Текст книги "The Wrath of Cain"

Автор книги: Kathy Coopmans

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Thirteen

Cain

I’ve studied her face for the past two hours. Watched it go from happy to sad, to pain and betrayal. There are no words, nothing to try and describe the look on her face right now. I couldn’t muster up a word to save my ass right now. I do the only thing I know. I go to her. Fold her into my arms. Soothing her, my hands smoothing down her messy hair.

“I’m not sure what to do or say here,” I murmur, speaking into her hair.

“I don’t know what to say, either. For my entire life, my parents always put me first. I know they love me, and that they want me safe and happy, but this... this doesn’t make me happy. Nor does it make me feel safe. It makes me feel furious and hateful. It’s like the two people who helped mold me into who I am are not the people I thought they were. They’re strangers, not my parents. And my dad... I just don’t understand how he could do what he does. I don’t know what any of you expect of me now.”

The sound of her voice is flat and dull, and her body quivers in my arms. She needs time. How much time, is up to her. Until then, I will give her the space she needs and try to come up with a plan to get us both away from here to a place where she can relax. Ease her mind. Fuck, I don’t know what the hell to do.

She’s my top priority. Once I know she can handle the things she’s learned, then only time will tell if she’s willing to lead this kind of life, the life on the other side of the tracks she was just referring to. She’s the one who has to step over into unknown territory and give up her dream of being on the right side of the law.

Calla has to choose. Her family or her freedom. Those are her only two options. If she decides she can’t live her life knowing the things we do and learn to accept them, then I have to let her go. I’m going right in this fork in the road. She could go left, and I would never stop loving her, always being there in the background making sure she’s safe. My love for her is unconditional. It will exist forever. The thought of her marrying someone else, building a life with someone else, is unfathomable to me. I’d rather die than lose her.

I lightly brush my lips across her forehead and down her flushed face to the sensitive corners of her eyes. The bridge of her nose. I do all this while holding her delicate face in the palms of my hands. Reaching her lips, I make sure the pressure I apply on them is not demanding, but friendly and understanding. She sighs and kisses me back tenderly.

“Let me go get all your stuff from the porch.”

“No, not right now. I want to stay like this for a bit longer.”

“Sounds good to me,” I say softly, drumming my fingers down to the hem of my t-shirt. “I hated this shirt up until now. Now it’s my favorite.”

She hums into my chest in agreement.

“It is ugly, isn’t it?”

“It was. Now, it’s not only my new favorite, it’s also one I’m very jealous of.”

I stop talking and splay my hand wide across her smooth stomach. I can feel her flesh break out into tiny goose bumps. She sucks in a breath.

“The truth is, if I could be anything right now, baby, I would be this shirt.”

I tilt her head back so we make eye contact.

“You’re crazy,” she smiles weakly.

“Been called worse.”

My eyes never leave hers. She is looking at me right now as if I’m her world. As if I could make all of this disappear. If only I truly could.

When I look down her body, her nipples start to poke out. I know full well I could take advantage and have her beneath me in a matter of minutes, but I won’t. When I have her again, it won’t be just carnal fucking. We can fuck anytime we want. I both need and want to make love to my wife.

“So tell me, why would you be this shirt?” she asks playfully. Her sense of humor is one thing I definitely missed about her.

“It’s resting up against your heart. A heart I hope belongs to me. Or at least, will again.”

A smile slants the corner of her sinfully delicious mouth.

“I told you. You aren’t as much of a badass as you think you are.”

“I’m well known as a hard-ass and a bastard to all of those people out there. I may have pushed you a little too hard when you first got here. Said shit to you I didn’t mean. But I can’t be that with you,” I say solemnly. “Just don’t tell any of them, or you’ll really get that spanking I warned you about. Now, I think you need some time to yourself.”

She doesn’t protest when she gets up on her feet and I follow.

“Go take a shower. I’ll bring you your girly stuff and leave the rest on the bed, okay?”

I slide my hand down to hers, the one where her wedding ring should be. It’s bare. It shouldn’t be. My rings should be there. It pains me knowing I never got the chance to properly put any on her finger.

We married so hastily, so damn tired of everyone trying to keep us apart, especially our fathers.

But what she doesn’t know is that John knew about us the entire time. It would kill her even more if she knew he was the one that told my dad to do whatever the hell he needed to in order to get her away from here.

