Dominic picked up his beer and leaned toward me. “Thought you’d be busy with your shiny new plaything.”

“She just buried her father, asshole.” I signaled for a beer, which the waiter brought a moment later. They were all jumpy, eager to serve. Probably more eager to get us the hell out of there. I hadn’t been back in a few years but knew when we were in town, the house became a target. The Benedetti family was a sort of legend here. We owned southern Italy and were moving in on the Sicilian territory. Another war brewed, one we’d win, like we’d won over the DeMarcos. Wherever we went, violence followed. The girl upstairs was testament to that.

Her words played back in my ears.

“I’m the one who pays when I didn’t have anything to do with anything.”

She was right. She was an innocent; her fate decided when she hadn’t been more than a child. Her sister’s pregnancy had placed Lucia at the heart of a decades-old war.

“She is a sweet little thing,” Dominic continued, sipping his beer. “Nice piece of—”

“Shut the fuck up, Dominic,” I said, my hands fisting.

“Salvatore’s right. Girl just buried her father,” my father admonished my brother, his gaze locked on me.

I didn’t trust this, didn’t trust him. My father had always been better at cutting me down. Certainly not defending me.

“You just make sure she knows who the boss is, son. I don’t ever want to see another incident like this afternoon again, you understand?”

Ah, there they were, my father’s true colors.

I nodded without looking at him, swallowing half of my drink.

“Good. Let’s eat.”

3

Lucia

Salvatore surprised me. I expected violence. I’d prepared myself for it. But this, this kindness? His attempt to understand? Was that what it was? I didn’t like it. And I didn’t like how my body reacted to having him so close.

When I heard him leave, I went to the outer room. My stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten all day, and as appealing as a hunger strike seemed, when you were actually hungry, it lost some of its appeal.

I took the lid off one of the two dishes to find a thick steak, potatoes, and mixed grilled vegetables. I swallowed, salivating already, and sat down. Picking up the knife and fork, I glanced at the door before I dug in. If he returned, I’d be ashamed at having given in. Even if he kept his word and stayed away, when he saw I’d eaten, wouldn’t it just be a second victory to him?