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She walks closer and looks me over again. "You look like a whore."
"Gee, thanks,madre mia," mother mine,I say lightly.
"You’re marrying into theCosa Nostra—"
"Don’t remind me."
"You need to dress the part."
"Or not. My husband-to-be doesn’t care. Neither do I." I finish touching up my lips and bring them together in a pout. "Nor should you. As long as I turn up for the wedding on time and do the deed, everything will be fine. You, Zia and her worthless husband, and my cousins will all be taken care of. None of you will ever have to worry about money, or anyone else trying to mess with you. So, the least you can do is allow me to dress the way I want."
My mother’s forehead creases. She purses her lips, and I steel myself. Here we go—another tirade of how she knows better than I know myself, how I’m going to regret this, et cetera, et cetera.
"You hate me," she finally says.
"Eh?" This is something new. Normally, I’m the one using that dialogue. "You may be right. That feeling has, more or less, been on the top of my mind for me in connection with you for a long time," I retort.
She looks taken aback, then laughs. "You never did mince your words. It’s something I’ve always admired that about you."
"You have?" Now she’s complimenting me? That can’t be right. "Why are you here?"
"My daughter is getting married."
"To the man who killed your son," I remind her.
She pales, then seems to sway a little.
"Mamma!" I move toward her, but she evades me and walks over to the chair in the corner of the room and sinks into it.
"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that," I take another step in her direction.
She raises a hand. "You’re right. He did kill your brother." She takes a breath and seems to compose herself. "Are you wondering why I’m not more upset about you marrying him? Why I’m, in fact, encouraging you to marry Massimo?"
I nod, unable to find any other words to speak.
"I’m not a fool, child. I’m fully aware that he threatened to leave us without protection if you didn’t marry him."
"You… you knew that?"
"I guessed it. Look, from the time you walked into that conservatory and he got a good look at you, he hasn’t had eyes for anyone else. It was clear he was fixated on you. Diego should have called off the engagement with Solene right away, but he didn’t. He was too greedy for power. He wanted the liaison with theCosa Nostrato get access to their business, and then he wanted to marry you to the Mexican crime lord." Her features wear a haunted look. "I forbade him to do so. I told him if he went ahead with it, I’d never forgive him. But none of that made a difference. He was dead set on it, and I wouldn’t have been able to stop it."
"I… I wouldn’t have let him marry me off."
She laughs. "You live in another world, child. You forget, within theCamorra,the head’s word holds sway. He would have kidnapped you and kept you captive until he married you off."
A shiver squeezes up my spine. "He… he told you that?"
“He left me with no doubt about his intentions. I was powerless to stop him. My own child, who emerged from my womb. I couldn’t believe he would go to such lengths to satisfy his greed.” She shakes her head. “So, while I mourn his loss, I feel like I lost him a long time ago, and I’m relieved he’s no longer around to see his plan through."
"Mamma." I shake my head. "I… I don’t know what to say."
"You don’t have to say anything." A crafty look enters her eyes. "You can, however, show your gratitude by listening to me."
I scowl in her direction. "I know what you’re going to say, but—"
"I know you think I’m flighty and a nag, but the one thing I have on you is years of experience when it comes to men," she proclaims.
I exchange a glance with Solene, who’s watching us with rapt attention.
