Home to Me (The Andrades, Book 2) Read Online Free

loyalty to him is misplaced.”
    “I don’t believe that for minute.”
    “Then you are a poor judge of character.” Nick tried to pull his hand away from hers, but Rena held on tighter. She had to make him see that walking away wasn’t the answer. When it came to why they didn’t get along, neither brother was entirely blameless.
    Nick was right: Gio was brutally honest and most comfortable when he was fully in control of a situation. He didn’t delegate well and didn’t have the patience to wait while others worked out a problem he had already solved. She didn’t doubt Nick’s version of what it was like to speak at a meeting run by Gio. But she also knew Gio would do anything for his brothers, and that Nick’s criticism had hurt him, even if he didn’t show it.
    Gio was right: Nick hadn’t been ready to run the company. Yes, he’d graduated with a business degree from a good university, but he hadn’t spent enough time at Cogent to make informed decisions.
    Gio should have let Nick make mistakes—and learn from them.
    Nick should have worked with Gio instead of turning the situation into a rivalry. Nick could be successful at whatever he chose to do, but maybe he’d have to come out from Gio’s shadow to do it. Just as Luke and Max had.
    The problem with Gio and Nick was they were more alike than either would acknowledge.
    Both too proud.
    Too angry.
    Too unable to see past the faults in each other.
    “I have very good instincts when it comes to people. That’s why I know you didn’t mean what you said about taking Cogent.”
    “You think I couldn’t do it?”
    “No, I know you’d never intentionally hurt your brother. Just like I know you’d never hurt me.”
    The expression on Nick’s face softened. He raised a hand and tucked a lock of hair gently behind Rena’s ear. “Take off your rose-colored glasses, Rena. You think everyone has some good in them, but we don’t. Not Gio. Not me.”
    “That’s not true, Nick. You came here today because you care about your mother. That’s admirable . . .” Even if misguided.
    “Stay out of this, Rena. There is no Hallmark card for a family as fucked up as mine is.”
    Classic Nick. Hurt and lashing out. That got others to back off, but Rena knew him too well. “You can’t leave things the way you did. Go back in there and—”
    “No. We were both clear enough.”
    Rena pulled Nick closer, holding both of his arms as she tried to reach past his anger. “No, you weren’t. You didn’t tell him you love him. You didn’t give him time to explain his side of the story. If you did—”
    Nick pulled back from Rena abruptly, his eyes burning with anger Rena couldn’t understand. “Stay away from me.”
    There has to be something I can say that will make him see this isn’t irreparable. “Luke said he’d come by later today.”
    “You called him?”
    Rena nodded.
    “Of course you did. You talk to him more than I do. I’m surprised you’ve never dated.”
    “Me and Luke? No. I don’t think of him that way.”
    “Are you sure? The two of you seem to find reasons to slip away to be alone whenever we’re all together.”
    “He’s funny. And we’re usually talking about—” She stopped before she finished the sentence. She’d almost said, “You.” But Nick would take that the wrong way.
    She took Nick’s hand again and said, “I know you don’t like to discuss your family with anyone, but maybe this time you should. I could help you—if you let me.”
    Nick shook his head. “No.”
    Rena held on tight, advanced and persisted. “Why not?”
    “Because I . . .” He pulled her into his arms and ravaged her mouth with his. It wasn’t how she’d imagined he’d kiss. It was bold and hungry. It may have been meant as a warning or as punishment, but it was too full of passion to be either. He held her face between his hands and plundered. At first she was too surprised to kiss him back, but his touch sparked a heat that rose within