Page 19 of Devious Vows

“You know why that is, right?” Julian waits until I roll my head his way before continuing, “Because you’re going to be the wife of the Capo Famiglia someday and all eyes arealwayson you.” He laughs at the look I give him, speaking over my scoff, “She has your best interests at heart, even if her efforts seem meaningless.”

Crossing my arms I roll my eyes, looking at the house as we pull up to it. “Whatever.”

He reaches over to shove me in the seat. “I think I sucked up all the fun personality in the womb.”

“All the stupid too.” I unclick my seat belt while he parks.

I smirk at his loud laugh, my hand pausing on the door handle when he speaks, “Now it’s time for the serious conversation.” I frown at him as he asks, “What’s been going on with you lately? You didn’t even get up before dawn and for you, that’s weird as shit.”

He’s not wrong, but I don’t say that. “How would you even know? You didn’t get up until after ten and then you left right after.”

Julian and I don’t live together, but we live in condos next to each other and more often times than not, we are at the other’s places. We know each other’s comings and goings pretty well. Not to mention we still live in our old neighborhood—neighborhood being the watered-down version of what this part of the city is. It’s all owned by the Mafia, basically a town within the city that houses nothing but Mafioso personnel and family.

“Am I wrong, though?” Julian bumps my arm when I don’t answer right away, and I shove him back.

“No. You’re not. Now leave it be, it’s not even that big of a deal.” I look out the window, watching some other guests get out of their vehicles. “It’s kind of stupid, honestly.”

“Beverly.” He waits until I’m looking at him, face-to-face almost like looking into a mirror.

My eyes take in the slight differences, to avoid looking directly into his matching hazel eyes. The newly buzzed hair, the small pink scar on his right cheekbone from a fight gone wrong, and the scorpion tattoo on his neck. I don’t look for the non-visible ones, the ones that are slowly burning away the soft edges and playful demeanor and replacing it with the steel of a made man. I’ve watched it happen my whole life, but seeing the slow poisoning happening to my other half is a little harder to accept. And ironically wasn’t even why I was upset, but now it’s just fuel to my blue fire.

“You’d tell me if something happened,” he says, continuing to eye me. It’s not a question, he already knows I would. He’s just trying to place the source of my sour mood. Julian’s always been able to see what I don’t tell him, read me like an open book. If only I had the same gift for him, but he keeps his story under lock and key sometimes. His eyes narrow for just a moment before he nods, unbuckling himself. “You’re having boy trouble.”

I don’t answer, because it’s unnecessary. He gets out and I watch as he walks around the car hood to open my door for me when I don’t get out.

“I’m not going to ask if you need me to beat anyone up because I’m positive you can do that on your own.” His arm wraps around my shoulders, tugging me awkwardly into his side. “Also, I’m pretty sure themanyou’re having trouble with would kill me if I tried.”

I laugh, letting him walk us toward the backyard. “I’m not having trouble with anyone.” Julian eyes me and I elaborate, “I just haven’t seen Remy in a while and it’s weird, I guess.”

Now that I have my own place, I’m not forced to be around the Luciano house as often and I try to stay out of the Famiglia business side of things. I know he’s had to step up a lot lately, just based off the few messages and short visits I’ve gotten from him, so it makes sense. We aren’t married yet. We aren’t actuallyfriends. He has no obligation to me outside of our arrangement. But it felt like we were getting closer there for a bit.

It’s probably been just over a month since I’ve actually seen Remy and it feels weird after years of him always being there. I see Donatello at the gym every so often during my workouts and Andrea comes by to hang out with Julian. Although we were always forced to be together, I got used to seeing him, and even though he usually drives me nuts, I kind of liked the dynamic of us. He’s the only one in our makeshift little group that hasn’t been a constant lately and I didn’t notice until now how much that bothered me.

“Well, he’ll be here today, so problem solved.” I push my brother away.

“Thank you for all of your help,” I say, watching as he gives me a fake bow, breaking away from me to walk in another direction and leaving me alone.

I sigh, preparing myself for what’s beyond the gate to the backyard. The Lucianos hold the barbecue at their house every year near the end of summer, one big over-the-top bash to celebrate the end of the season. It’s hardly even a barbecue, the only thing even resembling a normal barbecue being the catered barbecue style food. They book out photo booths and small rides for younger kids, among other random games. The Famiglia loves to throw money into stuff like this, it keeps all the nitwit political hats happy and distracted from the real money being made right under their noses. Or at least the ones not actively in the Famiglia’s pockets.

Despite how much I don’t typically enjoy these parties, I do enjoy hearing all the latest tea that goes around during them. Francesca always has loads to say about her summer with her newest fuck boy. I’m sure Capo Famiglia has his own mistress; they’ve never had a great marriage, but he’s more discreet about it. Of course, Francesca doesn’t straight out say she’s having affairs, but weallknow that she is. She’s rarely even home and spends most of her time on “trips” these days.

Most of the housewives around her are the same. All pretty little trophy wives with zero thoughts in their heads outside of shopping and spending all their husbands’ hard-earned blood money.

I’d rather put a bullet in my own head than become one of them.

Delaney comes skipping down the front steps, two glasses of what looks like wine in her hand, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Please tell me you grabbed one of those for me.” She’s only sixteen, but considering most of us start drinking around fourteen, I’m not one to judge.

She laughs, holding one out to me. “It is. I grabbed it off the table when I saw Julian.”

Taking it from her, I throw it all back with a loud gulp. “Brilliant, as usual, Laney. You’re definitely my favorite Luciano.”

She smiles, pushing the strap of her blue maxi dress that fell down back onto her shoulder. Her long brunette hair shines in the sunlight, “Remy told me to tell him when you got here.”

My heart thumps at her comment. Eyes lifting from her to scan the few people I can see mingling around. “Hmm, surprising considering he usually has no problem finding me himself.”

She smiles, opening her mouth to say something, when the sound of my mother makes us both jump.

“Beverly Hunter! What in the Sam Hill are you wearing?” My eyes roll toward the sky at my mother’s comment, feeling her arm grab mine to turn me so that I’m facing her.

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