Page 53 of Made to Sin

I inwardly laughed as it was I, the grieving widow, who had to carry out most of the ceremony. There I was, front and center, disrespecting the husband who never respected me. Hushed whispers and indiscreet glares aside, it was a deserving moment.

Sergio confronted me right as the ceremony ended, anger radiating off his suit. “What do you think you’re doing, Katarina?”

“Attending a funeral, what else?”

“You think you’re something with that getup of yours?”

I raised a mockingly-concerned brow. “No. I think I’mattending a funeral for my ex-husband.”

His nostrils flared. “You’re nothing without Marco, and since he’s gone, so are you. Out of respect for my late cousin, I’ll give you a day to leave. If you’re still on my property by tomorrow morning, I’ll kill you.”

I smirked, knowing it would annoy him, and strutted out of the cemetery. The wind blew my hair behind me, and the years of burden left with it.

Although Lady Luck might have given me an out, she never made things easy. As I walked past the iron gates, reality hit me like a truck. My whole adult life had been with Marco, and now that I was alone, I didn’t have the slightest idea of what to do.

Going home to Papà was out of the question. He would just sell me to another person who paid enough to get him his next alcoholic fix. And honestly, I didn’t know if he was still alive or if he had already drunk himself to death. I hadn’t heard from him since my wedding, and I didn’t plan on looking for him.

By the looks of it, I was going to be homeless unless I started planning— fast. In the taxi, I called Maria to pack my personal belongings and bring out the wad of cash I saved up. Marco might have been greedy, but he was bad at keeping track of his money. Throughout the years, I secretly skimmed what I could in case of emergencies.

Maria was the only one who knew about it, and, sometimes, I suspected that she donated some of her own money too. I didn’t call her out on it, but I hoped she knew I was eternally grateful for everything she had done for me.

The Brazilian lady had tears welling up in her eyes when she came out of the gates that I was no longer invited inside. “I packed everything you told me to and whatever else I could fit. Please take care of yourself, and let me know if you ever need anything. I’ll find a way to send it to you, wherever you are,meu bem.”

I pulled her into an embrace, thankful for the second mothershe became to me. “Thank you, Maria. You and Arnold were very kind to me. I’ll miss you two a lot. Say bye to the old man for me?”

“Of course. Stay safe, Katarina.”

A tear cascaded down her cheek as she finished her sentence. Maria hadn’t said my name in years, but the fact that she used it now was to signify a goodbye for the both of us.

I found tears brimming in my eyes too but forced them in. I didn’t want to open the dam by crying, not until I found a safe place to break down.

“I will,” I assured.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep my word, but I would try my hardest.

She kissed the top of my head, squeezing my shoulders a little tighter before letting go.

Grabbing the large duffel from the ground beside her, I got into the taxi and didn’t look back.

Not sure where to go, I told the driver the only other place I knew: Luciano’s club. While he might find me bothersome, I could at least hope he would let me crash somewhere on his land since he had an alliance with my late husband.

If all fails, I guess I could catch a plane out of state and into unaffiliated land. I mean I had always wanted to live in California.

But I was getting quite ahead of myself and needed to take this situation one obstacle at a time.

—

I tipped my taxi driver and stepped out onto the cracked pavement in front of Luciano’s club with a weighty bag in my arm and practically zero money.

What a true New Yorker I was.

The same guards stood in front of the side doors. Now that I thought about it, I really should learn their names. This was our third meeting, and I still had no idea what to call them.

Walking up to the bald one I preferred, I watched as his green eyes narrowed. Someone was not feeling friendly today— or ever— but I could be friendly for both of us.

“Hi, it’s me again! Is Luciano here?” I asked with an enthusiasm I didn’t feel.

The guard didn’t move, but his eyes shifted from mine to the bag I was holding. I wondered what he thought I was doing with it or if it was obvious I was stranded.

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