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He had known we were there all along.
“Angelo is waiting for you both,” he said conversationally.
I didn’t move but my mother rose to her feet, grabbing my elbow and squeezing it tightly. It was something she did whenever we were in public and she wanted me to behave, to play the part of a Lombardi daughter, to act more like my big sister. A quick painful squeeze that said: behave, Isabella, or risk punishment.
I obeyed and stepped out into the hallway. My mother held her chin high as we passed Valentino and the strange man, taking us straight to Uncle Angelo’s apartment. The front door was already open, my uncle standing in the middle of the foyer. Unfamiliar men surrounded him. More Viglianos, I suspected as my pulse quickened.
“Filthy traitor,” my mother snapped as soon as my uncle turned our way. “You will pay for this.”
I cut my eyes to my uncle. Traitor?
“Maria, this is not the time,” he warned. “Take Isabella to the guest room.”
She let go of my elbow and stepped closer to him. The look in her eyes made me shudder. If it had been directed at me, I would’ve burnt to ash on the spot. “You will pay for this, Angelo. You think you know pain, but you have no idea.”
I glanced briefly at the unfamiliar men. None of them showed any reaction to my mother’s threats. Did they think she was being hysterical?
“Don’t I?” Angelo countered, a strange hint to his words. “You and I both know Vitale has been holding onto his power by a string. His time is up, Maria. Either get with the program or risk your life.”
My mother’s lips curled. “I suppose you’ll take Isabella from me–it doesn’t matter what decision I make.”
“Giova
“Yes, because the word of a bastard is so honourable,” Mother hissed.
Some of the men shifted, protectiveness flashing over their features.
Uncle Angelo could barely conceal his rage. His features warped like the Devil’s as he gritted out, “Go to the guest room now.”
My mother opened her mouth to retort but Uncle Angelo’s hand shot out. He held her neck tightly, fingers digging into the delicate skin. Discoloration grew over Mother’s face but it did nothing to dim the wrath in her eyes.
“Do not test me today, Maria.”
To my surprise, she closed her mouth. Uncle Angelo released his grip.
I had never seen Uncle Angelo so violent, especially with a woman. To me, he had always been like a lovable big brother but now I was reminded of who he was, what he was.
My mother stepped around him and strode away, carrying herself tall despite being threatened by her husband’s little brother. I followed in her wake, eyeing my uncle. He glanced at me as I passed, brief shame flickering over his features.
“They killed Lombardis,” I said, unable to keep the disgust out of my voice. “Aldo, Ilario, Gino and Valentino.”
“They will kill many more if we do not bow.”
“Is that how you’re justifying betraying your family to yourself?”
He pressed his lips together, his scar turning white under the pressure. “Leave now, Isabella. Leave before you say something we both regret.”
I felt a flash of hurt at his threat but did as I was told. Photos lined the walls leading to the guest room, most of them of a young Uncle Angelo and Auntie Lucia. They were smiling in every image. Uncle Angelo didn’t smile like that anymore.
When I arrived, my mother was pacing around the empty room, that cu
“Close the door behind you, Isabella.”
I did.
“Your uncle has betrayed your father,” she hissed. “Bartolomeo, the spineless coward, will do the same. Before you know it, everyone in this famiglia will betray your father. They will betray him and get on their knees for a bastard-born monster.”
“I’m sorry about Valentino,” I said despite knowing she would rebuff me.
Maria shot me an a
I dropped my suitcase on the bed and narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m leaving with your father and your brother is in the wind, your uncles are traitors, and your grandparents are too old to be of any use.” She stepped closer to me, pressing a hand to my cheek. The action was unpractised and new, but my heart swelled at the contact. “The fate of the Lombardis rides on your shoulders, darling.”
The fate of the Lombardis rides on your shoulders, darling.
The child inside of me preened beneath the attention, beneath the pet name. Mother had never called me darling, had never spoken about me with such reverence. She needed me, my family needed me. No one had ever needed me before.
“What do you mean?”
She leaned closer, the smell of perfume irritating my nostrils. I ignored it, too overcome with emotion at her proximity. “You, my perfect Isabella, are the only one they will not suspect, the only one who can get through the Vigliano defences.”
My perfect Isabella. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t second Isabella, but instead the Isabella who could save her family, who could bring glory back to her family. The perfect Isabella. I realized suddenly: I could do something that my big sister never could.
A voice sounded from faraway. She’s manipulating you.
I pushed it away. No, my mother loved me and was asking me to help save our family. The fate of the Lombardis rested solely with me.
“What do you need me to do?” I breathed.
My mother smiled, the first time she had ever smiled at me my entire life. It transformed her face, making her look younger and softer. She looked more like the mothers I had seen outside my elementary school, waiting to pick up their children. They always greeted them with hugs and smiles; Maria had never picked me up from school.
Is this how she used to look before losing her daughter? Like the kind of mother who waited on the edge of the playground, eager to see her children after hours of separation?
“He’s going to need you, Isabella,” she said, the smile wavering as she grew more serious. “The traditional families may accept him as their Don but they will never serve him as they did Vitale, not with his parentage and other shortcomings.”
“They will propose marriage.” I realized.
Delight flickered in her eyes. “Yes, yes, they will. The only way the capos and soldati will feel better about betraying your father is if his daughter is their new do “Husbands in this line of work aren’t usually so forthcoming with their wives,” I reminded her. “What makes you think I’ll be able to bring him down?” “You have more power than you think,” she said. “After a long day of being a criminal, it is you he will come home to and vent. You will run his house, sleep in his bed, and massage the knots out of his neck.” I must’ve still looked unsure because she went on. “He will never suspect you, my perfect girl. To him, you will be nothing but a spoiled principessa he has to keep happy for the sake of his kingdom.” “How would I do it?” “Learn everything you can. Everyone is important, from the Don to the gardener.” “What…what will bring him down?” Mother brought her other hand to my cheek, holding my face gently. “You let me worry about that, darling. All you need to do is gain his trust and be privy to his secrets.”