He harrumphed.
“Did you call Liam?”
“He didn’t pick up.”
“What did you say to him now?” I chided. Honestly, having a half-brother and a father was such a pain in the ass. I didn’t know how Luciu coped withtwosiblings.
“Nothing!”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying.”
When he scratched his chin again, I drawled, “You need to shave. Lena will give you shit if you’re scratching like you have fleas.”
“I don’t have fleas!”
“Well, stop scratching then.” I folded my arms across my chest. “What did you say to Liam?”
“I didn’t!” he protested. “I spoke to Gracie.”
“So, she gave you shit on his behalf?”
“That one’s got a nastier tongue on her than you do.”
I smirked. “She definitely handed you your ass, huh?”
“Fi?!”
My head whipped to the side when Luc called. I held up a hand at my father to shut him up and yelled back, “Luc?”
A flurry of Sicilian came next, so I heaved an impatient sigh and pointed at the screen. “Blue and brown look good together. I think Lena will appreciate your slutty, little new specs so wear them too?—”
“My slutty-what-now?! Why aren’t you speaking English today? Too long in Sicily, that’s what?—”
“Bye, Dad!” I cut him off before I got a lecture about how I should stay in the city where it was safe.
Safe.
Right.
Leaving my cell on the vanity in my dressing room, I darted into the bedroom where Luc stood?—
“For God’s sake. What the hell were you thinking?” I bustled over to him and yanked on his hand until I could guide him into the bathroom. “I told you not to use the coal!”
“It’s tradition! They have to learn aboutLa Befana!”
“It isn’t even Epiphany yet,” I chided as I wiped his face clean of coal dust. “And do I even want to know how this happened?”
“Saverina happened. She ran into the backs of my legs. Down I went.”
“Don’t pout,” I grumbled, grabbing my makeup wipes and using one to cleanse his face. “I’m the one who should be pouting! My husband’s covered in three-million-year-old fossil dust and trying to terrify our children into thinking that a witch will judge whether they’ve been naughty or nice.”
“She isn’t a witch. I never thought she was. She just chose not to go with the Three Wise Men!”
“Your mother says she’s a witch. If you want to argue with her, I’ll be there in ringside seats. Until then, why did our daughter attack you?”
“Saverina tried to sneak out. I caught her dressed in a swimsuit?—”
