SharingGianna (4 page)

She heard the voices before she got to the waiting-room
doors. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stepped into the
chaos. Time to face the music.

Gianna was ready to pull her hair out. She felt as if she’d
gone ten rounds in the boxing ring with a champion. Her brothers had that
impact on people. They’d gone from embracing her and telling her how happy they
were to see her to what the hell was she thinking in two minutes flat.

They didn’t like her career choice and the fact that she’d
done several ads nude, especially those for European campaigns where they
tended to be more open. They were mad as hell that she’d failed to keep in
contact with them. Everyone seemed to forget about their mother’s role in her
absence or the fact that her phone hadn’t exactly been ringing off the hook
from them either. Other than Cris, she hadn’t really spoken to them.

They were mad that she was staying in a hotel. Cris wanted
her to stay with him. He had a spare room now that Phoebe had moved in with
Dante. Angelo offered his spare room up, as did Nico. While Dante said she
should be back home while she was in town. Isabella wasn’t there yet. Who knew
what her sister would have offered, if anything. And she had missed all this
demanding chaos? Hell, yes, she had.

Of course Gianna had waded right in and told them in no
uncertain terms her life, her choices. She wouldn’t apologize for her career or
the fact that she preferred to stay in a hotel. All of them had told her that
it was time to put whatever argument she had going with Mamma behind her and
come back to the family. They loved her. She knew that, had always known it.

Cris had nearly undone her when he pulled her close and whispered
in her ear.

“Gianna, I can’t do this anymore. Come home. Please. I won’t
ask any questions. Just come home.”

She could feel him shaking as he hugged her. This brother,
who had always been there for her, just a phone call away at any time, was
begging her to come home. She had to fight to hold back the tears.

Like it or not, she was going to have to confront her
mother. Ten years was a long time. Her father was right. It was enough. Her
mother could either listen to the truth or keep her head buried in the lies
she’d been sold. But Gianna needed to have her say. She hadn’t realized just
how much she needed that until she’d come home. She would never be able to
really heal until she told her mother the truth of that day. And the
repercussions of it.

Finally Jessie had stuck her head in to yell at them all
about the noise. She’d read them the riot act about proper behavior while in a
hospital then grabbed Gianna’s hand and pulled her out of there. Gianna had
begged off breakfast and agreed to meet her friend later in the day after
they’d both gotten some much-needed sleep.

Jessie dropped her off in front of the hotel and Gianna
waved as her friend drove away. She stood there for a long moment. It was as if
the entire world were crashing around her. Everything she’d walked away from
ten years ago was washing over her and there would be no more running. The time
had come to stand and fight, to take back her family. She needed to bring the
truth to light and let the cards fall where they would. Her family was more
than worth the fight.

But she stood rooted to the spot, unable to take that first
step into the hotel. She needed rest, needed food. She needed comfort. She
needed someone to lean on and wrap their arms around her for just a little bit.
Just long enough for her to shore her strength back up. She could handle her
mother’s feelings, knowing they were built on a lie. But what if the truth
didn’t change anything?

Her breath shuddered and she bit back a sob, using her fist
to block her open mouth.

A hand stroked down her back and she found herself pulled
against a hard chest. Glancing up, she looked into Gabe’s green eyes.

“Let it go, Gia. Even I can see something is eating away at
you. Just let it go.”

She shook her head. “Not here. Not—”

“Come with me.” He tugged her hand, pulling her into the
building and straight to the elevator. He gave her fingers a squeeze and kept
talking to her as the car slowly made it up to their floor. But when she would
have stopped at her door, he tugged her on to his.

A slide of the keycard and she was inside. Having sex would
help. Maybe she should just lose herself in his body for a while.

“Well, hello there,” Tony greeted them as Gabe pulled her
all the way into the room. His eyes moved over her face and he was there beside
her in an instant. “What’s wrong? Is it your brother? Is everything okay?”

How could they read her so well? She’d always been the queen
of hiding her emotions. Was she that far gone?

“Gianna, talk to me here?” Tony’s voice intruded on her
thoughts.

