Page 68 of These Deadly Vows

“Ha. Ha. It’s not Halloween yet.”

“I can’t believe that cunt had the tits to sneak in here and put dye in your shampoo. Anyone else and I’d be impressed at the level of pettiness. But she fucked with the wrong bitch. I better not find out who she is.”

“I appreciate you. I can stick up for myself, though.”

“Yeah. Yeah. You’re an ol’ lady now. Tough as nails,” she teases.

“Back on the subject at hand, please. What do you think?” I hold up the skimpy two-piece.

“Maybe the black one. It’s classic. What time does this shindig start tomorrow, anyway?”

“Noon I think.”

“Capone still hasn’t asked about me?”

“Nope. To be fair, I haven’t really seen him around here lately.”

“Asshole,” she grumbles.

“Most men are,” I remind her.

“True. Speaking of assholes. When does yours get home?”

“Whenever he feels like it, I guess. I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t get rid of him, while other times I barely see him.”

“You spend more time with your bodyguard than you do the man you married.”

She’s wrong, but sometimes it appears that way.

“You still giving that poor guy the Ricci Silent Bitch Treatment?”

“Yup. He sleeps with the enemy.”

“So does your husband.”

“Ouch.”

“That was rude. I’m sorry. Do you really think he called things off with that skank?”

“He promised.”

“And you bought it? You know I love you, but men lie to get what they want.”

“You think I don’t know that? I want to trust him.”

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“It’s my heart to break.” I know she’s bitter because Capone fucked with her, then blew her off. That doesn’t mean that Lorenzo is playing me for a fool. I ignore the clawing sensation that gnaws at the pit of my gut. “Do you think my situation would be any better had I married one of your brothers?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The men in our lives have never been saints. Some are simply more honest about who they are.”

A hand moves to her hip as she pops it out, cocking her stance to one side. “So, what, my brothers and father are all a bunch of liars and cheats?”

“Wake up, Carla. Do you even know what your family business is?” I know our fathers worked together. Her father was an underboss. I know he felt passed over when my father chose Roberto for me to marry when he had two single sons up to the task. He probably would have offered himself up if Carla’s mother wasn’t in the picture.

Carla was sheltered from a lot or, if she was in the know, she never discussed any of it with me.

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