Page 67 of Cruel Vows

“How is the moving out thing going for you?” I ask, guiding the conversation away from me and my life.

I’m tired of talking about all the things I can’t change. I wish that I could, but nothing ever seems to get better.

Which means that she’s right. I have to grin and bear it, and hopefully in time, life will change. It’ll get easier.

Rebecca groans, tilting her head back and looking at the puffy clouds drifting across the sky. “It’s not going well. Hethinks that someone is out to get me and that they’re going to succeed if I leave.”

“Do you think he’s just worried about Noah?”

She shakes her head. “Dad isn’t the kind to worry about someone as insignificant as Noah. There’s something else going on.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” She swims over to me, folding her arms on the edge of the platform the loungers are on. “One minute he tells me that I can’t move out because there are people out to get me, and the next he’s making comments about how I have to get out of here and go far away.”

My chest tightens thinking about how volatile Malcolm can be on a good day. I’ve seen it multiple times over the years.

One day, he can be fine, and Sean is happy coming over to the house, and the next day Sean is showing up with his arm in a cast because he looked at his father the wrong way.

“Do you think everything is alright with him?” I ask, tone gentle. Even though I want to tell her that he’s a bastard, Malcolm is still her father.

If there’s anyone who knows about complicated relationships with family, it’s me.

Rebecca combs her fingers through her hair. “I’m worried that there might be some early onset dementia. It runs in his side of the family, and some of the things he’s been saying sound just like the things my grandfather used to say.”

“I’m sorry.” I run my fingers through the water, sending small ripples back and forth. “Have you told Sean about it? There might be something he can do to help.”

She looks down, guilt flashing across her face. “I can’t tell him yet. I don’t think it would be a good idea at all.”

“Why not?”

“You know Sean.” She braids her hair to the side. “He’s going to jump to the worst possible conclusion because things are awful between him and Dad. And then there’s this heir issue between them.”

“Heir issue?”

Her eyes widen. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you probably shouldn’t have.” I sit forward, pulling my knees to my chest, my stomach already lurching. “What heir issue?”

“Dad thinks that Sean needed to get you pregnant yesterday and Sean is telling him that it’s none of his business. It’s not a normal day unless they’re on the phone screaming about it to each other.”

My stomach plummets to my feet. “I didn’t know about that.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve tried telling Sean that it’s something he should be talking to you about, but he thinks it’s better to just not say anything since it’s not going to happen.” Rebecca forces a smile and pats my thigh. “We all have crazy mafia leaders in our life. It’s just figuring out how to deal with everything that’s the hard part.”

“I almost didn’t have to deal with everything.” I hate the way my voice sounds so broken. It feels like the weight of the world is pressing down hard on my shoulders.

“What do you mean?”

“Aiden was going to let me out of the mafia life. I was going to be out on my own. Before the marriage happened, I nearly had him convinced, and now I’m right back in the middle of it.”

Rebecca hauls herself onto the platform, sitting down on the lounger with me, her soaking wet braid draped over one shoulder, the ends of it tangling with her blue bikini string.

“You’re going to have your own life again one day.”

“One day when this ridiculous war is over?” I scoff and lean back in the chair, closing my eyes. “I don’t think that is ever going to happen.”

“I’m sure it will one day. Things are difficult right now, but they’re going to get better; otherwise, what was all of this for?”

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