Chapter Thirty-One
Ifelt better—stronger—after finally talking with Nate. He’s been asleep for nearly two days. They kept him sedated because he grew so agitated being stuck in bed. But he has to heal. Or at least start to. Quinn forced the issue with the doctors, which they dutifully obeyed. I saw some sense in it. It’s made me fidgety to see him awake again, though, and Quinn is as short with me as ever, but I suppose it gave us all time to come to terms with what had happened.
Nate didn’t sugar coat anything for me, which I was grateful for despite the pain and anguish it caused. All in with Nate Cane might be a dream while we can escape and find our bubble, but that world, the one with guns and violence and death—the one I’ve hated all my life—just got a hell of a lot closer.
He’s set my mind in motion and it all leads back to my brother. I can’t bear to visit him, but I know I need to get it over with. It’s like pulling a Band-aid off—a short, sharp tug will get it over with and let me move on.
If only this was going to be as simple as that.
The entrance to Andreas’ room is similar to Nate’s. I can see him through the window propped up on the bed with his arm in a sling. His chest is bare and covered in bruises. My feet squeak on the polished floor as I slip inside the room. As soon as I enter, Andreas stirs, snapping his head to the source of the sound. “Hey,” he croaks.
“Hey. I can come back if you’re resting?” I nod towards the door.
“No, it’s fine.” He pulls himself up, his eyes focused on me. “You okay?”
“Sure,” I lie. “A few bruises.” My fingers fiddle with the cotton edge of the sheets, not wanting to look him in the eye. I don’t need to go into details. Andreas is fully aware of the extent of my injuries.
As my brother, I should be relieved that Andreas is safe and talking, but there’s anger burning inside me for everything that’s happened. Not just anger at how he put everything else above me, but how my whole life, all the pain and loneliness, has stemmed from him. His dealings, his business—it all started with him. And until I was in that room with him, until he witnessed his little sister being raped rather than give up his business, I didn’t see how evil and twisted he’d become.
“Are you just visiting?” He lowers his head to catch my eye.
“Yep. I wanted to make sure you’re safe.”
“After your boyfriend shot me, you mean.”
“Nate shot you?” My voice catches as my shock registers and I hate that I still feel any sentiment for my brother. The acid burns in my stomach as the warring emotions dig in.
He shuffles up on the bed, back propped on the headboard. “Pretty smart. He took me out. Meant I couldn’t be used against him. He is a Cane after all.”
“What does that mean?” The muscles in my body snap to attention as I defend Nate and my anger grows at Andreas’ remarks.
“Cane is one of the biggest criminal enterprises on the east coast. Mortoni wouldn’t shut up about how he was in bed with them. Fucking idiot.”
“This isn’t about Nate. This is about you and the drugs and all the other deals you’ve worked leading to this. Leading to the Yakuza following me around the world to use me as leverage against you.” My finger stabs at Andreas accusingly. “Leverage that you ignored. You watched, and you ignored, and let them…hurt me.” Tears clog my throat, but I swallow them down. He seems oblivious to what he let them do to me, uncaring. “You need to stop and make this all go away, Andreas.”
“Go away?” He scoffs. “Come on, Gabriella. Don’t be so naive. The Yakuza will never leave this. And they won’t give a crap about me when they have a vendetta against Cane.”
“No. They wanted your port. Your business. That’s why they stole the diamonds—to get to you.”
“And now they have it. But they also figured they can take a swipe at Cane as well. Nicely done, by the way.”
“After what you let them do to me, you don’t have the right to talk to me that way.” My teeth clench together as I bite the words out. “They nearly beat you to death. Nearly killed me.”
“If you think you can be happy with him, you’re delusional.” There’s venom to his words that smash into my chest, knocking the fury I felt flat.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I have to hand it to you, hermana, you know how to pick them. You think my life has been violent?” He shakes his head. “He’s a fucking Cane, Gabriella. Wake up and look at what they are rather than thinking with your body.” I frown at that. I know Nate. I do. He’s kind and decent, regardless of what’s happened, nothing like my brother’s underhanded world.
“So? I didn’t know that about him when I met him. I won’t hold it against him.”
“But you’ll hold it against me. For the rest of my life?” Anger fumes through me, dropping my calm voice to a hiss of hatred.
“You let them rape me, Andreas. You even watched,” I snap out, still able to feel that man inside me. “You could have stopped them, helped me, like I’ve tried to help you.”
“They wouldn’t have stopped. It was all to get me to talk, to give up the port. Of course, your novio probably knows that already.” He turns as if to dismiss me.
I can’t believe this is the brother I’ve loved my whole life. I’ve always looked out for him and wanted him safe. Yet, he can’t do the same thing for me.
