Page 79 of Blood Money

“Kendall! How are you sweetheart? Miss us already?” Mom asked with a bright smile.

“Actually, yes. I missed you the moment you drove off,” I ruefully admitted as I settled against the headboard of Vittorio’s massive bed.

“Aww, honey.” My mom looked like she was tearing up. Then her gaze narrowed. “Where are you?”

Shit.

“I’m, uh, at a, um, friend’s,” I stammered, trying to look like I wasn’t totally busted.

She cocked a brow and gave methe look. That look that said she didn’t believe a damn word I was saying. “It’s seven in the morning with you,” she deadpanned.

“Yeah, but we… had drinks.”

The look didn’t stop.

“Okay, I stayed the night with my… boyfriend.” I cringed, because admitting that to my mother, no matter how old I was, kinda scared me. Not to mention, that label. Was that what we were? Vittorio and I never really discussed it.

“Boyfriend? Kendall, you haven’t been there two months!” Mom’s eyes bugged.

It was my turn to give her look back to her. “And how long did you know Dad before he proposed?”

Her cheeks went rosy and I shamelessly grinned.

“Touché,” she conceded, and I smirked.

“Is Nonna around?”

“She is, did you want to talk to her?”

“Please?”

“Mom!” she called out. “Kendall’s on the phone!”

Mom walked with her phone, and I saw the bright and airy home they had built in Ireland. One day, I would go back. It had been too long since I’d visited.Maybe Vittorio will want to go with me.

“Hello, sprite!” Nonna’s face filled the screen. She frowned, then pulled the phone back a bit. “I’ll never get the hang of these crazy things,” she muttered before the corners of her mouth happily lifted.

Mom laughed. “I’ll be right back. I need to switch the laundry.” She blew me a kiss then walked away.

“Nonna, why did you tell me Vittorio didn’t want the baby?” I cut right to the chase the second I saw my mom leave the room.

Nonna’s brow furrowed and she glanced down.

“Nonna?” I gently prodded.

She heavily sighed and when she looked up at me, regret filled her gaze. “I did what I thought was right. I’m sorry, but Vittorio’s grandfather was a horrible man, Kendall. I knew if Vittorio found out you were having his baby, he’d be on the first thing smoking to get to you. That would’ve been catastrophic.”

“And losing my son wasn’t?” I whispered as my lower lip trembled.

“Oh, sprite. I never wanted that, and it was an unfortunate accident, but if Giacomo would’ve found out you were pregnant with Vittorio’s child… it would’ve been so much worse,” she quietly tried to explain.

“Is it true that he didn’t know?”

Her shoulders slumped. “Yes.”

“Did you ever tell my mom you knew who the baby’s father was?” I softly asked.

“No,” she breathed.

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