One Step Closer (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois Page B

by everyone but Maria,
was a full ten years younger than Frank and looked almost like a younger carbon
copy. His coal black hair was wavy and his eyes bright blue rather than dark,
but the resemblance was eerie. As the youngest, Sal had the burden of following
his successful, ambitious and, to an extent, intimidating brothers, but he
seemed to take everything in stride. While he had his less than gracious
moments, he was, by far, the most easygoing of the boys. Maria had always
referred to him as her blessing, a final gift from her late husband. The four
older boys had just rolled their eyes and picked on Sal all the more. After
all, what else were brothers for?
    Sal
had been only fifteen when Frank had left home, a sophomore more interested in
having fun than doing his schoolwork. Sergio had left for college earlier that
year, still a year away from declaring himself pre-med. Like Vincent, Sergio
had opted to live in the dorms rather than at home. Anthony hadn't gone to
college, rather he'd already been in the city working with the family. Frank
had refused to leave at first, making all of the same excuses he'd made since
graduating from college: he could run his business from home, Ma needed someone
to help with Sal, to help around the house. Maria, however, had calmly told him
that she was perfectly capable of handling one fifteen year-old boy. In the
end, it had been her insistence that had prompted Frank to finally leave New
York and follow his financial backer to Los Angeles to take his business idea
global.
    Frank
had called home every week that first year, always promising to come back for a
visit, but never able to make a trip fit into his busy schedule. His mother had
understood and never tried to make him feel guilty for not coming. He still had
though at the beginning, and Anthony had never missed an opportunity to press
the issue on the few occasions they'd spoken. The other guys hadn't said much
on the subject at all. She had been his main contact with the family those
first couple years. By the time he'd flown her out to California that least
time, the guilt at staying away had mostly gone, replaced by the desire for
bigger and better things. She hadn't understood it, but his mother had. Maria never
complained, not even when the calls dwindled to once a month or once every few
months. Finally, he'd stopped promising to come home and she'd quit asking when
she'd see him again. He did send her cards with flowers or gifts on Mother's
Day and Christmas and Valentine's Day. For her birthday, he always made sure to
call, even if his assistant had to remind him.
    Frank
wasn't sure why he'd finally decided to come back after all this time. It
wasn't a holiday, though those weren't far off. His family was, as far as he
knew, happy and healthy. None of them were ill and none were in any sort of
trouble. Anthony, while still involved in less-than-legal activities, was smart
enough not to get caught. Sometimes, Frank thought that Vincent was the only
one who'd be able to put together a case on Anthony, which was probably why
Vincent steered clear of the organized crime unit. Vincent may not have
approved of Anthony, may have even been ashamed of their familial connection,
but unless he knew for sure that Anthony had pulled the trigger on someone,
Vincent would never go after his brother. Likewise, Anthony would never have
sent anyone after his little brother. None of the DeLuca boys, no matter how
much they may have disapproved of what the other ones did or how pissed off
they got at each other, would ever do anything that could hurt their mother.
    As
his thoughts came back around to his mother, Frank was surprised by the sudden
wave of guilt he felt. His mother had never said anything, true, but he'd
known, hadn't he, that she was hurt. Wasn't that the real reason he'd finally
come back after all these years? To show her why he'd stayed away, to show her
all that he'd accomplished? It wasn't like there was anyone else he