Page 34 of His Vicious Desire

“My dad wasn’t in love with all the reading.It reminded him too much of my mom.He understood comic books, so he bought them for my brothers.I read theirs when they were done with them.”

The doorbell rings, shocking me.“That will be your laptop from Valdez.Once you have most of your papers written, you can come in here and read.”

“How do you think of everything?”I had wondered briefly if I would end up taking two weeks off school simply so I could finish up all the papers I had to write.

“I should have thought of it sooner.You’re going to be busy catching up.”

I hang back as he opens the door to someone.Gaetano walks with the laptop into the kitchen.It’s a brand new laptop that I swear costs two grand easily, and that’s without all the safety stuff Valdez does to them before members of the Outfit are allowed to use their electronics.Even my laptop for school had to get the Valdez treatment, per Sandro’s order.

I accept it with a grimace.“Thanks, I feel bad again about all the money you’re spending for me being here.”

“Don’t worry about it.I’m thinking of making ribs for lunch.Is that okay?”

“Sounds good.”I nod.

It isn’t until he’s done cooking that I finish setting up everything and get into my email.

I’m trying not to be hurt when he doesn’t make my plate, simply tells me it’s ready, and then carries his plate into the living room.

The only warning I have is a muttered swear word from Gaetano before the front door opens to a booming voice calling out Gaetano’s name.

“You don’t look sick.”The man is carrying a bag into the kitchen filled with orange juice and tissues.Even if I weren’t sure it was his brother from being able to get into the house—the sight of the man confirms it.

This is Dario.He’s a younger, thinner version of Gaetano.The man smiles at me then loses his smile as he looks to Gaetano.

“Who are you?”The man asks the question softly.

I don’t dare answer and look to Gaetano.“I’m going to go take a nap,” I whisper and flee the kitchen.

“Who is she?”Dario asks the moment the door is closed behind me

“Bianca, Sandro’s sister.”

“Sandro’s sister?Jesus fucking christ.Are you trying to get yourself killed?”He yells loud enough I could have heard him if I were asleep.

My ear is pressed to the door, but I can’t hear what Gaetano says.

“Calm down.You want me to calm down when you have the only reason Sandro would kill someone without asking permission first in your bedroom.Are you sleeping with her?”

“No.I’m not.She got carried away on speed.This is purely to help Sandro.”

“Bullshit.This has nothing to do with Sandro and everything to do with her.If you had called Sandro?—”

“Sandro would lose his shit if he found out she was hooked on anything.He would have never forgiven himself.I wasn’t about to put him through that hell.She's eighteen, and she’s going to make mistakes.All Sandro would have seen was he failed her.Neither one of them deserves that.”

My chest aches at hearing Gaetano once again trying to protect Sandro from me.

“You won’t wind up dead.”

“Not unless you tell him.Because I’m not about to, and neither is she.”

The television gets turned up, and I can’t hear anything else over the noise of the movie.After a little while, I give up and take the nap I said I would.

When I wake up a few hours later, Dario is gone, and Gaetano doesn’t say a word about the visit.

Dinner is pizza, and I’m in bed doing my papers by nine.I turn out the light by ten thirty.For the first time, I welcome the oblivion of taking too many damn gummies.

ChapterEleven

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