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The tears on her cheeks were still damp and her temper still hot when her the family Calvary pounded on the door of Kelly's Boston apartment. Before she could drag herself off the sofa, the door burst open and her sister swooped In looking a bit like outraged avenging fireballs.

Kelly was completely humiliated that she couldn't manage to smile at their ready\-for\-anything attitude. Had her sister gotten here before she'd kicked Levi the mink to the curb, he'd probably be quaking in his two hundred dollar designer loafers.

The Winston sisters were something else. Singly, they had their own distinctive personalities and achievements, but united they were a force to be reckoned with. And nothing United them like a common enemy—In this case the man who'd lied to Kelly for over a year.

Jessica settled on her side, patting her back and murmuring inept but well\-meant platitudes about how she was better off without the lying, cheating scumbag and how things will get better. She went on and on until Kelly wanted to scream.

Andrea, as she noticed, was saying nothing, but her agitating pacing and the flags of color on her cheeks suggested that an explosion was in the offing. Andrea took her duties as the most oldest and most successful of the Winston sister seriously. She also had their fathers volatile temper.

'Andrea, maybe you should have a sit,' Jessica suggested. 'My eyes are spinning from trying to follow you around the room.'

Her eldest sister responded with a frown. 'I'm trying to decide whether to haul this Levi's sorry *** into court or just track him down and beat him to a pulp.'

Kelly and Jessica exchanged a look. With Andrea, neither option was entirely out of the question. Both she and her husband; Shane Caruso had a law degree, a powerful sense of justice and a protective streak.

'I don't think that's necessary Andrea,' Jessica the peacemaker commented calmly. 'Getting you or Shane's name splashed in the papers will only make Kels feel worse and humiliated. Then the whole world would know that that creep played her for over a year. It's bad enough that we haven't told mom or dad this. If dad finds out then you'll be in court defending him on a murder charge.'

Andrea sighed. 'True.'

They all fell silent. Their father was a boisterous Italian who'd put the fear of God into more of their dates than any of them cared to recall. And those were the nice guys. Levi the mink wouldn't stand a chance against their father.

Andrea folded her arms and peered intently at Kelly. 'Are you positive you don't want me to do something? There are lots of ways to get even that don't involve bloodshed.'

'Forget it Andrea,' Kelly assured her. 'It's bad enough that you both know he managed to hide a wife and a kid from me, that I trusted and believed him every single time he evaded my questions about why we couldn't see each other on weekends, why we spent so little time in public.'

'Why did he tell you tonight? Was he feeling guilty?' Jessica asked.

'I wish,' Kelly admitted. 'I ran into him while they were out buying sneakers for the kids. It was the first time I had to see him with a ring. Even then, he tried to drag me out of sight and throw another lie about how he was being dutiful, that it didn't mean anything. Yada yada yada yada. His wife had seen us and given him a frozen look that scared the daylights out of him which tells me that this isn't the first time Levi's been caught straying. I don't know how he managed to get away from her to come over here to try to explain.'

'You didn't listen to a word he said did you?' Andrea demanded.

'Hell no. When I left them at the mall this morning, I called you guys quickly. And when he came this evening, I wanted him long gone when you got here.' She sighed. 'How stupid of me. I should've figured this out long ago.'

Jessica nudged Kelly in the ribs. 'It's gonna be fine'

'Is it? You two just flew all the way from Tuscany. Because of Levi. It's just not fair. What am I going to do now? I certainly can't continue working at Voyage Industries. If this isn't proof that you should never get involved with someone at the same company, I don't know what is. My stomach twists into a knot just at the thought of seeing him again. And to think that a day ago, I did everything to bump into him in the hallways.'

'You need to take some time off,' Andrea said, her expression thoughtful.

'What I need is another job.' Kelly corrected. 'It's something I should've done a long time ago. That receptionist job didn't pay the rent.'

'You don't need to look right away,' Andrea started. 'If you're short on cash, I can lend you whatever you need.'

'Says the high powered criminal defense attorney who is rolling In dough and has no time to spend it,' Jessica said. 'I'll chip in, too.'

