Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Everyone erupted in applause.
I left my chair and rounded the table to walk to her in the space in front of our table, and I enveloped her in a big hug, holding her close as she squeezed me tight, a foot shorter than me in her heels. “I love you too, Ma.” I kissed her forehead.
“You’re the best son a mother could have asked for.” She pulled away, then cupped my cheek, looking at me like I truly was her whole world.
I knew that look now, because it was the way I looked at Aurelia’s stomach. The way I looked anytime I thought of the child I didn’t know.
When I felt someone behind me, I realized Aurelia had come over too, and she moved closer to my mother.
I hugged them both before I stepped back, letting them have their moment together. I watched them hold each other before my mother cupped Aurelia’s cheeks the way she’d cupped mine and said something quietly to her.
I headed back to the table so they could be together and then sat beside Rocco again.
Rocco immediately turned to me. “How the fuck am I supposed to follow that?”
I shrugged. “Not my problem.”
“It’s not like I can talk about work.”
“True.”
“Or how we even know each other.”
“Damn, you’re right,” I said as I clapped his shoulder. “Good luck with that.”
The applause had died away a long time ago, and my wife and mother were still talking to each other on the dance floor. Wife . . . it had a nice ring to it. Mrs. Constantine Cristina. Then I heard someone clap slowly, so slowly it sounded off-putting, like they were trying to smack their hands together as hard as they possibly could to make the sound pack a punch.
I surveyed the crowd as I looked for the source of the annoyance, realizing it was coming closer. My eyes flicked to the terrace that wasn’t under the awning, and then I noticed the men with automatic rifles who seemed to have come from nowhere.
My heart raced, and my eyes flew back to Aurelia first.
And that was when I saw him, moving between two tables, clapping louder and harder and slower, eyes locked on me like I was the target.
I felt Rocco stiffen beside me.
My mother and Aurelia broke apart, and Aurelia’s gasp was loud because she recognized him right away.
My mother didn’t ask questions, but she instinctively put Aurelia behind her and used her body as a shield.
The room went silent when he stopped clapping. He wore black jeans and boots and a gray T-shirt, and the corner of his head where his temple would be looked odd in appearance, like the side of his head had been shaved off.
Because I’d missed.
He raised his arms wide, then broke into a smile. “Wow, this is one hell of a party. Guess my invitation got lost in the mail.”
I shifted my eyes to Tommaso, who was seated with Cosa Nostra, in the hope some of them were armed. But even if they were, their handguns wouldn’t be enough against the rifles. Then I turned back to Darius, who had come to a stop feet from the table.
Medusa growled from where she lay at my feet.
“Heel,” I ordered, not wanting her to get almost shot again.
Darius glanced down at my German shepherd before he looked at me again. “Your little bitch is still alive.”
Medusa growled again.
I slowly rose to my feet and instinctively grabbed my tie and yanked it free.
“Let’s take a trip down memory lane, Con.” He massaged his knuckles, then his wrists, like he was preparing for a fight as he continued to stare me down. “I let you, your wife—” He looked slightly over his shoulder to where Aurelia stood behind my mother, their backs up against the nearest table covered in a white tablecloth. “Congratulations, by the way.” He turned back to me. “And your dog go. And you gave me your word that you would disappear. Or am I misremembering all of that?” He cocked an eyebrow as he leaned in slightly.
I said nothing as I stared him down.
“Man of your word . . . that’s what you said to me.” He turned to look at my mother. “She said a lot of nice things about you, said you were honest, but you look like a fucking liar to me.” He stared at me instead. “And what did I say would happen if you broke your word?”
I continued to stare him down. I didn’t have a plan. Didn’t know what to do. I could rush him, but his men would probably shoot me. There was likely no way I would get out of this alive, but that was okay if Aurelia did. I spoke low enough for Rocco to hear and no one else. “Save Aurelia.”