Perhaps she did.
Sophia was unable to look into his eyes for fear of losing her nerve.
“My father was everything you mentioned. Strong. Handsome. Influential. He worked long hours and expected everything to be just so when he returned home. My mother learned to fall into the role of domestic goddess, both in and out of the bedroom. That’s what Father expected. I learned early on that she was required to follow rules, his rules. Unfortunately, my mother didn’t like to follow those rules.” A bitter laugh slipped out, almost guttural in tone. She hissed and shook her head.
“Just like her daughter.”
“Maybe so, but I learned how to play the game, follow his strict commands even though I fought them every step of the way. He was a harsh man, never comforting. Honestly, I believed that he’d never loved me. Maybe he did in his own way, but he nevershowed it, not really. I craved his approval, enough so that I learned that the only attention I received was when I disobeyed. When my father became wealthy from all those hours spent on a job, my parents decided to take trips around the world without me. I was still a child, forced to stay with whoever was paid well enough to keep me. What a ridiculous way for a child to live. When he died, I thought I’d be happy, but both my mother and I were so sad, hollow inside. I was in college at the time and it changed me. I had no focus any longer.”
“That’s why you decided to join the FBI,” Wrath said quietly.
She bristled, realizing he knew far too much about her. “Yes, that and the fact my father wanted a son who joined the FBI. So, I became the pseudo male in the family, playing basketball in school, watching football. I never learned who I was or the woman I wanted to be. I adapted. I guess everyone does.”
The silence made her cringe.
“We all want to please our fathers. We are programmed that way since birth.” Exhaling, he swirled the liquid in his glass.
“Mmm…” She sipped her drink. Realizing that Wrath had unknowingly stumbled onto more than one secret should allow her to unravel, but she felt freed from the ball and chain she’d hung around her neck. “I want a hell of lot more out of life and why am I telling you this? You could never know me, no matter how many blogs you read or the few hours we spent together. We were both acting, pretending to be someone we could never be. Remember?”
“I don’t believe you were lying about your desire for a normal life with a family,” he said absently.
The words were completely out of character, but there was no reason to lie to him. “Don’t we all want passion and love in our life? I could see a perfect house on a beach or maybe a home on several acres of land surrounded by trees. And yes, I would love to have a dog or two. They give unconditional love, unlike the crap you get from most humans.”
“You’ve been hurt by everyone in your life.”
“Even a monster like you must have been hurt once or twice in your life,” Sophia barked.
Wrath moved to the edge of his chair, moving the drink back and forth in his hand. “Everyone has two sides, Sophia. You know that as well as I do. Families can do irrevocable damage.”
Sighing, she actually wanted to pepper him with questions, curious as to how an entire family was wrapped around the profession of murder. “That’s true. My soul has many facets, but only some shaped by a childhood that no longer matters. I suggest you look at your soul, Wrath, to try and discover why you’re nothing but a puppet for your father and this consortium.”
He looked away before speaking. “You could be right. My father was similar to yours. The old methods of commanding a family in Italy continue to be brutal in their own way. Benedetto has always been a proud man.”
“Benedetto Constantino. There is very little written about him. Trust me, I searched everywhere, talking to as many people as possible.”
“The Mafioso families are very protected, not unlike what you have in the United States. Even today, women are not allowed to work or make any decisions. He continues to rule with aniron fist, in business and in his house. My brothers and I were taught early on never to question his authority or his ruthless reputation. However, his penchant for violence, even murder, was something my mother refused to embrace. I realized the kind of treacherous barbarian he’d become from the time I was six years old, but I adored him. I worshipped my father. I was the most hardheaded of my brothers and determined to do everything exactly like him. Exactly.”
“And so, you became him.” Sophia was surprised how much her few words seemed to hurt the man she would never be able to get out of her mind or her heart. Even the way the drink shifted in his hand was as if his resilience had been challenged.
Wrath jerked up from his chair, slamming the glass on the table and taking rapid steps toward the pool.
She lifted her head, allowing her to take in his tense form as he glared out at the pool, his chiseled jaw and aristocratic bone structure almost beautiful instead of handsome. She was thrown, uncertain in a way she wasn’t accustomed to. She tried to look away, to force her mind to rally around his arrest, but it proved impossible. This man was formidable, dangerous but everything about his persona, his bravado was merely a lie, a protection.
As if hers wasn’t.
Easing up from the chair, she took careful steps closer.
They both remained quiet; only the sound of the wind, the lapping waves created by the waterfall could be heard.
“I’m nothing like my father, but you are right that I followed in his footsteps to a degree. Although at least one of my brothers ismuch more violent in nature, enjoying the concept of erasing my path.” Wrath’s voice was hollow even though he laughed.
“And your sister?”
“Protected, as all women should be.”
“You mean that women are nothing more than objects.”
Turning sharply, he crowded her space, towering over her. His hand extended, almost cradling her face. “That’s where you are wrong. Women are the most important creatures on this earth. So full of life and love, nurturing everyone around them. The moment they enter the room, they become the center of attention. Only women can express their love in such tremendous ways, giving of themselves when they are in agony or heartbreak. They are to be treated with respect and adoration and in turn, if you are a lucky man, you will find devotion as well as breathtaking love for the rest of your life. Sadly, the majority of relationships are arranged.”
