Page 92 of The Godfather’s Christmas Twins
Max lets Nic keep him pinned to the wall, maybe to protect me and Bella. "I've spent years putting the family first, putting you first. But I can't do it anymore.”
Pride and fear war inside my chest. After all this time, Max is finally fighting for us. But I know my brother. He can come off as kind and gentle, but he can be lethal when his anger is fueled. To him, Max being with me must feel like the ultimate betrayal from his closest friend.
"You were supposed to protect her," Nic growls, taking another step toward Max. "Not fuck her."
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Max shoots back.
“Oh… Oh, really?” Nic grabs Max’s shirt, yanking him forward and then slamming him against the wall again.
"Stop it, both of you," Bella pleads, but neither man seems to hear her. They're locked in their standoff, years of friendship and loyalty crashing against the truth of Max's feelings for me.
I want to run to Max, to stand beside him as he finally fights for us. But I also want to grab Nic, to make him understand that this isn't about betrayal. It's about love.
My own anger surges that Nic hasn’t asked me my thoughts about all this. Why would he? Like all the other men in my life, he thinks he owns me.
I use both my hands and shove Nic hard, forcing him to release Max. “That's enough. Stop being a jerk.”
"Get out of the way, Gia." Nic's eyes flash with that dangerous glint I’ve only seen when he’s truly in a rage.
"No." I plant my feet firmly, shielding Max with my body. “If you’re going to kill Max, you’ll need to kill me too.”
Nic flinches. “What?”
“That’s what Dad would have done.” I shake my head. “But like him, what I think, what I want doesn’t matter. You’vealready made some deal to marry me off, haven’t you?” I remember his words on the plane flying back from Vegas.
“Over my dead body.” Max’s voice is just as lethal. But then he looks at me. “Is that what you want?”
“No, you big dummy. What I want is you telling me you love me and that you want the kids… your kids.” I turn to Bella. “Why are men so dense?”
She gives me a wan smile and shrugs, but I can see she’s still worried.
“Jesus fuck, how long has this been going on?” Nic yells. He turns to me, jaw clenched. “If that’s true, he took advantage of you. He’s nearly twice your age. He’s your godfather."
The accusation ignites something fierce inside me. "Like you took advantage of Bella? You’re more than twice her age. And let's not forget she was supposed to be your stepmother.”
My brother recoils as if I'd slapped him. "That's different?—”
"How?" I challenge, feeling Max's steady presence behind me. "Because you're the Don? Because you get to make the rules? You don't get to judge Max for loving me when you did the exact same thing."
Nic growls. "I wasn't her godfather. That’s perverted."
"No, you knocked her up while she was engaged to your father. How is that not equally perverted?”
Nic and I engage in a battle of wills. His advantage is that he's a man in a highly patriarchal world, but I’m no wimp.
“Nic," Bella says, her voice gentle but firm as she places her hand on Nic's arm. "This could be a good thing.”
He shakes his head like she’s lost her mind. “Good? How can this possibly be good?”
“You’ve wanted Gia to find someone to help protect her. To be there for the kids. Who better than the one man, the only man you trusted when your father was out to kill you? The man whomade sure your father didn’t succeed in his plan to kill you and sell me.”
Max’s jaw is tight, as if he’s hurt that Nic has dismissed years of his loyalty. I feel the weight of it as well, thinking of all the times Max sacrificed for Nic and for me. I didn’t like it, but often, that sacrifice was of his own feelings, his own desires.
"He protected us all," I say softly, meeting Max's eyes. "Even when it tore him apart inside, he put everyone else first. That's who he is, Nic. That's the man I fell in love with."
Max’s gaze whips to me. His eyes fill with emotion.
The tension in Nic's shoulders grows tighter even though he has to be thinking about how Max has been more than just his underboss. He's been his brother in all but blood, the man who stood beside him as his father tried to kill him and then supported and assisted in taking over the empire.