Page 20 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession (Vadim Bratva #12)

Though, of course, I never mentioned what I knew. Gastone specifically asked me not to. With a brave breath in, I rang the bell.

Kate, Caspian’s wife, was the one to open the door. On seeing us, she immediately pulled me into a hug, before turning to Gastone. There was a moment of awkwardness, which she broke first.

“I’m glad you could make it,” she smiled at him.

“Of course,” Gastone said, but he looked stiff.

She ushered us in, and the entire room fell silent when we entered the dining room.

“Look who decided to grace us with their presence,” Gio was the first to say, breaking the silence. He smiled at me, but it faltered when his gaze landed on Gastone.

I forced myself to smile back, accepting hugs and kisses from my brothers while Larissa gently squeezed my hand in passing, making way towards Gastone.

“It was good of you to come,” I heard her sigh as she hugged her brother. Beatrice hovered by her side, giving me a nervous look, and I nodded in encouragement, as though to tell her he was alright. He was good.

Bea nodded back and turned to Gastone with a smile, introducing herself.

Some drinks were poured, and we all made small talk. I noticed my family, especially Bea and Kate, trying to have conversations with Gastone, but he hardly answered. It was mostly grunts, yes’s, no’s, and a couple of maybes.

The whole time, Gastone stood rigid beside me. I noticed Larissa give me a quizzical, worried look, and to not make her worry, I simply shrugged and rolled my eyes as though to say You know your brother best.

When the conversation, or rather lack of it, couldn’t get any more awkward, Kate suggested we eat. I felt relieved hearing those words. The truth was, I couldn’t wait to get home. I was starting to feel like coming here had been a bad idea in the first place.

We all settled around the table with Gastone next to me. But he hardly said a word, not to me, not to anyone else.

Dinner was a surreal affair. The conversation flowed freely around us, but Gastone and I sat in awkward silence, only speaking when directly addressed.

I wanted to laugh and joke like old times, but somewhere in my heart, I also didn’t want Gastone to feel like his story, his pain, didn’t matter. I didn’t know how to navigate my version of my family and reconcile it with his.

“So, Gastone,” Dante said, cutting into his steak, “Elena says she’s been going out a lot. You aren’t concerned about her safety?”

I shot Dante a warning look, but Gastone merely smiled tightly.

“Elena's free to come and go as she pleases,” he said.

“She's not for me to control, and of course, we have security in place. Despite whatever enmity our families have shared, she is innocent . I would never let anything happen to her. No woman under my watch shall fall victim to any hurt. Never again. ”

The table fell silent at his pointed tone. I took a large gulp of wine, wishing I could disappear.

“Interesting,” Federico muttered, giving me a raised eyebrow as though to ask what the hell that was about.

“Perhaps you two should plan a holiday, eh? You never did have a honeymoon,” Larissa jumped right in on time, trying to erase the tension in the room.

The conversation shifted to safer topics, but the strange vibes remained. I caught Gastone watching Gio with such a flash of hatred that it made my blood run cold. If what he believed was true, if Gio had ordered the hit on Adriana...

No. I couldn't think about that now. Not like this, with my family present.

By the time dessert was served, my brothers had moved on to discussing the stock market, while Gastone sat in silence, nursing his scotch. Larissa kept throwing him worried looks.

After dessert, we moved to the living room. Gastone excused himself to take a call, and that was when my brothers pounced.

“What the hell is going on with you two?” Achille demanded. “You're hardly talking to each other, let alone anyone else.”

“What? Nothing!” I protested.

“You look like you’re scared of him,” Caspian said, his voice deadly serious. “Like you’re scared he’s going to lose it or something.”

“Is he hurting you?” Dante jumped to a ridiculous conclusion.

“He is most certainly not ,” I insisted, surprised by my own vehemence. “He's never hurt me. Not once.”

My brothers exchanged skeptical glances.

“He kidnapped you,” Gio reminded me.

“I know what he did,” I said. “But he's... he's not what you think he is.”

“What is he like, then?” Federico asked, his tone gentler than the others. “He treating you well?”

I sighed, thinking of Gastone making me coffee in the mornings. Gastone defending my honor at the club. Gastone reading beside me on the couch, his feet in my lap.

Despite everything, I felt a surge of affection for him. He'd endured this dinner for me, even knowing what it cost him to sit across from the men he believed had stolen his future.

“He’s good,” I said finally. “He's complicated, but good. You have to know him to believe me. He’s got the kindest heart for his men and his employees. I’ve never seen loyalty like the kind he exhibits.

He listens. Actually, truly listens to what I have to say, and even if he doesn’t agree with my plans, he never stops me from doing what I want.

He treats me like an equal. He never patronizes, and you know what?

He’s just having a bad day, so back off , all of you! ”

I said the last words with a bite.

“Okay, okay,” said Caspian reluctantly, sensing I was getting wired up. Gio looked conflicted, but he walked off with Caspian.

When all the rest had scattered, Federico stayed behind and studied me, then glanced toward the door to the study. “Can we talk? Alone?”

I nodded, following him into Caspian's study. He closed the door behind us.

“What's really going on, Elena? You're not yourself.”

I hesitated, torn between loyalty to my family and the growing need to know the truth.

“Did we ever...” I swallowed hard. “Did we ever target Gastone through a woman?”

Federico's brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Three years ago,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. “A woman named Adriana Moretti. She was pregnant.”

My brother seemed genuinely surprised. “Adriana, of course. He told you about her? You two must be getting quite close.”

I felt a chill down my spine.

“She was shot coming out of her doctor's office,” I pressed on, watching his face carefully. “Six months pregnant with Gastone's daughter.”

Federico's eyes widened with shock. “It was a girl?”

I nodded. “I need to know, Federico…I don’t know how to say this. But did you, did we—?”

Federico’s voice rose, just an octave. “He thinks we did it?”

“He says he has proof. That was a message from Gio when he was expanding into Ajello territory. Even the paper reported you being responsible.”

“Yeah, we saw that article but thought Gastone was smart enough to know better,” Federico muttered. “You know how many fake leads the feds throw around to stir up paranoia between families? We figured it was just another distraction.”

“Well, he says you killed her,” I sighed with resignation.

Federico ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled. “That's why he took you. It wasn't just about Larissa.”

“No,” I admitted. “It wasn't.”

“Elena, I swear to you, we weren’t behind this.” He gripped my shoulders. “But I'll find out who was. And then, I…well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but we’ll figure it out.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, knowing I could count on him. “Don't tell the others. Please. I don’t want them to hate Gastone for telling me.”

He looked reluctant, but must have seen the worry in my eyes. “I won't. But Elena?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. If Gastone believes we killed his family, there's no telling what he might do.”

I thought of the warehouse, of Gastone's hands covered in blood. Of the pain in his eyes when he showed me Adriana's photos. Of how he sobbed into my chest that night when we got home and apologized for it.

“I know,” I said softly. “Believe me, I know. But he won’t do a thing to me.”