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Frank chuckled. “Now that is true. It depends on your perspective. You make the right choices, yes, Boone is a good guy. You don’t, and well, you see a side of the guy you don’t want to see.”
She looked at Frank. It was such a vague answer. Boone had given her a choice.
“Does he hate me?” Lucia asked.
“He married you.”
“Yeah, but I know he intends to ... end the Bonaldis forever.” She didn’t know if she should say anything but Frank worked with him. “I’m part of that. My father is a capo in the Bonaldi empire.” She sighed. “Doesn’t that mean he hates me?”
“No, he doesn’t hate you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Boone, in his way, is showing you parts of his life that he doesn’t share with everyone. Take this place, for example. This place has real meaning for Boone. He loves Howard and Nancy, and would do anything for them. He did do everything for them. Bonaldi made him step out of retirement, Lucia.”
“Retirement?”
“Yeah, look, this is Boone’s story to tell. Not mine. The guy doesn’t like bullies. He doesn’t like people who exploit others just because they can. It pisses him off, and well, I’m sure you’re aware of what was happening here, and Boone took care of it. That is what he does. He takes care of people, in his own way, and now he is taking care of you.”
Lucia went to ask him something else, but Nancy brought them some food. She thanked the other woman, and Nancy placed a hand on her shoulder and left.
“How’re Amy and the boys?” Lucia asked.
She didn’t want to keep talking to Boone. Frank wasn’t exactly giving her answers, and he was doing the opposite, giving her a lot more questions.
“They’re doing great.” He took a bite out of his burger, chewing it. “I’ve got to leave early on Friday and get to one of my kids’ plays. Amy told me she will kick my ass if I don’t make it.”
Lucia laughed.
“Do you want kids?” Frank asked.
“Uh, I don’t know.” She frowned. “I guess, one day I will. I think. I’m not sure.”
Children had been necessary. There was no choice in her life. Her value was her virginity and having kids, especially a boy. A boy was important. If she was able to do that, it would make her valuable to her husband. She didn’t know if Boone wanted kids.
They slept beside each other every single night, yet they didn’t touch. There was no sex. Lucia wasn’t sure if she wanted sex. Her mother had made it sound terrifying.
“Lucia, tonight you will be stripped naked, and when you’re on the bed, you are to lay still. Spread your legs, and do not make a sound. That annoys them. He will put his penis inside you, and it will hurt, but you do not scream. You do not cry. You take it, and you wait for him to be done. That is your duty.”
She had spent the whole day of the wedding being terrified. Only, nothing had happened. Boone didn’t want to consummate their marriage.
Since then, she had watched a lot of television and movies, and the sex scenes did not look as terrifying as her mother made it sound. Was it really like that between a husband and wife? It had to be the case, because her mother had told her what to expect. This was messed up.
“You okay?” Frank asked.
“I don’t know about kids. I don’t know if Boone wants them. I guess if he wants kids, then we will have them.”
She finished her food, but she no longer felt hungry.
Frank filled the silence with tales of his wife, their children, but she wasn’t really listening. They made it home, and Boone was already there. Frank said his goodbyes, leaving her alone with her husband.
Boone sat on the sofa, drinking from a glass with dark amber liquid inside.
“Did you have a good time on campus today?” he asked.
“Yeah, it was ... good,” Lucia said.
She was distracted, thinking about the future and about sex. What was to become of her?