CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kal
When the plane landed on Martha’s Vineyard it was met by another swarm of security. Had there been a photographer I would have walked down the plane’s stairs doing a princess wave, but there wasn’t one and the mood wasn’t jovial.
I took a moment to look around and decided presidents traveled with less protection. “Is all this really necessary?”
From my side, Marc answered, “Your brother has powerful enemies who would love to use someone he cares about as leverage.”
“Fantastic,” I said with heavy sarcasm.
“Before you judge Dominic, make sure you’re proud of every choice you’ve made.”
My head snapped around as my temper rose. “Don’t go there.”
“When it comes to protecting Dominic, I’ll go to whatever lengths are necessary. You want me to care about how you feel too? Prove you deserve it.”
It wasn’t amusing to have my own words thrown back at me. “I don’t care what you think of me.”
“That sentiment is mutual.” In a low tone, Marc added, “Come on, we have a helicopter waiting for us.”
A helicopter? Why not? My opinion of my brother was lowering with each over-the-top demonstration of his wealth. You’re rich. I get it. We all get it.
I followed Marc across the tarmac to a waiting helicopter without asking him where we were going. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that not knowing was nerve wracking. It wasn’t my first flight in a helicopter. Although never one like Dominic’s. I was used to being in the same cabin as the pilot, wearing headphones to block out the loud noise. Refurbished helicopters were a tool some divers used to get to places that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible. I’d dived directly from the open door of a few into the choppy waters of remote locations.
The plush, soundproof cabin of this helicopter was as foreign to me as every aspect of the trip had been so far. I climbed in and took a seat. Marc followed and sat across from me. When a man popped a head in from the tarmac to ask if I’d like a beer, I joked, “Because you’re out of champagne?”
“Not at all. Is there a brand and year you prefer?” He listed a few that were chilled and ready.
I frowned, feeling awkward. “No. Thank you.”
“Something to eat perhaps? Water?”
“I’m fine.”
Marc declined as well.
Once the doors closed the sound of the rotors lowered to a background hum. If this was how my brother lived on a daily basis it was no wonder he thought he could do whatever he pleased. I wondered if, when he shit, there was someone right there to catch his turd and tell him it was marvelous.
Soon after takeoff, Marc said, “Dominic planned a surprise for you.”
Since we were headed out over the water, I couldn’t help but say, “As long as it’s not a long walk off a short plank with me in cement shoes, I’m fine with whatever.”
Marc smiled. “We don’t do that to family.”
I met his gaze. “Are you still fucking with me?”
His smile widened. “Maybe.”
A super yacht came into view. It had to be over four hundred feet long. Eight or so floors if the windows were anything to go by. There was a pool on one of the decks as well as a helipad. Yachts were a common sight for divers, but nothing like this. Not that I was surprised that Dominic would own such a thing or that he would assume I would be impressed by it. I hoped he didn’t ask me if I liked it because that would open a whole other topic, he wouldn’t want to hear my thoughts on.
We landed with less fanfare than at the airport. I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for whatever was about to go down.
The rotors were off before the doors of the helicopter opened. Marc didn’t instantly move to get out so I didn’t either. “I know that look and it never appears on your brother’s face before he does something he’s proud of later.”
My smile was more of a baring of my teeth than a reflection of my mood. “I’ve been clear about why I’m here.”
With a shake of his head, Marc led the way out of the helicopter up a stairway to a man who was standing by a rail, looking out over the ocean. We stopped a few feet from him. Only then did he turn to greet us.
What struck me first was how familiar his face looked to me. Although he was older, with some graying near his temples, we had the same gray eyes. His hair was jet black just like mine. Many of our features were similar enough that anyone would guess a relationship by looking at us.
I was an inch or two taller and in better physical shape, but for a man who likely spent most of his time in suits, he was still visibly fit. I met his stare with one of my own. Neither of us spoke.
It could have been the location he’d chosen for us to meet, but the stories my mother had told me of our father came flooding back. My eyes narrowed and disgust filled me as I imagined my mother cowering before someone because she feared the kind of power he wielded—the same kind of power Dominic had. “All I see when I look at you is Antonio and the damage he did to my family.”
Dominic stood straighter and held my gaze. “I get that a lot.”
I had expected him to protest that he was nothing like our father, but he didn’t. For the sake of my family, I bent a little. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for my mother as well as my sister.”
“It was the least I could do. I was sickened by what Antonio did to your mother.”
Looking him right in the eye, I had to ask, “You never knew about us?”
“Not until Judy, my daughter, and Gian, my youngest brother, made a bet to see which of them could be the first to uncover relatives for me.”
He appeared to be telling the truth. “And they found us.”
“Yes.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “And you decided to welcome us into your family? Just like that?”
“You weren’t the first surprise sibling I’ve learned about recently. Antonio fathered Sebastian with my mother’s sister. My mother had Gian with another man while she was on the run from Antonio. It’s a complicated family tree.”
“My other brother. Sebastian who?”
“Romano.”
I knew the name but only because most people did. “As in Romano Superstores?”
“That’s him.”
Great. I couldn’t have a normal sibling out there?
“My sister Nicole would have come today, but I didn’t tell her I was meeting you. I didn’t tell anyone.”
That sounded ominous. “Because?”
“I don’t know what I think of you yet.”
At least he was honest. I respected that. “Because I’m a dancer?”
“Is that what you are?”
“It’s what I’ve done for long enough that it’s what I’m known for.” I tensed as I spoke. “I’m not ashamed of doing what I had to for my family.”
“Good. You shouldn’t be. That sacrifice is no longer necessary though. Tell me what you need and it’s yours. Tell me what you want—and it’ll at least be considered.”
I dropped my hands to my sides. “I’ve heard the stories of how Antonio won my mother over. He drew her in with his money, manipulated situations, then used his power to control her. How do I know you’re nothing like him? How do I know you won’t hurt my family?”