Page 105 of Monster in Disguise

"Me too!" Claudia chimes in enthusiastically.

I raise my eyebrows at her.

"And what do you want to become?" I ask.

"A lawyer," she beams, her smile radiant and full of ambition. "Like you."

My heart flutters painfully in my chest.

"Like me?" I repeat in wonder.

"Yes, Mamma told me about how you put bad guys away," Claudia says, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I want to do that too!"

My gaze turns to Catalina, who seems slightly embarrassed.

"I hope you don't mind that I told her about your job," she says, two pink dots marring her cheeks.

I'm suddenly overwhelmed with humility and gratitude toward both of them.

"Not at all," I hurry to reassure them. "What kind of bad guys would you put away, Claudia?"

Her eyebrows furrow as she purses her lips in deep thought. She looks so cute in that moment.

"Those bad nuns, like Mother Superior or Sister Celeste," she answers finally. "They were always mean to me, Mamma, and Aunt Sisi. One time..."

"I don't think Marcello wants to hear that, sweetie," Catalina interrupts gently.

"No, let her speak," I insist.

Claudia shrugs before continuing. "They would call my mother horrible names and give her more chores than the other sisters. And when she got sick, they wouldn't even allow her to see a doctor."

"Claudia!" Catalina gasps in shock and dismay.

I turn to look at her, needing confirmation that these accusations are true. My heart clenches at the thought of anyone mistreating them.

"Is that true?" I ask Catalina softly.

"It is! I understand more than you think." Claudia looks at her mother with sad eyes.

And it hurts. It hurts to know how badly they've been treated, and there was no one there to defend them.

"You don't have to worry about your mother ever being mistreated again, Claudia. I promise you," I assure both of them.

She regards me with hopeful eyes and sticks out her hand, her little finger in the air. "Pinky promise?"

I look at the raised finger, and then I look back at her. She's smiling, and I can't find it in me to refuse her.

I hold my breath and slowly wrap my little finger around hers.

"Yay!" She jumps up, removing her hand from mine.

My finger is still in the air. The contact had been so brief... but I did it.

I look up and Catalina is gazing at me with such tenderness... I almost want to think it's love.

"I want to be a policeman then," Venezia suddenly intervenes and crosses her arms in front of her, almost put off that we hadn't included her in the conversation. "Theycatchthe bad guys," she says smugly.

"But..." Claudia frowns. "You're not a man."

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