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“Cat!”
She throws herself into my arms, and we squeeze one another tight. I may not have missed the house I grew up in, but I missed my sister. I missed her eternal optimism and her unwavering love.
The truth about my father and his feelings for me may have been an unpleasant surprise, but I’ve never had to question Cat’s motivations. She loves me as much as I do her. My brother thinks his affections are as solid as ours, but I know he’d choose the family if push really came to shove. He’d struggle with it, but his duty would win out. He is a soldier, after all. It was the way he was raised. He may have helped me save my sister, but he knew the ramifications for me would have always been worse than the fallout to Cosa Nostra. My mother is similar. She loves her children with everything she holds inside. But she is a dutiful Mafia wife. Her allegiance is to her husband first and foremost. I can’t condemn her for that. My feelings mirror hers when I think of Vincent. I’d lay down my life to protect him, and I can’t even say I love him.Yet.
“I like your hair like this.” Caterina flicks my ponytail.
“You don’t think I look toosevere?”
She rolls her eyes. “You never wear your hair up,” she comments, watching me curiously.
I like your hair like that. You have a habit of hiding under your hair. This removes that problem for me.
On our wedding night, I vowed to myself that I would never wear my hair up again, convinced I hated Vincent Ferrari and everything he stood for. I wanted to hide from him. The less he knew about me, the better.
Now, I pull it back from my face most of the time. I give him something seemingly small but costs me a lot.Me.He has complete access to every emotion that crosses my face.
“Vincent likes my hair up,” I murmur.
“You’re a dutiful Mafia wife after all,” my brother comments lazily as he steps into the kitchen, but there is an accusation under his tone, a disappointment in his generalization.
“Tony,” I ignore his rumble, moving to kiss both of his cheeks.
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen under some disillusion thatNecktiewill be as dutiful to you as you are to him?”
I lift my chin, my eyebrows pulling together over my eyes. “My marriage is none of your concern.”
He shrugs. “It doesn’t seem much of yours either.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I bite out, irritated at the scorn my brother is lacing me with for making the best out of a situation I had no say in.
“It means that you don’t know your husband.”
“Tony,” my mother chides.
“And you do?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“No, he doesn’t.” Vincent’s voice carries over the wide expanse of the kitchen.
Tony has the good sense to duck his head. “Meant no disrespect.”
“I think you did.” Linking a finger into the loop of my high-waisted jeans, Vincent pulls me back into his body.
“Just want my sister to remain vigilant.”
Vincent laughs. “Of what?Me? My senses tell me it’syouwho doesn’t always have your sister's best interests at heart. Not this one, anyway.” He strokes his hand over my ponytail. “Interesting that herindiscretionmoved you into number one place for your father, wouldn’t you say?”
My eyes widen, not that Vincent can see them.
Tony looks at me cautiously, ducking his head away. “I had no idea Berto and Bianca were involved. I would’ve killed that piece of shit had he not already been dead,” he mumbles.
“As you’ve said. Come, Bianca. I have something I need to take care of. I’ll drop you home first.”
I consider telling him that I want to stay, that I want more time with my sister and my mother, but Tony has put me on edge. I never considered his easy compliance with my plan. Was that his real motivation? Moving up the ranks as the favored Rossi child? We agreed our plan was for the protection of Caterina. But with Tony refusing to meet my eyes, I can’t help but wonder if our younger sister’s safety bothered him at all. I knew he was faithful to Cosa Nostra. I just never knew, like my father, that it meant more to him than anything else.
“Of course,” I whisper, moving forward to kiss my family goodbye.
Tony hugs me tightly. “How does he know of my involvement?”
