Page 87 of Married into the Mob
What he said made me sick to my stomach. There hadn’t been any gambling. Stefan had probably just taken what little money Uncle had, loaned him a bunch, and then said he was in debt.
“I got in so deep, I couldn’t claw my way out.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” My shrill voice caught the guards’ attention and they looked up, hands on their holsters. I stuck my head out the door saying we were fine and slammed it shut.
“I’m sorry. It was all my fault. I could have gone to the police, but then I was painted as the bad guy, and I was, and you were happy and pregnant and Louisa was living her life.” He threw uphis hands. “I could live taking all the blame as long as you were happy.”
“I have to speak to her and get the whole story.”
Uncle sighed. “That might bring your closure, but I think you should let it be. She’ll be angry at me.”
“I won’t let her.” I collected the will, statements, and letters and kissed him goodbye.
I should have driven home and spoken to Hunter, but I needed to see my aunt.Thinking back, I conjured up images of Aunt Louisa and her interactions with me and my uncle. I put her forthright manner down to her caring about us, and I was still certain that was the case. But it could be interpreted as her not wanting to entertain Uncle’s opinion and not giving me a choice in my life.
When I pulled up, there was a removal van in front of the building and a For Sale sign for a third floor apartment with “Sold” slapped over it. The lobby doors were ajar as men were wheeling and carrying boxes and furniture, and I recognized my aunt’s chairs.
What in the heck was happening?
I told the bodyguard to wait in the lobby, as I didn’t want him to overhear me arguing with my aunt.
“Odell!” Aunt Louisa took a step back when I appeared, as her door had also been open. “What a surprise.”
“When were you going to tell me you were leaving?”
“It’s not a big deal. I just need a fresh start, and the money from the sale will allow me to do that.” She picked up a small box.
“I spoke to Uncle.”
She stiffened. “He would do anything to hurt me. Whatever he said is a lie.”
“You set him up with Stefan.” I shook and almost wished I could take that sentence back.
She shrugged. “Your uncle whittled away what little money we had. He got you into this.”
The person beside me wasn’t the woman I’d known most of my life, who’d mothered me. Her lips were set in a straight line, and her body hummed with an arrogance I didn’t recognize. She’d always been strong but not like this.
“What was your purpose? To hurt Uncle?”
She turned, her mouth twisted. “He’s irrelevant. I wanted something more. I’d done so much for him, for you. It was my turn, and I wanted to get my reward.”
“You knew Stefan wanted me dead.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She didn’t look at me as she shoved items in a box. “You always exaggerate. I tried so hard to mold you to be like me.” She stalked out to the hallway as the delivery guys came back up.
My aunt lowered her voice while walking into the elevator, and I followed her. “I stood up for you, gave you everything you damned well asked for, and yet you were always too soft, more like Stan than me.”
She held open the doors as the men carrying a bed frame were coming toward us. “When I met Stefan, we got to talking and he took me for lunch. He paid me the attention I hadn’t had since before you came to live with us.”
She rambled on, my head hurting from the words pummeling my brain. “He said if I got you to marry his nephew, he’d pay me a significant sum of money, some before and the rest after the marriage. He explained it was a complicated trust situation and his nephew needed to marry. It was a win-win.”
A win. She was talking about Stefan winning and her too, at my expense.
“He's dead!” I spat out.
“What?” she yelled. “You’re lying!”
“I shot him!”
