Page 62 of His Property

I turn to Gabi and twist my lips. “Good one.”

“Go fuck yourself.” She waves me off. She turns back to Mae and waits for a further explanation on why Mae kissed me, but she isn’t going to get one.

Mae takes another sip of wine and pretends the conversation isn’t still centered on her.

“I think you liked me making Pretty Boy uncomfortable,” I say, drawing Mae’s eyes to me. “I thinkyouliked being uncomfortable.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

“Okay, let’s stop prying.” Gabi swats my shoulder again, and she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ears.

“Great idea,” Mae interjects. She leans back and smirks at me. “It’s your turn. Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Ooo, ask him about his favorite movie when he was a kid.”

I glare at Gabi who covers her mouth while she giggles. Mae opens her mouth, but I’m saved by the doorbell ringing.

Savedprobably isn’t the right word.

Gabi and I both stiffen, and we exchange a glance. For days Cora has kept us on our toes, wondering when she’ll show up, and we both knew how fitting it would be for her to choose Christmas. We know our mother. Everything she does is calculated.

“Don’t get it,” Gabi says, her expression hardening.

“Who is it?” Mae asks. Gabi and I both ignore her.

The front door opens, and I shoot up from my chair.

It’s been over a decade since I saw my mother. Over a decade since I heard her voice. Over a decade since I saw her sinister eyes, piercing me straight to my soul.

My spine stiffens, and I grip the edge of the table.

I can’t breathe.

“Did you start dinner without me?” My mother asks, her voice like glass nicking my eardrums. She meets Mae’s eyes and grins. “Oh, we have company.”

“Get the fuck out of our house,” Gabi growls. I keep my eyes focused on Cora.

“Yourhouse?” Cora laughs and saunters through the living room and into the kitchen, making herself right at home. “If memory serves me correctly, this ismyhouse.”

She stands right behind Mae, and my eyes finally break away from her to look at Mae. She’s frowning and staring at me with the obvious questions in her eyes.

“Dad’s,” Gabi corrects. “It’s in Dad’s name.”

Cora laughs again. “Your dad’s? Seriously? You mean the guy who left in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye to you? That one?”

“Leave, Cora. Now,” Gabi snaps.

Cora’s eyes survey the room until she lands on Gabi’s scooter. A wicked grin lights up her face, and she gives Gabi a knowing look. “Or what?”

“Or we’ll call the police.” I feel Gabi’s eyes on me, but I can’t peel myself away from my mother.

I can burn a man alive. Relish his screams of agony. Carve my initials into his chest.

I can stand toe to toe with a capo in the familia.

I can do a hell of a lot of things, but this woman is my Achilles’ heel. All the time I spent thinking of what I would say to her when I saw her again was wasted. I’m frozen.

“Victor, give me your phone,” Gabi demands. I don’t move.

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