Garden of Sins

Immediately, you put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of my nose. Oh, baby, I’ll reward you for that later. I pinch your ass and you twitch a bit while biting back a giggle. Carter and Ava are disgusted as ever. It doesn’t seem to matter that I’m disgusted with everything I hear coming from the garage.

“Where were you last night,” I gently ask Carter, resting my cheek against my fist and patiently examining him while you serve Ava.

“Everywhere and nowhere. In one chick or another. I don’t really remember,” Carter replies harshly. His voice sounds as if he has given up. But given up on what?

I’ll leave it at that for now; he’s already in a bad way.

Besides, Caden is entering the room right now and I don’t want the harmonious atmosphere between the two to be disturbed.

Caden looks better again. He is shaved, his hair is slicked back, and his eyes are clear. That is a relief, even though I know looks can be deceiving.

But that’s okay, Emilia.

We all don’t talk much and we all feel different inside than we look on the outside. Sometimes, family means just being silent even if you want to scream.

For a while, we sit like this and finish our plates. It is harmonious even though there is so much tension between us. I feel Caden’s gaze repeatedly grazing me because he probably suspects I know something. I’m not going to bring it up now. Everything at the proper time, Emilia, and this is not a good time because Carter is clearly not really here right now and Caden is just getting his act together.

I’m about to open my mouth to ask Ava what’s going on with her when the doorbell rings. Immediately, we all freeze. Especially me, Emilia, with my newfound knowledge.

Now the time has come, I just feel it. The shitheads have taken it too far. The special task force is going to storm my fucking house and I’ll have to pull my gun and shoot everyone because that’s what I’ll do if anybody tries to touch my kids or my wife.

We remain seated as we are and everybody stares straight ahead. No one at the table moves or says anything. Carter holds the next slice of bacon in front of his mouth and his eyes slide from one to the other. He has missed the co

We do not know who it is. It simply feels wrong for some reason, Emilia. Do you feel it? The darkness, the cold spreading?

Slowly, you look at me and I grind my teeth. Fuck, baby.

Finally, I take pity and push you back into your seat as you try to get up. I don’t want some undercover cops pressing you against the wall because then I’d have to and would go nuts.

“Nobody move,” I say to you. Caden has gone rigid, which is not a good sign because he feels it too. Stiffly, I rise and move to the front door. There, I take another breath and then open it slowly, ready for anything, Emilia.

As soon as I see who is facing me, I wish it had been the special task force.

Holy fucking shit.

“Fucking toad,” my father greets me drily and salutes me with two fingers.

He leans against the doorframe with one arm, wearing sunglasses and a black leather jacket. His dark hair, slightly graying at the temples, is slicked back and his face is tense.

Not good, not good at all.

“Dad.” I nod stiffly. He’s truly intimidating, Emilia, no matter how old I am, how many kids I have, or what my position is at work.

Dad shoos me aside with a sweeping gesture as if I were a fucking fly and I reluctantly make way for him. Of course I do, Emilia, I don’t want a gun to my head. He is still the only one I kowtow to and always will.

He strolls past me and I close the door, taking another deep breath. My feeling intensifies as he takes off his shoes and sunglasses, and then glares at me. His eyes are deep green and brown. Not a good sign. They shimmer green when he is angry. Nobody wants my dad angry.

“Where are your toads?” he asks with his eyebrows raised. Okay, not good. Maybe he knows what I know. I would have been happy if I could have sorted out my toads myself first because I’m always the preferred option when they have to choose between the two of us.

Nobody voluntarily works with my dad if they have a choice.

Believing that I know what this is about, I point my thumb over my shoulder. Dad tosses his car keys and glasses on the credenza. I can tell from these two movements that he is not joking at the moment because he doesn’t actually toss anything anywhere, but carefully sets things down. Also, I keep my mouth shut, Emilia. I keep my mouth shut.

He calmly takes off his jacket and hangs it up neatly, which makes it the only jacket that hangs neatly on the coat rack. Then he rolls up the sleeves of his black sweater. He does all this just to prepare me for the fact that it is about to get ugly and to make the boys nervous.

“Baby, who is it?” you call from the kitchen because you’re probably a little nervous too.

My dad steps into the room. “It’s me, Emilia. Take Ava and go upstairs.” Ooh, not good. Carter’s knee, which has been bouncing up and down until now, abruptly stops and he and Caden stare at each other.

Ava jumps up, runs to my father, gives him a quick kiss, which makes him smile for a moment. Oh, my God, that scares me. The devil smiles, also not good, Emilia.

Then Ava races noisily up the stairs.

You also rise and greet my father before wordlessly following Ava.

Then something fu

Finally, Dad marches to the kitchen table. His steps are determined. Anxiously, we all watch him.

As soon as he reaches the head of the table where I was sitting, he slams his palms onto the table with force. Carter and Caden flinch and Dad’s eyes shoot to Caden. From there, they move to Carter and then back to Caden. He is completely rigid.

I’m tempted to sneak past my father. I’ve had enough of this, Emilia. I’m tired of feeling like a seventeen-year-old shithead.

“Mason, sit down,” he says, as I take a step back. Taking a deep breath, I sit down in Ava’s usual seat across from my dad, keeping a healthy distance from him.

Dad glances around the circle again and then growls: “No.”

“No?” Carter asks, confused. “What do you mean no?” Why would he ask that? Who’s asking my dad questions?

I’ve had it, Emilia, and wave my hand in Carter’s direction. “Don’t do that, Carter,” I growl in a

Carter swallows, glances at his brother, and sinks a little deeper into the seat.

“Can you help me out here?” Caden asks. Naturally, he has to play poker. It could also be a trap. He knows that, Mr. Mafia.

Dad’s eyes flash. This is about his family and he’s about to burn down the house. I can see the angry flames in his eyes and in the clenched hand on the table. The madness is coming. Beautiful. I’m not concerned. The two toads can take the blame. Not my problem. Dad will sweep them both away with a wave of his hand anyway.

“Do you know what kind of man Vito de Luca is?” My father now asks calmly.

“Who is Vito?” Carter goes on.

“Nice name,” Caden adds.

My father raises his eyebrows. “Do you know what kind of man Vito de Luca is?” he asks again slowly, clearly articulating as if he is dealing with two underprivileged people. I know what kind of man Vito de Luca is. He is the brains of the clan.