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“You’ll have no need of outside employment now.” Antonio interrupts our conversation. How did he even hear us over everyone talking? “Your job is to keep my brother happy and bear his children, the sooner the better.”
“We’ll get to it in good time,” Alessandro says.
“What do you meanin good time?” Antonio’s jaw clenches. “This family needs heirs.”
“We could already have one on the way.” Olivia juts out her chin defiantly. “If you hadn’t banished your wife.”
I gasp as Antonio slams his fist on the table, rattling plates and knocking over his empty wineglass.
“Truth hurts, does it, brother?” Olivia’s eyes narrow. She’s prodding a wild animal, but she doesn’t seem to care. “You didn’t even wait to hear Bella’s side of the story before you condemned her.”
“Her side of the story?” Leo snarls. “She let those bastard Gallos into their home.”
“Yes, but you didn’t bother to find out why.”
“Nobody gives a fuck why she did it,little sister.” Leo’s face is a mask of pure rage. “They almost killed our brother. Don’t you care about that?”
My heart races as the siblings glare across the table at each other. I don’t know why Olivia feels the need to push her brother’s buttons. Well, perhaps I do, since I have a similar desire to challenge Alessandro’s demand for obedience.
“Of course I care, but Isabella…”
“Enough!” Antonio’s roar is so loud I actually jump. “One more word from you, Livvy, and you’ll spend the rest of the summer in your room.”
Since it’s only June, that would give me pause, but Olivia is undeterred by the threat of punishment.
“Is that all you’ve got,Don Volante? Go to your room?”
“You want to find out what I’m capable of, girl?”
As Antonio surges to his feet, Ava lets out an anguished wail that draws everyone’s attention.
“Please, please stop. We’re here to welcome my new daughter to the family, not poke at old wounds.”
Antonio’s scowl darkens as he continues to stare down Olivia. His mother places her hand on his arm. He blinks and looks at her, his expression softening.
“Apologies, Mamma.” He retakes his seat and fixes his cold blue eyes on me. “Forgive me, Emilia. It’s been a challenging day.”
How am I supposed to respond to that? The man scares the crap out of me and I don’t feel right bestowing my forgiveness upon him because that suggests I think he was in the wrong. I mean, I do, but I can’t let him know that. Smiling weakly, I nod. Seemingly satisfied, Antonio waves a hand, gesturing to our plates.
“Please, everyone, eat.”
The men dive straight back into their conversation, like there wasn’t just a huge blowout at the table. Ava exhales a slow breath and reaches over to give me a reassuring pat on the arm. My family can be temperamental, but the Volantes are on a different level. For a moment there, I thought Antonio might actually hurt Olivia.
“I haven’t thanked you for the gifts you sent me,” I tell Olivia, whose body is trembling, either from rage or fear.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” She dismisses my attempt to thank her with a shrug of her shoulder. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, but if you want to return anything…”
“No, I wouldn’t dream of it. I loved the clothes, and that scent is incredible.”
I don’t tell her that Alessandro and I redeemed the spa voucher but didn’t actually get a massage. Olivia smiles and some of the tension drains from her. Rich, beautiful, and exuding an air of self-confidence, she seems to have every advantage in life. Still, it can’t be easy having five big brothers dogging her steps as I’m sure they do.
“It’s going to be such fun shopping with you, Emilia. I know some great little boutiques.”
Before I have a chance to tell her how much I’m looking forward to it, the room is plunged into darkness. My pulse spikes as panic takes hold of me. I fight the urge to call out to Alessandro, whose shape I can make out across the table from me. Then I relax as someone carries a cake lit, I assume, with twenty-one candles, into the room. The Volantes sing Happy Birthday as the cake is brought to the table and placed in front of me. It’s surreal to be serenaded by these big, bad mobsters, especially since the evening has been tense.
I jump as a hand touches my shoulder.
“Make a wish,dolcezza,” Alessandro says from behind me. I hadn’t realized he’d got up from his seat.
