The Woman from the Past (Grassi Framily)

“You’re beautiful,” he cut me off, making a strange fluttery sensation move across my chest at the compliment.

I mean, sure, Colin complimented me. But his words always left me feeling slimy and cold.

Massimo’s words made me feel, well, warm.

I was pretty sure that was all kinds of screwed up, given the situation, but I guess I couldn’t be too hard on myself since Massimo was probably the best-looking guy I—and most other women—had ever laid eyes on. When a guy that attractive called you beautiful, it was normal to have a reaction.

“I was going to say it was because I was really peppy,” I said.

“It was because you’re beautiful. Peppy helps. But it was because you were probably the prettiest girl in school.”

“I guess that all kind of depends on what, you know, your personal pref—“

“No. Some things transcend preferences,” Massimo cut me off. “It’s why Colin wants you. Because he couldn’t stand that his brother wanted you, that his brother got you. So now he has to have you.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. The sibling rivalry had been intense between the two. They could barely stand to be in the same room together sometimes. And when they were having issues, everyone was having issues.

I’d never understood their dynamic since I’d always been so close with my brothers. But I guess my relationship was a protective big sister one, whereas Colin and Cody were closer in age, so everything became more about competition.

“He’s going to die still not having had you, though,” Massimo said.

His bluntness caught me by surprise. He’d been careful up until that moment, always saying things in ways that wouldn’t come back and bite him in the ass.

“Well, hopefully,” I said, nodding.

“No, not hopefully,” Massimo said, voice savage. “If something feels off with him before I get a chance to take care of him, I want you to take the risk and call me. It can all be ended in a few minutes. Before anything happens.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” I said, glancing down at my mug. Because, to an extent, I was pretty sure I was lying.

Colin hadn’t let me work for his mom out of the goodness of his cold, empty heart. He’d sort of… assumed that by my wanting to work at the deli with his mom, it meant I was starting to warm to him. And when Colin thought something like that, it could make him more forward, more… demanding.

He’d insinuated things before. About the two of us. But he’d never gone further than the occasional casual touch.

But if he thought that I was becoming, like, more his? I didn’t want to think what it would mean for the advantages he felt entitled to take.

And if I tried to refuse?

A shiver coursed through me at the idea.

And that shiver made Massimo reach out, his big hand closing over the top of mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Don’t let your mind go there,” he urged, seeming to realize what he was doing, so he yanked his hand back. “It’s not going to happen,” he added. “Okay. I think we’ve been sitting together too long,” he said, glancing around. “Nine,” he added, giving me a nod as he got up.

“Nine,” I agreed.

“It’s all going to work out, Cammie,” he told me with so much conviction that I instantly wanted to believe him.

Was it probably a bit mental to put all your trust in the man who killed your boyfriend, and then sent your life into a downward spiral for years?

Yeah.

But he was all I had.

And something in me, as crazy as it sounded, told me that Massimo Grassi was one of the good guys.

That was extra insane since, you know, he literally killed people for a living. But I would bet good money on the fact that he never killed someone outside of the, you know, “business.” He dealt exclusively in criminals.

It was jaded of me, but sometimes you had to kind of accept that criminals killed other criminals. It was business to them.