Page 16 of Made to Sin

Sofia started it from a few seats to my left. “You look lovely, Katarina, but I can’t believe it took you so long. Did you just want to avoid our company? I know us Benevetis can be a bit overbearing.”

Tell me about it.

Was today Screw-Katarina-Over Day? Earlier, Luciano, and now, these two wanted to team up to humiliate me.

I smiled a saccharine smile and lied straight through my teeth. “This old thing? It was the first thing I grabbed. Sorry, I had another thing to attend to that I forgot to mention. But if you think I took an hour on my appearance, it must mean I did a nice job. Thank you, Sofia.”

It didn’t make me feel proud to think I had nothing else interesting to do but seeing her grin fall was worth it.

“My pleasure,” she responded, her voice duller than she started with.

My sore-winner attitude didn’t last because Marco’s hand squeezed my thigh,hard. Hard enough that when he removed his hand, it would leave an angry, red mark.

That was my warning to be a better host.

Lifting one last mocking eyebrow in her direction, I dismissed her with a small turn of my head toward the other guests.

NEWYORKBOASTEDOFITScool summers and even colder winters. However, there must have been some serious global warming happening because the air was agonizingly humid.

My hair stuck to my neck, and sweat seeped from under my thighs to the chair I was sitting on. Thank goodness I opted for a dress and not pants.

Marco’s cousins came over, so the lunch became a small gathering. Yet nobody seemed to be enjoying the festivities. The conversation was as bland as the food, but I couldn’t complain. At least we made it through the boringly uneventful meal without conflict.

As Sofia and I were the only women here, we had to wander off farther into the backyard to give the men room to discuss their not-so-secretive business at the table. Like hell if I cared enough to listen about the next weapons trade, but tradition was tradition.

We stopped walking once we were out of earshot, finding ourselves by the pool. If I thought eating out on the covered patio was hot, being under direct sunlight was a million times worse. The rays sizzled against my skin, causing sweat to come out in droplets.

I couldn’t wait for the Benevetis to leave, so I could dive right into the calling waters.

In the meantime, I had the brilliant idea that if I was going tohave to endure the Benevetis for however long Marco expected an alliance, I would want to befriend a familiar face. Even better if it was another woman.

“Sofia, I think we started on the wrong foot,” I started.

She raised a mocking brow. “With those ridiculous things you have on your feet, I would be surprised if you started on the right foot with anyone.”

My mouth hung open at her rude response. These were one of my favorite pairs of wedges, and at least I could dress for the weather. She looked like an uptight bank teller in her blue business-like ensemble. I deviously hoped the sun was boiling her skin underneath.

No, Katarina. You’re trying to make a friend.

Holding in my scowl, I tried again. “What I meant is for us to start over. I was speaking too crass when we met, so I’m sorry if it came out disrespectful.”

She didn’t have to think about my proposition, the response was immediate. Her voice was icy, not letting a breath of warmth slip through in her reply. “Start over? What’s there to start? Grow up and realize not everyone wants to be your friend.”

I ground my teeth, having enough of her belittling. “Listen up,cagna, I was trying to be nice, assuming we are going to be seeing each other a lot, but if you want to continue being stuck up your own ass, be my guest.”

Without bothering to hear what she had to say, I walked away. I was attempting to take the high route— aside from some deserved name-calling— but had barely made it a few steps when my left shoulder was shoved from behind.

These wedges were cute, but they were not very practical for keeping balance. Teetering and tattering, I eventually lost the battle and fell into the adjacent pool. A high-pitched scream was the last thing I managed before flailing into the water.

Turns out, I didn’t have to wait that long after all. Thecagnahad pushed me into the pool!

I spluttered and splashed, barely managing to break the surface with the weights on my feet. By the time I found a comfortable treading position, I was furiously coughing up the mouthfuls of water I swallowed.

The group of men had heard the commotion and came over to gape by her side. I imagined with my hair now loose and matted to my head, I resembled a drowned cat. How very heroic of them to not offer and save me. This could have ended horribly if I didn’t know how to swim.

With as much dignity as I could, I waded out of the pool. Twenty-something pair of eyes came toward me, each lasering in on the skin-tight dress I had on.

Merda,the dress. The completely white dress. Lady Luck, please, let me be wearing a matching lingerie set underneath.

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