“I guess I could try that. I just don’t know what we would have in common now. We used to love all the same things, mostly. It’s hard starting over.”
“Yes, I’m sure it is, but I would also venture to say you have more in common now. You’ve just never spoken about it,” Vella says teasingly. Leaning forward, she whispers, “For example, you’re an assassin for your father, and I hear Daemon is a killer in the underground fighting ring. You both love violence.” She snickers.
“He fights? But how did you know that and I didn’t?”
Vella laughs. “Oh, dear girl. These men aren’t the only ones with eyes and ears everywhere. A Mafia wife’s job, contrary to what these men think, is to know how and when to protect her family’s interests. You’ll learn.”
“You sound like my mama.” I laugh. “She’s always finding out things Papa never intended for her to know. Showing up in places he doesn’t want.”
“Mhm.”
A thought suddenly crosses my mind. “Mama.” An idea forms.
“Hmm?” Vella asks. “What about her?”
“I need to call her. She’ll be able to stop whatever Papa is doing and help me with everything. I need a phone.” Vella looks at me suspiciously. “Please. I’ll tell her I’m with Enzo willingly. That we’re in love and getting married. Just … trust me. I need a phone. She can get through to Papa in a way he won’t argue with.”
“You think you can pull that off? Convince her you and Enzo are in love?” Somehow, I don’t think she’s simply asking for Mama’s sake.
“I’ve never spoken about marriage to a man without disgust or disdain.” I sigh. “Most men come to my father for my hand because they believe he will want an advantageous marital alliance. Those who try to come to me, want to inherit my casinos. I’ve never spoken about love or wanting to get married before. The fact I’m willingly marrying a made man speaks volumes. Mama will hear me.”
“If I at least tell her that Enzo brought me here because it was safer, and away from the family problems, she’ll accept Enzo’s protectiveness as a good sign. The fact I willingly left with him instead of inserting myself into a fight might also win us a few points.”
Vella laughs heartily. “Oh, you two really are going to make things interesting for this family, aren’t you?” Vella reaches into her dress pocket and hands me her cell phone. “Make it quick and be convincing.” She looks around the room cautiously.
Taking the cell phone, I dial Mama’s number. My heart sits in my throat with each passing ring. On the third ring, Mama answers. “Hello?”
“Mama? It’s me.” Even I can hear the shakiness in my voice. I clear my throat and push back my nerves.
“Althea? Baby, whose number is this? Where are you? Your father is looking for you. Someone said you had been kidnapped. Are you all right?” Mama asks, sounding slightly frantic.
“No, Mama. I wasn’t kidnapped. I’m fine. I’m in Italy,” I tell her.
“Italy?” Mama’s voice hits a higher octave. The one I know means she’s close to losing her shit. I heard it a lot as a child. Especially when she learned Papa was training me to kill, and not simply for self-defense.
“Mama. I-I met someone in Dallas. I’m in Italy with him and his family.” Okay, that wasn’t so hard. “We’re getting married.”
“Did you say married? To whom? Without me or your father?”
Well shit. She doesn’t sound happy about this.
“Uh, well …” I twirl the string on my hoodie around my finger, wondering how my mother has the ability to shrink my confidence down to that of a child when she gets that tone in her voice. The one that says I better not lie to her or else. “I’ve sort of been seeing Enzo Venatti.”
“Venatti.” It’s not a question or an accusation, yet there’s something in her tone I can’t decipher. “The family enforcer?”
“How did you …”
“I’m your mother, and your father had them all looked into when you left for college. Please, Althea. You know he wouldn’t let you go into another family’s territory without a thorough investigation and sending people to verify you wouldn’t be in harm’s way.” She scoffs. “He assumed your college was too far away from them for you to be noticed. But clearly, he was wrong.”
“But my school was three hours away from Dallas. Why would Papa bother … you know what? Nevermind. Yes. Enzo is their enforcer, and well, he and I are …” I swallow past the lump in my throat.
I don’t know what we are.
“He brought me here because it wasn’t safe in Dallas after Santo was shot, and we decided to plan our wedding here.”
“Yes, we heard about the shooting. A few days later, Sebastian told your father you had been kidnapped. He left for Dallas straight away.”
“I wasn’t kidnapped. Enzo brought me here to meet his family and get us away from the situation until he knew it was safe for me to return,” I explain. “And then when we got here, I don’t know, Mama. It’s really beautiful here. It’s a lovely place to hold a wedding.”
