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“Thought you might need these.”
I returned her smile as I popped the pills in my mouth. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.” Rainey went to wait for the doctor, and I took a sip of the lemonade, yelping when Salvatore tugged my shoe off. “That hurt.”
“I’m sorry.”
He gently peeled my sock off, inspected the swelling limb, then placed the ice bag on my ankle.
“How did you know about Dominic?”
“I’ve had men watching the house since the day I saw Luke there. Luke’s involved in some dangerous things. I truly hope, for her sake, that Isabella isn’t a part of those things, Lucia.”
I didn’t miss the warning, but Salvatore wouldn’t hurt her. He’d promised.
Salvatore continued. “I guess I was surprised to hear it was Dominic who made a visit in the middle of the night rather than Luke. Is she sleeping with both of them?”
“Salvatore! You don’t know that! I don’t know that! She’s not some kind of—” I couldn’t say the word.
“I don’t care if she sleeps with a hundred men in one night, Lucia. But I do care if she’s fucking my brother.”
“She wouldn’t! She hates him. She hates all of you!” I tried to take my ankle off his lap, but he placed the palm of his hand firmly on my thigh.
“Who is Effie’s father, Lucia?”
I looked at him, my breath coming in loud and heavy, my eyes watering with the accusation. It was like he was picking information from my brain. Things I hadn’t yet come to understand, things I couldn’t have be true.
“Why do you do this? Every time I feel like we’re finally getting somewhere, feel like I maybe understand you, why do you have to fuck it all up?”
Two sets of footsteps came from the foyer. “This way, Doctor,” Rainey said, ushering him in.
Salvatore and I had devolved into some kind of staring contest. I finally had to forfeit when a tear rolled down my cheek. I turned away.
“Dr. Mooney,” Salvatore said. “You’ll excuse me for not standing, but I think I’d only cause her pain to move her leg.”
He did. He only caused me pain. Every. Single. Time.17SalvatoreI stepped out of the room when I saw Roman’s call come in and left Dr. Mooney to wrap Lucia’s leg. I was right; just a sprain, but painful nonetheless.
“Roman,” I said as I entered my study and shut the door.
“Well, you know how to make an entrance.”
“He kidnapped Jacob from the daycare. This is after he’d gone to Natalie’s house a few days ago, and she’d refused to let him in. He was sending a message, Roman. I wanted to be sure he received mine loud and clear.”
“Well, your father was pissed. You were gone for most of that, though.”
“Really? Franco Benedetti pissed at the son that’s not me for a change?”
“Franco can be pigheaded sometimes, Salvatore. We both know that. He’s tougher on you because he knows you’ll be the one replacing him, but he can’t ignore Dominic. Franco is more aware than you think of the potential threat Dominic presents, and this stunt with Jacob banished any doubts he may have still clung to.”
“Finally,” I said sarcastically.
“Either way, unless Dominic is stupid, he won’t go near Natalie or Jacob again. Franco’s gone out there himself to make sure she knows she and his grandson will have his protection.”
“Neither Dominic nor I hold a candle to Sergio, even in death.” I hated that I felt this pang of jealousy toward Sergio, as tiny as it was. I’d known this all my life, but it had never come between us. And I wouldn’t let it now. “Never have and never will.”
“The fact that Sergio is gone still hurts your father. He doesn’t love you any less. He’s just missing one child. He is human, after all.”
I didn’t comment.
“I want to talk to you about the DNA test, Salvatore.”
“Go on.” I hadn’t yet had a chance to read through the rest of the report to get a clearer understanding of the results.
“When the results came back, disqualifying Luke as the father, I used a sample from myself. Family shares DNA, in some cases more than in others, but there is always something.”
Roman had studied genealogy for a while and was in the process of compiling his family tree.
“What made you do that?” Was I ready to hear what he would tell me?
“A hunch. Effie DeMarco shares at least some of our DNA, Salvatore.”
I sat down. Hearing it was different than thinking it.
“I’m obviously not the little girl’s father, but I’m running more tests today. I took a sample from Dominic’s home.”
“What, did you swab him?” I chuckled, but there wasn’t any humor behind it.
“Took the hair off his brush.”
“When will you know for sure?”
“I’m hoping within twenty-four hours.”
“Does my father know anything about this?”
“No. Nothing. He won’t find out unless I’m one hundred percent certain.”
