Page 153 of Vicious Games

Chapter 26

Frances

“How are you holding up?” Stella asks, swerving through the narrow, tree-lined roads that twist deep into the wooded hills. The late-night fog curls around the car like fingers, making the road ahead look endless and uncertain.

Just like my love life.

“I’m doing as well as can be expected,” I reply numbly, my voice hollow in the quiet hum of the car. “A little numb. A bit terrified.”

“Yeah. I get that.” Stella keeps her eyes glued to the road. “It’s not easy… this family. We come with all kinds of baggage.”

“Baggage?” I scoff. “More like coffins.”

“Tomato.Tomahto,” she shrugs, unfazed.

I shake my head, amazed that she can be so blasé about it. “How can you live like this? Aren’t you scared? Of the police, prison—or worse, getting killed?”

Stella just laughs. “You think my family’s the first of its kind? Trust me—families like mine have existed long before we ever came into the picture, and there’ll be crime syndicates long after we’re all gone. But don’t sweat it. We’ve been at this for decades. We know exactly what we’re doing.”

“Well I’m not sure I want to be part of it,” I reply nervously.

“Yeah, I get how anormalwould think like that. But when you’re born into it, it’s just life. We all have our shit to carry. You either go with the flow or drown.” She glances at me and sighs. “That’s just how life is, you know? Life ebbs and flows like the tide—sometimes it pulls away, leaving you exposed and vulnerable, and other times it crashes in, filling you with a sense of purpose. You either learn to ride it… or let it break you.”

I fall quiet, staring out at the blur of trees as her words settle in.

“He does love you, you know?” she adds gently.

“I know he does.”

“Isn’t that enough?”

I don’t answer right away. “I don’t know,” I whisper more to myself than to her.

Is love enough?

I always wanted a family of my own—but is this what I pictured? Loving someone who could die at any moment. Loving someone with your whole heart yet fearing they may never come home? That’s too much heartbreak for one person to carry. A life like that would definitely break me.

“You know Lucky’s not going to live like the rest of us, right?”

“What do you mean?” I turn to her, curious.

“He’s not going to be a made man like Marcello. Or like I might be, someday. He and Enzo have this whole setup going, one I think will benefit thefamigliaimmensely while keeping them away from actual trouble. You know the twins are smart. Like crazy smart. They’ve got their own way of doing things. Safe. Clean. No blood on their hands. All they’ll need is a computer and little else. No fuss. No mess.”

“Are you allowed to tell me this? Isn’t that like… Mafia secrets or something?” I ask, surprised that she’d be this candid with me.

“Or something,” she cackles. “But if you haven’t noticed, testosterone outweighs estrogen ten to one in my house. I was kind of hoping we’d finally have another sister around.”

My heart swells—because I know she means it. And truthfully, I care for Stella and Anna almost as much as I love Lucky.

But is this really the family I want for me and Darius?

How can I throw myself and my brother into shark-infested waters knowingly?

“Shit,” Stella mutters, eyes narrowing as she presses harder on the gas.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re being tailed. Hold on.”

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