Page 51 of Cruelest Contract (Storm’s Eye Ranch)

Cecilia has set her fork down. The look she gives me is filled with worry. Grimaldi is a mean bastard with a temper and she knows it.

I give her knee a reassuring pat under the table. “We’ll have this conversation another time,” I say and my tone leaves no room for argument.

Grimaldi grunts and his glare only deepens. “It’s easy to make demands when you’ve got Vittorio Messina in your back pocket. What were you cooking up out there in Sicily, you and Messina and my grandson?”

“What?” Cecilia looks at her brothers in confusion.

“Matthias,” Grimaldi snaps. He flails and tries to bang a fragile fist on the wood. “He should be sitting here at MY FUCKING TABLE!”

“What does Matthias have to do with anything?” Cecilia is staring at me now. “Did you see him in Sicily, Julian?”

I didn’t mention the time I spent in Matthias’s unpleasant company because I have nothing nice to say about him. As Vittorio Messina’s new favorite grim reaper, Cecilia’s oldest brother is every bit as ornery and violent as he seems. Hearing this would hurt her.

Vittorio was amused by the tension between me and Matthias.

Shoving my volatile brother-in-law right in my face was a petty way to inflict a little payback after my father’s stunt.

I kept my wits and ignored Matthias whenever possible.

And the trip ended as a success. Vittorio wanted access to our port influence here in the states and we wanted the two Las Vegas casino projects Vittorio acquired after the latest mob wars.

But now my wife is frowning as she realizes I’ve failed to share a vital piece of information about my recent overseas travels.

“I did see Matthias,” I tell her. “It was just business.”

“What does that mean? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t interrupt, little girl,” Grimaldi snarls. “This isn’t your concern.”

Cecilia whirls to confront her grandfather. “Dead wrong. Matthias is my brother and Julian is my husband. I’m not under your thumb anymore and I’ll ask all the questions I want.”

The look he gives her is full of disgust. “Count yourself lucky that a man was willing to take you. Shouldn’t have let you go off to college. Like all women, you couldn’t wait to whore around and ruin yourself the first chance you got.”

Cecilia’s gasp of mortification claws at my soul. She’s so stunned she can’t even speak.

I don’t give a fuck who Grimaldi is. No one gets away with treating her like this.

“You better keep your sick fucking mouth shut about my wife,” I say with deadly finality. “You know nothing about her.”

“Really?” he sneers. “Tell us, Julian. Was there blood on the sheets on your wedding night or was that slut’s cherry busted long before you gave her a ring?”

I’m going to kill him. I’m really going to fucking kill him. Benvolio Grimaldi has just buried himself.

“Aw shit,” Angelo mutters, clearly annoyed that all this family drama is spoiling his video game.

Gabriel just gawks like a useless cartoon character.

Cecilia must have some notion where my mind is going. The instant I push my chair back she grabs my arm. “Julian, look at me. Just look at me.”

Memories condense and collide. She chose those words with intention, reminding me when I was the one who used them.

I look at my wife, just as she asks.

She’s wide-eyed and fearful. Silently pleading.

My knuckles brush across her soft cheek. “We’ll be leaving now,” I say with my eyes on her and only her.

Cecilia’s chin quivers but she holds her head up. “Yes,” she says with obvious relief. “We’re leaving.”

Grimaldi cackles like a fucking vampire as I steer my wife out of that room.

I can’t stop seething. One more wrong move from that demented prick, I’ll snap and rip his throat apart with my bare hands. He will never get the chance to speak to my wife like that again.

Our guys are standing around out front and laughing with Grimaldi’s men but when they see the look on my face they scramble for weapons.

I slice the air with my hand as a message not to draw metal. “Just get the car. We’re leaving immediately.”

Cecilia sniffs and I wrap my arms around her. She hides her face in the folds of my shirt. I stroke her hair and feel my heart falling to pieces.

“Cici!” Gabriel runs out the door so fast he nearly trips. There’s real unhappiness on his face as he looks at his sobbing sister. “You don’t have to go. You know how he is. He just says crazy shit. It means nothing.”

Cecilia raises her head but she doesn’t leave my embrace. “I know he says crazy shit. But I’m not required to listen anymore.”

Gabriel shifts awkwardly and rubs at his neck. “This will all blow over in a few minutes. Just come back inside.”

“We’re not setting foot in that rancid dump again,” I say. “We’re leaving.”

Gabriel shifts his eyes to glare at me but he’s too weak to argue. Behind him, Angelo appears in the doorway. Incredibly, he’s brought his plate of food and stands there eating as he watches the spectacle.

“Cici?” Gabriel prods.

She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Gabe. I can’t go back in there. But maybe you could come with us and spend a few days at the ranch?” She looks up at me, hoping I won’t object.

Of course I won’t object. If temporarily adopting Gabriel makes her happy then that’s what we’ll do. “Sure. Come with us, Gabe. Stay as long as you want.”

“Can’t do it,” Angelo says with his mouth full. “We’re leaving for L.A. tomorrow night.” He waves his fork in the air. “Look, don’t worry about this mess with the old man. I’ll straighten it out. He’ll probably forget about it in a few days.”

“But I won’t forget,” Cecilia whispers with a shudder.

The headlights from the rented Mercedes are blinding and the car performs an abrupt turn to flank our position. I open the rear passenger door and usher my wife in.

A few feet away, Gabriel’s arms are crossed and he’s sulking. Angelo continues to eat in the doorway.

“Straight to the airport,” I say to my driver and shoot a text to our pilot to update him on the change of plans.

Cecilia turns her head for one last glimpse of her twin brother. She rubs at her knee and gazes at the dark vineyard as we drive off the property. “I forgot how bad it feels to be here.”

The night is moonless and there aren’t enough floodlights to see the spot where I once tackled her to the ground to protect her from a barrage of bullets. All I see is a yawning void that’s filled with terrible memories.

I put my arm around my wife and she curls her body close to me. I wish for powers that I don’t have; to defeat her sadness and force her family to cherish her.

“We’re going home,” I assure her and kiss her forehead.

Cecilia is quiet on the drive back to the airport and she remains watchful and tense until the plane lifts off and points back to Wyoming.

Then she suddenly gives me a funny look. “Why didn’t you tell me you saw Matthias?”

“We weren’t exactly hanging out like best buddies. I never expected to run into him. It was just business.”

“That doesn’t matter.” She frowns and frets with a section of her long hair, twisting it around her fingers. “He’s my brother.” She sighs. “You should have told me, Julian.”

And for once, I can’t think of a thing to say.