Nico only gets up once, pouring a glass of wine and pushing it generously in my direction when I’m finished unloading the groceries. “Here,” he says. “Thank you for organizing the kitchen. That is not…something that’s precisely in our skill set.” I shrug, a little pleased to have made inroads with
There’s a long, tense moment when I do seriously wonder if Christian is going to punch someone. But he shocks us all, I think, when Christian flicks his eyes to Nico’s beer. “Is there more of that?” he asks, his voice dry. “Yeah,” Nico says, immediately jumping out of the chair and heading for t
“Exactly,” Christian says. “Are you seriously buying this?” Nico hisses, gesturing towards me but keeping his eyes on Christian. “That she knew nothing – that she just lived with this guy, handing over her paychecks to him, oblivious to the fact that he’s not only Bonetti’s secret accountant that
Suddenly, quite suddenly, it’s all too much. I burst into tears, burying my face in my hands again, sobs shaking my shoulders as I blubber against my palms. I start to cry so hard that I can’t even catch my breath, and then I panic because I know these tough mafia guys are looking at me like I’m a
“Where are you going?” I ask, confused and surprised as he heads around the coffee table, aiming for the kitchen. “I’m getting us refills, Iris,” he replies, his voice tired. “Because if we’re going to have the family chat, I’m going to need another drink.” And, despite myself, I laugh. Christ
“Christian,” I murmur, leaning forward to peer into his face after we sit in silence for a too-long moment. “Do you…do you not have any hope in this world?” He scowls a little, turning away from me and looking out at the dark city through the wide expanse of windows. “I don’t even know what that m
“Primarily,” Christian says, drawing my full attention back, “designating you as my sister means hands off,” he says, giving me a significant look. I smile a little, liking to see his protective side. “Does it also mean I get a share in the Romano fortune?” I ask, dry, and Christian laughs, instan
Christian groans as I look down into my lap, intuiting that he’s hurt my feelings, and then he scootches closer to me. “Don’t look like that, Iris,” he murmurs, putting a warm hand on my shoulder, “you’re breaking my heart.” “I don’t want to be a burden to you, Christian,” I sigh, looking down int
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I