Page 55 of Hostile Vows
“Christ, son. I-I–” She takes a long drink. “… I had hoped you’d find a strong woman who could match your energy. That's all I’ve ever wanted for you. What I’ve wanted for all my boys… but this… married to a stranger who has no idea what our world is like—”
“She’s a mafia princess, Mama. She’ll inherit Sapori’s empire. It’s a lucrative alliance to benefit our family.”
“At what cost, André? That sly bastard always has a hidden agenda.”
“He wants a Sapori-Souza heir.” Her jaw goes lax, and for the first time in my life, my mother is speechless.
I signal to the waiter, who efficiently tops up her glass while the news sinks in. “And…” My lips involuntarily curl into a helpless grin. “She's not a stranger. Do you remember Sinéad, my friend from Hennessy House, when we stayed with grandfather?”
“The little Irish girl?”
“The very one.”
“She’s a Sapori?” My mother cocks a skeptical brow. “Did you know who her father was back then?”
I shake my head. “Not until she turned up on his yacht after twenty-odd years.”
“So, where is this wife of yours? Why isn’t she having lunch with us?”
“It’s complicated, Mama.”
“You mean she wasn’t happy about it?”
I shrug. “She’s getting used to married life. I gave her a job in the bar at Sky Hotel. She’s not the sit at home type, nor a gold digger itching to get her hands on our wealth.”
“A Souza wife working in a bar, André?” Mother’s expression darkens. “Why don’t you put a beacon on her forehead and tell the world how to reach us? Didn’t your Papá teach you anything? We don’t work with the general population, because they’d do anything to stab holes in our family.”
“Mama…” I sigh. “I haven't announced it yet. There’s a team of undercover men all over the hotel. She has no idea they’re watching her. Allowing my wife to work was a temporary solution to help her settle into Miami. It won’t last long.”
“Was Giovanni in attendance at this wedding I wasn’t invited to?”
I laugh. “Letterman and Reno were there.”
“You didn’t even invite your twin brother to stand beside you.” She palms her brow. “You’re breaking my heart.”
“It was last minute, Mama.”
She pouts at me. “It was unplanned and rash, son. Just because you were friends once before doesn’t mean she’ll be loyal to us. You were children, and children grow into adults with selfish goals. What if Frankie planned this all along, to infiltrate our family for his own reasons?”
“The fucker didn’t raise her, Mama, and he sure as fuck doesn’t care about her. Frankie has his own personal agenda and Sinéad is an innocent. Papá was a bastard, but we all knew he would have severed the head of anyone who wronged us.”
At the mere mention of my father, Mama shifts in her seat, fixing her regal posture. “You didn’t marry that woman for business, André.”
I frown at her. “Sure, I did.”
“Don’t forget, I was there. I saw what it did to you when she disappeared. You were so young, and she had captured your sole focus for months. It’s not business; it’s revenge for leaving. You saw an opportunity and you took it… except something tells me this will blow up in your face.”
My low chuckle earns a wry smile from her.
“You like the girl,” she adds over the rim of her champagne coupe glass. “More than you’re letting on.”
“She’s good-looking,” I admit, drumming my fingers on the table, unable to smoke. “And a worthy addition to our family given her bloodline. She’s both Irish and Sicilian. It saves you from playing matchmaker. Now you can focus on Gio.”
“Gio doesn’t have any room in his heart for a woman. It scares me how closed off he is.”
“That’s because Papá ripped my brother’s beating heart out and ate it.” We both fall silent, lost in harrowing memories. “I was never good enough in Papá’s eyes. It gives me great fucking pleasure to know I’ve single-handedly expanded our international reach. At least Tommy will be pleased whenever he comes back to us.”
“He will. You’remyson, André, andI’mproud of you. It’s about time you settled down. You’ve had a roaming eye all your life. Women are your weakness. One word of advice though—don’t make an enemy of this one, not when she shares your bed or falls pregnant with your child. Don’t underestimate the Sapori’s. Frankie is a cunning old bastard and now he thinks he’s in our circle. Keep a close eye on him, but watch your wife even closer.”
