Page 42 of Till Death Do Us Part

“I need more of you.” The words came out steady, but they were harder to say than I ever thought possible.

For the first time in my life, I felt a weak spot in me. I’dwantedbefore, but I’d never needed anything or anyone.

Ineededher.

I didn’t fucking care for it.

Especially when I got into bed at night, or woke up in the morning, and it felt empty. Empty of someone I’d never had in it before, but her presence lingered. I couldn’t disconnect from it.

“I can’t,” she repeated. Her tone was regretful, as usual. “How am I supposed to without causing trouble? I mean—”

“You said enough.”

She studied me, trying to read past the words. “Enough?” she repeated. “Just enough?”

My suit felt too tight in the shoulders suddenly, and I rolled them to loosen the tension. “Enough.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re saying one thing, but you mean another?”

I led her out of the bathroom and toward the kids. The teacher still had them busy. Roma’s eyes were on me as I headed back to Ms. Hall, who gave me the paperwork and told me she’d walk me to Hayden’s office.

Cassio sat in a chair in the outer office—where Roma and Ms. Lang had their desks—reading a magazine about dinosaurs. Ms. Lang and Adelasia sang some kid’s song. When I said it was time to go, Adelasia started to scream. It seemed like she’d formed an attachment to Ms. Lang and didn’t want to leave. Cassio wasn’t used to dealing with a tantrum-throwing kid, so he picked her up and hauled ass toward the door.

“A minute of your time.” I knocked on Ms. Lang’s desk once with a knuckle.

She motioned to a chair in front of her desk. “What’s on your mind, Mr. Maggio?”

“How do you feel about lying, Ms. Lang?” I sat back in the plush chair and got comfortable. “I’ll make it worth the sin.”

Chapter15

Roma

The night of the event, I couldn’t stop looking for Felice. I hadn’t heard from him since he got me alone in the bathroom and left me with a simpleenoughafter he proposed I spend the weekend with him.My gut told me he was up to something. He didn’t seem like anenough, you winkind of guy when he wanted something and wasn’t getting it. And he’d accepted defeat much too easily.

I didn’t want to say no, but what could I do? How could I spend an entire weekend with him without raising suspicions? I didn’t do a lot outside of my family. Even when one of us traveled, it was usually with someone else. Mamma used to say we didn’t have a buddy system but a sister system.

Isabella had me nervous. She was especially suspicious after the night Felice had come to the house. He did have business with Babbo, which was legit, but men in Felice’s business never made is past Babbo’s office door. Even Tommaso, though he was offered fine whiskey and cigars.

Even in heels and standing on my toes, I wished I’d been born with the neck of anAlamosaurus. The crowd was thick. All the men were in fine tuxes, the women in designer gowns. It was a sea of velvets, satins, silks, and sequins.

He had to be attending his own party, right?

When I wasn’t assisting Kerry, I kept coming back to the open bar. I figured this might be the easiest place to run into him at some point.

“Looking for someone?”

My breath caught when Elsa set her hand on my waist and came to stand in front of me.

She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then held me at arm’s length. “Damn, Roma. You’re slaying hearts tonight.”

“It’s not too much?” I smoothed a hand over the red satin gown I wore.

The top was fashioned like a corset. The sleeves were puffed and hung off my shoulders. It cinched at the waist, had a slit to my thigh, and the hem fell at my feet. I added a simple diamond choker necklace and diamond studs in my ears. Lo parted my hair and slicked it down on both sides, adding a clip-on chignon. My eye makeup was simple, but my lips matched the dress.

“It is and I wouldn’t change a thing.” She smiled at me. “That’s why I’ve always loved the wordstriking. If we can’t strike ’em down like lightning sometimes, are we really having any fun?”

Good.Because Felice Maggio needed to be knocked on his ass sometimes, because it seemed to rarely happen.

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