Page 114 of Wrapped in Silver

“Pat, we’re here to celebrate something big, and we wanted you to celebrate with us—”

“What? On a Tuesday night? The hell is the matter with you.Wait.”His eyes bulge out of his head. He looks at me withthe fury of a thousand suns, then back to Silver. “Absolutelynot.No!”He’s getting tense like he’s going to fight Silver.

“Dad!” I shout, but Silver just throws out his arm for me to hold off.

God.My heart thunders in my ears. It’s almost as bad as when the Russians dragged me out of Ferraro’s house. What the fuck was he thinking?

“We hoped you would share this special time with us, Pat,” Silver says. Even he seems a little taken aback, which breaks me down farther into a fearful puddle.

“I thought this fucking thing would fizzle out by now!” Dad stomps his foot. “Don’t tell me, let me see your finger!” He points at me, only his heavy breathing resounding around us. “Now, Quinn!”

I slowly show him, and the silence is harrowing.

His angered face slowly breaks into a slow smile. Then he and Silver start cracking up hysterically.

“What?Oh no, you two didn’t!”I start hitting them both as they laugh harder at me. “You’re both sons of bitches. Sons. Of. Bitches!”

“Ha, ha, ha. Arosso came to ask me a few days ago. We already had a few beers and my blessing.” Dad gives me a big kiss on the cheek before bear hugging me. “Congratulations, you two! I’m going to get the glasses.” As he’s stomping excitedly to the other room, he’s talking to himself, “She said yes.Wow. My little pistol of a girl.”

“I was as surprised as you are,” Silver jokes, then winks at me.

“You’re a piece of shit.”

He shrugs. “Then why you smiling so hard?”

“Because you got me good.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

The next hour is full of jokes and clinking glasses. Dad makes a few comments as to how fast this is all happening, but he couldn’t be happier now that he knows Silver reallyisout of the mafia. I tell Dad about the sets Silver’s been taking me on, and how being intertwined in the TV business makes watching the shows that much more fun.

“So, big wedding like your sister?” Dad asks.

I side-eye Silver. “We’re both a little weird. We have friends, but… kind of loners, you know?”

Silver raises his eyebrows in agreement.

“Something more intimate then?” Dad says.

“Yeah, I think so.” I smile at Silver and he squeezes my hand.

“Wouldn’t be good to have the Valentino don and the captain of homicide at a big wedding venue,” Silver comments.

“Intimate it is.” Pat laughs nervously.

“Sorry, Pat. He’s my cousin. He’s got to come. I’m sure you all can play nice for a night,” Silver says.

“I’m on borrowed time thanks to that bastard. I’ll make another exception.”

Silver gets up from his seat and beckons my father to do the same. With all the shock and awe in my life, Ineverexpected to see Silver wrap his arms around my dad. I think I may have just died.

“Thanks for stepping in, even though it was the dumbest move ever,” Silver says.

They both cackle.

“And thanks for accepting me into your family. She’s my world.”

Chapter 34

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