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“It’s my house,” he deadpans as if that’s enough of an explanation.
I shush him, gesturing for him to follow me down the hall. “For starters, don’t ever scare me like that again. What if I was carrying a gun? I would have shot you.”
Dante snorts, slapping my back. “That’s cute, Lolo. Keep thinking you’ll shoot me in my own home.”
We make our way downstairs, where Luciano waits in the living room with Salvatore. They speak in muffled whispers as we descend the staircase, but when they see the two of us, they suspiciously stop talking.
“What?” I ask, glaring at them. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Luc replies. “What’s wrong with you?”
I narrow my eyes at the pair, distrusting Salvatore and Luciano with every fiber of my being. “You two were whispering about something. What was it?”
“Let it go, Nic,” counsels Dante. “It’s just speculation.”
He knows? He wasn’t even down here when they were talking. “Someone better tell me what’s happening right now.” I refuse to be kept in the dark. There is too much to contemplate, too much happening, for me to remain oblivious about the events unfolding within my own family.
My stepdaughter is upstairs having a mental breakdown, and we have to start planning the wedding that will save her life. Classes resume in a few days, and I have yet to make any preparations for the new semester. I’m exhausted, beat down, and there is no stopping the reality train from barreling down the tracks.
“I think she’s right,” Luciano finally confesses after a pause.
Confusion creases my forehead. “Christine?” She’s the only‘she’that comes to mind. “Right about what?”
Tension weaves through the room like silent, odorless gas, leaving devastation in its wake. My three brothers exchange weary glances as if arguing over who has to break the news to me.
Dante, always willing to seize any opportunity to assert his dominance, offers to shoulder the responsibility. “I think her uncles might attempt to kill you.”
I need a stiff drink and a sunny beach. Stat. I can’t handle this. I know I was brought up in the same household as the three men in front of me, none of whom even bat an eyelash at the talk of murder, but I can’t handle it. My life was always supposed to be easy. I wasn’t supposed to have to deal with shit like this. Picking a career outside of the Terlizzi family’s reach was supposed to protect me.
“You’ll be fine,” Luciano interjects, breezily dismissing my concerns. “You’ll be on campus for the next few months. They can’t kill you on campus.”
With my jaw agape, I blink uncomprehendingly at him. “I come home every night, Luc. Are we assuming that if they can’t get me on campus, they won’t attempt to kill me in my own home?”
A lengthy silence engulfs the room. Eventually, Luciano purses his lips and throws himself onto the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. “You know, you might be onto something. I take back what I said. You probablywon’tbe fine.”
“This is why I don’t like you.” I give my little brother the fiercest glare I can muster. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Mom says I’m perfect just the way I am,” Lucky grins.
He’s got huge little brother energy. One of these days, it’s going to get him popped in the mouth. “Don’t talk to me.”
A wave of laughter rolls through the room, dispersing some of the tension. It doesn’t make me feel better about my impendingmurder attempt, but it’s enough to pierce the nervous energy and get us talking.
Chapter 41
Christine
4.5 Weeks Ago • January 10th
Classes started a few days ago, and Kaye’s schedule is still packed from dawn until dusk. I asked her if she wanted to slow down since she is pregnant, but she told me this is the best time to put her foot on the gas.
“In the fall semester, I really will have to slow down because we’ll have a baby, but I’m not going to let a baby bump or some morning sickness keep me from achieving my dreams.”
It’s an inspiring little speech that convinces me to add four more hours to my week. I wanted to double it, but Nic convinced me not to.
“We need to plan a wedding,” he reminded me. “And you need to tell your best friend because she needs to be fitted for her bridesmaids dress.”
Ignoring him seemed like the easier path to take, so that’s what I did. I’d tell Kaye about my impending nuptials eventually—maybe the morning of the dress fitting.