Andrea nodded. 'I mean, don't you think it's time you followed us back to Italy? This is a sort of sign if you ask me.'

Kelly's eyes widened. 'Oh my God that's why you two came all the way isn't it? To drag my sorry *** back home.'

'We're your sisters Kels. We'll show up for you anytime but yes, we did come all the way to drag your sorry *** back home.'

'This is also my home.'

'Not if the rent is getting jacked up next month.' Jessica looked from Andrea to Kelly, passing a sad and pitiful expression. 'We ran into your landlord on our way up.'

Kelly pressed her palm on her face and wanted to cry till she couldn't anymore.

Jessica rubbed her back 'I can't imagine a more perfect place to get your head straight. Dad needs help in running the palazzo. Everyone back home misses you Kels.'

'Considering I haven't been back there in four years. Which is when grandma died.' She muffled into her palms.

'Which is all the more reason to come with us,' Andrea said. 'Being with your family is just what you need. Especially with what's happening at the palazzo.'

'What's happening?' Kelly looked up at her sister, dragging her palms from her face. 'Is dad having problems with the palazzo?'

'I'll save that for later,' Andrea waved. 'Working at the palazzo will keep your mind occupied all day, and by night you'll be so exhausted, you'll fall right to sleep.'

   Kelly wasn't sure she wanted to go away. She was all too use to her present life. Going back to Italy felt like she was running away from her problems and she didn't want to run. 'But why should I give Levi the satisfaction of running away?' Kelly argued. 'He's the scumbag.'

Jessica looked at Andrea. 'She does have a point. The Winston's never run away from things.'

Andrea scowled at both of them. 'So what are you going to do? You'll face him every now and then when he walks in the hallway of voyage? That sounds like a hell lot of fun don't you agree?'

Actually it didn't. It sounded like he'll, Kelly was forced to admit.

'Cmon Kels, you know I'm right, Andrea continued persistently. 'You'll have time to heal. To decide what you want to do next. It's about time you put that college degree of yours to use. You were wasting your time at Voyage on the off chance that someday there would be an opening in the marketing department. This could be the best thing that ever happened to you, if it finally gets you to find the right job, instead of something safe but boring.'

   ' if you say so,' she said bleakly.

'Would you rather sit in this apartment and cry all day?' Andrea demanded. Paragraph next line would you rather sit in this apartment and cry all day?' Andrea demanded.

    'No.' Kelly said firmly. How has she let herself be fooled by the impeccable breathing how has she let herself be fooled by that impeccable breeding? Levi Reid. Being charming and a pedigree didn't mean a man had character.

'Good. That's settled then,' Andrea said. 'We'll help you pack. We can leave first thing in the morning. I already booked our flight.'

'What? You did that already?'

Andrea shrugged. 'You're not that hard to convince.'

'I haven't even turned in my resignation at work,' Kelly protested. Not that she had any great desire to show her face around there as long as there was any chance at all she could bump into Levi.

'Email it in,' Andrea said curtly.

'But—'

'No buts,' Andrea said firmly.

Kelly sighed. 'OK, then. How am I supposed to explain it all to mom and dad?' She asked, grabbing at straws to keep from facing the inevitability of this trip. Their mother, to all outward appearances, might be a gentle black African belle but had the same kind of iron will their father had. She was every bit capable as Joe Winston of making Levi's life hell.

'Don't worry about them. Leave them to me.' Andrea said. 'Right now all they know is that you need a break from everything and you're coming back home. They couldn't care less about anything else right now. We'll just have to break it down to them when we get home. Whenever things get really really crazy and frantic at work, I just go back home and remind myself that there is a life after court. Knowing that my family is there calms me.'

'Agreed,' Jessica said at once. 'You always thought the Tuscany was magical.'

'I was a kid. It was summer vacation and we spent most of the time in Grandma's garden which was all too beautiful.'

'I can't imagine a more perfect place to get your head on straight.'

Kelly sighed. If only home would hold a few of those magical healing properties for her, she would be enternally grateful. Right now, with the image of Levi's kids and his wife's Icy disdain in her head and Levi's stinging admission still ringing in her ears, she had her doubts.

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