I hook my fingers through hers and bring them up to my lips, casually kissing each knuckle, lingering a little longer on her ring finger. If she notices, she doesn’t say anything.

I let her go and watch her retreat down the hall.

I’m a fucking sinner. An advocate to organized crime. Even so, each and every one of us would give our lives before we let anything happen to her. When she comes to terms with the situation, she will realize her identity hasn’t changed. She’s still their daughter. My wife. And the cold, hard fact of the matter is, there isn’t a damn thing she can do about it.

***

Both Manny and Bronzer are here while Calla cleans up. As soon as she left the room, I called Priscilla and asked her to bring me up a bottle of Johnny. I needed it after what went down today. Hell, I need about five more bottles of the shit.

“Fuck, man. I don’t even know what the hell I’m supposed to say to her when I see her now,” says Manny, looking distraught.

“Tell her the truth like the rest of us did, fucker. It’s your turn to take her wrath. She’s been through the meat grinder today. You grew up knowing who your family was; she grew up thinking her dad worked for a fucking bank. That every time he would leave for a few days, he was off doing business, when what he was really doing was blowing someone’s brains out. She’ll be glad to have someone to talk to about this. You know her better than most; she’s going to trust you and the things you tell her more than she will trust anyone else.”

He looks like a scared puppy who just got taken away from his mother. Bronzer pats him on the back and slides the bottle over to him.

“Damn, dude. She’s a chick, and on top of that, your cousin. Chill the hell out, you fucking pussy.”

I throw back my last shot and glare at Manny.

“Did you call your father yet?”

“Yup.”

He slams his shot glass on the table.

“And what the hell did he say?”

“He knew already. Cecily called him the minute they left here. He wants to meet her. Said to find a way to get her to New York, and get her there today. You know how he is. When he says do something, you do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re family or not.”

“Do you two realize how fucked up this is? We’ve got some crazy fucking sick bastard out there threatening to kill her. Even one of the world’s best assassins can’t find this sicko. Call him and tell him no. She’s not leaving here until we find Kryder. If he wants to see her, he’ll have to come here himself. Now that we’re back together-”

“Who says we’re back together?”

All three of our heads jolt in surprise when Calla gracefully strolls into the kitchen. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees Manny leaning against the counter.

She’s wearing a plain black tank top that stretches across her breasts, white shorts, and a pair of black flip-flops. Her hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her makeup is flawless. I can smell her natural scent from where I’m standing and my testosterone level rises. All I want to do is kick these two out of here so I can cover her entire body with mine.

She smiles at Manny but doesn’t even look my way. If I didn’t know the two of them were cousins, I would beat his damn ass for her having eyes for only him right now. He stands tall, although he’s not the one to move first; she is. She greets him enthusiastically.

“Hey!”

“Hey...” Manny replies cautiously.

“You look great, Calla,” Bronzer acknowledges before turning to me. “I’m out.”

I push myself off of the counter.

“Hold up, man. I’ll walk out with you. I’ve got some shit to do up in the office. Give you two some time to talk, yeah?” I throw a meaningful look at Manny. “Bring her up to me when you’re done.”

“You got it.”

Calla never says a word. She nods her head, never taking her eyes off of the man she’s considered her friend since he first moved here at the age of sixteen; not by choice, that’s for damn sure. His parents wanted him to get an education. Manny, on the other hand, wanted to dig into the family business, feeling he was old enough to start blowing people’s fucking brains out.

But that’s his story to tell her if he wants to, not mine. I’ve got other things to tend to, like trying to find out who my mole is and getting Calla and I out of here safely.

“You look beautiful,” I whisper in her ear as I pass her by.

I grab my bottle and Bronzer and I casually walk outside. I look down for a moment to grab my phone out of my pocket and run smack dab into none other than Salvatore Diamond himself.

“Hello, Cain,” Salvatore greets me smugly in that way only he can.

I love this man, yet his presence here today is going to drive Calla nuts.

He gives me his usual ‘long-time-no-see’ hug, a medium squeeze with a pat on the back. I return the gesture along with a handshake to Beamer, who stands tall with one hell of a strange smile on his face.

“You know I mean no disrespect, but what the hell are you doing here? You’re going to tip her right over the damn edge, and you know it.”

He looks pleased with my sincerity concerning Calla’s well-being. He knows me, knows better than most people how much I love her and that I won’t ever back down when it comes to her.

