“Less than ideal? Most people’s home lives are ‘less than ideal,’ Marco.” My voice sounds bitter even to me. My home life has been ‘less than ideal’ for a long time now.
“It was bad. It’s a long story.” He sighs and runs his hand through his hair like he did earlier. “But her biological parents were more than willing to give up the small amount of responsibility they felt toward their daughter in exchange for money. She’s been with us ever since.”
“They sold their kid?” Marco giving them money doesn’t bother me, but them taking it sure as fuck does. He nods in reply, having taken a bite of his burger. “So, why have we never met her?” Our families might not be close, but I’ve definitely seen Lil multiple times since she was five, and I don’t remember another girl with her.
He gives me a pointed look. “The first summer Ariana lived with us, we brought her on the family trip to the lake. You were always running around with your dad. This was before he forgot what it means to be a father,” he says harshly, sneering a bit. “I honestly don’t know if you ever met her. But your parents did. Your mother made it quite clear she didn’t like the situation. She left the room every time Ari walked in, referred to her as ‘the charity case,’ and kept bringing up bloodlines.”
I knew my mom was a bitch, but holy shit. “Jesus,” I mutter.
“I wasn’t going to subject Ari to that drama bullshit, and Mia almost slapped your mom more than once. The times we went out to the lake after that, Ariana stayed home with Becca, our housekeeper. Which she loved because Becca dotes on both girls like a grandmother. But we hated leaving one of our daughters behind to appease an asshole. So we all stopped going when the girls were ten. We took them on family vacations every year instead.”
I’ve seen Marco a few times over the last ten years when he came to the house to discuss business with my dad, but Lil and Mia were never with him.
He’s right about my mom. She is an asshole. Even more of one than I realized if she had a problem with Marco and Mia taking in a little kid who had a shitty home life. Honestly, she’s probably lucky she’s even alive right now because I’m pretty sure Marco’s had people killed for less.
“Whatever happened to the kid she punched?”
Marco lets out a low laugh. “Fucker works for me now.”
Chapter 5
Well, shit
Luca
We continue eating and I think about the summers we spent at the lake together. Lil and I were never particularly close even though we’re the same age. I was jealous of how much her mom obviously loved her. I pushed her off the dock and into the lake that last year. She threw a fit and grinned when I got grounded from video games for the rest of the week. Dad hardly wanted to do anything anymore, and I was bored out of my mind.
Marco’s phone rings, and Lil’s name shows up on the screen in the dashboard. A genuine smile lights up his face as he hits a button on the steering wheel. “And what are my lovely girls up to tonight?”
Lil’s voice is hurried and panicked as it fills the car. “Daddy, some creeper came out of nowhere and attacked Ari. He hit her and pushed her into a wall and was all over her, and well, he’s on the ground now, but?—”
“Where are you?” Marco growls out, shoving his half-eaten burger into my hands before throwing the car into reverse and flying out of the parking spot. There’s no way we don’t leave a shitton of rubber on the pavement as he puts it in drive and hits the gas.
“The movie theater, around the back.”
“Are you both okay?” He turns out of the parking lot and speeds down the road.
“Uh, I think Ari needs stitches, but we’re okay. Her hand probably needs iced, too. She nailed him in the nose pretty fucking good,” she says proudly.
“You still have him there, Lil?”
“Yeah.”
“You got a gun on him?”
“Of course,” Lil scoffs like she’s offended by his question. “Ariana’s got him covered, Dad.”
“You tell her if the bastard moves, shoot him.”
“Like again?”
“That’s my girl.” Despite the situation, the man can’t seem to help the wicked grin that breaks his face. “Lil, hang up with me and call your mom. Tell her to get Doc out to the house. We’re heading your way now.”
“Okay. Wait, who’s ‘we?’”
“Me and your cousin Luca.”
Lil groans. “Ugh, not cousin Luca.”
