AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ishouldbe relieved when I see that it’s Dad calling me, but for some reason, my unease just rises as I put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, a little breathlessly. “What...” I clear my throat. “What’s up?”
“I want you to come to dinner at the family home tomorrow night,” my father replies with no prelude. “Several other business associates, including Victor Emmerico, will be there.” There’s a long pause, and then he adds, “Theo Emmerico will be, too.”
“Okay, Dad,” I reply. “I’ll be there.” But for some reason, there’s a lump in my throat.
* * *
“You okay?”Theo asks the following night as we make our way up the long driveway to the mansion where I spent so much of my childhood.
“Freaking out,” I reply, glancing at him. “What else is new?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions, kid,” he advises me. “My men haven’t said anything about this meeting. It could be administrative, for all we know.” He turns to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “If there were trouble, I’d have heard about it.”
“Are you sure?” I ask in a small voice.
“Yes,” Theo replies without missing a beat, his eyes burning into mine, and I can tell that he wants to take me into his arms, but he doesn’t, not with both of us in view of my parents’ house. “And if Lucas tries anything,” he adds, “he has no idea what’s coming to him.” His thumb brushes over the skin of my shoulder. “I’m in your corner, kid. Always. You know that, right?”
“I know, Theo,” I reply, and I mean it. Squaring my shoulders, I turn to face the front porch. “All right, let’s do this.”
We make our way up the path, and by the time we reach the front door, I’m already missing his touch. Before I can even reach out to ring the old bell, the door swings open, and there’s my mother, beaming at me.
“Vivian,” she exclaims, pulling me into a hug. “You’re here! And you brought...” She frowns, her eyes drifting over to Theo. “Your brother-in-law?” She blinks, extending a hand to Theo.
“It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to a name,” Theo replies, turning on the charm, and I can’t help but feel a bit like a teenager bringing home her date to the school dance.
“We just arrived at the same time,” I supply, the excuse rolling easily off my tongue. Okay. So far, so good.
“Where’s Lucas?” my mother asks.
Now it’s my turn to frown. “He isn’t here already?” I ask, glancing at Theo.
That’s when Dad appears in the doorway, a look of rehearsed professionalism on his face as he surveys me and Theo. “I’m afraid Lucas called earlier to tell me he couldn’t make it. Apparently he smashed his nose to hell—said he slipped in the bathroom.”
There’s a pause before I remember to act shocked, well aware of the true origins of my husband’s injury. “Oh my god, is he all right?” I ask, exchanging a sideways glance with Theo.
“He sounded fine,” my father replies, but he gives me a quizzical look, like he knows there’s something I’m not telling him. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter; this meeting doesn’t really concern him. Just a shame you ended up coming all this way without him, Vivian. You two really need to start communicating better.”
“Right,” I reply, ducking my head. “We’re, ah, working on it.”
“Everyone else is here, though,” Dad continues. “And ready to eat.” He opens the door a little wider, ushering us inside.
Victor Emmerico is waiting for us in the sitting room, looking every inch the successful businessman, dressed in a tailored suit and drinking a brandy. He rises to his feet as we enter, turning to face us with a polite smile. “Nice to see you again, Vivian,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since your wedding.”
“No, sir,” I reply as I shake my father-in-law’s hand. “It’s been too long.”
“Indeed.” Victor sniffs, his eyes sliding over to Theo. “Son,” he says, and I can almost see all their tumultuous history filling the air between them. “I’m glad you’re able to be here for this.”
“So am I,” Theo replies, “though I wish I’d known in advance. I would’ve had more time to prepare.”
“Don’t worry, son,” Victor says, still eyeing him coolly. “We’ll make this as easy on you as possible.”
The words are supposed to be reassuring, but judging by the way Theo tenses up next to me, I think they’re anything but.
* * *
I endup next to Theo on one side of the long dining room table, across from Victor, his people, and Violet, with my father at the head. I can’t help but feel a little bit like I’m at a job interview and not a family dinner. It doesn’t help that the consiglieres of both bosses are standing off to one side and talking in hushed voices. My father is wearing the same expression he wore the day he first told me I was going to be married off to Lucas, and I don’t like the look in his eyes. None of this screams “pleasant family dinner,” and even as we make polite conversation over the food, I hardly taste what I’m eating, stealing glance after glance at Theo.
