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His chuckle is the last I hear, before Tommy and I leave and I get some much needed space between us.
12
Ren
“Huh?Yeah.We’reonour way now,” Tommy says, distracted by something else over the phone.
“School ended at three. What’s taken you so long?” I ask.
Last I heard, Lilly was meeting Dave at Eve’s school. It’s now just past five and they have yet to come home. For someone desperate to run and make my life hell, she’s not doing a very good job. First, she won over Tommy on day one. Then, she got Dave on her side by the way she handled his daughter. It seems Lilly is fitting in perfectly with my family.
“Huh?” he asks again, still not listening. “Don’t worry, Boss. We’re all good here. The kids just had the best day of her life and me not far off.”
Now I’m even more curious as to what she planned. At least it sounds like the cops weren’t involved, so that’s good.
“See ya soon.” Tommy hangs up, and I just stare at the phone in disbelief.
The roller coaster of ups and downs is giving me whiplash. One minute my blood is boiling, listening to her past. Her pathetic excuse of a father serving her up to Sergei is unfathomable. The next minute I’m feeling like a schoolboy again, with a crush so deep it hurts.
It’s hard to believe she’s suffered through hard times. If she’s not fighting with me and giving me attitude, she’s walking around with a permanent smile on her face, laughing and joking around with my family. She strolled straight into breakfast and into Eve’s life, making her bad day brighter. And that girl can use bright, since her mother walked out on both her and Dave fresh out of the hospital. He was left raising her alone, with the help of his mother and our family, of course.
We all saw it, the way the girls eyes sparkled with awe looking at her. Lilly can go toe to toe with me, not holding her tongue, not backing away. Swearing black and blue, she’s bouncing at the first chance. But then jump right into a fight with a ten-year-old protecting one of our own.
She’s like a missing piece of a puzzle that we never knew we needed. If only she’d open her damn eyes and stop resisting it, life could get back to normal.
Well, a new normal. I’m starting to think life with Lilly will be anything but.
My day was filled with bullshit and drama and Tommy’s living his best life. Maybe I need to change things up, get him back on the streets and try the babysitting myself.
I’m not interested in being a monster to any woman—but especially not to her. My reputation on the streets may say otherwise, but that’s business. I was born into a life of crime, but my father taught me at a young age the difference from being ruthless on the streets, and a man at home. It’s the only way we’ve been able to shield my sister from the blood spilled in the name of our family, keeping her safe and pure.
“Ren!” An angry high pitched voice echo’s through the house. “Lorenzo Dominic Vitali you better come out right now!”
Speak of the devil.
“Don’t even try to hide!” My sister’s voice gets louder, the angrier she gets.
I sigh, standing from my desk. I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know what she’s pissed about.
“Ren!” she calls out again, her voice coming from the kitchen. “I’m going to give you one minute. Then I’m going to tell dad who broke the porcelain statue of the Virgin Mary when we were kids.”
“That’s not very nice.” I swing the door open and head straight for the alcohol, having a feeling I’m going to need it.
“Nice?” She throws her hands up dramatically, like she does. “You’re getting married!”
“Actually, I expected you sooner.” I pour a double serve, raising the glass to my mouth.
“Very funny. Please explain?” She crosses her arms, waiting.
I release a long breath and roll out the tension in my shoulders. “Didn’t dad tell you already?”
“Well, obviously. How else would I have found out. You sure as hell didn’t tell me.”
Amari doesn’t use swear words often, but when she does, she is angry. And to her, ‘hell’ is a swear word. She’s always been the apple of our father's eye. The one who always followed the rules. Good grades, church every Sunday with the old man, everything that makes up the perfect Italian Catholic daughter.
Before I get a chance to reply, the sounds of laughter and chatter drift from outside the kitchen. Amari’s eyes brighten when she hears Eve’s giggles and instantly softens.
“We are not finished.” She points at me.
