“Why would you want to see them?” he asks, clearly puzzled.
“Because I would like to know them better before the reception next month.”
“Mother went shopping, and Bianca and Anna are at school. Giulia's at home though. Our parents have her home schooled. She practices with her nurse every day, too. She gets to play video games or do whatever she wants as soon as she finishes her work though. She’s lucky.”
I wonder if Giulia would agree with Renato’s assessment. “I’d really like to visit Giulia then, if you don’t mind. There are guards at your parents’ house so you could have some free time on your day off from school to play video games, too, if you like.”
He agrees before asking if I’m going to finish my fries. I tell him he’s welcome to them and that I need to visit the ladies’ room. “Wait… let me make sure there’s no windows in there first,” he says with a sly grin. My mouth falls open. “I’m fucking with you. Just don’t run off. Carlo would skin my balls.”
I give him another jab in the ribs, but he chuckles before grasping the last of my fries and stuffing them into his mouth. I can’t believehe’s actually teasing me about Sofia’s escape when not so long ago my own blood was ready to kill me for my part in that.
No sooner than I’m alone in the restroom, the door opens again. “Frankie?” someone whispers, stepping in.
Shocked, I turn to find our former maid Maeve standing behind me. Her black hair is cut shorter, but she’s still the same girl I used to gossip with, the one who once shared a bottle of Irish whiskey with me the day I met Carlo.
“My God, Maeve!” I gasp, hurrying forward to hug her. “How are you? How’s your sister? What happened to you after-” She gently untangles herself from my embrace, and the familiar shame over the trouble my father caused stirs yet again. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
She nods, nervously glancing over her shoulder at the door. “It’s good to see you, too. We’re doing alright. Truvy got one of the fools from the Roxy Boys Crew to marry her, if you can believe that.”
Her distinctive Southie accent reminds me of our home in Boston. It never felt like a true home, but it was the last one I shared with my parents, my brother and sweet old Beppe before my world turned upside down.
“But what’re you doing marrying Carlo Vicini, Frankie Donnelly? Have you gone mad, girl?”
“I… How do you know about that?”
“It was in all the papers, wasn’t it?” Of course, it was, but her accusatory tone still makes me frown when she adds, “Don’t say you’ve gone over to the Italians.”
“Maeve, IamItalian. Half, anyway. I’ve been part of the Trio since before Da left.” My father was who he was, but I’ve always beencloser to Mom’s family. “And I didn’t have much choice in marrying Carlo. It’s complicated though so-”
“That’s what he said,” Maeve interrupts.
“What who said?”
“Ronan. He said you wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter.”
“You’ve spoken to my brother?”
“Of course, I have. He joined the BRG not long after those bastards tried to murder him. He sent me here to tell you he hasn’t forgotten what he promised his little sister.”
Stunned, I can’t wrap my head around all of her words. Ronan sent Maeve here? How? “What he promised me?”
“To get you out of here, of course, and back to Boston with him. Over Vicini’s dead body if necessary.”
The rush of elation is quickly dampened by that last part. “But I-”
Loud pounding on the ladies’ room door makes us both yelp. “Frankie, Carlo really would skin my balls if you ran off on me,” Renato says through the door.
“I’ll be in touch,” Maeve whispers, ducking into one of the stalls as Renato barrels his way inside.
30
Francesca
"Ididn’t mean to piss you off,” Renato grumbles when he stops the car in front of the Vicini’s enormous townhouse. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I give him a stiff nod. “Fine but let a woman pee in peace.”
In truth, Renato barging into the ladies’ room gave me a valid excuse for my complete shock and then quiet retreat while I collected myself after Maeve’s appearance. I’m still stunned by the encounter.
