Page 39 of Vicious Secrets
Growing up surrounded by flashy opulence, I thought I’d never get so much of a whiff of it. So I never indulged in dreaming of anything nicer than average. I like reliability and comfort. Wearing these dresses that cost as much as my old student loan payment and shoes with names I can’t remember how to pronounce makes me feel like a different woman. I’m undecided if that feeling is good or bad.
Siro’s presence at my side always cuts through the discomfort. Knowing that we’re both acting pushes back the unease and allows me to live in the moment for a moment.
“Sorry to disappoint.” My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth as I speak.
Siro chuckles and kisses the top of my head. Fingertips dance over my shoulder, down my arm, and intertwine with my own. “Are my nerves wearing off on you?”
“No,” I say way too quickly while shaking my head. I sigh and grab a pair of solitaire earrings. “You were raised to rule over the Fedeltà. I’m just winging it.”
“Remember the rules and motions we talked about earlier, and you’ll be perfect. You don’t have to speak a word. This is nothing like our wedding or a dinner party. No one will think twice about you behaving meekly tonight.”
How could I forget the rules and motions? My primary job tonight is to stand behind him and look like a graceful, emotionless void.
Siro squeezes my hand. “Fabi or I will be at your side the entire time.”
I force a nod as I pull my hand free and put in the earrings. That’s what’s making me nervous. Why is Fabi coming with us? He never joins us for any of the other events.
“Ready?” I ask, looking over my shoulder.
Siro peers down at me through his lashes. The mask of indifference he usually wears is missing in action. Instead, his expression is soft and glowing. Butterflies flutter about in my stomach under his robust and unblinking eye contact. Is he studying my eyes or memorizing them?
Everything about tonight sets off my internal alarm bells, from Siro’s nerves to Fabi’s attendance, to the necklace around my neck. The longer the jewels press into my skin, the heavier they feel, and that feeds into my brain trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Is this necklace more than just a gift or a quip about my material needs?
“I don’t want to be cold tonight,” he says in a low voice.
I turn to face him and zero in on his off-center tie and unbuttoned coat. My hands right his suit without my command. It’s like I’m working the urge to touch him out of my system. “We’ll be cold together.”
He shakes his head slowly. That odd look remains in his eyes. “You can be whatever you want to be.”
I frown at his choice of words. The strain in his jaw muscles tells me there’s a question on the tip of his tongue. He seems keen to keep it there. But the list of things Siro asks of me is short.
I take a guess and press up on my tiptoes, placing my hands on his chest for balance before I press my lips to his. He’s a wall of marble against me. I might as well have kissed his mirror. The only hint of enjoyment comes from him inhaling sharply through his nose.
Siro breaks the kiss and cocks an eyebrow. “Teasing me a minute before we leave. Are you trying to out-villain me tonight?”
How did I guess so wrong?
Siro
DespiteFabi’spresence,thedrive to my parents’ mansion is quiet. It’s rare not to hear him and Robyn chattering about her hobbies or bickering with each other over something trivial and entertaining. I expected a backseat of increasingly petty taunts over loose knitting stitches or preferred energy drink flavors—not a window staring contest.
The “world’s best big brother” bodyguard doesn’t look like his usual self. His gelled brown hair is parted with finger-width grooves. His fingers alternate between twitching on his thigh and tapping against his phone. His gaze is more focused on our surroundings than on Robyn and me. It’s hard to tell whose nerves Fabi’s feeding off of.
Asking a spouse’s bodyguard to attend an all-hands meeting at the Boss’ mansion isn’t unusual. Giving him a spare car key and asking him to watch for a signal to take the wife home early is unheard of.
Fabi isn’t thrilled that I refused to find a way to get Robyn out of tonight’s events. Continually explaining to him Robyn’s not in inherent danger didn’t appease him. I’m not worried for her safety. I’m worried about her witnessing me putting an Underboss or two in their place and her terror from my actions subsequently destroying the fragments of romance we’ve built these past two months.
“Full house, Boss?” Fabi asks as I turn down the private road that doubles as a driveway.
“Yes. All sixteen Underbosses.”
“No Capos?” Robyn asks. The glittering of her earrings catches the corner of my eye as she tilts her head to one side.
Does she know I bought those for her? For the first month, I slipped a new piece of jewelry in the drawer or exchanged the few pieces she bought for herself with higher-carat equivalents. The studs in her ears doubled in size overnight. She didn’t seem to notice, so I stopped. And, like a fool, I moved on to sneaking other gifts and expecting different results instead of communicating with my wife.
“None. The Underbosses who swear allegiance to me tonight will pass on their oaths to their own Capos and Soldiers,” I say as I park the car.
Her mouth opens and closes as her gaze goes distant. Seeming to accept my statement despite it confusing her, Robyn gets out of the car. My gut twists. Either she doesn’t understand our hierarchy, or she picked up on my hint of rifts amongst the made men.
