“Oh, Vins, Sullivan is quite handsome!”
I simply shake my head at my mother and listen to the conversation my father and brother are having.
“You’ve had issues with him in the past, son. It’s not to happen again. I expect you to eliminate the problem before it becomes one, by any means necessary.”
A lump forms in my throat. It’s the first time I’ve heard my father speak so brazenly in my presence. A quick glance in my direction confirms he didn’t mean for it to happen, and he looks away quickly, not wanting to meet my eyes.
My thoughts flit back to the interactions I’ve had with Sly, and aside from the fight he got into with my brother when we were teens, I can’t recall a single time the Lucchettis have ever been a problem. Thenagain, the Paladino men love to hide things from us women.
Still, I know the rivalry runs deep, and it’s because of that deep-rooted dislike for the Luchettis that I find Sly so infuriating.
It’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I’ve now had interactions with him two days in a row, when I’ve gone years without having to see him.
My father's voice pulls me back to their conversation mid-sentence. “...long time since I’ve had a conversation with Antonio, perhaps I should pay him a visit myself and remind him.”
“Darling, I wish you’d just end this long-time feud with that family. Valentina and Andrea have been very prominent members of the Kepner Foundation for years, and I just thi?—”
“And I wish you would have stepped down from your position the moment those filthy Lucch?—”
“Enough,” I hear myself say, although I have no idea why.
All eyes snap to mine—except Sam’s. He couldn’t still care less about what's going on around him. I hesitate, now under complete scrutiny from my family.
Cecilia muffles a cough, no doubt subduing a giggle.
Time to dig myself out of the hole that outburst just put me in.
“We’re all adults, are we not? How many years are we going to feud with a family who wants nothing to do with us, just like we want nothing to do with them? Has the bad blood not run dry yet? Can we just go aboutour lives and let their family do the same? Mother said it herself—the women of that family sit on the same board as her, and there has yet to be a problem. Clearly, the problem lies in the testosterone.”
My mother sucks in a sharp breath, and I know I’ve said too much. But it feels good to speak out, even if this may not have been the subject to speak out on.
As though Joseph can see right through me, he asks, “Is there something we should know, sis? Something you’re not telling us?”
My eyes meet Luciano’s curious ones, then Father’s. Shaking my head, I toss my hands into the air. “No, I just think it’s stupid, that’s all.”
Father’s lips purse, but I can tell he believes me. He has no reason not to.
My brother, on the other hand, analyzes me with complete distrust. His long fingers steeple in front of his mouth, saying nothing as he taps them against his lips.
Taking another bite of my quiche, I then place my napkin down next to my plate and push my chair back. As Cecilia stands, I round the table and place a kiss on my mother's cheek.
“Sorry to eat and run today, Mother, but I have an appointment I don’t want to be late for.”
“No problem, darling. I’ll see you on Thursday at the agriculture committee luncheon.”
Saying goodbye to the men in my family takes only a few more moments, so while Cecilia gets our purses from my mother’s library, I step outside onto the stoop for some fresh air. The street is bustling with activity, theJuly air surprisingly crisp, contrasting against the warmth of the sun.
Ross waits patiently by the car, having seen me walk out of the door, with his hands clasped behind his lower back.
When Cecilia emerges, she hands me my purse with a smirk playing on her lips.
“What?” I urge, walking with her down the steps.
She says nothing, and as Ross opens the car door for us, I ask again. “Well, are you going to tell me or just look at me with that coy smile of yours?”
Her eyes dart sideways to Ross, and I take the hint, turning to slip inside the car. She follows me in, and as he closes the door, she settles back and clips her seatbelt in. Once we tell him where we’re headed—back to my apartment, because I don’t actually have an appointment today, I just wanted to leave—she presses the button to close the partition.
Quirking a brow, she asks, “End the feud, huh?”