“Cain, your protectiveness of my niece gives me great pleasure, but I’m a little disappointed in you not telling me she was here. I had to hear it from Cecily, who you didn’t call, either,” he says reproachfully.

“I had no idea she was coming. The last damn thing on my mind was calling you when I first saw her. Besides, she’s safe here and you know it.”

“I have not seen my niece since she was two years old. You know as well as I do that pictures are not the same as the real thing. Her being here is not the kind of shit you keep from family. She needs no protection from us.”

He waves his hand dismissively, and if I didn’t respect his ass, I would pull the ‘I beg to differ’ card on him like Calla did me. They would never hurt her, but this lifestyle sure as hell could.

Salvatore has seen me at my lowest, and was one of the few who helped me see light in all this darkness I’ve been living in since she’s been gone. He’s the only man who told me that distance wouldn’t matter if we truly loved each other. Our minds try and overrule our hearts, but love can triumph over any obstacle, any distance, and any person who tries to take it away.

No one would help me find her six years ago. Not my father, not her parents. Everywhere I looked, there were reminders of her. I gave up. I stole a shit ton of money from my father, found Salvatore’s address, and forced a meeting with him. I will never forget what he has done for me. He gave me the strength and the wisdom to fight for what’s mine. And here I stand, challenging him in that fight. He notices the tension in my stance and raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t get all pissy with me, boy. I care about her just as much as you do. Now where’s my other son?”

The boss opens his expensive jacket, shrugs it off, and tosses it on the porch like it’s nothing. I bet that material cost near five thousand dollars. He wears Armani exclusively. He rolls up his sleeves.

“Well, where is he? I’ve got business to tend to.”

I back up to grab the jacket and place it on the post leading up the stairs.

“Business? Here? You hate this city.”

“Damn right, I do. It’s dirty. Full of drugs. Rats. Sewers. It smells.”

“And New York doesn’t?” I laugh.

“Anyway, smart mouth, Detroit has just become my new favorite city.”

I shoot both of them a narrow look.

“All right, you fuckers. Tell me, what the hell is going on?”

Before they can answer, I hear the sound of a car driving slowly up my path. We all turn to look.

“Jesus Christ, now what?” I exclaim.

I look from Beamer to Salvatore. Their faces stare blankly at John and Cecily, who are now getting out of the car. The three of us stand there and watch them approach. John’s fists are clenched at his sides, and Cecily looks like she’s ready to kill someone herself.

“You!” she shouts, aiming her finger at Salvatore. “You had the nerve to call me and tell me that shit on the phone.”

“Get your finger out of my face and give me a hug. Be thankful I called you at all.”

The two of them embrace, kissing each other on the cheek. My head goes back and forth between all four of them. This is some screwed up shit right here.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask loudly. “You people trying to kill her, or what? You’ve told her enough today, John. And you didn’t speak enough, Cecily. So what brings you back to my house?”

All four of them snap their heads in my direction.

“John?” Cecily indicates for her husband to speak.

“Cain. Beamer here found Kryder this morning.”

My blood starts churning. My hands clench so tightly into fists that I swear to Christ we all hear my knuckles crack.

“Where?”

“He’s been right under our noses this whole damn time, man. Fucking Brightmoor.”

I shake my head.

“Come again? Brightmoor? As in where Emerald grew up? As in where her parents still live? Dad’s old VP Monty? No motherfucking way.”

This can’t be. He’s been right here the whole damn time.

No one says a word. All you hear is the whistle of the breeze and the shuffling of trees until John walks back to the car, the crunching of stone heard with each thunderous step. He opens the back door, reaches inside, and drags out Monty. His mouth is taped shut and his hands are cuffed. He looks as scared as a cat standing on hot bricks.

I freeze. My throat constricts, the blood that was boiling through my veins moments ago turning deathly cold. That prick. After everything my father did for him. I may be going straight to hell, but this piece of shit is about to beat me there.

“You fucking bastard! How long, you fucking grunt ass motherfucker?”

I charge at him. He falls to his knees when my fist connects with his jaw.

“I’ve only got one thing to say to you, you coward.”

I rip the tape off his mouth and he yelps. Pussy.

With my hand fisted tightly in his hair, I jerk back his head. His eyes search me out.

