Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
“Should’ve thought of that before you invited me into your family.”
A tug on my wrist made me look down at my wife.
“You get more bees with honey,” she signed.
“Fine.” I shook her off. “If your mother’s pathetic life means something to you, I guess she can keep it.”
Chiara put a hand to her diamond-decked neck, staring at her daughter with anger and betrayal.
“You speak to him now?”
“She does,” I supplied. “As she should. I’m her husband.”
“Mama, please.” Lila’s eyes were begging.
Chiara looked the other way. Something happened in my body. Something that didn’t even happen when I watched my sister almost get shot to death in a game of Russian roulette when we were kids.
Rage. Potent and red and inescapable.
“Mama, you told us Lila can’t understand us.” Luca kneaded his temples. “You said she is mentally four years old.”
“I said what needed to be said to keep her safe.” Chiara straightened her back primly.
“All this time… We could’ve talked to her.” Enzo’s lower lip curled.
“You dodged a bullet.” Achilles turned to Lila. He didn’t seem any more rocked by this revelation than he was by tomorrow’s weather forecast. “Asshole would’ve talked your ear off.”
“Achilles,” Chiara chided.
“He started it,” Achilles said gravely.
“Look at me. I’m the picture of a good brother.” Enzo gestured to his baby face. “How did I start it?”
“You were born,” Achilles deadpanned.
“Does this mean we’ll all have to learn ASL now?” Enzo swirled his tongue over a spoonful of soup.
“Yeah,” Luca growled. “All of us. Nonnegotiable.”
“Ugh, I suck at languages.”
“You suck at everything,” Achilles comforted him.
Luca turned to Lila, his scowl softening. “I’ll take ASL up immediately. In the meantime, if you need anything, you text us.”
Lila nodded, offering him a warm smile.
“This is madness.” Vello glared at his wife. “You cost me a good business deal. We’ll have words later.”
“Hold up.” Enzo raised his palm, turning to me. “How do you know ASL?”
“Grew up in a military school. They only let us speak one hour a day, and we were chatty bastards.” This skimmed the truth without really revealing it.
Vello motioned to his daughter, who turned to look at him. “Lila. Come here.”
She tore herself from her soup and gingerly shuffled in his direction. My eyes never wavered from them. I didn’t trust anyone who was willing to hand his daughter off to me.
He put a hand on her cheek. My fingers curled against the back of her empty chair, squeezing. “Bambina mia.” He tilted his head. “You sneaky little shit. I always knew you weren’t an idiot. No child of mine can be stupid.”
My nostrils flared. My wife’s face drained of color.
“Lila,” I clipped out. “That’s enough. Come finish your food.”
But my wife seemed to have enough of people bossing her around. Giving me the middle finger, she stomped out of the kitchen. Enzo stood up and followed her, muttering, “Nice going, stronzi.”
“She’d have never done this a month ago.” Achilles pointed at me with an unlit cigarette, deducing he could smoke, now that she was gone. “You’re spoiling her, Callaghan.”
I wasn’t doing jack shit other than not standing in her way to figure out who she truly was. She’d been kept on such a short leash here, her family naturally assumed she was a docile little thing.
“Mama.” Luca turned to Chiara. “What you did to her was inexcusable. Did you really think you could get away with it?”
Chiara opened her mouth to talk, but at this stage, I was past my Ferrante family quota for the year and wanted to get out of there. I turned to her again. “Either we have words or I’ll just assume you want me to break the happy news about my wife’s incredible wits on a Times Square billboard.” I withdrew my phone, making a show of it. “If I move quickly, I might be able to get Post Malone to make an announcement at his Madison Square Garden show tonight.”
Life seeped out of her face in real time as she considered my ultimatum. She knew I’d follow through. I’d done a lot worse for a lot less.
Chiara tipped her head up, a gesture that reminded me of her daughter, rising to her feet. “Follow me.”
We entered the second family room, tackily decorated and full of gold-framed paintings and shiny fabrics.
“Should I call for Imma to make coffee?” she asked, about to take a seat on an upholstered sofa.
“No need. I intend to make it quick.”
“Very well.” She stood up and waltzed over to me, keeping her features schooled.
“You robbed Lila of living a normal life, which is the bare fucking minimum. You made the entire world think she isn’t capable, when in fact, she’s the only child of yours I would let use heavy machinery.”
“I gave her everything she ever needed,” she countered. “My only sin was trying to protect her from men like you.”