Page 135 of Thorns of Silence
Dante twisted our daughter’s pigtail strand around his finger, smiling softly. “This is Skye. She’s our kid.”
My heart fluttered in my chest as I read the words that just left from his mouth. He had no idea just how true they were.
“Well, surprise, surprise,” Cesar drawled. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
The comment was odd, and judging by Dante’s pinched eyebrows, he thought so too.
“Does Cesar know ASL?” I questioned Dante.
“Barely.” Dante flicked a glance at his right-hand man. “Cesar and ASL are like two right hands and two left feet.”
Cesar rolled his eyes. “I’m going to learn it. You just wait and see.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Cesar’s enthusiasm. “You will,” I signed and Dante translated. “For now, just speak slowly so we can read lips.”
“Duly noted.” I liked Cesar already.
“All right, everyone,” Dante announced, pulling a chair out for both me and Skye. “We have a big day tomorrow, and I want us all to be ready for it. Let’s eat.” Skye nodded eagerly and my own stomach grumbled in response. “I’m starving,” he declared, taking a seat to my left and directly opposite of Skye at the long dinner table.
Skye reached for bread, oblivious to the tension between Dante and me. “Me too.”
We began serving ourselves while the cook carved the lamb.
Cesar’s eyes kept darting from Dante to me to Skye, only to repeat the motion. “How old is Skye?” he finally asked. She’d read his lips and lifted five fingers. Something passed his expression, but he quickly masked it. “And when is your birthday?”
She signed, and Dante translated. “December. New Year’s Eve.”
Dread and suspicion pooled in my stomach. Did he know? It couldn’t be. I knew Cesar had been around five years ago, but we’d never crossed paths. Not that I remembered, anyhow, and he wasn’t exactly a man I’d forget.
I met his gaze, and it was then that I knew without a doubt. Cesar knew Skye was Dante’s.
Dante leaned back in his chair with his jacket unbuttoned, studying me. He didn’t even bother being subtle about it. Cesar, on the other hand, studied me with a different kind of interest. It was almost uneasy.
“Everything set for tomorrow?” Dante asked.
“I’m picking up the package tonight,” Cesar replied, and my brows pinched.What package?
Dante smiled broadly. “I knew they’d be able to accommodate me.”
Cesar rolled his eyes. “It’s more like they’re scared.”
Silverware glinted under the chandelier and candlelight. Skye and Dante ate all the same dishes, strategically avoiding the greens.
“At least have some peas,” I insisted.
The look they both aimed at me would have been comical if not for the similarities in their expressions. I reached for my glass of wine and took a gulp, a bead of sweat rolling ominously down my back.
I watched them eat, suddenly seeing it all too clearly. The way they held their spoons. The way they tilted their heads side to side while chewing. The way they sipped their water with their eyes closed.
When they looked up at me with almost identical expressions, I realized my daughter didn’t have my eyes. She had Dante’s. His mannerisms. His expressions. Even his mouth.
Once they were done eating, Skye gingerly reached for tiramisu while Dante rolled a cigarette between his fingers.
“Don’t smoke around her,” I warned him.
He lowered his gaze to the cigarette, his fingers never ceasing the movement. He tapped it on the table, his attention settling on me.
“I’ll quit,” he said, watching me with a darkly entertained expression. “You’re right. It’s not good forourfamily.” My stomach tightened, detecting a hidden meaning but not quite comprehending what he meant. “I still want the name, Nix.”
