“Kent doesn’t use this place anymore,” she says, “but I organized it a while ago. I thought it was better like this than everything just in boxes. This way if he needs to look through anything, he’s got a place to sit.”“He’s lucky to have your help,” I murmur, looking around. “That’s all old famil
My heart pounding, I press the stop button on the remote as fast as I can and return my wide eyes to Kent, who is still looking at me. Please, please, please. By all that is holy, let him not have seen me watching his sex tape.“What are you doing in here,” he asks, angry.“Um,” I say, terrified, h
The man starts to scream as Kent stands behind him, pressing the sharp edge of the knife to the man’s pinky finger. The scream turns to a howl of horror, of pain, as Kent presses the blade deeper.I’m frozen to the spot, horrified. Though I can feel myself trembling, I can’t move, can’t stop watchin
I gasp, my eyes going wide, and then – instantly, like flipping a light switch – I come back to myself.“Oh my god!” I shout, putting my hands up against his chest and shoving him. “Oh my god you are so gross!”He laughs then, truly entertained but not moving at all against my pushes. After three or
He gives me a little shake – nothing rough, just enough to try to teach me he’s in control – but I just laugh against his hand, perhaps a little manic now –The fear is still coursing through me, but along with it is something else – adrenaline, maybe – God damnit, was he right? Was my body respond
As I fall into the routines of the Lippert house I’m surprised to find that I’m quickly bored by them. Life at my home with David and Janeen was also boring – but they’re just normal people. A little of me, I think, expected everyday gang life to be more exciting.It’s not that the house is empty, r
Well. I cleared my throat and moved my thoughts on to something else.I am less tempted by the enticements of Fiona’s super-feminine lifestyle, I think, because I already had a sister who delved into all of that sort of stuff. Sure, strippers are all about being sexy while being a mafia side piece i
We drive a little down the lane, over a slight rise, and then a barn comes into sight. A beautiful barn, really, immaculately cared for and painted in shades of gray. Three little gables peak out of the roof and two little cupolas crown it, weathervanes at their peeks. “Oh!” I say, completely charm
My dad greets him with such genuine joy and excitement that it makes my heart swell with joy. They talk for a few minutes about Dominic’s day before dad gives him a little nudge back towards the gate where Kent and I are waiting. Dominic gives dad a kiss before running ahead again. My dad waves to
“Papa!” Dominic shouts, startling me out of my reverie as he drops my hand and darts down the road. I look up, a huge smile breaking out on my face again as I see Kent on the sidewalk just ahead. His back is to us as he speaks companionably with the butcher, a heavy bag of his purchases already hung
As I walk down the street towards the little Italian kindergarten, the whispers start around me, as they always do. I listen to all of them, a big German Shepherd padding quietly at my heels. “Is that her?” “Yes, that’s the one – I heard she was her husband’s mistress before he married her – tha
Both Kent and I laugh, but Don Bianci – across the baptismal font from us – snaps his eyes up, perhaps not liking the joke as much as we do. But I just ignore it, because dad’s right, frankly – and it’s too happy a day to care. After the final blessing everyone applauds Dominic – he likes that, bl
“Well, it didn’t seem to affect your first very badly,” Ivan says with a shrug, peering around Kent to where Daniel is laughing with an arm around Jerome’s shoulders. “So…maybe keep it up.” I smirk, squeezing Ivan’s hand once more before standing and moving to Kent’s side, tucking myself against h
“Hey, gorgeous,” Ivan says, his mouth turned up in a smirk as I cross the churchyard, beaming at him. “Look who’s talking,” I say, laughing and reaching for him when I come close enough. Ivan wraps me in a hug, dropping a kiss to my cheek as I hold Dominic a bit to the side so he doesn’t get squis
He laughs, smiling at me genuinely. “Do I make you nervous?” he asks, blunt. I laugh, unable to help it. “Has no one bothered to tell you, in all these years, that you’re a little terrifying, Don Bianci?” He grins and shakes his head at me. “Well, considering what you accomplished, young lady, I
Two months later, we’re all gathered together again. And it is only with frustration that I see Gio and Janeen standing so close together that their arms nearly brush, even though they’re still not together. I roll my eyes, dismissing the problem for a moment as I move my eyes down to Dominic and
It's an incredible night. Kent didn’t lie, not at all, about the food either. I’m shocked by the mountains of dishes that continue to follow each other, one after another, long into the night. After a few hours of it I just mournfully watch the waiters go by because I couldn’t eat another bite if I