“I didn’t know he was the one that p…put the hit out on Calla,” he snivels. “I swear to God, Cain! I was helping out Emerald. She asked me if he could live in the basement, that he needed a place to hide out from the cops.”

“Emerald?” I ask incredulously.

I thrust his head back and run my hands through my hair. I cannot believe this shit!

“I’m telling you Cain. We didn’t know. She’s just as innocent as I am. We’ve all been played here.”

“Aw, come on, Monty. You expect us to believe you didn’t have a fucking clue? You knew he killed my father. And you fucking know why? It’s because I threw his ass out of here. I don’t do drugs and you know it. You, on the other hand, do. You smoke that weed like fucking crazy. It’s fried your goddamned brain cells. And as for your daughter? Well, I guess she fucked up too, didn’t she?”

“No. Oh, God, no, you guys. That’s my little girl. She’s all I have left of my wife. She’s innocent, I know she is. She would never do anything to hurt you, Cain. You know this. She’s been in love with you for years. Come on, man. Not her.”

I look at him in disgust.

“As much as I would love to kill the both of you myself, my father-in-law is so much better at it. You see, he doesn’t blink. Doesn’t talk. He’s going to inflict so much pain on you, you will be begging him to end your lives. But he won’t. And do you know why, you stupid fuck? You’ve been harboring a man who has a hit out on his daughter. You are so fucked, man. I could almost piss my pants for you. After every goddamned thing my father ever did for you, you’ve been protecting him. He killed my father, you fucking dickhead. MY FATHER! The man who trusted you! Jesus Christ, you make me sick.”

Right then, the crack of the door slamming shut cuts through the sound of Monty’s whimpering. Six sets of eyes simultaneously set their sights on my wife standing on the porch with the same look in her eyes as her father. The intent to kill.

She looks down on Monty with contempt.

“My dad isn’t going to do anything to Emerald. But I sure as hell will.”

Chapter Fourteen

Calla

“I’m glad we talked. I can’t say I understand why everyone does the things that they do. The hardest part is coming to terms with what my dad does. It’s so hard to explain the feelings I have inside of me right now. I mean, how do you handle it?”

My voice nearly breaks sitting here talking to Manny about being a child born into the mafia. His mom wasn’t born into it. She was his dad’s high school sweetheart just like Cain and I, only they weren’t forced apart by those who should love you, like we were.

I’m not a damn idiot. I know my parents, or at least my father, had something to do with Cain and I splitting up. A fresh onslaught of tears wells up inside of me knowing he had a hand in my destruction. He stood by and watched me fall apart. I’m not sure if I can forgive either him or my mother for that.

“I’ve grown up with this lifestyle,” Manny continues. “I’m used to it. It’s all I know. Everyone in the family is expected to have a certain role, whether it be to kill those who wrong the family, or become a lawyer on my father’s team. Me, I had the desire to kill. I remember one time going out hunting with my dad and a couple of his buddies when I was ten years old. My first hunt and my first kill. I was so fucking happy, I couldn’t stop talking about it for days, like how good it felt, and asking when we could do it again. It worried the hell out of my mother so much so that every time dad and I would go out hunting, she would nearly have a nervous breakdown. That’s why she sent me here to live closer to you all.”

“Really? You came here by yourself?”

Manny shrugs.

“I lived by myself during the week. And every weekend my mom or my dad, or sometimes both, would come.”

“My God, you were only sixteen years old! How did they get away with letting you live by yourself?”

He gives me this, ‘Seriously? We can do anything we want’ look.

“And, I wasn’t alone,” he adds. “I knew who you were, and I knew about Cain, too. That’s why I made it a point to be friends with you right away. Plus, I had Aunt Cecily checking in on me every day, not to mention your dad. Jesus, that’s one scary man.”

I scoff at his remark about my dad. He’s never been a scary man to me. Not until earlier today, anyway.

“What did he do, beat your ass when you stepped out of line? Catch you in bed with all those sluts you used to bag in school?”

We both laugh. Manny was the new guy in school. Tall, dark, and mysteriously handsome, he climbed his way into just about every girl’s pants in the entire school.

