A Sinner’s Truth (De Bellis Crime Family Book 5)
A Sinner’s Truth: Chapter 36

“Can you stop pacing? You’re making me dizzy and I was shot not all that long ago,” Drew says.

I turn and scowl at him. “Leave me alone or I’ll shoot you again.”

“You wouldn’t,” he says confidently.

“Maybe not,” I tell him and then turn to my brother-in-law. “Gabe, if I asked you to shoot Drew, would you?”

“Without a second of hesitation, sweetheart,” Gabe replies.

I tamp down my smirk before turning to Marcel. “How about you?”

“Sure would,” he says.

“See? I don’t need to shoot you. I’ll have Santo’s brothers do it for me,” I tell Drew. He knows I’m bluffing, but it’s a threat I’ve never had in my arsenal before. And right now, he’s pissing me off. If I want to pace around the room because I’m worried about my husband, I will.

I didn’t ask Santo what he was doing because I didn’t need to. I know he’s going after Oliver. I have faith in my husband and his family, and the fact that this isn’t their first time doing something like this doesn’t mean I’m not worried about him.

“Your brothers,” Marcel says.

“What?” I ask him.

“You said you’d get Santo’s brothers to shoot your annoying friend. We’re your brothers too, Aria, not just Santo’s,” he tells me.

“Thank you. I’m not really used to having siblings—only child and all,” I attempt to explain.

“Half your luck. You should have seen how hellish it was growing up with four brothers,” Gabe grunts.

“I’m sure it was such a hardship, always having someone there for you.” Daisy rolls her eyes at her husband before turning her attention to me. “Don’t worry, Aria. I was an only child too. I get it.”

“How long did Gio say he was going to be?” Eloise asks Gabe.

“He didn’t,” Gabe tells her.

“El, he’s fine. That man is far too obsessed with you to not come home,” Daisy assures her.

Zoe and Cammi are both sitting on the sofa, scrolling through their phones like they don’t have a care in the world. Zoe is always quiet, though. She doesn’t say a lot, but her husband is right in front of her. She doesn’t have a reason to be stressed out. It’s more than likely the same reason Daisy is so calm. But Cammi? I don’t understand her composure. Santo told me about her heart condition. But right now, she doesn’t seem all that bothered.

“What’s your secret?” I ask as I lower myself down next to her.

“Secret to what?” Cammi sets her phone aside and looks at me.

“To being so calm while waiting for your husband to come back,” I clarify.

“It’s simple. If anything happens to Vin, I know I won’t survive long after finding out, which means I’ll be with him again anyway. Alive or not, we’re going to be together.”

I don’t even know what to say to that. She is dead serious too, like the thought of dying isn’t a problem for her. I’m not sure I could be that carefree when it comes to death. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve only known Santo for a short time, but like I told him, I’m addicted to the man and I’m not giving him up.

When I went into this marriage, I was prepared for the temporary arrangement to have an end date. I was thankful to Santo for helping me out of a bind, especially when he didn’t have to. I didn’t for one second think I’d fall in love with the guy, though.

But I have, and there is no turning back. Santo has been more than I could ever imagine. He’s been through so much pain when it comes to love, and somehow he’s managed to let me into his heart. Although I don’t think love is a choice. You don’t get to choose who you fall in love with. You just fall, and in my experience, it’s fast. Without a parachute to help cushion the blow.

My father loved my mother like that. I know he was broken after she died. When I was little, I used to wish he’d love me just a portion of how much he loved her. All I ever did was remind him of what he lost, though.

When I sorted through the folders in his safe, everything I found tied back to his relationship with my mother. Their marriage certificate, her birth and death certificates. The letters she wrote to him while they were at university. They were in love. There is no doubt about that now. And then there were letters my mother wrote to me while she was pregnant and then after I was born.

I have very mixed feelings about my father’s death. I’m sad. I can feel a loss even though he wasn’t a great dad. He did horrible things and was prepared to use me for his own gain. When it all came down to it, he sold me out for money. I didn’t even know my father was gambling, not that I could have, seeing as I avoided the man as much as I could. But I also get why none of his other marriages worked out. He’d never gotten over the loss of the woman he loved. And you can’t move on when you’re stuck in the past.

