Page 29 of Deathless & Divided

“Yet,” Abriella muttered.

“DeLucas don’t cry,” Evelina said before Lily could.

“We don’t.”

“Not to other people, anyway,” Evelina added.

Grumbling, Lily flipped open one of the many magazines Abriella brought along for their lunch date. Abriella Trentini was a lot like Lily and Evelina in the way she had been brought up in and around the thick of Outfit business. She was a mafia child through and through, so she, like Lily and Evelina, likely knew there wasn’t any way around the arrangement made.

“They’re planning a huge party,” Lily said. “Dino was working on the guest list this morning. It was ridiculous.”

“How big?” Evelina asked.

“At least three-hundred guests. Probably more.” Lily made a face. “I didn’t even know most of the names on the list. How do you plan a wedding that big in less than two months?”

“Money,” Evelina said like that explained it all.

Lily supposed it did.

“Big thing for two families to merge,” Abriella said. “I’m not surprised Dino went for a Rossi.”

Lily wasn’t even sure she wanted to know but because she had been so out of the loop with the Outfit and the families involved for the last several years, she didn’t have a choice but to ask. “Why is that?”

Abriella raised a single brow high. “Really?”

“Yeah, I asked, didn’t I?”

“Terrance made the call, Lily,” Abriella said quietly. “If Dino wanted to align you with another family, it makes sense for him to do it with one he trusts. The Rossi family had very little to do with what happened. Terrance and your uncle made all the calls on that mess, you know.”

Lily still didn’t understand. “No, I don’t.”

Evelina cleared her throat, shooting Abriella a look Lily couldn’t decipher. “She’s never been around a lot, Ella. Dino’s kept her out of a lot of it, especially the Outfit. She doesn’t even talk to me about that stuff, all right?”

“Can’t blame him,” Abriella muttered.

“I’m right here, okay,” Lily said. “Talk like I am.”

Abriella sighed. “Your parents. Terrance and Ben did all of that.”

Lily’s spine straightened in the chair. “I know.”

“Then you know why Dino would choose a Rossi and not someone closer to your family or a Trentini to align you in marriage.”

“So, what? Dino doesn’t think someone in the Trentini family would marry me because our father was a rat? That’s—”

“No, because Dino doesn’t trust them,” Evelina interrupted gently. “It’s been a long time, sure, but wounds like those don’t ever heal as well as people think they do.”

Lily swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in her throat down. It didn’t help. Her wounds certainly weren’t healed. They had barely faded at all.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Lily whispered.

“Okay, enough of this,” Abriella said, grabbing the magazine from Lily’s hand.

“Hey!”

Evelina just laughed at Lily’s wide eyes.

“Seriously, enough.” Abriella gathered the magazines and tossed them into her messenger bag. “This day is ridiculous. This wedding is ridiculous. Pick a dress another day. Dino will have everything planned and going ahead regardless of us, so we might as well let him do it. We have better things to do.”