“Nah. He didn’t give a shit about that kind of stuff. He just said he’d take me to the spot where he burns and then dumps the remains of his victims if I ever knocked any of them up. He was serious, too. I think that was his way of telling me it takes a special type of person to be able to take someone else’s life. You know what I mean? Here’s the thing, though. That’s not what my parents wanted me to do. They didn’t want me to be a hitman for the family; they wanted me to be a protector, one that kept an eye out for you and kept you safe. We have lots of enemies. People who want to take us out and destroy us. People who know what your father does. All families protect the ones they love the most. So I trained. I trained to be a killer. Not an assassin like your dad. Instead, someone who’s not afraid to kill someone if they attempt to hurt someone we love. My first assignment after your dad trained me was you.”

I do know what he means. I don’t think I could ever kill anyone, but I don’t have a problem with beating the shit out of someone if they deserve it, just like I did with that damn whore Emerald last night. But to actually take someone’s life? I don’t think I could do it.

Something Manny just said doesn’t add up, though. I look at him questioningly.

“Wait. You said you didn’t start looking out for me until a couple of years ago.”

“That’s true. I didn’t.”

“Well then, who did? There’s no way in hell I was left out in the open on my own if this family has enemies.”

“Your mom did.”

“My mom?” I laugh. “She wouldn’t hurt a damn fly.”

“Oh, Calla. There is still so much for your pretty little head to learn. Your mom was an assassin, too.”

I choke on the last piece of toast I just stuffed in my mouth, dumbfounded.

“What?” I shriek.

“I’m not even touching that subject. You talk to your parents about that.”

“Jesus God almighty. I don’t know any of you at all, do I?”

“Yes, you do. You know the real us. The ones that love you.”

I look away, trying in vain to digest this latest piece of information. After my shower, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and searched deep into my soul. I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was, and a lot more like the rest of this family, if I can handle the things I have learned today.

I notice something furtive about the way Manny’s eyes skate over mine. He’s hiding something. Something big. Something he thinks I should know about. He’s envisioning my reaction to whatever he has going on inside of his head. I decide to let him tell me when he is ready.

There is one more question I want to ask. He remarked earlier that everyone is expected to do something for the family. Have my parents deceived me? Do they want me to be a mob lawyer? Was that my intended destiny all along?

I don’t have the chance to ask; we both hear yelling coming from outside. Manny quickly draws a gun from behind his back and peeks out the front window.

“What in the shit? My dad’s here, and so are your parents. Shh.”

He places his finger over his mouth to tell me to be quiet when he gently opens the door. We make our way onto the porch without anyone noticing us. Manny tucks his gun into the back of his pants. We stand there listening to them talk about Kryder and whether or not he has been found.

Manny and I exchange a knowing glance. This is the best news we’ve heard all day. That is, until I hear Cain start to yell when my dad drags a man out of the back of the car. A man Cain punches and manhandles. A man now on the ground begging for his life.

And then I hear a name. Every time I hear that name, think about that name, I see red—the bright color of blood. Heated waves of violence take over my body.

Emerald.

I move, my flip-flops slapping against the gravel roughly. I move until I’m standing next to Cain. Everyone’s eyes are on me. Watching, waiting to see what I will do.

I bend down to eye level with this scum of a man.

“You know what? I don’t think you’ll be around to see what I’m going to do to your daughter,” I hiss. “I do believe my father has plans for you.”

“Fuck you, you little bitch. None of this would even be happening if it wasn’t for you. You all have to find her first, and my little girl has been fucking all of you over left and right for years. Right under your noses. And all the while fucking your man,” he sneers at me.

“Watch it, fuckwad. That’s my daughter you’re talking to. I’d hate to blow your brains out right here.”

“That’s okay, Dad. I can handle it. You see, I get why you’re trying to save your daughter’s life. I really do. You love her, just like any parent should love their child. Just like my dad loves me.”

I lift my gaze from this piece of shit and give my dad a loving look. His eyes turn soft and he nods in understanding. Yet I see a warning look in there, too. One that’s telling me to say what I have to say and be done with it.

“But the thing is... and I would listen very closely if I were you... my father’s love outweighs the love you must have for your daughter. My father will always protect me, just like you’re trying to do for your daughter now. But the difference between you and my dad is, he never loses. Your daughter, on the other hand, lied, deceived, and obviously helped a man who wanted me dead. That doesn’t sit well with me and my family. So while my dad is doing his thing to you, I want you to be thinking about the fact that I’ll be doing the exact same thing to your daughter. Your daughter who was fucking my man, along with many others, I’m sure.”

Then I stand. I’ve wasted enough words on this man.

