Romeo dropped his fork next to his plate and raised his eyes to our father. “It’s nothing. Of course we’re curious about our rivals. What, with the wedding and all, it will make us family. Won’t it? I’m sure Natalia’s just considering how our future brother-in-law is being treated.”
Our father huffed as he took another bite of his steak. He always chewed with his mouth open. I’d forgotten how much I hated watching my father eat. It was bad enough that he considered himself a godly man and always made us pray before dinner, but he also ate with the manners of a savage. I was sure that no one had ever told him differently. He’d come from a different place than the Bonifacios, who’d had a years-long legacy, spanning generations.
“They’re not family,” he said and slammed his fork into the steak on his plate. “Let’s get this straight now. They’re not family. They’re still the enemy. There won’t be anything stopping them from trying to undermine us if they ever got the opportunity. Once Lucia is pregnant, then we’ll have a child bearing our name. He’ll be family, and he’ll continue our legacy, won’t he? Not those fucks.”
I was silent, not wanting to fight him on it. Still, there was a pang in my chest when I thought of Alessandra. She wouldn’t start a coup. I couldn’t see her hurting anyone, but that didn’t matter. My father only saw red when it came to the Bonifacios.
I still wasn’t sure where I stood with her. She’d stirred feelings inside me that I’d never felt before with anyone, and it was terrifying. Then, of course, I find out that she’ll be allowed to walk around the house. It was more than I could handle.
Silence passed over the table, and it affected all of us. I ate my food in silence, trying not to focus any longer on the topic at hand. There was no sense in paying it too much attention. What my father had to say wasn’t prevalent anymore. Changing his mind was like trying to fight a bull—it was hard, and you weren’t likely to win. He’d fight tooth and nail to convince himself and the other person that he was right.
None of us had the patience for it any longer.
