Page 112 of Made to Sin

It baffled me how cruel some people could truly be to others, but I held in my comments. I didn’t want to interrupt his story and listened as he listened to mine.

“I was six. The first time was with a belt.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “I remembered her wincing as she tried to pick up Sylvio with a huge gash on her back.”

“Did she run?” I whispered, afraid of the answer.

“No. I knew she had no choice, but I desperately begged her to. Who knows? She might have one day if fate didn’t come andfucking gave her the death sentence first. No signs. No symptoms. No nothing until she was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer. The doctors said it was incurable because it was already spreading.”

A pang shot at my heart. Under the distress of the mob, I forgot how demanding the regular world was too.

Tears sprinkled on my lower lids as I tried my hardest to keep him in. I didn’t want to see him pitying me, so I wouldn’t pity him either.

“Were her last few days happy at least?”

“No. She didn’t have that luxury either. My father beat her until she collapsed one day and took her final breath.”

“He was a monster,” I spat, disgusted someone could do that.

Luciano clenched his jaw. “Yes, and almost everyone let him get away with us. At the time, Eda was my Mamma’s caretaker. She was the only one who offered refuge to Sylvio and me away from the scene.”

“Is that why the organization started?”

“Yes. When I saw you with Marco, I had to force you into it. Whether you liked it or not was your choice, but I knew I couldn’t sit back and do nothing for the second time.”

I snuggled closer into his chest as comfort, as a thank you, as anything he could need right now.

“Despite the reputation that follows, you’re a good person, Luciano. I don’t know her enough to speak for her, but if it was me, I would be proud to have you fight for my honor.”

The corner of his lips tipped up to a small smile. “As long as I’m alive, I’ll never stop.”

See, I knew my demons would be too scared of him. They couldn’t haunt me when he was near.

It was so comforting, I found myself spilling more without noticing. “My story made my mamma sound like a coward, but she was a fighter too. If it wasn’t for the Underworld’s mark onher, she would have been something great. I know it.”

I smiled, picturing the blurry image of her in my head. I hated myself for forgetting anything about her, but it had been too long. I could only remember her faint memories.

“She, unironically, lit up every room she walked in, was kind, told the best jokes, gave the biggest hugs…”

I choked in another sob, not used to the vulnerability.

“She sounded lovely. No wonder she raised the perfect daughter.”

I release a strangled laugh at what a smooth talker he was. “I just know if she were alive today, she would have loved you. She would call you a fine gentleman and scold me if I ever let you go.”

It was his turn to let out a deep chuckle, one that came from the bottom of his stomach.

The sight, the joy, the person, I almost saiditthen and there. My eyes widened as I stopped breathing for a second.

Merda, my crush didn’t double, it completely transformed. I was in love with this man.

Tilted off my axis by the realization, I moved off of his shoulder, afraid he could feel my heart racing against its confines.

Except I forgot to consider how annoyingly perceptive he was.

He also sat up straighter, the hands on my waist halting. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t know why I was panicking, but I did know that I couldn’t give him all the keys to my secrets in one night. There was no way I was going to confess to falling in love with him when he couldn’t even argue that he wanted me the other night.

“Uh, nothing! Let’s just watch something?” I nervously distracted.

---