“You’ll rot in hell, bitch!”

“Probably. But just like my husband said... you and your daughter will beat me there first.”

***

“Please tell me you didn’t grow a pair of balls. I love your pussy way too much, baby,” Cain rasps in my ear.

“Very funny,” I retort.

We all stood there watching as my dad bore his fist into Monty’s face, finally shutting him up, before shoving him into his car and taking off with another man in the passenger seat to places I don’t even want to think about.

“I don’t know what came over me. I’m shaking so bad. I would never kill her, you all know that, right?”

I tear myself free from Cain and hurl myself into my mom’s arms.

“Oh, God. What have I done? Dad is going to kill them all.”

“Shh. You have done nothing, honey. They did. You only stood up for yourself and for this family.” Her arms feel so comforting around me. It doesn’t matter how old you are, to be encircled in your mother’s arms is one of the best feelings in the world.

“You can’t and won’t blame yourself. That is a sign of weakness, and this family is not weak,” opines a deep, heavy voice behind me.

The authority and power of his speech has me whipping around to see a man who looks familiar. This is my mom’s brother? Manny’s dad? If I didn’t know better, I would think he and Manny were brothers, now that the two of them stand side by side.

Manny is the spitting image of Salvatore, whose large frame towers over my mother and me. His eyes and facial structure are the same as the man standing next to him. It’s crazy how two people can look so much alike.

“Hello, Calla. I’m your Uncle Salvatore,” he says, opening his arms wide for me to step into them.

I search out Cain, who is standing behind them. He gives me a gentle nod. I’m still shaking when he embraces me, placing his hands on my face and staring deep into my eyes.

“You are simply stunning. A sight for this old man’s eyes. You remind me so much of your mother. Wouldn’t you agree, Cecily?”

“Yes, she does,” she says, stepping between us. “My looks and her father’s character make a lethal combination. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, Calla. I mean it in that you’re a lot stronger than you think. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to your father and me.”

“Your eyes tell me everything you can’t say, Mom. I know you used to be a killer. You wanted to go with Dad, didn’t you?”

“Used to be, Calla. Those are the three words you need to hold on to right now. I’m right where I want to be. Do I want to rip Monty, his daughter, and Kryder’s hearts out? No, I don’t. But before I found out I was pregnant with you, I would have shoved your father aside and killed them all without even blinking. But you, my precious one... feeling you move inside of me, knowing I helped create you... I never doubted my choice in giving that up, not once. Not for you. But as for your dad, well... it’s in his blood.”

I shake my head. I don’t understand.

“If you can, then why can’t he?” I whisper so softly, I can barely hear myself.

“It doesn’t work like that for him, honey. If he could give it up for you, he would. Your uncle came here for two reasons. One, to take care of the scum who dared to try and hurt us, and two, he wants to discuss things with you. I’m putting a halt to that talk for a few weeks.”

She faces my uncle head on, her back to me now.

“She needs time with her husband, Salvatore. They both deserve it. You can discuss things with her later. I don’t ask for much, but this time I’m not asking, I’m telling. Give them this.”

“Cecily, I’m not here to pressure her. She can have all the time in the world. In fact, I demand it.” He glances at Cain. “Take her to my suite in the center for a few days. The view is impeccable.”

If I didn’t feel like a ping pong ball before, I sure as hell do now. So there’s to be no more talk of the future, at least for now? That baffles me with the way this family acts. I so want to run to that bottle of alcohol of Cain’s lying on the ground and down the whole damn thing.

“Time with Cain would be great, but really, I would love to just stay here for now,” I state, holding my head high with a confidence I’m not so sure I actually have right now. I’m pretending when deep down inside I’m fucking scared out of my goddamned mind.

“Very well. Stay here and enjoy yourselves. I will be in touch. Right now I’m taking my son with me. We have some things to discuss ourselves.” He kisses both my cheeks delicately and shakes Cain’s hand. “Cecily, you need a lift?”

She nods, indicating that she’ll be along in a minute. Salvatore places his hand on the back of Manny’s neck and the two of them begin to talk as they stride to his car.

“You call me later, sweetheart,” Mom demands.

“Of course,” I say with a heavy sigh. All I want to do is eat, climb into bed, take a long nap, and pretend this isn’t my life. That none of this is actually happening.

“Talk soon, Cain.” Mom leans up and grazes his cheek.