Page 24 of Ruthless Consequences

The sun can’t even push him out the next morning. That’s when I know. Not him, but the shadow of whatever he makes me feel will follow me around for the rest of my life.

Because light and dark always make shadows.

For the first time in…I can’t even remember, I crave something other than the usual. I crave his next breath more than I crave mine. Because it’s the sweetest thing I have ever tasted.

EIGHT

LILO

PRESENT DAY

Every so often,she turned her face and narrowed her eyes, looking over her shoulder. My car crept alongside her, creating shadows that sometimes touched her legs.

She was hell-bent on walking. Not riding in the car with me and her sister. Where she belonged.

She might have made the decision to walk ahead, but I made the decision to follow. I made it long ago when I claimed Lucila Girardi for my own.

I used the steering wheel to make a call. Unc—one of my ma’s brothers—answered on the second ring.

“This is Aren.” He sounded tired. Worn out.

“You around?”

“On the way to your ma and pop’s place. What’s up?”

“Got a special package for you to pick up.”

He laughed a little. “Right behind you.”

The yellow taxi pulled up close to my bumper before it careened to the side, sped up, and jumped in front of me. He slammed on the brakes after he got her attention. She smiled at him and he said something to her, his arm against the door, his fingers tapping. She looked between us, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then got in the back of his ride.

“Milk-shake,” Minnie said, turning in her seat to stick her finger in the cage. “Milk-shake!” She laughed. “You bit Min!” She pointed her finger at me to show me.

I pretended to bite her finger, too, and she cracked up laughing. She had the most severe eyebrows I’d ever seen on a child. Even when she was younger. Not even her childish laughter could soften the set of them.

“You so sil, Lilo.”

A smile I couldn’t control stretched my face. She might not look like Lucila, but the kid shared something deeper with her older sister. She was a bright spot in my world. Maybe because I knew how much Lucila loved her. My entire family did.

I pulled up in front of my parents’ place and Sebastiano, who was standing on the front porch, crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes when he noticed Minnie in the car with me. He hated that Lucila allowed Minnie around me. He hated it even more that Lucila was even in the same city as me. After we got out of the car, bunny carrier and all, his features relaxed as Lucila stepped out of my uncle’s cab.

He ate it up when she denied me.

His wife stood behind him, watching as his heart pumped through his eyes. For another woman. Ghetti got so much slack for being an asshole. But he never hid who he was. He never pretended to be anything but a womanizer, a cheat, a general stain on humanity.

Sebastiano was who he was, but only to a certain degree. He held a dark secret that wasn’t hidden. He married a woman knowing he was in love with another one.

The one walking toward him, pretending like she didn’t know how he was looking at her, for his wife’s benefit.

“Norah.” Lucila smiled at her. “Sebastiano.” She nodded at him.

Norah gave her a tight-lipped smile back. Sebastiano went to take Lucila’s bag, and she stilled. She wanted to protest but didn’t want to make it obvious, or then it would seem like something was off. Because it was. Everyone knew it. But the not-so-hidden desire took on the shape of a secret, and everyone treated it like it was.

Everyone but me and Ghetti.

“Why don’t you just get down on your knees and kiss her feet,” Ghetti said, striding up, a hand in his pocket.

“Eat something poisonous and die, you piece of shit,” Sebastiano said.

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