The Caruso’s gardener was going to lose their shit at the sight of my rage. Those fucking plants were the only things within reach for me to take my emotions out on. They bore the brunt of not just tonight’s disappointment, but the past year’s. I ripped apart trellises and squashed them between my shoes. I’d smashed pots and hurled shovels.
The only thing that stopped me was when a trowel cracked a back window. I realized then what a fucking nutjob I was acting like and got the hell out of there. I decided there were more mature ways of handling my pain.
So I went to the bar.
But that was a fucking mistake, not just because I didn’t need to get plastered. Everything went south when Drea’s brother, Antonio, eased down on the stool beside me. While I’d neverreally spent any time with him, my entire dislike of him was based on comments Drea had made about him.
After nodding a hello, I went back to my whiskey. “Great party, huh?” he remarked.
“Fucking A,” I muttered around the rim of my glass.
“You disappeared for a bit.”
“Nice of you to notice.”
Ignoring my sarcasm, Antonio said, “It’s just that I wanted to talk to you about some future business ventures.”
When I cocked a brow at him, he said, “In gambling.”
Yeah, fuck that. I didn’t want anyone’s fingers in my casino plans, least of all him. “I think you mistake me for my brother.”
Antonio laughed. “We’re all going to be one big happy family after tomorrow.”
“If you say so.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Antonio jerked a chin at Rafe. Caruso must’ve said something to him about his sullen face because Rafe appeared as an animated puppet as he talked with some men.
“I hope he knows what he’s getting himself into.”
Frowning, I asked, “What do you mean?”
Antonio chuckled. “Drea is nothing like Father sold her. She’s got a mouth on her that seriously needs checking. Like backhand checking.”
My knuckles tightened so hard around my glass that they turned white. “Is that right?” I gritted out.
“But I’m sure Rafe has a good backhand.”
“You might be surprised,” I grumbled.
“What was that?” Antonio asked.
Cocking my head at him, I asked, “What else does Rafe need to know?”
Leaning in, he lowered his voice, “Father would probably kill me, but Drea is totally used goods. Considering she lost it tosome lowly soldier a few years back, God only knows who else she’s spread her legs for.”
As white-hot anger coursed through me, I smiled at Antonio. “Are you drunk?”
He laughed. “No. Why?”
Rising off my stool, I replied, “That’s too bad. This is going to hurt way worse than if you were drunk.”
As he stared at me in confusion, I landed a harsh right hook to his chin. With him staggering and off balance, I delivered an undercut to his abdomen. People came running as Antonio collapsed to the ground.
I’d started kicking him when Rafe and Gianni each grabbed a shoulder and started dragging me away.
“Leo, what the fuck are you doing?” Rafe demanded.
“Defending your bride’s honor from her piece of shit brother,” I spat.