Page 61 of Sins of Bliss

“Then where wereyouwhen this was happening to her? If you love her as much as you claim to, why didn’t you intervene?” my father sneers, so angry, spittle flies from his mouth with every word he enunciates.

Remorse flickers across Sly's face, so I connect our hands again, giving him a soft squeeze. “Gone for foolish reasons. I believed she didn’t want me, and truly loved him. It was only when she came to Ridgewood to find me, that I?—”

“You went WHERE?” my father bellows again, his temper getting the best of him. It feels like he is honing in on the wrong details of the story as he tries to piece it together.

“Ridgewood, Father. California.”

“It’s where I have been these past few months,” Sly adds.

“I took the first flight I could when I heard?—”

The door to the monsignor's office flies open, practically falling off its hinges from the force of Joseph bursting into the room. It slams back into place behind him.

Pointing his finger toward Sly, he screams, “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU,” as he stomps further into the room.

Instinctually, I position myself between Sly and my brother at the same time Luciano saunters into the room, his hands in his pockets as though this is just another Saturday evening.

“You will do no such thing,” I challenge, mustering every ounce of strength I have to keep the quiver from my voice. “You’rethe reason this has happened.”

“He couldn’t if he tried, amore mio,” Sly says under his breath as he presses a kiss to my temple.

“HemurderedAugust, thenmarriedyou. And you’re casting the blame on me? My friend is dead.”

“Your friend was a woman-beater,” Luciano canters back with boredom.

“Stay the fuck out of this, Luciano,” Joseph spits, then redirects his attention to Sly. “How dare you interrupt the wedding between my best friend and my sister, then have the audacity tokillhim. You’re dead, Lucchetti. I will bury you for this.”

Spots of shades of red line my vision—bursts of scarlet, maroon, and ruby. My body begins to quake as I listen to every word my brother says, spewing his lies and accusations while my hearing sounds like I’m underwater.

“How did you bypass my security team, anyway?” I hear my father murmur, his brows furrowing in concern.

Luciano chuckles. “You’re not the only Paladino man they’re instructed to listen to, Father.”

My father says something in response, but I can hardly hear the words. The feeling of the room caving in on me is heavy against my skin, and I feel myself losing control—not even Sly’s touch keeping me firm on the ground. I’ve never felt this level of anger before, and it’s on the precipice of erupting.

I try to keep it bottled, but as Sly rubs his hand rhythmically against the back of my neck, I can’t contain it.

“YOU ARE THE PROBLEM, JOSEPH,” I explode, turning toward my brother, pressing forward until we’re inches apart. “YOU. Not me, not Sly. YOU. You, with your jealousy and your hatred toward me. You’re completely and utterly blinded by the fact that you think Father will overlook you and hand his business to me. You purposely pushed this marriage into Father’s lap, manipulating him into thinking theunionwould be beneficial, all so you could pair me with a man who would physically abuse me into submission. August is dead because ofyou.”

My chest heaves with adrenaline, my breaths rigid and painful as I stare up into the darkened eyes of my brother. He looms over me, taking a step forward.

Before I register what is happening, he raises his hand, seconds from slapping me.

Preparing myself for the pain, I close my eyes and cower into myself.

But it never comes.

When I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see our father’s—not Sly’s—hand locked around Joseph’s wrist, stopping him. “You have some nerve to raise your hand to your sister, Joseph. Get out of my sight. NOW.”

Turning quickly, I plow into Sly’s chest. One of his arms wraps around my body, while the other rests on the back of my head, holding me to him. “You're safe,” he reassures.

A tear seeps from the corner of my eye, and Luciano meets my gaze from against Sly’s chest.

“Get him out of here before I kill him myself,” Sly warns, speaking to my eldest brother. Yet again, I’m surprised and confused.

He just said that like they’re friends.

Luciano nods at Sly and moves in the direction of Joseph, grabbing our brother's bicep.

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