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“Oh, come on, Tia. You can’t deny that one. Don’t you remember the time you stayed on the piano bench for hours, refusing to get up because you didn’t want me to keep playing Chopsticks wrong?”
“It wasn’t just wrong, it was horrible,” I insist. “You were just pounding the keys haphazardly, with no rhyme or reason.”
“Yeah. Chopsticks,” my sister says as if they’re one and the same. “Point being, you couldn’t just let me have my fun. You wanted it done the right way.”
“That’s not stubborn. I was doing the world a favor.”
“And now you’re stubbornly refusing to acknowledge my point,” she says dryly.
This time, I can’t deny it, and I laugh. “Fine, maybe I can be stubborn sometimes. But I’ll refuse to admit it to Leo.”
Maria giggles. “While I feel obligated to point out that’s just another example to prove his case, I fully support your decision.”
Laughing, I shake my head, letting my eyes fall to the gravel pathway we’re covering slowly but surely.
“I miss having you around all the time,” Maria confesses sadly, her humor falling away as she grows nostalgic.
“I miss being with you all,” I agree, my smile slipping from my face.
“Anna, Vienna, and Sofia told me to tell you hi, by the way. I think they might cry if you don’t invite them soon.”
My heart twinges to think they might feel I’ve abandoned them. “Oh, please tell them I want them to come! And that I miss them. I just wasn’t sure Mother would think they’re old enough to… visit me without supervision. You know, after…”
Maria nods. “I don’t think she will. But I’m sure it would mean a lot to them to get an invite. And I’ll offer to keep an eye on them, in case that helps. Who knows? Stranger miracles have happened.”
Without thinking about it, my hand falls onto my belly, and Maria’s eyes follow the motion. “You still getting sick every day?”
“I’ve actually made it two whole days without throwing up,” I say proudly.
“Well, that’s good. I can’t imagine hobbling to the bathroom on crutches has been very convenient at all,” she jokes.
I laugh, shaking my head. “No, but I’ve learned the timing better now. I know the signs and can get to the bathroom before it’s an emergency.”
“A new accomplishment to put on your resume.” Maria’s eyes twinkle as she smiles at me.
“Yes, that will go at the top of the list,” I assure her solemnly.
We laugh together, and as we near the far end of the garden, we settle onto the bench there. Casually scanning the space around us, we check to make sure we’re completely alone. Then Maria turns to me with a new sense of purpose.
“Have you found anything we can use against the Morettis?” she asks, her voice dipping to barely above a whisper.
My heart skips a beat as I think about what little information I’ve gathered. “Well, Leo seems pretty insistent on forming a good relationship with the mayor, and for some reason, he’s needed me to make that happen. I get the feeling that Mayor Romney was reluctant to interact with him or establish a relationship of any kind. But we’ve had dinner with the mayor and his family a few times now, and this last time, the mayor invited us to his charity event next weekend.”
Maria’s eyebrows raise. “That could give us something to work with. I mean, I don’t know what exactly, but at least you have an idea of some connection that matters to Leo.”
I nod. “He and the mayor seem to have come to an agreement that the Morettis will do some form of security for the event? I don’t know. Leo’s been rather vague on the details, and I don’t want to show too much interest and raise his suspicion. I was hoping I might find another opportunity to visit with the mayor and his wife sometime this week. See if I can’t get them to open up more about the details.”
Maria perks up. “Maybe we can work with that—I’ll think on it,” she assures me.
And despite my convictions, a twinge of guilt hits me. I don’t like plotting against Leo, regardless of what he’s done to me. But it’s not really about me. It’s about my family and Leo’s willingness to use violence to his benefit. My conscience won’t just let me stand by and do nothing.
“Should I talk to Father…?” Maria’s question trails off as her eyes grow round at something behind me, and my hands break into a cold sweat at the sudden anxiety behind the guarded look.
“Ladies.”
My heart stops at the sound of Leo’s familiar baritone, his rich voice like a nail in my coffin. Turning quickly where I sit, I look up at him, worried that he must have overheard our conversation before he appeared around the hedges.
“Leo,” I gasp, trying my best not to look guilty. “You’re home early.”
