We drove the last fifteen minutes in silence. As we neared the gates of the house, I saw several cars already lined the driveway. I parked behind the last one, recognizing several of the vehicles. I switched off the engine and took a deep breath. Gia’s hand touched mine, startling me. She didn’t say anything but looked at me with those eyes that seemed to know much more than spoken words.

I broke the gaze. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

We stepped out of the SUV at the same time. I tucked a pistol into the back of my jeans, making sure my jacket shielded it. Gia had hers in her purse, although we’d run out of time for those lessons. Leaving our bags in the trunk, I went to Gia’s side and took her hand. It felt cold and a little clammy. Strange enough, it made me stand taller, giving me strength enough for both of us.

“Whatever you do, do not show fear,” I whispered.

She didn’t deny she felt it this time. She simply nodded as we approached the foreboding double doors.

Without hesitation, I pushed on the doorbell. Last time I was here, I’d walked in, using my own key to enter. That key sat in my pocket today.

To my surprise, Salvatore opened the door, as if he’d been there waiting for me to arrive. We both stopped. His eyes scanned me from head to toe, and he gave me a small smile and a nod, holding out his hand.

I took it, meeting my brother’s firm grip with my own as he pulled me in for a hug, patting my back.

“Good. You did good to come.”

He released me. I looked at him, saw how much more gray was now mixed with the black of his close-cut beard, saw more lines around his eyes and mouth, not lines of worry or of a hard life. No. Lines of happiness. His skin glowed bronze, a byproduct of living happily under the sun.

Lucia turned the corner, looking tanned but otherwise just the same apart from her rounded belly protruding from the close-fitting dress she wore. She came to stand beside her husband, and I saw how his face changed, how his smile grew, how his gaze had brightened as he’d followed her path across the room.

How I felt, though—it was different this time.

It wasn’t with envy that I looked at them. Jealousy had given way to something else. I didn’t know when that had happened, but I was conscious of how my hand wrapped tighter around Gia’s waist as I pulled her closer to me.

Salvatore’s gaze moved to Gia while Lucia’s found mine.

“Lucia,” I said, giving her a short nod. “You look beautiful. Pregnancy becomes you.”