“Oh thankGod,” she says, pulling me in for a hug. “Where did you go?”
“To get some answers. Can we go?”
“Already?”
“Yeah, I’m not feeling it anymore, but if you’re not ready, it’s fine. I’ll just call Tyson and have him pick me up.” As I’m talking, I pull out my phone from my black sequined crossbody, and start writing a text to my father’s driver.
“No, no, it's fine. We can go. My driver’s still here—you know my father doesn’t let him actually leave.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely, babes.” She turns to Brock, pressing up on her tiptoes so he can hear her over the party's music, which has gotten louder over the last few minutes. He shakes his head at whatever she says, then immediately sticks his tongue down her throat again.
Thankfully, this kiss is much quicker than the last one, and when they break apart, I can practically see the hearts in her eyes.
She grins widely, then bounces over to where I’m standing a few feet away. “Okay, let’s go!”
Back in her town car, I watch the city lights pass as we weave through the cars that are still on Madison Avenue.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” Raina asks. From my periphery, I can see her looking over at me as her fingers continue to sweep across the keyboard of her phone.
“I’m just not in the mood for a party,” I lie, even though she already knew Iwaslooking forward to the party.
She studies my face, and I turn away again, leaning my head against the cool window. “I call bull. You didn’t like how Sly and Enzo reacted to meeting you. I know you hate when people don’t like you, but did you seriously expectthey’dreact differently, Vins?”
My head snaps to her, and in that moment, I know I’m missing something.
Something big.
If mybest friendknows why they hate me, why haven’t I been clued in?
My head shakes with annoyance, and I lift my hand, swiping it through the air. “Care to share, since you obviously know?”
“Oh, baby girl, sometimes you really do live in your own world, don’t you? This is why you have me. One of us has to know how to keep track of who’s who around this city, and I like to consider myself a master at social media stalking.” She laughs at herself while I continue to stare, waiting for her to get to the point. It takes everything I have to bite my tongue and not snap at her to hurry up. She sighs dramatically. “That was Sly and EnzoLucchetti. As in?—”
The color drains from my face as I hearthatname and suddenly everything makes perfect sense. The anger, the disgust. Sly’s words.
Years ago, rumors of how my father killed a man right in our home circulated, and how the crime was swept under the rug with the help of the mayor.
Rumors I now know to be true after learning of who my father truly is.
Repressed memories resurfaced when I overheard my brothers whispering about my father’s true business dealings two years ago, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
A single gunshot ricocheting through my mind.
Faded memories of three faceless little boys in my home.
A teenage boy’s wide-eyes when he heard my name from where we sat on a darkened balcony.
The so-called rumors of him murdering a man became a reality after the memories of that night flooded back to me. It took a long time to grapple with the lies I’d been fed my entire life, and even longer to come to terms with them.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever see that boy again. And I wasn’t sure how to feel now that I have.
Lucchetti. I repeat in my mind, the lump in my throat thick and stifling.
Swallowing it down, I look at my best friend in shock, finishing her sentence and wondering how I wasn’t able to figure it out on my own. “As in, Gabriele Lucchetti. The man my father killed.”
Chapter 4