“Jealousy is very unbecoming on you,” Saskia retorts, folding her arms in such a way that the rings on her finger are front and center.
Sierra’s laugh is mocking. “Do you even hear yourself? You have the nerve to accuse me of jealousy when you are throwing yourself at my fiancé at your husband’s funeral. You can’t even respect Felix in death.”
I pull Sierra back as Saskia lunges at her. Thank fuck most of the mourners have already left, and it’s mostly family and close friends left.
“That’s enough, Saskia,” I snap, keeping Sierra shielded with my body as Thomas drags Saskia back. “I don’t know what delusions you’re suffering from, but theyaredelusions. I love Sierra, and I am marrying her in two weeks. Get that through your thick skull or you can forget about attending.”
“You think I want to come to your pathetic excuse of a wedding?” she says, her voice laced with scorn.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Joseph Lawson approaching with a thunderous face.
“Well, that solves a dilemma,” Sierra hisses. “Consider yourself uninvited.”
“He won’t marry you,” she says. “He—”
Lawson clamps his hand over her mouth, glaring at her as he passes her off to her mother. “Take Saskia back to the house, and call Dr. Fleming. The stress of the past few days has obviously taken its toll.” He turns to Barretta. “Please accept my apologies for my daughters’ behavior.” Lawson glowers at Sierra, as if this is all her fault, and my blood boils as my fists beg to connect with his face.
Barretta’s face is cold as he snaps a terse nod before walking away. I can tell he wants to say more, but this isn’t the time or the place.
“Mr. Barretta,” Sierra calls out after him. He stops and turns around. “I’m so very sorry for your loss, and I apologize if my behavior upset you. I didn’t mean any disrespect. Felix was always courteous to me and Rowan.”
“Youdon’t need to apologize,” he says, driving his point home. “You were just defending yourself.” He walks off, without saying another word, leaving tense silence behind him.
Lawson looks fit to kill someone, but I can’t work out if it’s Saskia, Sierra, or Barretta.
“Control that woman!” he snaps at me, and I level him with a dark look.
“Say that again and we have a problem.” My voice is calm though I am far from calm on the inside. It appears Lawson needs reminding of his place. I turn to Alessandro. “Take two of the men and return to the car with Sierra. We’re leaving.” There is no way I’m going back to the Lawson house now, and I already know Sierra is happy with this plan.
Esme and Pen loop their arms through Sierra’s as they walk off, followed by my men.
Leo steps up beside me while Ciro and the other soldier hang back. Lawson returns my glare with one of his own, and his lack of respect grates on my nerves. I don’t care if this imbecile is going to be my father-in-law; he doesn’t get to disrespect me like this. I glance around, ensuring there is no one else at the graveyard, before I grab him by the throat and shove him up against a tree. “You need to remember who you’re speaking to, Joseph.”
He barely breaks a sweat as I squeeze his throat, and I’m wondering how many times this has happened to him. I let him go, shoving his shoulders. “We are going to be family, but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate you disrespecting me. The same goes for Sierra and Rowan.”
“I have respect for you. A lot of it, actually,” he says, smoothing down the front of his jacket and pushing me out of his way. “You have impressed me with how far you have come, Ben, and how much you have achieved since you dated Saskia, but I won’t be pushed around by you or anyone else.”
At least now I know where Saskia gets her delusional side from.
“Why doesn’t Sierra know you wash cash for The Outfit? That her sisters are married to made men?”
“That is none of your business.”
I put myself up in his face, enjoying the fact I tower over him by at least four inches. “Sierraismy business, and she has a right to know.”
“So tell her.” He shrugs. “I’m not stopping you.”
“If you’re hiding something, I will find it. You can count on that.”
His amused grin rubs me the wrong way. If he wasn’t Sierra’s father and Rowan’s grandfather, I’d throw him in the empty grave beside Felix Barretta and bury him alive.
“You think you’re so clever,Bennett, but you’re not. With the right mentorship, you could be. Your arrogance will either be the making of you or your downfall.”
I’ve had enough of this condescending prick. If I stay here much longer, nothing will save him, so I turn around and walk away before I say, or do, something I’ll regret.
“I’d take the back roads, if I were you,” he calls out after us. “I’ve heard there are Russians rampaging through town.” His callous laughter follows me all the way from the graveyard, out past the church, sending pangs of unease slithering up my spine.
45
