Page 136 of Cruelest Contract
Alice was a little taken aback by all the security measures around the ranch. I have to admit, things have become more strict as the months go by. More surveillance equipment is always being installed. The one time I tried to take my own car to Vigilance alone, Tye jumped in the passenger seat and then a vehicle full of Mafia soldiers followed us out of the gates. It seems I can’t leave the ranch at all anymore without being shadowed by Sonny’s men. Nervous about the reason, I asked Tye but he simply shrugged and claimed there was no particular cause. These were just Julian’s orders.
As October deepens, the house has grown cool at night and I pull on my robe before leaving the room. My slippers make no sound on the hallway floor. All the doors in the hallway are closed and I have no idea if anyone else is awake. I don’t think there are any interior security sensors and I hope I’m not wrong. If alarms begin screeching and wake up the whole household, I’ll be mortified.
My knee has healed from the summer accident. Swimming therapy in the new fully enclosed swimming pool has helped a lot. But I’m still very careful and keep my hand on the banister as I slowly navigate the curvy staircase. I’m so intent on not tripping that I’m two steps from the bottom before I hear the voices.
The blend of low murmurs is distinctly male. A sharp laugh is instantly identifiable as Tye’s.
Another voice rises above the rest, taking charge with a touch of irritation. “Are we clear on everything?”
It’s a shock to hear Julian speaking and I freeze with my hand on the polished railing. I wasn’t expecting him back for another two days. Yet he’s obviously home and I’m the last to know.
Feeling shaky as I clear the last two steps, I move in bewildered silence. Down the hallway to the left of the foyer, the door to Cass’s study is partially open and the light is on. I can’t see into the room but it’s obvious the Tempesta men are all gathered for a meeting in the middle of the night.
“I think we’re all on the same page,” says Cass. “What do you say, boys?”
Fort’s voice makes a comment at a volume too low for me to catch everything but I distinctly hear the name, “Grimaldi”.
“The Grimaldis are irrelevant,” Julian replies. So clear and matter-of-fact. So final and so haughty.
His declaration stings. After all, I’m still a Grimaldi. Though I feel absolutely no loyalty to my horrid grandfather, I can’t hate the name I was born to. The name my parents gave me. The name my brothers have.
I think back to my last conversation with Gabe. The day after my ultrasound, I’d called him to excitedly share the news about the twins. He listened without saying much and when I asked yet again when he planned to visit he didn’t really answer. Instead, he wanted to know if I’d heard anything from my husband about a dispute over Grimaldi territory.
No, of course I hadn’t. The extent of my involvement with the family business is limited to basic financial assessments of family-owned local enterprises. In truth, I’m not even really needed for this task. I asked for something to do and Julian gave it to me. Julian certainly doesn’t share any details about his tangled Mafia conquests.
Gabriel should know this already. He understands the way things are. I don’t even know what ‘Grimaldi territory’ includes beyond the vineyard and some shipping companies in SanFrancisco. Other than that, I’m clueless how my grandfather’s business domain ties into the Mafia.
“Never mind,” Gabe assured me in a warmer tone after a long moment of silence. “Forget I asked. Congratulations on the twins, Cici. You’ll be a great mother.”
Gabe ended the call without ever answering my question about when he plans to visit. I’m starting to believe he doesn’t intend to visit at all.
Now I’m listening to my husband declare my family to be ‘irrelevant’. I don’t know what to make of it. There’s no end to Cass Tempesta’s ambitions. Maybe there’s no end to Julian’s either.
Feeling very much like a clandestine spy, I edge closer to the door to hear better. My heart hammers against the wall of my chest. I’m in no danger and yet I’m afraid. A sensible corner of my mind warns me to return to my bedroom before I hear something I’d rather not hear. Something that might shatter the tenuous illusion of my marriage.
Getty speaks up next. “Sounds like a done deal,” he says with a loud yawn. “Are we dismissed now, boss?”
“You’ll sit there until I say otherwise, Gaetano,” Cass snarls. “Your brother’s not finished talking.”
Julian clears his throat and when he speaks next, every syllable is carefully articulated, dripping with ominous significance. “When it comes to the Grimaldis or anyone else,” he says, “the most important thing to keep in mind is that no one outside this room fucking matters. You got that, boys?No one.”
“No one,” Cass agrees.
“No one,” Julian’s brothers repeat in unison.
Meanwhile, I’ve clapped a hand over my mouth. No sound escapes. My roar of outrage is entirely silent and incredibly painful.
They couldn’t be any clearer. At least now I know better than to deceive myself about where I stand.
I’m nothing but a bit player in their family drama. A side character. Like Mel. Like Sonny. Like Miguel and Enzo and all the men who exist here at the ranch to serve a role. Never part of the inner circle.
The Tempestas are the center of the universe they’ve built, the eye of their own storm. The rest of us only exist on the periphery.
This is the truth. It’s always been the truth.
Choking back the sobs that threaten to reveal my position, I climb the stairs in a fog of heartache. I can’t scramble back into the safety of my bed fast enough but feel no comfort once I’m there.
Gradually, my heart rate slows and the threat of tears dissolves. Crying, after all, will do no good. It never does. I learned that lesson many years ago.
