Page 70 of Married With Lies

Yet there’s no doubt that I could hold this girl for hours. Days. Seasons.

Sadie lets go first. She drops her arms and takes a step back.

We’ve already said what we needed to see Anything else will be complicated. I climb behind the wheel of the rented Mustang and wait for Sadie to leave the garage before backing out.

She stands in the yard and waves before I roll slowly toward the open gate, leaving behind the idyllic scene of Bright Hearts Ranch.

My hands shift to ten and two on the steering wheel.

On the fourth finger of my left hand is my wedding ring.

The pinky ring given to me by my uncle as a reward for loyalty is on the right.

Hard to imagine two simple rings of metal being at odds but right now I could swear I’m staring at the dividing line of my soul.

I take one last look in the mirror to see if Sadie is still standing in the yard, watching me drive away.

She is.

19

SADIE

Richie Amato hits a wine glass with his fork and stands up at the head of the table.

“I’m a lucky man,” he booms with his glass raised in the air and his belly ready to pop out of his buttoned shirt. “All my most cherished blessings are right here at this table. My beautiful wife, Donna. Our daughters, Valerie and Bianca, along with their husbands. Tonight we’re also celebrating my nephew, Carmine, bringing his lovely bride for a visit. Mercedes, I’m thrilled that our two families are now linked forever.”

He smiles at me.

I smile back, which feels like proper and safe behavior when one is being addressed by one of the most notorious and terrifying mob bosses in New York. Next to me on the left, Cale sits tensely in his chair, his food untouched.

This gathering wasn’t his idea. When Cale’s uncle heard that I was going to be in town for my sister’s wedding he insisted on hosting a family dinner. Cale’s brother Luca even flew up from Florida for the weekend.

I suppose it had to happen. Sooner or later Cale’s family would seriously wonder why I never traveled to New York to visit my husband and celebrate our new marriage. No one in their right mind would want Richie Amato questioning if you’d played him for a fool.

Besides, I don’t really mind spending a few hours being sociable with Cale’s family. His Aunt Donna is a nice lady and she made a huge fuss when I arrived. It’s not her fault that she had no idea I was a vegetarian and dumped three fat sausages on my plate, assuring me that once I tasted this homemade sweet Italian variety I’d never want store bought sausages again.

Luca Connelly sits on my other side. His resemblance to Cale has grown much stronger since I last saw him. They have the same dark hair and vivid green eyes. Their differences are subtle, like how Cale leaves the top two buttons of his black shirt open, showing off a few enticing inches of his tattooed chest. Luca’s shirt is dark blue but it’s fully buttoned and looks freshly ironed. If he has any ink it’s not visible.

Also, Luca’s mannerisms are more relaxed than Cale’s. Luca leans casually back in his chair and when Richie speaks my name, he looks over and winks. Meanwhile, Cale is edgy and watchful, always on high alert, ready to strike if necessary.

He’s far less at ease here than he was during the time he spent at the ranch. Maybe one reason is because the stakes are high in this little charade we’re playing. But I get the feeling the whole truth is more complex.

His hand is flat on the table beside his uneaten dinner. I place my hand over his, a simple gesture of friendship and solidarity that’s not just for show. Tonight my ring is on my finger instead of tucked deep inside my shirt.

Cale’s head turns and we lock eyes. His mouth pulls into a slight smile and he moves his hand to thread our fingers together. The thrill that rolls through me is completely genuine. My heartbeat kicks up a notch. I happen to glance to my right and see we’re being watched by Luca. He’s grinning, clearly amused by the sight of his steely-eyed big brother being affectionate.

But Richie isn’t finished speaking and now his attention turns to his other nephew.

“Lastly, we are here to celebrate our official law school graduate. Luca, it seems like just yesterday you were this little kindergartner asking if you could play with your cars on the floor of my office.” Richie lets out a belly laugh and gazes fondly at Cale’s brother. “We’re so proud of you, kid. You’re like a son to me and Donna. There are great things ahead for you in this life. The whole world will be yours. Just wait and see. Salute.”

Richie tips the glass and drinks, a sign that we all ought to do the same. The one person at the table who doesn’t join the toast is Cale. He remains motionless as he stares at his uncle.

The reason can’t be jealousy. Cale is nothing but proud of his brother. He certainly doesn’t begrudge Luca any praise.

No, the answer lies in the way Cale stares at his uncle.

I don’t pretend to understand how any of this works. What are the rules of succession and hierarchy in the mafia? I was born into a wealthy family but the Wingate dynasty is simple. Baylor will inherit the hockey team and the prestige and the bulk of the wealth. That’s always been a given.

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