I huff under my breath, fix my shirt and stand, trying not to feel betrayed. “Then we’re two completely different people.”
“What are you talking about?” Nova asks, kneeling on the bed, staring at me as I head for the door.
I turn around to face her, my hand on the doorknob. “Do you know why I’m a Criminology major?”
Nova’s eyes tighten and there’s a hint of recognition. “You don’t intend on working for the government, helping the people, do you?” There’s disgust in her tone, betrayal.
“I need to be able to protect the family. That means knowing how to avoid the police, understanding their investigations, making sure we don’t get caught.” My education was entirely determined by my father, Aurielo, and myself. My mother, Karina, whether she approves or not, she’s never said a word.
“You’re going to be mafia forever?” Nova rolls her lips together, her brow pinches and then she looks like she’s seen a ghost. She rushes past me for the door and I open it, letting her run.
Eighteen
Nova
He’s a fucking liar.
Ashton Rinaldi.
Or maybe I just thought he’d give up the mafia like a caffeine addiction, a bad habit. It was supposed to be temporary, only while he’s in college.
Yes, I realize he hasn’t graduated yet, but any college credit for the job is well and truly done.
He’s working for Dante because he wants to or because he can’t leave.
I had mistakenly assumed it was the latter.
After storming out of Ashton’s bedroom, I head into my room and slam the door shut. I swear the house shakes.
I’m visibly shaking with rage.
What a fucking asshole!
He’s going to be just like his father, my father, all of them. I throw my head back and scream at the top of my lungs.
There’s not so much as a knock on my door when it bursts right open. I spin on my heel to yell at Ashton to get the fuck out when I realize it’s Liam.
“Are you okay?” He looks a bit afraid to ask and then steps in farther when I don’t yet bite off his head and shuts my door, giving us privacy.
“No, I’m not fucking okay.” I wince, realizing I’m being rude to the one person who is actually trying to be decent and check up on me.
Maybe Liam will understand. He has parents who are mafia and he doesn’t seem like he wants to work for them. But after what I’d heard earlier, about him taking on a job with Dante, I don’t know.
I don’t quite get it.
What makes that man so appealing that they all want to go to work for him?
He’s a monster.
Same as my father.
Doesn’t mean I don’t love my old man, but he’s still a murderer.
Just because we’re blood doesn’t mean I want that in my life forever. And I was beginning to imagine a forever with Ashton.
“I’m afraid to ask if you want to talk about it,” Liam says, and offers a nervous grin. “I can leave if you just want to scream some more. But you know we have nosey neighbors who may just call the cops on us, again.”
I snort and cover my face with my hands. “I can’t do this.”
