I smiled to myself. He’d had no doubt that he was my world, and the illusion of freedom that he offered me had been just that. Smoke and mirrors. The free ride that came with the offer had always come with a short leash, and he the illusion’s master.
I knew my place, and my part, in Brando’s life—I was his Eve. I tempted him enough that I could bring him to his knees. There has to be two willing characters in each story, and if not…
What had she told me all those years ago?
“Guard your heart, Violet,” I whispered. “Be sure to have fun. Nothing more.”
Rosaria Caffi had slithered in then, causing me to leave my skin for a moment. Once I could breathe again, her smile turned wicked in the glow of the fire, and she said, “You were floating again,bella.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I snapped.
“Ah,” she said, turning to me, face lit up in profile. “Would you have believed me?”
“Yes, I would have!”
She aimed a heavy sigh at me, like I was a simpleton. “There are things we have to see with our own eyes to believe. Your husband was not quick to embrace the Fausti legacy, I noticed. I know those men. If they resist, there is no use in pushing. Even I am told no. On occasion.”
“Brando has the right to know.”
“Have you told him yet,bella?”
“Have you told Rocco,Rosaria?”
“No.” She waved a hand, pushing air toward the fire. It swayed a tiny bit. “I was going to keep the secret in its box, until an unfortunate thing happened.”
Her eyes penetrated mine, trying to will me to understand. I sat up too fast and had to grab her arm to steady myself.
“Nemours.”
“Sì. He has connected the pieces. He is a man that loves ammunition. You are well acquainted with his methods, I am sure.”
“Oh, I am.”
“Makes sense, no?”
I agreed.
“There are also other factors to consider, but I would be desperate to share them with you. Not even I would tread over that pit.”
“What do you mean?”
She turned to Maggie Beautiful, who, judging by her frozen eyes, had been staring at us the entire time. I realized then that I hadn’t introduced Rosaria to Maggie Beautiful or to Violet. I made the introductions.
“Ah.” Rosaria smiled at Maggie Beautiful. “You arethe one.”
“The one?” Maggie Beautiful questioned. She was wary of Rosaria. She had every right to be.
“The only woman to ever steal from Lucious Leone Fausti.” She became quiet for a while, drawing out the suspense she boiled in her sly pot. “You are infamous.”
“What did I ever steal from him?” Maggie Beautiful was truly perplexed by this idea.
“His son, of course.”
Right then and there, the rock was thrown that sat in Maggie Beautiful’s chest.
Rosaria was reluctant—well, that was a bit of a stretch; I think she enjoyed the cat and mouse game, myself—to tell us that Rocco, Dario, Romeo, and of course, Brando all had different mothers. But the women were easily persuaded to give up their babies to Luca Fausti. The barren mother had raised them. And none of them knew about Brando.
Though he was kept a secret to his siblings, after meeting him at the party, she was sly enough to realize that most of the family knew, and she did some digging of her own. That was how she found out that the woman who raised the Fausti three was not their real mother. She didn’t bring this up to Rocco, so she didn’t know if he knew or not.
