What’s happened to Sofia? If she’s dead because the plan was botched, I will never forgive myself. And am I selfish for not wanting to jump from one mob family to another one? For wanting to keep my brother safe?
I’d hurried out of the bathroom, away from Maeve’s accusations, to find Luca preparing to open the door in search of me. He’d immediately noted my teary eyes, so I’d lied and told him I’d thrown up. I’d clutched my belly for effect. My acting skills need work but, in this particular scenario, it worked on Luca.
“Francesca!” Carlo shouts, storming up the stairs to the bedroom as if the devil is at his heels. He’s soaking wet when he steps inside. The autumn rain must have picked up since I flopped down on the bed twenty minutes ago for a good cry.
“I’m okay.” He looks unconvinced by my tear-streaked face and hiccupping breaths. He carefully takes a seat on the bed beside me, lifting me into his lap until I’m cradled against him. God, he smells so good and his arms feel heavenly. If he knew…
Heavy steps echo up the steps. “Do you want the doc?” Luca asks with no hint of that menacing smile.
“Do we need the doc, Red?” Carlo repeats, like a soft caress.
They're worried about me, seriously worried, I realize. “No, I think it’s passed. I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” I whisper. The floodgates open again. Ihatecrying this way, but I can’t stop.
Luca’s heavy steps retreat back downstairs before the elevator beeps. “Are you so miserable being married to me?” Carlo murmurs.
I can’t answer him. I am miserable but not like he thinks. I love my brother, but I don’t want to return to Boston. I wanted a normal life, but maybe I don’t. Not if it means I can’t have Carlo. Everything I thought I never wanted, I think I want with him. It scares me more than I can say.
35
Francesca
“You’re married? For real?” I nod, snickering at Harper’s incredulous expression as she admires my ring. “Is that typical for Italian girls to marry so young?"
“Um… It is with some families. I’m half-Irish, actually,” I add, thinking of Ronan. I’ve not seen Maeve since our contentious meeting a couple of days ago, and I can’t help but worry what my brother’s up to.
“That explains your amazing hair, Red.”
“Thank you.” Carlo's dark eyes could melt the polar ice caps when he calls me that in bed. “What about you? You’re new to New York, you said.”
Harper shrugs, picking at her store-bought pasta salad Dinora would shake her head at it in disgust. “Yeah, I finished my time in the Navy and wanted to explore something totally different.”
I’d been surprised when she shared that she'd served. I overheard a couple of girls talking about Harper before class yesterday. They’d expressed some skepticism about how she came to be here with the school’s extremely competitive selection process. They said her singing voice was alright but nothing special. If we hadn’t already been off to a friendly start, hearing others bad-mouth Harper would have increased my desire to befriend her because I know what that’s like.
“I imagine you got to see a lot of the world,” I comment, hoping I don’t sound too jealous.
“Mostly Norfolk in Virginia. It had its moments. What’s your husband like? That’s a gorgeous rock, but how old is he if he can afford it? Did he rob the cradle or something?” she adds with a concerned look.
I can’t help snorting back laughter. “Carlo seems older in some ways…” Ways I won’t repeat to my new friend. “But he’s only twenty-four, like you. There are some families though who form betrothals early for the sake of…”
Harper looks entranced by my babbling, but I trail off when I spot Faro watching us intently. There are things we don’t share with outsiders, things they’ll never understand. I don’t want Harper to realize how weird we are about certain traditions. And I won’t discuss the Trio at all, remembering Carlo’s skull tattoo –Silenzio.
I sip my juice and ask about her acting classes to change the subject.
***
“You’re guarded when you’re in school, right?” Gia asks me later over the phone.
“Yeah, but Faro stays out of the way. It’s still very strange. Not that I wasn’t guarded before. Just not so closely. I suppose after Sofia’s flight and my brother’s involvement, they’ll always keep a close eye on me.”
“You’re an important man’s wife now.”
“Yeah, not just the unwanted daughter of a rat.”
“Don’t say that, Frankie.”
I sigh, knowing Ronan wouldn’t want me feeling like I’m less because of who Da was either. “How is Armando? I feel terrible he was hurt because of me.”
“He’s completely healed, and he would tell you the same thing I’m about to say - Don’t feel terrible. He’s sorry he couldn’t protect you and Cat that day.”
