Page 25 of Risky Vows

My mother makes a noise somewhere between a nervous chuckle and a growl. "The man had the audacity to kill my best employee without giving us a reason and left like it was no big deal. And worse, the ambulance was on its way to get your brother. He could have seen him."

"Oh." I look at the tranquility of the trees, spread in rows on the farther side of the backyard. Wishing I could absorb some of it.

Dead.

Ugo is dead. Did Massimo kill him because of what I told him last night? This is the world of the mafia. Things change as quickly as the exchange rate of an undervalued, unstable currency. Something could have happened this morning.

No, a small voice inside me whispers.He did it for you.

Can it be true?

My heart skips beat after beat until it comes back in full force, buzzing in my ears. If he did it for me, I'd?—

"Amara," my mom's impatient tone on the other end of the line interrupts my thoughts. "Are you there?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Well, speak up. Do you think Massimo knows about Alonzo?"

"No. How would he?" If he did, I doubt he'd tell me, but maybe I'd notice his indifference or anger toward me. Though there's a chance I'm underestimating Massimo's skill to lie and pretend.

"I don't know. This could be a warning. Massimo is shameless. He came to my house, killed my best employee, and left without a worry in the world. He's sending a message."

"What message do you think that is?"

"Don't fuck with him. That's the message." Mom rarely curses, but when she does, she emphasizes the f-word like nobody's business.

"What does Dad say?" I ask for the sake of asking. My father gets confused more often these days, and even though he has wonderful days, he scares us sometimes by forgetting simple things.

"Your father wasn't home when he visited. He was at a doctor's appointment. I told him over the phone. It's strange that Massimo would pick Ugo to kill. Besides a few meetings in passing, they don't know each other that well. I asked theother employees, and no one knew about any bad blood between them."

"Sounds like you're quite the detective, Mom," I say, unable to wipe the sarcasm from my voice. The fact she referred to Ugo asthe best employeeeven though he hit me senseless is sad and expected. To her and my dad, Ugo was the best employee. He got things done.

"Amara, it's typical of you to make light of a difficult situation. I wish you were more committed to this family like your brother was. Ask your husband why he did that. He's a smart man. He must have a good reason."

"Okay, I will." Will I? I might, but will I share the truth with my mom? She wouldn’t understand why he'd stick up for me about something that happened in the past. She'd be confused.Why would Massimo go out of his way to kill their employee for little old me?I sigh. My mom would probably say I embellished the story, and somehow, the whole thing would end up being my fault.

"Good. I have to see if we can save any of the rugs. Ugo's blood was everywhere. It'll be a while before guests can stay in that room again. What a mess."

"A true inconvenience," I say under my breath.

"Yes, it is. Talk to you later."

I hang up the phone. I walk out of the terrace without bothering to put my shoes on. The sun is out, and the sky is clear. Ugo killed James, and he never paid for it. I can't help but rejoice in knowing justice was served today. Massimo helped avenge an innocent man, my first love.

A dark part of me would love to know more about it… and I plan on asking tonight.

15

Amara

I lightthe candles I bought at an overpriced home décor store. The scent of Himalayan salt and rosewater fills the air, and I sniff. Massimo texted me saying he'd be later than usual but didn't add any other information.

I won't ask him about Ugo the first moment I see him. I'll wait until he says something.

My mother texted a few other times, and I ignored them. I can't talk about it any longer with her. She shows no real worry about losing an employee who worked for her for many years, despite him being a shitty human being. I always assumed she liked Ugo.

But my mom is better at compartmentalizing emotions than I could ever be.

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