Page 129 of Married With Malice

But I remember the gentle tenor of her voice as she read from one of my big storybooks. I remember picnics in a local park and how she picked me up after I once fell from a swing. She kissed my tear-streaked cheek and pointed to a family of Canadian geese that were waddling over to a tiny pond.

If I smiled, my mother smiled. If I cried, she would do anything to make me laugh again.

She loved her boys. She loved us so very much.

Richie doesn’t get to shit on that, not today or any other day.

He takes my silence to mean that I’m properly chastised and starts to turn away. “Come on. It’s over. Lesson learned.”

“When is it enough, Richie?”

He turns his head and glowers. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“WHEN IS IT ENOUGH? What’ll you do if I walk away today? If I disobey? If I fail some other fucking purity test? Will you cut off some of my fingers? Will you take it out on my brother? My baby niece?My wife?When the FUCK is it enough?”

His mouth opens and closes like a flounder. Few things truly astonish him but right now he’s speechless.

I’ve already overstepped. I might as well make the full leap and hope that some glimmer of the truth penetrates.

“I barely remember my own father but I always loved you like a father. It’s taken a hell of a lot for you to wreck that, Richie. And what’s worse is that I used to believe you loved me like a son. Now I know I was wrong. To you I’m just a tool, like Cale was just a tool. And you happily threw him away when he no longer served you. You dared to speak of my mother just now. Be honest. What would your sister say if she could see what you’ve done to her boys?”

The words are a blow, no matter how he tries to pretend otherwise. Richie sways and swallows hard. His eyes lose their calculating glint. I think this is the first time in a long while that he’sreallylooked at me.

“Luca,” he croaks in a soft, mournful voice and takes a step in my direction.

Then the whole fucking world goes up in a ball of fire and I can’t hear a thing.

29

ANNALISA

By the time we reach my father’s house I’m done being a compliant captive. Mounting panic has turned me into a hellcat and I fight for all I’m worth as I’m dragged into the house.

In the process, my robe falls open and Sonny barks at the men to quit staring. With everyone distracted by my bare breasts, I take advantage and try to fight my way free.

“She bit me!” squeals one of Sonny’s men. “The crazy bitch actually bit my hand.”

“You’ll be fine,” growls Sonny, covering me and wrapping a meaty arm around my middle in an effort to stop all the thrashing.

“I’ll bite you next,” I promise even though it’s a fairly empty threat right now with my arms pinned and my legs flailing uselessly.

“Annalisa,” Sonny says with exasperation as he hauls me inside. “Stop this right now.”

“Fuck you. Where are my sisters? Where is my husband? Why the hell was I kidnapped from my own house in my bathrobe?”

“Your father will explain.”

My father is nowhere to be seen as I’m carried into the foyer and toward the stairs. But my mother, confused by all the noise, walks in and gawks at the sight of me fighting with Sonny in my bathrobe.

“What are you doing?” She has a feather duster in her hand and she smacks him in the arm with it. “Put her down.”

“Mama, where are the girls? Where’s Luca?”

The questions only cause her to become more bewildered. Whatever has happened, she’s obviously in the dark.

Sonny heaves an obnoxious sigh like all this drama is just a big, fat imposition on his time. “Sabrina is being picked up in the city right now. Daisy and that burger guy are at their apartment with two guards posted outside the door.”

“Where is Luca? WHERE IS HE? Give me a phone!”

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