Page 16 of Cruelest Contract
Given what I remember of the Tempesta boys, such a scenario is tough to imagine.
Which leads to the next question:Why me???
I barely knew the Tempesta brothers and I haven’t laid eyes on them since I was thirteen. The teenage boys I remember were handsome, confident and intimidating. Add ‘wealthy’ and ‘influential’ to their virtues and it’s a safe bet they’ve grown into men who can have anyone they want.
I’m not hideous. I’m average. Maybe a small notch above average once my boobs are factored in. Not stunning enough to drop men to their knees. There’s no massive trust fund sitting inmy bank account. And even if there was, the Tempestas have no need of money.
The only thing I possess that would matter to a family like the Tempestas is the name I’ve spent years trying to escape.
“We’re not normal people. We’re the fucking Grimaldis.”
Angelo isn’t exactly a beacon of insight but he gets points for nailing an important fact.
There’s no erasing who I am.
My years of freedom from the grip of the Grimaldi legacy were temporary. The day was always going to come when I’d be needed as a chess piece in my grandfather’s plans.
That day is here and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
I will NOT let my twin brother down.
All day I’ve been so preoccupied with worry about Gabriel that I haven’t given much thought to the Tempesta brothers. Angelo says they’ll be meeting the plane in Laramie. I’ll be face to face with them within the hour.
A new drop in altitude kickstarts my anxiety. I can see the buildings in Laramie now. It’s late afternoon on a clear day. The city is small, neatly laid out. The surrounding landscape, full of wide open spaces bracketed by distant hills, would be pretty to look at if I wasn’t on the verge of an anxiety attack.
My first priority is to get the Tempestas to ensure Gabriel’s protection. I’ll deal with their demands when I’m sure my brother is safe.
Remembering my travel companion, I bend over to peek under the seat. Louisa’s bright, accusing eyes stare back at me through the carrier grate.
At least she doesn’t hiss at me this time. Hooray for progress. She just smacks the bars of the carrier with her paw and turns her head, clearly disgusted with the situation and wishing for her old life.
“I know how you feel,” I tell her.
Louisa makes a huffing sound. If I could translate Cat Speak, I’m sure that sound would mean,“Can I trade in this ridiculous person for a better option?”
Honestly, my role as a pet owner is entirely accidental. A month ago I stopped by the leasing office to file a maintenance request and heard the sad news that the friendly elderly receptionist who always handed out root beer barrels to visitors had passed away at her desk a few days earlier.
The woman, Mary, had no family and her desk was cluttered with photos of the grey cat she’d named Louisa as a tribute to the author ofLittle Women. Her colleagues were in the middle of discussing who would bring Louisa to the county pound.
Mary would have wept with horror. That cat was her baby. The injustice was too much. And I had a sudden hopeful vision of being less lonely with a pet to care for.
In a very abnormal, spontaneous moment I blurted, “I will take Louisa!”
This is my first experience with a cat. I didn’t realize they were so fickle. Louisa seems to be enjoying this new plane adventure even less than she enjoyed my apartment but I couldn’t leave her behind. Alice is the only person who would have taken her in but I have no idea how long I’ll be gone.
At the thought of Alice, I cringe into the seat cushions. A sharp pang of guilt roils my nervous stomach.
There’s really no easy way to explain to your best friend that your twin brother has murdered a powerful Mafia scoundrel and your only hope of keeping him alive is to choose an even more powerful Mafia scoundrel husband.
I know how it sounds. Like a movie script. Or a video game. Not like something that would happen to an introverted accountant who labels her weekly wardrobe every Saturday night.
The story I fed to Alice is that I was suddenly invited for a visit with old friends of the family. Theoretically, this is the truth.
Alice was still alarmed. Alice had many questions.
But the more information I share with Alice, the more questions Alice will have. I know she’s worried and I feel rotten about blowing off my only friend. However, I need to digest these recent developments for myself and then come up with an explanation that doesn’t sound demented.
My best friend is a darling but she is also highly protective. I shudder to think what would happen if Alice decides to fly out here and tries to give the Tempestas ‘The Treatment’.
