Page 6 of Cruel Secrets

“You don’t, though.” Kat’s tone is pleading as she takes the ball from Margritte, tossing it in the air before throwing it to the other side of the yard.

“Kat, you know what this life is.” I tilt my face to the sun, blinking back the tears that prick the corners of my eyes.

As much as I love Kat, I hate having this conversation with her. My best friend has been with me through thick and thin, and she’s always pushing me to want more for my life.

And I do want more.

So much more.

What she fails to understand is that I am exceptional at ruining things for myself.

“Gia Sophia Esposito, you are going to get your shit together, and you’re not going to play that self-pity game with yourself today,” she says as if she can read my mind.

A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I look at her. “Come on. One small pity party, and then I can move on with my life.”

She rolls her eyes, pulling herself up to sit on the low stone wall as Margritte flops in the shade beneath the rosebush. “I know that you could move on with your life if you really wanted to.”

“Yeah, I know that too.” I pin the envelope between my thighs before reaching back to tie my hair into a loose bun at the nape of my neck as the wind picks up. “I just have to think about the bigger picture. If I keep working for Noah, I keep making a few million dollars a painting and that’s nothing to sneeze at.”

“You’ve been doing paintings for him for years. You have to have some money saved.”

“I do, but I bought Mom that house in Australia and another one in Costa Rica last year.”

“Noah could have bought those for her.”

I give Kat a flat look. “You know that he wouldn’t do that for her. He may treat her with kindness most of the time, but she wasn’t his mother. He’s not going to provide for her or keep her safe and he takes every opportunity he can to remind me of that.”

In the last week alone, he’s threatened to kill her twice when I spoke out of turn. He dangles her above my head and for the time being, it’s fine. I can handle it. I just have to play nice and do his paintings.

One day, I’ll get my chance to save us.

“Your mom is a grown woman. She could take care of herself if she wanted to.” Kat presses her lips together, looking away from me and keeping her next thought to herself.

I sigh and push off the stone wall, turning for the little gate. “I have to get going. Mom is expecting me soon.”

“Gia, I really wish you would think about this more. Sit down and actually work it out on a piece of paper. Think about what your life would look like if you lived for you instead of trying to keep your family happy all the time.”

“At the end of the day, the mafia, my family, and you are all I have.” I give her a sad smile as the driver pulls around the corner, rolling to a stop at the curb beside me.

As I get in the car, I know this isn’t the last time she’s going to urge me to leave everything behind and move on with my life.

However, growing up in the mafia is one of the things she’s never going to understand.

* * *

Mom looksup with a broad smile as I walk through the door. She leans over and grabs the remote from the coffee table, muting the black-and-white movie she’s watching.

“You’re home early. I didn’t think you were going to be here for another hour or two.”

“Manhattan traffic isn’t that bad today, surprisingly.” I toe off my shoes and take off my purse, hanging it in the closet and shutting the mirrored door to hide the disaster that is the interior.

She hums and crosses one leg over the other, her black paisley skirt ballooning out slightly. “You were out painting again, weren’t you?”

“No.”

Her gray eyes narrow. “You’re lying to me again. Gia, I wish you would just tell me the truth instead of trying to hide the things you know I’m not going to like.”

“Well, if I tell you and you don’t like it, then I’m going to get a lecture.” I give her a teasing smile and lean in to kiss her cheek. “And I think I’m a little old to be getting lectures.”

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