A crimson blush crept up Bianca’s neck and her cheeks.

“Don’t think I don’t know you are trying to distract me,” Bianca narrowed her eyes on him, but then a soft smile curved her lips. “But I’ll allow it this time because I already know we won’t see eye-to-eye on this marriage method matter.”

“It’s the reason you are better than us,” Luca muttered affectionately. My brother was, of course, right. Bianca’s mother, despite all that happened, did right by her daughter.

“Umm, okay,” Bianca took a deep breath. “Luca, you’ll have to buy a bigger car if you're going to continue with gifts every time you come to visit.” Luca’s eyebrow lifted in question. “We are expecting.”

My lip quirked.

“Expecting what?” Luca asked, his expression truly quizzical. Our brother was adamant to remain ignorant in regards to Bianca's physical aspect of her marriage. It was probably his coping mechanism, so he wouldn’t kill Nico for sleeping with our sister.

“We’re pregnant,” Nico added, grinning. His hand went protectively over her lower abdomen. “We are expecting twins.”

Bianca’s small hand covered Nico’s.

“A stork is bringing those babies, right?” Luca’s eyes crinkled and his lip corners raised up.

“How did you know?” Bianca played along, amusement shining in her eyes. “We just booked them yesterday.”

Luca just couldn’t stomach anyone banging our sister. I couldn’t go there either. It made my finger itch for my gun.

“I’m happy for you,” I told them both. “I can’t wait to meet them. Do the girls know?”

Bianca smiled dreamily. “We are going to tell them tonight. You know they can’t keep a secret. But we’ve been talking about possibilities for a brother or a sister and both are thrilled. Especially after learning that Matteo will have a little sister.”

* * *

“You haveto consider the possibility, Áine Evans will fight you,” Luca commented as we entered Nico’s office. While Nico sat down behind the desk, Luca and I took seats opposite of him. “She doesn’t seem ready to settle nor does she seem the type to be told who to marry. She grew up independent. You might want to reconsider your plan, Cassio.”

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” My brother was grating on my nerves. Why in the fuck did he suddenly want to be the knight? Bianca was rubbing off on him.

“Of course she isn’t the type to be told who to marry.” Nico rocked back in his chair. “Neither was Bianca. Or Grace. So you make it happen and then make it up to her for the rest of her life. That was my plan.”