Page 54 of Mafia Wedding

I haven't taken my gaze off her either, but it's mostly because I fucking love what I'm seeing.

Kayra Petinos in the flesh, finally.

We come to a stop when we reach the table listed in our tickets, and since she's already staring at me with unabashed curiosity, who am I not to feast my eyes on her in return?

Her niece married a friend of mine early this year, but I already knew of her from way back. "Girl" here was only fifteen when she earned herself the title of Familia's most skilled tracker, and she officially reached 'urban legend' status after last year's Sandy Point Murders.

Dating a former suspect of the FBI has never been high on my priority list, and not even an attractive girl like Kayra made me feel any differently about it...then.

She's always been pretty, and always will be, with her copper-tinted tresses and Pacific-blue eyes, a sensual mouth with Cupid's bow lips, and a slender build that's so impressively fit and limber at the same time, you just know it can replicate every position in the Kama Fucking Sutra.

I'm not sure what it was about the phone call Thomas had orchestrated between us, but everything's changed since then, and I'm now seeing Kayra in a whole different light.

As appealing as her looks are, I only used to think of her as the girl who almost made it to FBI's Most Wanted, but now I know she's much, much more.

This Girl of mine is a killer with the soul of a warrior, a unique mixture of vulnerability and violence.

I look at Kayra, and all it still takes is one damn look.

Just one damn look, and I'm absolutely certain...I've found my future wife.

Chapter Three

EMULATE, NOT IMITATE.

It's a trick my half-sister taught me when we were young, and Brenda had to play warden every time Astro locks me in my room for not doing what's normal and acceptable.

You're a Petinos, Kayra.

Standing out will only get you killed.

Until you're strong enough to protect yourself, you need to pretend you're like the rest.

In those days, Astro couldn't understand why I was being rebellious for no seeming reason, and neither did I.

My father wanted me to show remorse because it was the normal thing to do—-but why must I feel bad about beating up a boy in my class, when that same boy was guilty for bullying another boy?

He wanted me to shed tears when a great-aunt of mine passed away, but why must I pretend to be sad, when the person who died used to call me a freak?

We fought, and we fought, and we fought, and Papa and I might have even ended up killing each other if not for my older half-sister coming up with a life-saving little trick.

Brenda was like my guardian angel on earth, and a living saint to everyone else. She wasn't that smart or pretty, but she was the kindest person I ever knew, and it was through her kindness that she realized I was not bad, but just different.

And she loved me despite of it.

Brenda loved me even when I was cold and mean. She loved me even when I kept pushing her away. My older sister loved me until the day she died, and by loving me she became my way out of the darkness.

Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you should stop trying. It's enough that you know it's the right thing to do.

I know I said my sister wasn't all that smart, but I never said she wasn't wise.

All works of fiction are but a snapshot of life.

If there's something you just want to understand—-

Look for a snapshot that reminds you of what you're going through and learn from it.

I always felt like I was a bomb about to go off every time Astro asked me to pretend to be something I was not. But it was different when Brenda asked me to emulate what I saw in a movie or read in a book, and my life wasn't the only thing that little trick saved.

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