“Let’s not make a scene,” I spoke.
“Ah, yes,” Alistair spoke. “Listen to your pretty wife, Thierry.”
“So, you know my friends,” Naomi finally spoke, her eyebrows raised in confusion.
“Yes, love,” the poison dripped from his lips. “I mean I had no idea that it was the Scarpettas we were vacationing with this weekend, and you didn’t mention it. But yes, our families have history.”
“Oh,” Naomi gave a smile, still confused.
He pulled out her seat and sat next to her.
“How is that darling boy of yours,” Alistair spoke again.
My fist hit the table and I snatched up a knife. It was Thierry’s turn to try and calm me. My hand flexed and the steak knife clattered to the table as the waiter returned and took our order.
“Our son, is fine!” I snapped; my teeth gritted. That tension I had left outside was mounting an attack on my shoulders again.
My eyes had begun to scan the room.
“I was so excited for this trip,” Alistair spoke. “So nice to get out of the States…come home. Visit family.”
“Family?” Enzo asked. “I’m pretty sure most of your family is…dead.”
Naomi gasped and looked Enzo like he’d lost his mind.
“It’s true, love,” Alistair was making me want a gun to end him right here in a room full of witnesses. “A lot of my family has perished. But there are a few…who remain.”
His eyes seemed to roam over Enzo and Thierry and myself.
By your hand you fucking, psycho,I thought.
Naomi became oblivious from the tension in the room. She laughed quietly at Alistair’s jokes and they made out in front of us. It was out of character for her. She was a good girl. This was not the best friend I’d known my whole life. She had even kept Alistair’s name a secret from us. Obviously, she had been manipulated into keeping Alistair’s identity a secret.
A lavender and lemon cake arrived decorated with a giant “E,” on top. We sang happy birthday to Enzo and made him blush. Getting up, I asked everyone including the serpent in our midst to raise their glasses to my brother in law.
“Enzo, you were there for me when our family needed you the most. May you have nothing but amazing days ahead of you. And hopefully, I get a niece or nephew out of you and my bestie very soon.”
“Here, here,” Thierry smiled.
We all clanked glasses, smiles on everyone but Alistair’s face. He had it out for both Thierry and Enzo; the tension had never left the room.
Finally, dinner ended, and they headed off in their own direction. When we stormed back into the villa, Thierry and Enzo flew off the fucking hinges.
“We should kill him now!” Thierry roared.
“He fucking deserves it!” Enzo shouted.
Italian curse words began to decorate the air. They rarely lapsed into what I assumed had been their first language, but it was happening now. My husband and his brother were pissed the fuck off.
Carmen and Paul were looking around confused. Finally, I had to tell them a few things. They started talking about getting on a plane.
“Oh, hell no, I didn’t sign up for a mob war,” Carmen was shaking her head.
“I mean I didn’t either,” I told her.
“You kind of did,” Paul attempted to raise his hand.
Trey started to fix everyone drinks. “Hey…we’re not going after anyone tonight. Naomi seems to be able to keep him in check. Let’s just enjoy this trip…after all we’re here to celebrate my husband.”
