Page 33 of Autumn Ritual

“He was crazy about you.” Lucian’s smile turned cold. “Then you got sick. My father sent him abroad—twice.”

I remembered Lucian Senior. He was the boss with the crazy wife, who’d tried to kill him more than once. But he’d been obsessed with her. With parents like that, I would have thought the don understood that love wasn’t something easily explained.

It was messy.

“Our Sara is well,” Mamma insisted, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as if she needed the reassurance.

I appreciated her vote of confidence but wished it didn’t make me feel like I was under a microscope.

Lucian nodded. “Praise the Lord, but that doesn’t mean she is a good fit for Camillo.”

I let out an outraged protest, but the don spoke over me.

“I’m just suggesting that someone gentler might be the better fit.”

“My daughter’s not good enough for your boy?” Papà boomed.

Lucian squared his shoulders. “Camillo is a hard man. He lives a hard life. What if she spent some time with Donatello? Or maybe one of the Russo boys?”

“I want Cam.” I bristled and took a step forward. “And if he wants me, that’s our decision.”

Something flashed in those black eyes. “You know what you’re asking, right? He’s not just one of my mercenaries. He ends those sonsofbitches for stepping out of line. It’s a dangerous business. It’s bloody.”

I repeated my earlier thought. “And love is messy. “I won’t settle for a fraction of what I feel for him, even if it means our future won’t be easy.”

Papà drew himself up, chest puffed, and delivered his verdict with certainty. “My daughter will marry whomever she wants. No arranged marriages for her. That was the deal I made with your father, and if you’re a man of your word, you’ll honor it.”

Lucian’s lips thinned. “Very well. But know that I’ll be watching. One wrong move, and I’ll intervene on Camillo’s behalf.”

“As long as we understand one another,” I fired back.

My father moved to walk his boss out. I went to follow, feeling like there was more to be said, but my mother spun me around and set a hand on each of my shoulders.

“You and Cam?”

I worried my bottom lip…and nodded slowly.

“Are you two serious? Or is it just for fun?”

“Mine.” His words rang in my mind.

“Pretty serious, I think,” I whispered.

With a squeak, Mamma pulled me into a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me, you crazy girl? All this time! And we’ve just been talking about flaccid emperors and gladiatorial fights!”

I rolled my eyes but hugged her back. “It’s a recent development. I wanted to see how it played out before you started designing wedding invitations.”

“Ooh, June is a lovely month,” Mamma chimed in. She’d heard the magic word, and I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this easily.

It was time to drive back to the cabin, before our afternoon girl time blew out of proportion.

Chapter 13 – Sara

Trunk loaded with more pumpkins than I knew what to do with, I said goodbye to my parents and mercifully escaped. But no sooner did I turn down the main street than a black speck flicked in my rearview mirror. Since my thoughts were occupied by my mother’s vapid musings about dress shopping and cake tasting, it took more than one turn to realize the boxy shape was following me.

I glared at the Dodge Challenger. Only one Made Man drove the SRT Demon. The only reason I recognized the vehicle was that I’d seen it clear the quarter mile of country road in nine seconds. That had been the last time I was home.

A smile tipped my lips. It might have been a cold December day about two years ago, but us girls had bundled up to watch the boys race. Lucian had finally found a car worthy enough to beat his brother’s vivid red fury.