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I cap my lip gloss and place it on the table. "That’s what I’ve always loved about you, Livvy, you don’t let challenges get you down."
"Oh, I was down after the accident that left me with this." She points to the scar on her face. "But you know, Massimo was there with me that day at the hospital. He stayed with me the whole time, and that's when I knew I was falling for him. But I knew he was part of the Mafia, and the last thing I wanted was to marry a Mafia guy, considering I left home as soon as I could precisely so I couldn’t be trapped into an arranged marriage with one of them."
I stare at her, and she flushes.
"I didn’t mean anything by that comment. I wasn’t trying to find fault with your agreeing to one in the first place."
"I know. And honestly, the place I was in, I thought my only way out of that family was by getting married." I bite down on my lower lip. "When I think of it now, I can’t believe they brainwashed me into believing that was the only way forward for me. But when you’re in that situation with our family, it’s difficult to think you have choices. If I hadn’t met Declan when I did—" I shake my head.
"Speaking of, where is he?"
"He’s on a shoot."
"And you didn’t go with him?"
My guts twist, but I manage to paste a smile on my face. "I do have my own career to launch."
"Is he going to be around for your first recording?"
Isn’t that the question?Fact is, I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left me asleep in his bed. Thestronzodidn’t even leave me a note. Which, honestly, is not what I expected. Especially not after how he held my gaze as he came inside me. There was this intensity to his movements, a desperation in how he took me, a possessiveness that bled through his touch into my skin, the way he painted my insides with his cum as if he were marking me as his... Or maybe, that was my imagination playing tricks on me…
Maybe the speed with which he changed his mind about keeping our relationship professional and then taking my virginity is what made my head spin.
And the asshole left it to Rick to convey the news that he’d left for his shoot.Coward.I curl my fingers into fists. Not that I’m going to call him and find out where he is. Or when he plans to come home. I’m not going to stalk him on his social media or keep an eye out on the tabloids or the film publications for news of where he is either.
"Solene?" Olivia’s voice pulls me out of my meandering.
"No, he’s not going to be at my recording. Or if he is, he hasn’t mentioned it to me. He’s a busy man. A top-rated Hollywood film star, for chrissakes. Of course, he’s not going to be around for something as trivial as this."
She stares at me.
"What?"
"You said chrissakes."
"I did."
"If Ma were to hear that—"
I scoff. "I’d never say that in her presence."
"Being away from home has been good to you. Not that I ever doubted it. But you sound like the Solene of old again."
I sober. "I feel like I’m regaining all that exuberance and courage of my youth, which I thought I’d lost. Turns out, it only needed the right circumstances for it to resurface."
"Hmm." She opens her mouth, when someone calls her name. "Oh, hey Karma!" Olivia waves at someone off screen. "Yes, I’m talking to my sister. Do you want to say hi to her?"
What? Before I can protest, Olivia’s flipped the screen, and the face of a dark-haired woman wearing dark lipstick and dark eyeshadow, and definitely channeling a goth princess, fills the screen.
"Hi, Solene. I’m so sorry we didn’t get to know each other better at Olivia and Massimo’s engagement and wedding."
"Right." I rub my forehead. "You’re Michael’s wife?"
"Correct,” she flashes me a smile.
“Michael is Massimo’s oldest brother, and the Don of the Cosa Nostra, eh?"
"Ex-Don. Also,” she leans in closer, “They don’t use that term anymore, since they’re legalizing the Cosa Nostra."
