Page 30 of Legend
“Well, I might as well let you all know.” I looked at the three of them and just stated outright, “I come from a Mafia family.”
Briget and Belle stared back at me in surprise.
“Like a Godfather typefamily?” Briget asked while looking amazed.
Belle lightly smacked her arm. “Geeze, Bridge…”
“No, she’s right,” I said as I chuckled a little. My dad could be very much like the Godfather Famiglia, so it was sort of apt. “That’s pretty much it.”
“Justice said that he’d met them and they aren't that bad,” Scarlet told me. “Your dad and brother, I mean.”
I shrugged. “They are what they are. From what they said yesterday, they have mostly gone legit in the last ten years. I have no way to know how true that is. But that was the reason I tried not to get involved with Glory. I didn’t want to bring her or the family into that kind of life. I was looking out for the Walkers.”
“Like you have always done, according to Liberty,” Belle said.
“Yep, Fate has nothing but great things to say about you, Dr. Legend.” Briget nodded at me.
Glory chuckled and repeated, “Dr. Legend.”
I shrugged as I glanced over at her. “You heard my brother yesterday. My full legal name is Giovanni Cassio Descalia.”
“Wow, that’s a mouthful, ain’t it?” Briget joked.
“Around here though, I am simply known as Legend. And have been for ten years now.”
“You've been away from them for ten years?” Scarlet asked.
I nodded at her and explained, “And it would have been for much longer if I had my way. But the point I’m trying to make is, you girls married into the Walker family, but you didn’t know about this. So, I’m sorry that—”
“—don’t you dare apologize, Legend,” Glory cut off my apology.
“I agree,” Belle said. “None of us come from a wholesome family.” She motioned to Scarlet and then herself. “I’m actually positive that your father could never be as awful as ours.”
Scarlet nodded in agreement. “She’s exactly right. At least, your dad tried to keep your family together. And from what Justice told me, he tries to protect everyone.”
I had to pause over this. She made it sound like a compliment and in some ways, it could be. The man was protective, I would give him that. And as far as I knew, I was the only one who’d managed to get out from under his thumb. So he did keep the family together, but they had no say if that was the way they wanted it or not. In true Italian Famiglia fashion, he was a power mogul, who had to control everyone in his life. That was how he had been raised by his father. Same for his father before him. So far, I was the lone dissenter to this traditional way of life.
“Let’s just say he is a true father if that is his priority, Belle said. “Trust me, some have no self respect or respect for their kids.”
“So no apologies for who or what your family is,” Briget added.
“You, being a part of this family is all that matters here,” Scarlet agreed. “I’m afraid none of us are that lucky when it comes to family. As far as I know, the Walkers are as wholesome as it gets.”
“Wholesome?” Glory scoffed. “You are all forgetting something huge here.”
We all turned our heads to look at her.
“Well, three hugethings…” Glory corrected herself as she firmly nodded her head. “Deacon, his sister, and Ophelia. O was a crime organization upon herself. The sister? I am not sure but according to Prophet’s girl, Jewel, she is bitter and vengeful. Then as to Deacon, he’s a dangerous crackpot and no one’s fool. They aren’t relatives you would want to meet in a dark alley. They’re as far from good and wholesome as you can get.” She then looked at me and met my gaze. “So, this is the last time I ever want to hear you apologize for your family and where you come from. You have done more for the Walkers and for Requiem than anyone I know.” She grabbed my hand and smiled at me as her eyes sparkled with tears. “We were lucky that my dad met you out on that highway all those years ago.”
The three women looked impressed as they cooed and oohed.
“How freakin’ sweet is that?” Briget teased.
“It iswedding bellssweet,” Belle said.
The women all laughed.
“I wanna volunteer to be the Maid of Honor,” Belle tossed in.
