Page 127 of My Mafia Queen

“He wouldn’t do it,” Vito says. “Besides, he never allows anyone to win. He’s the only one who wins.”

“How come he didn’t win tonight?” she murmurs.

Vito looks at me while I wait for his answer with a smile on my lips.

“Maybe he’s winning at something else.”

The men laugh, and I chuckle, too.

“Cut it out. She’s just winning. It doesn’t have anything to do with me,” I say.

She wins the next game and no longer wants to play.

“I’m done,” she says.

“Quitting while you’re ahead, huh?” Vito murmurs.

She pushes her chair back and rises to her feet.

“I’m going to bed.”

She says goodbye to us without looking at me, and my eyes stay on her until she vanishes out the door.

I toss my cards on the table and barely spin around to follow her outside when Vito’s voice booms behind me.

“He did rig the game,” he says, and they all laugh while I secretly smile.

25

DAMASO

At first,I’m convinced she’s going back to the house.

It’s cold outside, and she only has her dress on, but surprisingly, she walks away from the building and through the olive trees, looking like a ghost of the past.

I leave some space between us because I don’t want to spook her again, staring at her, thunderstruck.

If it wasn’t for her fancy dress and shoes, I’d swear I’d been transported to a different time and peered into my past.

What is she doing?

She slows down, finds a perfect spot to look at the sky, and tips her gaze up. The moon glides across the sky, curious of her like me.

Carmina hugs her body, and I’m tempted to get out of my hiding and go there, put my arms around her, and lend her some of my body heat.

She doesn’t move, and I worry that she’s broken over something.

Her body is hunched as if hiding pain.

A few silent steps take me closer to her.

She doesn’t notice me, and then I spot the slight rocking of her body.

I’m thinking it’s a comforting thing, but then the breeze moves, bringing to me the sound of her beautiful crying.

As selfish as it sounds, I somehow wish her meltdown had something to do with me.

I can no longer wait, and after a few more moments, I step out of the shadow, clear my throat to prevent another crisis, and speak before stopping next to her.

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