“Stephano is still in recovery. He hasn’t changed. Just
waiting to see how he does.”

“So why the sad face?”

“I just… Coming back here… I thought I could handle stuff,
but I’m not so sure any more.”

“Ahhh, past demons coming out to play, are they?” As Gabe
spoke he ran his fingers up and down her spine in a soothing gesture.

“Best thing to do is knock ’em in the teeth. Don’t run.
Fight. Trust me on this. It’s the only way to win.”

She saw the shadows in Tony’s eyes and wondered what demons
he’d fought. She knew he’d served with Dante in the Marines, that he and Gabe
had stayed in even after Dante left. She’d talked to Phoebe on the phone
earlier in the car and her friend had been a fountain of information about the
two friends visiting Dante. According to Phoebe, Dante was encouraging both of
them to put down roots and stay.

“Fight. I’m good at fighting. But I just… I don’t fall
apart. I shore up the walls and keep going. I can’t do this.”

Gabe tilted her face up to his. “Everyone needs to let
things go at some point. Our strength isn’t unlimited. Let us help you.”

“Are you offering sex as a stress reliever?”

“Sure,” Tony agreed with a wicked smile. Then his face
softened and his eyes filled with compassion and understanding. “But I don’t
think that’s what you need right now.”

“When we make love to you,” Gabe interjected, “the only
things in your eyes will be passion and lust, not shadows and demons.”

“I—”

“Shhh…” Tony whispered and swept her up in his arms,
carrying her across the room and sitting in a chair with her cradled in his
lap. “Stop thinking. Just let it all go. I’ve got you.”

Gabe squatted down beside them. “We’ve both got you.
Nothing’s getting past us. Just let all you’re holding inside out.”

“I thought I was strong. I thought I was tough.” She laughed
and the edge of hysteria was obvious even to her. “Here I am in a hotel room
with two men that I don’t really know a thing about.”

“What would you like to know?” Tony smiled warmly at her.
“I’m an open book. Ask me anything.”

Gianna laughed in spite of the situation. These were men who
had fought and served with her brother. He trusted them enough to invite them
to come see him, encouraged them to stay. But still. She let out a slow sigh
and shook her head. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“If you really felt that way, you wouldn’t have let me lead
you here. There’s something about you that calls to me, to us. I think you feel
it too. Maybe a kindred spirit?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that
right now you need someone to hold you. You need to know that you can fall
apart, even just a little, and it will be okay. We can give you that.”

Tony’s arms were warm and somehow felt safe. Gabe’s words
were true. God help her, she just wanted to let it all go for a bit. She needed
someone who wasn’t upset with her, who wasn’t a part of the past that haunted
her. She needed this, and them. So with a choked sob she tucked her head into
Tony’s chest and let the tears flow.

Hands stroked over her, offering comfort. Muffled words were
whispered in soothing tones. She clung and let it all come pouring out of her
in a torrent of tears that once started, she couldn’t stop. Sobs shook her
body. Through it all Tony’s arms held her close while Gabe’s hands moved up and
down her spine.

Eventually her tears slowed to trickles and with a shuddered
breath, she let exhaustion claim her.

* * * * *

Tony eased Gianna out of his arms and onto the bed. He
brushed his fingers softly down her cheek while Gabe pulled the comforter up
over her. She looked so beautiful. She had the flush of her tears still on her
cheeks but it only added to her allure, making her look soft and needy. He got
the picture that she didn’t look that way often. How was it that Dante’s sister
didn’t feel that the support of her family was available to her? Dante had
always said his family was close.

They’d called Dante first thing this morning to tell him
they’d met Gianna and he’d filled them in on the sister he dubbed “the
hellcat”. But the image painted didn’t match with the soft woman nestled on
their bed. This one didn’t seem unbreakable, didn’t seem wild and capable of
always causing trouble. This one screamed out for someone to believe in her, to
hold her and chase away her demons. And damned if Tony didn’t want to do just
that. He could tell with just one look that Gabe felt the same.

“What are we going to do?” Tony sank back into the chair
where he’s held Gianna while she cried.

“Well, Dante wanted us to put down roots and stay.”

