Page 60 of Sins of Bliss

“Daddy, let me explain.”

His brows furrow together at my use of a term of endearment he hasn’t heard from me since I was a child, and he shakes his head. “Not here.”

Footsteps of wedding guests draw closer, and he gestures toward a closed door off the foyer, opening it and disappearing inside. He doesn’t check to see if we’re behind him.

Tugging Sly by the hand, I follow my father.

As we enter the room, the lights are off, and the space is colder than the foyer. Ornate, antique mahogany furniture lines the office space, along with bookshelves, wingback leather chairs, and an unlit fireplace.

Behind me, the door clicks into place, and I glance over my shoulder to see Sly leaning against it, his eyes on my father.

Placing his palms on Monsignor Jacoby’s desk, my father leans forward, his back grounded as his head hangs. He doesn’t look at us—doesn’t speak for several long, anxiety inducing seconds.

Taking a few steps backward, I lean against Sly. His hand encircles my waist, grounding me. “Daddy, I?—”

“You married a Lucchetti,” he finishes. The low, lethal tone of his voice causes my spine to stiffen. “You’ve embarrassed this family.”

“I love him,” I state, unwavering. Lacing my fingers through Sly’s, I keep our hands intertwined at my stomach.

My father turns to face us. “You have no idea what you’re saying, Vincenza. You have betrayed this family. Your entire life I have warned you against them. There’s a reason we havebeen at war with them for decades—why the feud began in the first place. The Lucchettis are not a family to associate with, they’re?—”

“They’re my family now, Father.I’ma Lucchetti now.”

“I WILL NOT ALLOW IT,” he bellows. “What he just did out there?—”

“Was to protect the woman I love,” Sly interjects, his voice calm as he addresses my father. Letting go of my hand, he sidesteps and puts himself between us. “You have no idea the thingsmy wifehas endured behind closed doors with that pathetic excuse for a man. The manyouagreed to marry her off to.”

My father’s eyes meet mine, and I struggle for words, looking down and breaking our eye contact instead.

“You gave your blessing to force her into a marriage with a man whom she not only despised, but who physically assaulted her. All because you trusted the word of your son, who is just as much of a monster as August was.”

“You are a liar, just like your good-for-nothing uncle was,” my father spits, and I can’t believe the words as they fall from his mouth.

He doesn’tbelievehim. Doesn’t believeus. Or, he’s choosing not to.

He’s ignoring what he saw during the rehearsal, just like I knew he would.

Tears prick my eyes as I look at Sly, and he reaches up, lovingly rubbing my cheek with his thumb.

“Show him, piccola ladra,” he says quietly, his eyes softening. “It’s the only way he willsee.”

Forcing back a whimper, I nod and turn around so my back faces Sly. He understands my unspoken request and slowly lowers the zipper until it reaches just above the lace of my panties, keeping me covered as much as possible. Holding thegown to my chest, I lightly shake my arm as I pull it out of the sleeve, releasing the fabric so more of my skin shows.

As it floats from my arm, the fading bruises on my rib cage are exposed, and my father sucks in a harsh breath.

“He’s been abusing your daughter, Maurizio. Right under your nose.” There is no anger in Sly’s voice as he delivers the harsh reality to my father, just sadness—in tune with the emotion plaguing me in this moment.

A pained look morphs my father’s features as he stares at my yellow and brown discolored skin. “I… Sunshine, why have you kept this from me?”

“What was I supposed to say?” Sadness and disbelief seep into my words. “You wouldn’t have listened. You saw what you wanted to see, even when the warning signs were flashing before yours and Mother’s eyes like a neon sign in a dive bar. Every time I wanted to confess, you sang August’s praises and spoke of how much this wedding would be good for the family and forbusiness.”

“You should have spoken frankly about what was going on,” he argues.

I scoff, pushing my arm back into my sleeve. “You would have ignored it, Father.”

“And this?” He gestures between me and Sly, as Sly zips my gown again. “What isthis?”

Before I can answer, Sly does. “I have loved your daughter since I was a boy, even if I was too young to recognize the signs until recent years. Our relationship should have never been kept a secret. The love I have for her is more powerful than words can fathom, Maurizio.”

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