AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Maybe it’s part of the Fratellanza initiation process that they swear to hate animals,” giggled Anni. “There’s an animal shelter near here; we should get the guys to come there and then hold them at gunpoint until they give in and bond with the animals.”
“Maybe after being forced to spend some time with some cute fluffy animals, they’ll fall in love with them just like we always do,” suggested Debi.
“And pigs might fly,” I giggled, feeling a lightness that I hadn’t felt in a while.
After Anni had told me some more about herself and Lorenzo, as well as filling me in on some of the issues at the start of their marriage and Lorenzo’s aversion to pets, I asked her about her family. “The Venetis are from Staten Island, right?”
“That’s right. Have you ever been?”
“No. I would love to go there and see the sights in New York. But you know how it is.”
“Yeah, you’re not safe in a place if your family doesn’t run the city,” said Debi with a sigh. “I mean, I love Chicago, but it would be nice to spread my wings a bit. I didn’t even get to see much of L.A. when we were there for Juliana’s wedding as that got cut short…”
“Well, as the Venetis and Marchianos have their alliance now, sealed by me being thrown under the bus and being arranged in marriage to Lorenzo, you guys would be safe if you visited my hometown.” Anni’s green eyes lit up as an idea came to her. “Hey, we should do a girls’ road trip to Staten Island—it would be so much fun. Especially since Lorenzo always has an excuse as to why he hasn’t got time to come and see my family with me.”
“He doesn’t like your family?” I asked.
“He says they’re batshit crazy.” Anni’s tone was very matter-of-a-fact.
My jaw dropped a little. “And you don’t mind him talking about your family like that?”
Anni shrugged. “I don’t let the small shit bother me.”
“A girls’ trip would be so cool,” enthused Debi. She turned her head toward me. “Do you think Marco would agree?”
“Marco would definitely not agree, nor would Lorenzo,” we heard a voice say behind us. I whipped my head around to see Marco walking into the kitchen.
“Aw, come on, Marco,” wheedled Anni. “I was just telling Juliana that you aren’t that bad, so why don’t you prove my point by letting her and Debi go with me on one of my trips home?”
“Nice try, Oakley. But the answer’s still no.”
“Oakley?” I asked in confusion.
“That’s Anni’s nickname,” explained Debi.
Marco looked at me. “Trust me, Juliana, you don’t want to meet the Venetis.”
“They can’t be that bad,” I argued.
“Yes, they can,” he replied with a scowl. “They’re complete loons.”
My eyes widened at his choice of words. Anni, however, wasn’t perturbed by what he’d said. It was like water off a duck’s back, and I had to admire her for her relaxed attitude.
Marco grabbed a coffee and then headed for the office, leaving us to our lunch.
As we finished eating, Mr. Fluffy came into the kitchen. He’d just woken from his nap and started snuffling around for food. He’d finished the pack of dog biscuits yesterday, so I excused myself and headed to the storeroom to collect a new pack.
On my way back to the kitchen, a man I hadn’t met was standing in the hallway, typing something on his phone.
He looked up, his calculating gaze assessing me. After a long moment, he spoke. “You must be Juliana—the girl who’s caused all the trouble.”
“And you must be the cat-hater,” I responded. Anni had shown me a photo on her phone of this man: he was her husband, Lorenzo.
His eyes flickered for the briefest moment at my comment. I knew he wouldn’t normally give anything away, but his guard was down while he was inside his cousin’s home. “I see my reputation proceeds me,” he drawled. “I also hate anyone from the Società.”
“Well, I’m no longer Società. Marco saw to that when he forced me to become his wife.”
He continued staring at me. He was really intense, and I couldn’t help thinking that he was also a little scary.
