It took everything I had not to burst into laughter. He was funny without meaning to be, and super sweet. I very much liked Nicolas Van Eden.

The third man shoved his friend out of the way. “My turn.” He had short dark hair and green smiling eyes, and he took my hand, shaking it lightly. “Mina, we’ve heard so much about you.” He looked gorgeous in his tailored black suit. He only had a slight accent, but it was hard to miss. “Roman Vlasic, at your service.”

“Hello,” I said kindly as I shook his hand.

The fourth man stood patiently, awaiting our arrival. He had skin an olive skin tone, dark hair long enough to curl behind his ears, and green eyes framed with dark lashes. The gunmetal grey suit he wore fit him nicely. He looked as though he’d made an effort to look nice. His smile was secretive. Laredo led me to him, and he held out both hands to take both of mine. “Mina,” was all he said. And he said this softly, almost sweetly.

This man, I felt, could have been my brother.

Laredo made introductions. “Davi Lobo. Mina Harris.”

Davi lifted both my hands and held them to his mouth, pressing the softest of kisses to them. He released my hands, smiled down at me, and motioned to the person standing behind me.

Lev took my hand, entwining our fingers.

Oh, that’s right.

My boyfriend was here, and although this gaggle of men had my mind abuzz, Lev’s touch soothed the tension right out of me in the way only he could.

Alessio stood in the doorway, his eyes searching me in a way that felt intrusive. I don’t think he meant it. I don’t even think he knew he was doing it. Laredo looked to his son and made introductions from afar. “Alessio Scarfo. My son.”

“Hi,” I breathed, trying my hardest not to hide behind Lev.

Alessio jerked his chin at me with indifference.

I turned back to look at Davi, who winked at me. I smiled in return. Oh yeah. I had a strong feeling about Davi. He was the one I felt most familiar with. It was kind of strange.

Laredo clapped his hands together. “Come. Dinner will be served in half an hour. We have some time to talk and get to know each other.”

We followed Laredo into the foyer and two staff members waited for us to approach. The second we were close enough, they opened the double door simultaneously and held them open with straight, emotionless faces. Laredo swept his arm out to allow Lev and me entry first. Lev helped me sit to the left of the head of the table, where Laredo sat, and took a place next to me.

Davi sat across from me and I grinned like a schoolgirl. I was this close to my brother. All I needed was for Laredo to confirm my suspicion. I wanted to ask right this second, but told myself to be patient. All would be revealed in due time.

For twenty-four years, I didn’t know I had a brother. What was another hour’s wait compared to quarter of a lifetime?

The rest of the men seated themselves around the table and Lev spoke first, addressing Alessio, who took a seat at the end of the table, away from the rest of us. “Are we going to have a problem?”

Alessio grinned cruelly at my man, his face distorting as his scars pulled and stretched with the movement. “I don’t know, Leokov. Are we?”

Lev’s brows narrowed. “Don’t do that. Don’t hold me accountable for something my brother did.”

Laredo raised a hand. “Now, boys. This is not the time nor the place.”

Lev shook his head. “No. You’re right. I’m here for Mina. We’re going to be civil. But we need to get this out of the way before your son decides to attack the wrong brother.”

Alessio leaned forward and growled, “Civil?” He stood and hissed. “Look at my fucking face. That look civil to you?” His hard eyes landed on me. “Your woman can’t even look at me. She’s fucking scared of me.”

My eyes turned down to look at the table, my face paling. So he’d noticed that, huh? Crap.

Laredo stood slowly. “Sit down, Alessio.”

Alessio snarled, “I’m not done yet, old man.”

Laredo spoke quietly but firmly, “Yes, you are.” His eyes gazed at me sympathetically before turning on his son. “Your face doesn’t frighten Mina. It’s your temper that upsets her.” Then he finished tiredly with, “Sit down, Alessio. You’re scaring your sister.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Mina

What what now?

Alessio was my brother?

Holy crap on a cracker.

I did not see that one coming.

My body jerked in my chair, causing my knees to hit the table and my cutlery to clink loudly. Lev’s hand covered mine in quiet support, kindly ignoring the way it shook. My mouth went dry. I forced myself to breathe deep.

No one spoke.

I didn’t look at Alessio when I asked quietly, “You said you weren’t my father.” I was confused.

Laredo let out a soft sigh. “Alessio is not my biological son. He was my brother’s boy. Making me your…”

My brow bunched. “Uncle.”

He smiled. “My dear niece. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you happened across my path. I thank you for giving me this night. I loved your mother very much.”

Oh, my God. My head started to pound. I reached up to rub my temples. “Maybe we should start at the beginning.”

Laredo chuckled. “Clara used to do the same thing when she got a headache.”

My fingers stilled. I opened my eyes to look over at him. “Yes. She did.”

“Don’t look so surprised, Mina. I knew everything about her.”

I doubted that. I knew my mother better than anyone, thank you very much. Alessio kept quiet. I was grateful. I needed time to adjust.

“Okay,” I uttered. “Your brother is my dad. Alessio’s dad. Where is he?”

“Dead,” Alessio sneered. “Trust me, you’re lucky you never met him. He liked to kick my ass whenever the fuck it suited him. Fuck knows what he would’ve done to you.”

To my surprise, Laredo agreed. “Yes. Enzo was not a kind man. So when I pursued your mother, it was only natural that he made it a competition.” He shrugged. “Clara danced like a dream. She was an angel. After my wife passed on, I thought I would never feel love again until she came along.”

But I was stuck on something he’d said. “My mother was a server, a waitress. Not a dancer.”

Laredo seemed taken aback, as if he didn’t know how to tell me something important. “Mina,” he started. “Clara worked at my first club, Sweet Blood. She was a dancer, my dear. One of the best.” At my blinking stare, he added, “Did you never wonder how a waitress could afford the home you had? Did you never notice that she only worked nights?”

Shit. He was right. Our house has bigger than average and I never went without. We never had money problems. Our bills were paid on time. I had the best of everything. Every night, she put me to sleep and went to work. She would come home just before I woke to get ready for school, smelling of stale beer and…

“Oh, my God,” I breathed. “My mom was a stripper.”

Lev turned to me and stated, “There’s nothing wrong with that. People need to work, Mina.”

“I’m not judging her,” I lied. “I’m just wondering how I never saw it.”

Laredo smiled. “She was your mom. She was your world. You were a child. How could you have known?”

Nicolas Van Eden spoke then, “My mum was a street lady. She sold her body to all the men in our neighborhood. Some of my boykie friends even had a go at her.” He shrugged and smiled widely, “Still love my mum, God rest her soul.”

God, he was adorable.

Roman Vlasic added to the conversation, “My mother was a doctor.” His eyes dimmed. “She was a terrible person. Cold and bitter.” He eyed me good. “Just because my mother had a respectable position, it didn’t make her a good person, lutkica.”

Davi Lobo spoke rapid-fire in a language I couldn’t understand. Laredo listened intently, nodding before turning to me. “Davi understands a little English, but only speaks Portuguese.” Well, that would explain why he was looking at me so fixedly. He probably didn’t have a fracking clue what I was saying. “He said that sometimes people do things that are beneath them to provide for the ones they love.”