Page 3 of Unholy Union

“How?” she asks.

Mia shakes her head and shares another look with me as she sinks into her seat. We both know what it was like going through our teen years with Franco as a father-figure. It wasn’t fun. He was controlling and rude and entitled. He acted like he owned the place, even though it was our father who bought our house. But the twins were so young. He tended to be nicer to them than to the rest of us. I always wondered why.

Mom turns to Lucia, pulling her close. I remember when she used to that for Mia and me. Now that we’re adults, she hasn’t given us a proper hug in years. “Because he hurt us. He killed your father. He was bad. He tried hurting Antonio, so Antonio needed to do what he had to do. Isn’t it better with Antonio as the boss now? Aren’t we all happy?”

“I know I am,” Mia says.

“Me, too,” I reply.

Mom gives us both grateful smiles.

We just found out before Antonio killed Franco a few months ago that the reason our father died was because Franco had been slowly poisoning him. None of us ever knew until Franco thought he had the upper hand on Antonio and confessed. Antonio, fortunately, won that fight and killed Franco, saving the rest of us from a life of misery.

I think out of everyone, though, Mom was the most relieved. I’ve suspected in the past that Franco was abusing her, but shenever said anything, and I never asked. I figured, if she wanted to tell me, she could.

“I’m not happy,” Luca mutters, wrenching away from Mom when she reaches out to him. “Franco might not have been my dad, but he was my dad. And I don’t like how all of you act like he was a bad man. He wasn’t to me.”

Mom found out she was pregnant with the twins about a month after Dad passed away. Lucia and Luca never knew him, and they never will. All they have to go off is everyone else’s memories of the great Riccardo Moretti.

“I know,” Mom says in a quieter voice. “I know he was good to you.” She looks at Lucia. “To both of you. And you both have the right to miss him.” I can tell it hurts her to say this.

The car ride is silent the rest of the way home. So much as changed in the past couple months. Franco dying. Antonio taking over. The last anything this drastic happened was the day my dad died eleven years ago.

When we reach our white colored brownstone, Luca runs out of the car before Theo even fully brings it to a stop.

“Luca!” Mom shouts after him. He’s running down the street. Instinct takes over, and I get out of the car.

“I’ll get him,” I tell her. She gives me a grateful nod as she holds Lucia’s hand as they exit the car. Mia watches silently.

“I’ll go with,” Theo says, his voice making me shiver from excitement.

I can’t help but notice Theo at my side as we hurry down the street after Luca. The way he’s so much bigger and muscular than me. What would it be like to be wrapped in his arms? Focus. I need to focus.

Theo easily catches up to Luca and grabs his arm. stopping him. Luca pulls away, his expression firmly rooted in anger.

“Luca, what were you thinking?” I ask, catching up. “You can’t just run off like that. You could get hurt.”

“No one cares,” he snaps back. “No one cares about anything.”

“We care, Luca. We care.”

“No.” He shoves me. I stumble backward, but Theo grabs my arm, rightening me. He only touches me for an instant, but it sends flutters to my stomach.

“Don’t shove your sister,” Theo warns.

Luca rolls his eyes. “You’re not my dad. You’re thebodyguard.” He says it like it’s a bad word. “My dad is dead.”

“Franco wasn’t your dad,” I remind him.

“He was the only dad I knew.”

True. With a sigh, I lean down to meet Luca’s eyes. He’s already getting so tall. Soon, he’ll be way taller than me. Right now, he reaches my shoulders. “When our dad died, you weren’t even born yet. You never knew what it was like to miss him. But all of us, me, Antonio, Mia, Emilia, Gemma, and Francesca, we all felt the pain of losing him. So, we know what it’s like to hurt. We know how long that grief can last. Honestly …” I look down at my cross around my neck. “I’m still grieving some days, and it’s been eleven years now. So, when I say we care, of course we care. You and Lucia are going through what the rest of us went through. Losing the only father you ever knew. I understand that pain. We all do. So, don’t say we don’t care.”

Luca scrunches up his face like he’s about to tell me off when he suddenly sits on the curb, his face in his hands. I sit down beside him, conscientious of my dress and bare legs. Theo’s eyes flick to my legs before he quickly looks away. I tell myself to not make anything of it. Now’s not the moment. Luca needs me.

Theo takes a seat on Luca’s other side. “Buddy, listen, I know I’m just the bodyguard, but I’ve known you since you were a baby. I was hired soon after you turned one. I also know what it’s like to lose people close to you.” My breath hitches as I look at Theo with wide eyes. I never knew that about him. But thenagain, he’s never really spoken about any of his personal life to me. Why would he?

“And,” he continues, “because I know how painful it can be, I’m letting you know it’s ok to let it out. I held things in for years, bottling it up. Don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

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