Page 5 of Killer Love

“I saw her!” Gio stomps his feet again, and I hold back the urge to strike him. “She was talking to him!”

“No, she wasn’t!” I look to my mother, begging for her to believe me. “She never said a word. I swear!”

Beatrix tugs on Sofia’s arm and pulls her toward the door. “Get inside the house, Sofia.”

“Wait—!”

I lurch forward, but my mother wraps her arm around me.

Sofia whips her head back, casting one final glance at me, before she disappears outside.

Gio fires a hard stare in my direction and follows them out, slamming the door behind him.

“Luka, dammit.” My mother sighs. “You couldn’t go an hour without picking a damn fight?”

“I didn’t, Ma,” I say, my eyes locked on the door. “He jumped me…”

She stands up tall and crosses her arms. “I know. I believe you.”

“You do?”

“My son only lies to me when he’s protecting himself.” She nudges my chin and smiles. “Not little girls.”

“What did he mean?” I ask. “He said Sofia was his, that his father told him so.”

“Oh…” She nods. “They must be betrothed.”

I furrow my brow. “Betrothed?”

She waves a hand. “Old custom. Our family doesn’t do it anymore, but some still do.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means Giovani and Sofia are promised to each other,” she explains. “When they grow up, they’ll be married.”

I cringe. “Doesn’t she have a choice?”

“Usually, no.”

“That’s stupid.”

She laughs. “Well, that’s the Zappia way.”

I look at the door again. “Will she be punished?”

“Hopefully not, but…” She shakes her head. “That’s not our business, Luka.”

“But she didn’t—”

“I know…” She leans down and cups my face. “That’s the Zappia way. We have our own. There’s no need to get involved in what you can’t control. Do you hear me?”

I nod, forcing the lump in my throat down.

My mother stands up and points at my hand. “What do you have there?”

I open my palm, and Sofia’s red ribbon curls between my fingers. “Nothing,” I say as I shove it back into my pocket.

Chapter 2

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