Tony snorted. “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t thinking of us
bedding his sister when he said that.”

“Nah, I’m sure he wasn’t.”

“But she’s in our head now.” His glance fell to where she
lay. “And in our bed.”

“Yeah.” Gabe stood, looking down at her. “I just can’t shake
it. From the moment I ran into her, I just felt… I don’t know how to explain
it. It’s like meeting someone and somehow knowing that your life will never be
the same.”

“And it won’t if Dante and his brothers kill us. Christ, can
you imagine his face when he finds out we’re both fucking his sister.”

“I don’t even want to think about it. Besides, we aren’t
fucking her. Not yet.”

“It’s inevitable, Gabe. We both know it, and I’m pretty sure
Gianna does too.”

“My head is screaming at me to run as far as I can in the
opposite direction of her.”

“My cock is begging me to submit to anything that gets it
buried deep inside her.”

Gabe sighed. “Yeah, mine is making its preferences known
too.”

“Out of a town full of women, you had to run smack into
Dante’s sister. You’ve got shit for luck.”

Gabe laughed. “I’d say my luck’s damn good. If it holds, maybe
we’ll be in that bed with her later.”

Tony glanced to where she lay. “I’d like that. Fuck, I’d
love that.”

“Well, she asked if we were offering sex. She didn’t seem
fazed at the idea of having sex with both of us. That’s a start.”

Tony snorted. “I really hope you’re right. I can’t get the
image of her on her hands and knees between us out of my mind.”

“Fuck! Now I won’t be able to either.”

“I like to share.” Tony snickered.

“I know,” Gabe agreed with a laugh.

Gianna shifted and moaned. Tony watched as his friend sank
down to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. He smoothed his hands over her
and whispering soft words. She shifted again, moving closer to him, her nose
nuzzling his thigh. With a contented sigh she relaxed again. Tony could tell
from the look on Gabe’s face that this was one woman they wouldn’t be willingly
walking away from. They both had it bad. And though it might seem like lust,
emotions were raging in both of them that could quickly have it turning into
something so much more. Gabe was right. She called to something primitive
inside them.

Tony sighed, reaching up to rake his fingers through his
hair. “I don’t know what demons she has, but I want to slay them all. Holding
her in my arms while she cried…” He blew out a breath and shook his head.

“I know. It tore me up to hear her.”

“What are we going to do?”

“The only thing we can,” Gabe stated. “We’re going to be
here when she wakes up. We’re going to listen if she needs to talk. We’re going
to hold her, and when the time is right, we’re going to seduce her out of her
clothes.”

“Yeah, I was hoping that was part of the plan.”

“She keeps nuzzling my thigh like she is and I might
embarrass myself.”

Tony chuckled. “Remind you of when we were kids and found
that stack of
Playboy
s in your dad’s shed?”

Gabe grinned. “We were a little bit of troublemakers and
hellions ourselves back in the day.”

“What do you mean
were
?”

Gianna sighed and threw her arm over Gabe’s thigh. Her hand
landed on his lap. Gabe groaned and Tony had to bite back a laugh.

“Think she’d mind if I just lay down and held her?”

“It might be safer that way. Besides, neither of us got any
sleep last night. We could use a nap.”

“Well, she is in our room, after all.”

Tony grinned. He moved from the chair to the bed in seconds
flat. He slid under the blanket and reached out to tug Gianna over to him. She
shifted easily and snuggled up so that her head rested on his chest. He grinned
over at Gabe.

“She doesn’t seem unhappy to me.”

“She’s sound asleep, jackass.”

“Hee-haw,” Tony mimicked.

Gabe slipped onto the bed on the other side, sliding under
the cover. As if sensing him there, Gianna threw her arm out, reaching for him.
Gabe slid closer until she was sandwiched between them. She was on her stomach
with her head on Tony’s chest and one arm and leg thrown over Gabe.

Tony ran his fingers through her hair. He loved the feel of
her hot breath through his shirt. He could tell that Gabe had no complaints
either. His last thought before falling off to sleep was of Gianna and how
right she felt in his arms.