Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
She nods but still doesn’t look at me. I lead her through the side gate into the backyard where the men are all standing around the grill, and the children are playing a game of touch football on the lawn.
Carlo’s at the grill, but his gaze is directed through the patio doors, where my niece, Summer, stands. She’s looking back at him through the glass.
Jesus. If I’m seeing this, probably everyone else is, too. If Carlo has seduced Al’s barely legal daughter, he’s going to live a very short life.
“Hey, guys.” I lift my hand. “You all remember Sophie Palazzo? Artie’s daughter?”
“Yeah, of course.” Al’s hands are full with the grill, but he lifts his chin in greeting.
“Hi, Sophie. It’s been a long time.” Pauly awkwardly steps forward to give her a cheek kiss.
“Hi, Pauly.” She leans in and accepts it.
“You look great. You’re all grown up now. Last time I saw you–”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s not play that game,” I cut him off. Not sure if Pauly’s the only one she remembers, I say, “You might remember Bobby, Sammy, and my brother, Don Alberto.”
“Right. Yes.” She bobs her head and lifts a hand in greeting rather than kissing them all.
“And this is Carlo. He moved here a few years ago from the old country.”
“Nice to meet you, Carlo.” She clasps Carlo’s hand.
Al finishes flipping burgers and sticks out his hand. She shakes it, not quite meeting his eye. “It’s good to see you, Sophie. It’s been a long time—too long.” There’s a hint of criticism in Al’s remark, and Sophie doesn’t miss it.
“Yeah. Too long.” Her faint tone is far from convincing.
I’m kicking myself for bringing her. I’m not sure what my motivation was–to integrate her into my life? To show her off to the family? I think it was that. I wanted to share the person I’m rapidly falling for with the people who are important to me.
But I should have considered her feelings more carefully. She’s not over her father’s death, and being around the Family brings it all back, just like being with me brought it back, initially.
The fact that I basically confirmed one of the men here was responsible for killing him doesn’t help. Now I could have a very serious situation on my hands. If Sophie becomes a liability to the Family, Al’s going to demand–fuck. No, nobody touches her. No matter what.
If Sophie’s a liability, she’s my liability. I’ll take care of her.
And it won’t be through blood or violence.
Which means I have to win her heart. Now that I’ve fucked up, it may be the only way to keep her safe.
Sophie
I can’t stand here with these men. I feel like I’m going to burst into tears or tear them apart with my bare hands. They’re all standing around the grill, and every one of them probably knows how my father died. They were probably all there.
And not one of them will explain it to me. I’m not one of them. Never will be.
My stomach turns. How can I actually be seeing a man who’s keeping that kind of secret from me? Have I no self-respect.
Then again, maybe it’s a reason to keep seeing him. To wear him down until he eventually tells me. I think part of him wants to.
“Is my Aunt Marie inside?” I force myself to ask, hoping I sound casual. Like I’m not crawling out of my skin right now.
“Yeah, right through the slider, there.” Al gestures with the spatula. “Make yourself at home.”
I hightail it out of there, not even glancing at Joey as I leave. Thankfully, he doesn’t follow.
“Sophie!” Alberto’s wife, Carmen, greets me when I walk in the large, open kitchen. The women are gathered around the huge granite-topped island talking in loud voices as they sip wine and arrange food. “Al told me you were coming. It’s good to see you.”
I move forward on wooden legs to receive kisses.
“Summer, honey, say hi to Sophie. You probably don’t remember her, she hasn’t been around since you were probably six or seven.”
Summer, Al and Carmen’s gorgeous daughter, steps forward, and we cheek kiss even though we don’t remember each other.
Twin girls, about the same age, also move in for kisses. I totally remember them because identical twins stick in your mind. They’re Bobby’s daughters. “I think I remember you from a funeral,” one of them says. “I’m Janine.”
“Juliana,” the other one supplies. “I remember that funeral. You had on black combat boots. We thought you were so cool,” the other one says. “Did you disappear with Joey? Everyone was freaking out.”
“My dad’s funeral,” I say faintly.
“Oh.” Janine winces. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Janine changes the subject quickly. “This is Lexi, our soon-to-be stepmom.”
A young woman my age with a fabulous haircut and color shakes my hand. “Let’s not say stepmom,” she says to the twins. “We’re not even engaged, yet.”