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“Which dumbass gave him a weapon?” Carmine called out, barely evading the plastic blade as his brother swung it at him. “You people should know better by now.”
“No one gave it to him,” Tess said, stepping out of the family room in her devil costume. “He found it on his own.”
Shaking his head, Carmine headed toward the office under the stairs, punching in the code to unlock the door. The room looked like a normal office, with a wooden mahogany desk and a black leather chair. A Persian rug covered the floor, and Carmine folded the corner, exposing the hidden door. He opened it and headed down the flimsy stairs into the basement, flicking on the light. A subtle glow came over the room, revealing dozens of wooden crates.
Using the front of his shirt to cover his hand, he pulled the top off the one closest to the stairs and grabbed a few bottles of liquor. He didn’t go any farther, having no desire to venture to the back.
He wasn’t sure if it was subconscious fear or if his father had shown him at some point, but he never left his fingerprints down there.
Once he had the liquor, he headed upstairs in time for the guests to arrive.
* * *
Haven sat on the edge of her bed, picking at her fingernails as sickness stirred in her stomach. She felt out of place, afraid to go downstairs, worried that with one look they’d all know what she was. They’d all know she didn’t belong in their world with them.
There was a soft knock on the door before Dominic peeked in. “Can I come in, Twinkle Toes?”
“Of course,” she said.
He strolled in, using a sword like a walking cane, and sat beside her on the bed. He leaned back on his elbows and things grew quiet as Dominic stared off into space. She wondered why he was here instead of at his party, but she remained silent and let him speak first.
“Nella vita: chi non risica, non rosica,” he said. “In life: nothing ventured, nothing gained. My mom used to tell us that. It’s been a long time, but I can still hear her.”
He smiled to himself, remembering, as Haven conjured her own mama’s voice in her mind, never wanting to forget what she sounded like.
“Mom taught us a lot, but that’s what I remember most. You shouldn’t be afraid to take risks. It might not work out, you might fail miserably and get hurt, but you’ll never know unless you try.” He paused, sighing. “You can play it safe, Haven, and I wouldn’t blame you for it. You can continue as you’ve been, and you’ll survive, but is that what you want? Is that enough?”
Haven had no answer for that.
“Or you could take a risk,” he continued. “I know you have it in you. I can’t promise you’ll get everything you want, but I can promise nothing will change if you don’t try.”
She stared at him, absorbing his words, as Dominic’s expression turned somber. “Carmine wasn’t always such an asshole, you know. He used to be like Mom, couldn’t hurt a fly, but all that changed. Carmine will take physical risks—sometimes I wonder if he has any regard for his life—but anything emotional is out of the question. You’re good for him that way. You’re the first girl he’s looked at as a person and not an object.”
Her eyes widened. “Why am I different to him?”
“I think you remind him of Mom, but he’s the only one who can really answer that.” Dominic stood. “So, tell me. Are we going to play it safe, or are we going to put ourselves out there?”
* * *
The party had been going for more than an hour, and there had yet to be any sign of Haven. Carmine strolled through the crowd searching for her and found Dia alone in the kitchen. She had on a colorful dress and bright blue tights, a yellow beak on her nose that matched her sneakers.
“Hey, Polly,” he said, nudging her. “How come you look the most normal on Halloween?”
She rolled her eyes. “Har-har-har. Funny.”
A group of girls burst into the room then, and Carmine groaned when he saw Lisa dressed like a cat in a black bodysuit. “Who invited her?”
Dia grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the kitchen before Lisa could corner him. “I’m pretty sure you did when you were going out with her.”
“I didn’t go out with her,” he said. “It was more like getting into her a few times.”
She cringed. “Gross.”
“Yeah, well, I blame you. You should’ve warned me against doing it . . . or her. Whatever.”
“I tried! You wouldn’t listen.”
The two of them stepped into the foyer just as Haven emerged from the stairs, wearing a shiny gold dress. Fake coins hung from the edges, costume jewelry hanging around her neck with a small crown in her hair. “She’s my treasure?”
