AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was just thinking about Clara. She seems so sad sometimes.”
“Yes, the poor thing.”
“I know that the children didn’t go to their mother’s funeral, so I was wondering if maybe that has affected them—you know, because it would have been their last chance to see their mother and say goodbye to her. What do you think?”
“Mr. Lorenzo didn’t want them at the funeral. He thought it was for the best. Anyway, it was a closed casket funeral, so they wouldn’t have gotten to see their mother again anyway.”
A cold shudder ran through me. “Why…was there a closed casket?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Anni.” She spoke hurriedly, as though realizing that she’d said too much. “We shouldn’t be talking about this. I don’t want to get in trouble with Mr. Lorenzo.” There was a definite fear behind her words.
I nodded, not wanting to pressure her into talking when she clearly felt uneasy.
I picked up my coffee and made my way back to the den to get the paints out.
I was left feeling frustrated, as though I was deliberately being left in the dark. Lorenzo didn’t even mention his first wife or have a single photo of her in his home, and everyone else seemed to avoid mention of her.
A closed casket was used when the body was not in a fit state to be viewed—usually because the person had been killed in a brutal manner.
As there was no talk about any sort of accident involving Rita, it meant that she’d probably been killed by the Fratellanza because she had betrayed them.
And out of all the people she could have betrayed and been killed by, the most likely person was Lorenzo. I wondered if she had cheated on him or if she had betrayed him in his business dealings?
I’d always known that Made Men had no qualms when it came to killing wives or family members who betrayed them. The thought, however, still made my blood run cold as I wondered what I’d gotten myself into by marrying this man.
CHAPTER 25
ANNUNCIATA
We left home a little before 6pm.
Marco’s estate was nearby apparently, and Giuseppe was assigned to drive us there.
When we pulled up at the estate’s perimeter, Giuseppe rolled down his window. “Got a visitor for the boss,” he said to the soldiers, all of whom were armed with AK-47s. Although Lorenzo’s gate guards were also armed, they were more discreet with their weapons.
The soldier walked around to my side of the car and signaled for me to roll my window down.
“State your business,” he barked at me.
“Um…I’ve been invited for dinner?” I don’t know why it came out like a question, but his weapon was making me very nervous, particularly with the children in the back. The guards at Venetiville werewayfriendlier.
“Name?” he demanded.
“Anni…”
“Surname?” he snapped.
I thought it best not to say ‘Oakley’—he didn’t seem like the type to be able to appreciate a joke. “Er…Marchiano?” Why did everything come out as a question?
“Marchiano?” The soldier looked at me in surprise. “You’re Lorenzo’s wife?”
“Yeah.” A blush ran up my cheeks. I still found it weird being referred to as his wife.
“Sorry, Mrs. Marchiano, I didn’t know it was you. Go straight through. I’ll ring the Capo and let him know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, rolling my window back up.
Giuseppe drove from the perimeter gates up to a large modern mansion. The grounds appeared to be extensive, with expansive green lawns which stretched into what looked to be a wooded area. At the side of the property, I spied a helipad complete with a chopper, as well as an impressive glasshouse containing an indoor pool. The whole estate was grand, as befitting the home of a Capo.
