Page 43 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings 2: The Finale
“I see. You graduated from high school and college, if I’m not mistaken?” Everything with her was like a checklist, and I felt like I was under an interrogation light.
“Yes, I did.” I took a bite of the succulent lamb, and it nearly melted in my mouth. “I have a degree in journalism. When we moved, I ended up with an editing job for a local paper, but then my father died, and everything else seemed to spiral right after that, so I resigned.”
“That’s an interesting way of putting it,” Ivo’s mother said before tipping her goblet of wine to her lips.
“I mean, from what I gather, you had some kind of mental breakdown, is that right? You were even committed for a few weeks and lost custody of your daughter in the process. Or is that not the case?” She frowned, as if she hadn’t confirmed all that info before dumping it at the table for everyone to hear about.
With misty eyes, I felt the many eyes on me from the table, and Jordan leaned toward me.
“Is that true?” she whispered.
“According to the investigator I hired, this is all a matter of public record,” Mrs. Marek divulged, a satisfied glint flickering behind her scornful gaze.
“Ma, the fuck you doing?” Ivo’s brows formed a bridge above his hooded eyes.
“I’m making sure that Emerald is aware of the responsibility that comes with carrying a Marek child.”
“This ain’t none of your fucking business!” Ivo belted.
“Ivo!” his grandmother, Marcella, hissed.
“Fuck that, Gran! I’m tired of her and all this superiority and the way she go around picking and choosing who she sees fit tobe a part of this family. Emerald ain’t ask for this. She’s doing me and Jordan a favor that we won’t ever be able to fully pay her back for. Show some fucking respect.”
“My sister is a good person,” Sapphire spoke up, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “She don’t deserve to be talked to like that, and Mrs. Marek, I don’t know what you on trying to put her on blast like that in front of everybody, but I’ve watched Emerald walk through the mud in the last year, and I can’t let you sit there and judge her for some shit you just heard about.”
“Sap, it’s OK—” I reached for my brother’s hand and swiped a tear that slipped past my cheek.
“Nah, Em, it’s not.” He shook his head. “Nobody should talk to you like that, especially when they weren’t there. Yeah, you slipped after you found Daddy, who wouldn’t? I know I probably would have lost it too had it been me that walked in and seen that. Nobody was there for you, and I didn’t know how to be.”
“This isn’t on you. I never want to burden you with my shit.” I squeezed his hand.
“But even after all that, you got your head right, you came home, and we didn’t even have a home anymore. You didn’t let that stop you. You sold everything you had so we could stay in a motel for a few weeks until some shit came together and we could come back here. You lost your daughter and haven’t been able to see her in person in six months. I can never repay you for looking out for me like you have when Ma left. That’s who my sister is.” He spun his head toward Ivo’s mother.
The bitch looked like a cracked egg as she cleared her throat and swallowed her wine. She set her glass on the table, and her gaze volleyed from me to my brother. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but the entire table had gone radio silent.My appetite was no longer present, and Sapphire had surprisingly nearly wiped his plate clean.
“Excuse me for a minute. I need to use the bathroom.” I jumped up from my chair.
“I’ll show you where it is.” Six perked up, excusing herself from the table with Brick and the kids.
I could barely see through the tears blinding me while escaping the room.
“Hey.” Six caught up to me in the hall. “Are you OK?” she checked, grabbing my arm and spinning me toward her.
“I’m fine,” I assured her with a quick nod.
“You know it’s OK if you’re not, right?” Her face filled with empathy. “I’m cool with Rossi…”
“Lucky you,” I muttered with sarcasm before sniffling and sucking in a deep breath.
“But that doesn’t make what she just did right, and I don’t agree with it. I can’t believe she could even be that mean.”
“When it comes to her sons, trust . . . that woman is nothing to play with. She hasn’t liked me since high school though. I was so scared of my father and having his approval that I let it come between me and Ivo. According to Rossi, I never really loved Ivo since I couldn’t stand up to him. Sometimes I wonder if she was right.”
“Well, one thing I know for sure, you can’t change the past,” Six pointed out. “And you can’t let it dictate the future either.”
“Thanks, Six.” I put on a smile and tried to compose myself. “I think I’m just going to use the bathroom, get Sapphire, and head home. These hormones are not doing me any good right now, and I don’t want to snap on this woman in her house,” I tittered.
“Girllll, ’cause had it been me . . . I mean, I respect her and everything, but . . . wow! Bathroom is down there on the right though.”
