“I did it for our family. I would do anything for my siblings and cousins.” Ric tipped the glass slightly and the champagne shifted with the movement, but he still didn’t drink it. “Phoenix seems like a nice boy, one that doesn’t belong in our family.”
“You don’t know him,” I said, even though Ric wasn’t wrong. Phoenixwasa nice boy. “But you don’t have to worry. He’s not my boyfriend. I’m only helping him out for a while.”
“Is that what the little display with Toma was about?” He let go of the glass and it clattered to its side on the table, the champagne soaking the white tablecloth beneath it.
Almost instantly a caterer was there, grabbing the glass and apologizing profusely, as though it was his fault, as he tried to clean up the mess, but one flick of Ric’s finger and the man almost tripped over his feet to get away.
“You care for him, I can tell.” Ric’s mouth curved into a mean smirk. “And I’m going to take advantage of that.”
I stiffened, my hands curling into fists at my sides. This was a test of my will and I couldn’t fail—I couldn’t fail God. My grip on reality was slipping and the old Gian was rising from a deep, dark corner of my soul where I’d hidden him. I wanted to kill my cousin for bringing Phoenix into this. Tendrils of fury lit up my insides with a desire to hurt Ric. “He’s innocent. He was—”
“I don’t care.” He leaned forward and tapped my right fist. I uncurled my fingers and let out a breath, reining in my anger.Not today, old Gian.I was still a priest dedicated to God. “You like him. This family needs your church for our business to survive. I know you always say we can put our money anywhere, but we’ve been doing well. Right now we doneedyou, so unless you want little Phoenix floating facedown in Lake Émeraude, don’t argue with me anymore. Do everything I say. You might be clinging to ridiculous morals, but I’m not. I have a business to run.”
With that, he patted me on the head like I was a child and left.
My hands shook in fury as I glanced at his retreating back.Fuck. I shouldn’t cuss, but I couldn’t help it. I had to keep Phoenix safe, but how? This was all my fault. I should’ve known better.
My eyes rose to the ceiling, and I whispered, “God, Father in Heaven, give me a sign. Show me how to keep him safe from my family. Please.” I rested my face in my hands. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew one thing—I’d physically fight anyone to keep Phoenix away from Ric’s grasp.
11
PHOENIX
“You’re exactly what Gian needs.”His mom grinned at me and her pretty eyes sparkled. Nearby a group of people burst into laughter, and I tried to ignore them and focus on her. “You seem like a good listener, you’ll soothe Gian. He’s had a rough time in the last several years, especially after... you know. I’m sure he told you about the accident, since you’re so close. Very sad things.” I watched Daddy’s mother carefully as she pursed her lips and shook her head, but then she smiled at me. “You’re so calm, just right for him.”
“Only on the outside. I’ll try to be what he needs.”
She smiled, leaning against me for a second. I wasn’t a fan of strangers getting too close, but since she was trying to be friendly, I took a deep breath of her floral perfume and forced my smile wider for her. She directed us toward a group of women at a round table with wineglasses in front of them. One lady in particular seemed like she was in charge of the conversation. She had dark hair with streaks of gray in it down around her shoulders and sat extremely straight in her chair. Her ivory silk dress clung to her thin body.
“These men think they know it all.” She shook her head. “Sometimes they do, but it’s your job to be Gian’s eyes and ears. When you’re at his side, you must go to the places he can’t, talk to the people who won’t tell him things. It’s your duty as his other half to always have his best interest in mind.”
Frowning, I whipped around to focus on her better while trying to keep my feet going forward. “What things?” My heart squeezed because that sounded a lot like what I wanted to do for my Daddy already, only... more important. “Tell me and I’ll do them.”
“All sorts of things.” She sighed and flashed me a smile. “You’ll learn. Don’t worry, I’ll be here. I always wanted another son, and these eyes. You’re so handsome.” She jiggled my hand around in a friendly way.
Daddy’s mom was a confusing lady, but she was saying lots of nice things, and she was teaching me to cook, so I smiled at her. I would follow her anywhere based on her brownie recipe alone. I tried to remember what Daddy had told me they were called. “I really liked your torta tenerina. I don’t know if I remembered to tell you that the other day.”
“Ah! I knew you would.” She laughed and busily asked what I thought about cookies because she had some recipes she wanted to teach me. We were almost at the table where the ladies were talking to one another when Nic, the man who’d asked if I was his present, stomped across in front of us, making us both come to a halt. His eyes were on a guy on the other side of the room and his jaw was clenched.
“Hey! You! I told you that you better not show your fuckin’ face around here tonight!”
“I came to apologize!” the guy yelled back.
Daddy’s mom’s face went red, and she patted my hand, letting it go. “Excuse me, I have to go tell twochildrento behave. At a party, no less,” she grumbled and stomped off in the direction of the shouting. They were swearing now, and the ladies at the table were laughing behind their hands and whispering.
My breath caught. The words that were being yelled didn’t mean much to me, but the tone was awful and familiar. My heart hammered. I tugged at my shirt collar. I felt too hot and took off my suit coat, not paying much attention when it slipped from my fingers to the floor. Sweat made me sticky, and I struggled for air.
Anger.
I hated it.
The shouting.... Perry bellowed a lot. All the time. And worse. I backed away and stumbled over an empty chair, falling to the floor. Someone nearby asked me if I was okay, but I couldn’t answer. I scrambled to my feet again, rubbing at my hip, and retreated until I hit the wall. To my right was a door I thought might lead outside, and when I stumbled over and pushed it open a cool breeze hit my face. I gulped the air and moved on autopilot, wanting away from that terrible noise.
Darkness swallowed me up as I slid into the night.
Once I was out in the fresh air I scooted to the side and leaned against the building. There was a sound like something was snagging as I sagged against the stones, and I thought it might be my new shirt. I winced but couldn’t bring myself to move. As I slowly came back to the present, where Perry was far, far away and not able to hurt me anymore, I crossed my arms over my middle and bent forward, staring at my nice shoes. It took a long time, but eventually my head stopped being quite so fuzzy and weird.
But then my heart sped again as a drop of moisture hit my cheek. I glanced upward. It had been nice earlier, but a light mist cooled my face. I was partially protected against the building and wasn’t truly getting wet.
