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Stefan stood beside Angelo, glaring at Carlo. They both looked ready to put a bullet in his skull.
After the Vitales left, Mom floated into the living room like she was walking on air. She was a dancer, so graceful on her feet. Whenever she entered a room, people noticed her.
My mom sat beside me and stroked my cheek with her fingers, same as when I was a kid. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. But it will all work out.”
“Thanks, Ma.” I kissed her cheek. “We have to talk to Dad.” I tipped my head at my brothers, who gathered on the couch around my father. “You should go back to your apartment. I’ll stop by later.”
My mother glanced at my brothers. They were giving her their usual annoyed looks. It didn’t matter how many years passed because they still hated her.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll see you later.”
She moved behind my father in the armchair and whispered into his ear. I watched as his usual stern expression slipped for a split second, the corner of his mouthing pulling up into a smile. He tapped his fingers on her hand and nodded.
After she was gone, my dad got up from the chair and walked over to me. He bent down and whacked me on the side of the head. “Idiota. I told you to get closer to the girl. Not fuck her! Look at the scene the two of you made at my dinner table. The Vitales are not stupid.”
My dad always had the power to reduce all of us to children. He often smacked the twins and me. Dante never stepped out of line—the perfect Mafia boss in training.
I rubbed the side of my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think Ava would react that way. It’s not like I had the chance to tell her about the engagement. She was with Stefan all day.”
He stepped back, his eyes moving between us. “What is happening with the four of you and that girl?”
“Nothing,” Dante shot back. “I’m still on board to kill her.”
“I’m not,” Angelo interjected.
“Then reattach your fucking balls,” Dante hissed. “All three of you are pussy whipped.”
Angelo snickered. “Fuck you. No, I’m not.”
“Giancarlo was acting stranger than usual.” Dante’s eyes shifted to my father. “The guilt is killing him. Eventually, he will confess to his daughter. And then, we’ll get rid of that family of thieves.”
“Ava isn’t the one stealing from us,” I reminded him.
“We don’t know that,” Dante fired back.
“I do,” I said with certainty. “She’s not helping her dad. Trust me. I know Ava better than all of you.”
“Now that you’re out of play,” my dad said to me, “it puts us in a precarious situation.”
“She likes Angelo and me,” Stefan said. “We can get through to her.”
Dante snarled. “You can’t fuck her into a confession.”
Angelo shook his head and laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
“I have a better idea.” Dad dropped into the armchair across from us. “Dante, I want you to get closer to Ava.”
His usual stony expression slipped. “She’s not going to confide in me, Pop. I scare her.”
“No, you don’t,” Angelo told him.
“She’s dying for you to touch her,” Stefan said. “We had a long talk about you earlier. Ava’s got it bad for you.”
Dante’s eyes narrowed. “Why are we bothering with this shit? I say we round up the Vianellos and torture the information out of them.”
“Giancarlo is one of my oldest friends.” Dad lifted a glass from the table. “Until we have proof, I don’t want to make accusations. I was the best man at his wedding. I’m Ava’s godfather. It’s my responsibility to protect her. You understand that.”
Dante nodded. “Of course. So what do you want me to do?”