I understand this so much more after knowing Santo and seeing how unburdened he looks now that he has started to break free and heal from his own past. I don’t think finding new love is always the answer. It certainly wasn’t for my father. I do think it has a lot to do with finding something else worth living for. I just wish I could have been that for the only parent I had left. Though I am more than happy to be that reason for Santo.

“Aria, would you rather eat a snail or a caterpillar?” Drew asks. His stupid question has me stopping in my tracks and actually considering my answer.

“A snail,” I tell him. “Would you rather have a thousand needles poked into your eyeball or your ball sack?”

“Damn, someone woke up and chose violence today.” Gabe chuckles. “I like it.”

“Do not encourage her.” Drew frowns at him. “She once put hair removal cream in my shampoo. I had to wear a hat for months.”

“I only did that because you told Harry that I had a bad case of crabs,” I say. “It was embarrassing, and the rumour went through the whole school.”

“I wouldn’t have had to do that if you picked better dates. He told everyone in the boys locker room he was popping your cherry that night in the bathroom at the school dance, Aria. He was an ass,” Drew grunts.

“Maybe I wanted my cherry popped in the bathroom at the school dance. Did you ever think about that?” I yell.

“No, you didn’t.” Drew laughs.

“This is TMI. I do not need to know how my sister popped her cherry,” Marcel says, never taking his eyes off his computer screen.

“Benjamin Groove,” Drew and I say at the same time. Then we both start laughing.

“Wait. You lost your V-card to Benjamin Groove, as in the Benjamin Groove?” Daisy asks.

“Who the fuck is Benjamin Groove?” Gabe grunts.

“Only the hottest rockstar Melbourne has ever produced,” Daisy tells him.

“About to be a dead rockstar,” Gabe grumbles under his breath.

“It was bad.” I shrug. “The whole rockstar thing? Yeah, don’t buy into it.”

“Damn. Looking at him, you’d think he’d know a thing or two.” Daisy sighs, and her husband growls in response.

“I’m right fucking here.”

“I know.” She smiles sweetly at Gabe.

I plop down on the sofa and grin at Drew. He actually got my mind off Santo for a whole two minutes. “Have you heard anything yet?” I ask Marcel, certain that he’s the one communicating with the guys.

“They’re fine,” he says.

“Just fine? How long do we have to stay in this room?” I direct this question to Gabe.

“You’re not confined to the room, Aria. I just thought you’d like to hang out with us. It’s rare that Santo’s not around to hog all of your attention. He’s selfish like that,” Gabe says.

“Um… okay. Should we play a game or something?” I ask him.

“Monopoly?” Zoe suggests.

Drew groans, and I smile. “Let’s do it, but be prepared for me to own that board,” I warn everyone.

“I’ll get the game.” Eloise walks out of the room.

“And I’ll get her,” Daisy says before doing the same.

“Is she okay?” I ask Cammi.

“She gets stressed over Gio. She’ll be fine as soon as they’re back,” Cammi says.

“I wish I could be calm like you,” I tell her.

“Want something to help? I can raid Vin’s stash for you,” she offers.

“Tempting, but no thank you.” My husband was not impressed the last time he found me smoking. Though I’d love something that would help take my mind off everything right now. I pull my phone out and check it for the millionth time. There still isn’t anything from Santo.

“You can text him, you know,” Cammi says.

“I don’t want to bother him,” I tell her.

“Trust me, he’ll be more bothered that you were sitting here worried about him and didn’t text him than he will be if you do,” she says. “I know he’s your husband, but he’s my brother. And don’t tell the others, but he’s my favourite. I know he’d want you to text him.”

“I heard that and I’m fucking heartbroken, Cammi.” Gabe holds a hand over his chest in feigned distress.

“I’ve survived two heart attacks, Gabe. I’m sure you can survive finding out you’re not all that,” Cammi sasses at him.

“Don’t you dare go for a third either,” Gabe tells her.

Tuning them all out, I take Cammi’s advice and message Santo.

His reply comes almost immediately.

I’m about to tell him that I’m good too, but I don’t want to lie.

I don’t reply to his last message. I know he’s working, and I shouldn’t be distracting him. But even that small interaction has set my mind at ease a little bit.