Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Samuel reached for his phone and stared down at it. His body was shielding the screen from my view. “Here,” Samuel murmured and handed me the phone. I took it with shaking fingers, and with a feeling of trepidation, I looked down at the screen and the string of photos. I frowned, not understanding what I saw. It showed two dark-haired children in front of a huge birthday cake. I could only see their backs. The girl wore a tutu, and the boy what looked like boxing shorts. And suddenly, it clicked. I looked up at my husband.
Samuel’s shoulders sagged, and he shook his head with a look of resignation. “What I tell you now is betrayal. Not of you, but the Outfit. If word gets out, I’d be punished harshly.”
My eyes grew wide. “My loyalty lies with you, not the Outfit.”
Samuel twisted his head toward me and smiled bitterly. Then he sighed and nodded. “F is short for Fina. Serafina, my twin.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my suspicions being confirmed. The children in the photo must be the twins. Remo Falcone’s twins. Now I knew why he thought it was betrayal. Why had I never thought about F being his sister? I hadn’t known he called her Fina, but I could have made the connection if not for being so insecure because of gossip. It had seemed more logical for him to betray me than the Outfit. I was relieved but, at the same time, worried for him. Our Capo Dante was his uncle, but betrayal was difficult to tolerate.
“I thought you ended all contact when she went back to Remo Falcone.” I glanced at another photo showing Fina’s smiling face as she hugged the girl in the tutu.
“I should have,” he murmured, pain and regret in his voice. “But she’s my twin.”
I couldn’t even begin to understand what it meant to be connected to someone from the womb, so I didn’t judge him.
“The twins had their sixth birthday a couple of weeks ago. Then there was our wedding. My sister tried to establish closer contact again, probably feeling nostalgic.”
“You miss her,” I said softly, touching his back.
“I miss the sister I had before Remo twisted her into someone else. She isn’t that person anymore, and I’m not the same person I was before she was kidnapped.”
Again he touched the scar on his side.
“Does it hurt?”
He dropped his hand. “No. I got it when Serafina was kidnapped. The memories of what followed hurt more.”
It was the most personal thing Samuel had ever shared with me, and it made me feel even worse for accusing him of cheating. “I’m sorry for accusing you of cheating. I just thought…”
I trailed off, not sure how to say it.
“You just thought?” he asked, his gaze boring into my eyes.
“You are a man, a man who had many lovers before our marriage.”
“I did,” Samuel admitted, turning around to me. “And I have no need for further conquests. What you said sounds like something your mother put in your head.”
“She probably did,” I muttered. I sighed, then narrowed my eyes. “So you say because you had so many girls before marriage, you can be faithful now. By that logic, I’d have to go look for a lover, considering my lack of experience.”
Samuel climbed back on the bed and cupped my face with a dominant smile. “This world doesn’t give girls the same freedoms as we get, and while this is certainly not a fair concept, I like that you are mine alone and will always only be mine.”
He kissed me. Soon, his kiss became more demanding, and we ended up having sex again. Afterward, I snuggled up to him with my cheek pressed to his strong chest. Samuel had no trouble allowing this kind of closeness. His fingers were even stroking my arm gently, making me feel cared for and very drowsy.
“I thought about your wish to dance.”
I held my breath.
“I think it’s a good idea. As long as Leo’s observations don’t give me reason to change my mind, I’ll allow you to take dance lessons.”
I pushed up and kissed his lips with a big smile. “Thank you!”
His eyes scanned my beaming face, and he brushed a strand away from my face. I kissed him lightly, then put my head back down and cuddled even closer to him. He wrapped an arm around me. “I feel safe in your arms,” I admitted in a small voice.
Samuel released a deep breath. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
The following day, I helped with another meeting at the community center. The dance studio couldn’t offer me a tryout session so quickly after I’d canceled my last, so I had to wait two more days.
During the meeting, I found out Samuel had indeed spoken with Fiorentino’s father and made it clear they wanted his son to prove his worth.