We’re walking out to the car when my mom’s phone rings.
“Oh,” she says, surprise in her tone.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“It’s… It’s Chiara, Ignazio’s daughter. I have to answer this. We were very close, and I told her to call me anytime she needs to.”
I nod but can’t help the splinter of hurt I feel at those words. I know that’s selfish, but she’smymom, and she was taken from me for over a decade.
“Chiara, darling, it’s so good to hear from you,” she says.
We all get into the car while my mom continues to speak to her.
“Okay, sweetheart, yes, I understand. Do you really think your brother is going to force you to marry that man?”
I whip my gaze to Massi, who’s watching my mom closely from the rearview mirror.
“Okay, yes, yes, take a deep breath, Chiara. I know… I know. No, you did the right thing by calling me.”
I can’t hear what Chiara is saying on the other line, but I can hear her muffled, frazzled voice through the phone. That mixed with my mom trying to calm her down, tells me whatever is happening with her is not good.
“Okay, do not worry, Chiara. We will figure a way out of this for you. Just… Just let me think on this, and I’ll call you back, alright, sweetheart?”
There’s more mumbling on the other line.
“I know. I love you too. I’ll talk to you soon.”
My mom hangs up the phone, and I turn in my seat to look at her. “Is everything okay?”
“That was Chiara. You both met her at the ball in Sicily, right?”
I nod.
“Well, her brother is back, taking his spot as the new don of the Faraci family, and he’s arranging a marriage between her and another very powerful don in Italy.”
“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but isn’t that normal?” Massi asks.
“It is, but this don is much older than Chiara and is known to be very cruel.”
“Why would her own brother arrange their marriage, then?” I ask.
My mom lets out a sigh. “Chiara believes it’s because her brother wants to create an alliance with that family to…”
She licks her lips, which has me waiting on the edge of my seat for what she’s about to say.
“To come after you,” she says, locking eyes with Massi.
I snap my gaze to his, and he has a blank expression on his face, as if he knew this was going to happen and he’s just been waiting for it.
It’s something he and I have talked about, but we figured after a month of zero contact, Ignazio’s son wasn’t going to retaliate for Massi killing his dad, but it seems we were wrong and he was just being strategic about his plan.
“This other don has connections in the states, so she’s pretty sure her brother wants to use those connections to… start something over here,” she says.
“That doesn’t surprise me. It was only a matter of time before the Faracis retaliated for killing Ignazio,” Massi says.
“What does this mean, then?” I ask.
Massi is silent for a moment while he thinks. “You said Chiara’s brother needs her to marry that other don in order for him to have contacts in the states?”
