Page 3 of Bride By Initiation

"Nope! Should have known once it's over, it's over," she states, not seeming crushed at the situation.

"So what's upsetting you if it's not Zach?" I push.

She taps her fingers on the table, staring at me.

"Come on. You can tell me. I promise it'll stay between us."

She looks away.

I stay quiet, wondering what has her so rattled.

She finally turns and speaks. "If I ask you a question, will you give me your honest answer and then promise not to dig further?"

My stomach flips. I knew something was going on. I nod and vow, "I swear."

She takes a sip of her drink and then sets it down. Her eyes turn darker.

A while passes, and I finally assert, "Whatever it is, you can ask me."

She blurts out, "If you could find out everything you wanted about your father, would you?"

Chills run down my spine. The anger, sadness, and loss I always feel when I think about my father ignites inside me. I don't hesitate, answering, "Yes."

She inhales deeply and nods.

I glance behind me again to ensure we're still on our own. I lean closer, confused but unable to keep my promise. My father's been dead since I was a child, so I need answers. "How could you possibly know anything about my father?"

She points at me. "I said no more questions. But for your information, it's not about yours. It's about mine."

A mixture of disappointment and relief fills me. If Zara did know something about my father that I didn't, it would surely be a situation that put her at risk with people she shouldn't be around. I point out, "Your father is inside. He's in your life. What am I missing?"

She shakes her head and looks at the sky, muttering, "You know he won't tell me the truth."

My chest tightens. Zara's always wanted to know more about why her father wasn't in her life until she was fifteen. Her parents told her it was to protect her from the Abruzzos, which is true, but she isn't stupid. She knows every family at this party is a crime family, and there's more to every story, even though Zara's not involved in our family businesses.

I carefully choose my words, knowing it's not fair, based on my lack of knowledge about what happened to my father. Yet there's no way I'd ever want Zara, my sister, or any of my female cousins involved in the family business.

My aunt Alaina is, but she was born into it and left her clan to marry my uncle Brody. She's as badass as they come, but it's not what most women would ever want. There's no way Zara comes close to Alaina's ability to rule a clan. It takes a level of calculated ruthlessness, and Zara doesn't have it in her.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you have your father in your life. It's more than Fiona or I have. Sometimes, we have to be grateful for what we do have."

Her eyes turn to slits.

I toss my hands in the air. "What? You asked, and I told you what I think."

She clenches her jaw. "Fine." She finishes her drink, sets it down, then pushes her chair back. She rises.

I grab her arm and stand. "Don't stomp off like a little brat."

She smirks. "I don't stomp. I saunter."

I pin her with a sterner look.

She glances at my hand. "You can let me go now."

I don't. I step even closer. This question she asked me is loaded with too many red flags, the biggest one being that she could be in danger. If anyone is approaching her with details on her father, they can't be on our side. And that makes them our enemy. So I demand, "Who's telling you they have information on Luca?"

"No one," she lies.

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