Page 72 of My Solemn Vow (The Mafia Arrangement #1)
VALOR
HOMECOMING
I’m secondhand nervous as I steer the SUV up the driveway to the front of the house. My wolf is feeding off the constant energy from Antonella. Her wolf must be pacing inside her. I’ve seen the telltale signs of wolves on the edge of snapping before, and she’s strung like a tight rubber band.
She’s not ready to come home, but she’s not getting any better being out at the cabin either. Mom and Dad said there is no rule book to this sort of thing. Grief for what she lost, her humanity, isn’t linear.
Antonella examines the house, and I stop before pulling close enough that any of it would go out of view.
“I’ll burn the whole thing to the ground and rebuild, on this lot, on another lot, anywhere, if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
Antonella doesn’t say anything. She just stares down the mansion like she can intimidate it.
I offer her an out. “Say the word. There are tons of different places we can go. I’ll go inside, grab Kerrianne, and we can go to my parents’, or any of the places we own in the city. ”
She inhales, steady and slow, as if thinking each breath through. “Don’t. Not just yet.”
I ruined her home. I ruined the place she should feel safe.
I wait a few more seconds and ease off the brake, letting the SUV crawl its way forward.
The garage door opening slowly gives her every extra second to stop and change her mind, but I park the car and turn it off, and Antonella opens her own door.
She walks to the door to the house and lets herself in before I’m even out of the SUV. I hurry but try not to make it feel like I’m chasing her.
She’s stock still, staring at the stairs leading to the basement. The stairs I carried her down against her will. I’m sick looking at them. I can only imagine what it feels like for her.
“Princess, you don’t have to —” I cut myself off, letting her work through it.
Kerrianne lurks around the corner, and Leticia whispers for her to come back to where they were waiting for us.
A few more seconds, and Antonella moves past the stairs, her eyes looking over the kitchen. The cookies she had been baking are long gone, and order has been restored.
In a snap, she changes herself. Not fixes but changes. I sense her fear and frustration, but she’s pretending to be fine for those in our home. She puts on a perfect facade, a shield against scrutiny, and reminds me just how strong she can be despite the emotions running rampant inside her.
Arms wide open, she stoops down and pulls Kerrianne into her arms for a tight dancing hug.
Leticia takes a turn, wrapping her arms around Antonella. When they part, Leticia is wiping tears out of her eyes but pretending they’re not there.
Royal is last. He makes his way over with a slow healing limp in his step — from the shit those fuckers did that he still hasn’t told me about. When he gets to her, he wraps his arms around her, and they whisper to each other. I’m too far away to hear, but if she wants me to know, she’ll tell me.
Leticia gets her wits about her the fastest. She moves to the kitchen and starts a pot of hot cocoa, urging Antonella to sit down and put her feet up by the fire because they’ll get cold.
With Leticia’s back to us, Antonella mouths, “Does she know?”
I nod and look between Leticia and Antonella, the differences between them only growing.
“I don’t think I have to worry about my feet getting cold anymore,” Antonella says as she takes a seat, but it’s halfhearted teasing.
Kerrianne climbs into Antonella’s lap and snuggles up. Resting her head against Kerrianne, Antonella wraps her arms around her.
Look at our girls. My wolf wags his tail, and I’m propelled forward to the living room, needing to be by them.
Royal steps into my path. The glare, tight jaw, and body movement say everything. His loyalty is to her, not me. I don’t push it, and I divert my path to the far end of the sofa away from her.
I outrank my brother as pack second in the wake of Neil’s treason and imminent death, but I don’t want to fight a challenge against him. Not when I agree with his judgment.
“Grandma says we might not go back to school after Christmas. Is that because you’re part of the secret now?” Kerrianne questions.
“It is,” Antonella answers without missing a beat.
“You know how your wolf gets tired and cranky sometimes?” Kerrianne nods, which prompts Antonella to continue.
“Mine is like that a lot too. So, I might not be a good enough secret keeper for a little while. I may need to take some time to make sure I’m good and ready to be a secret keeper. ”
“Grandma says Leticia knows the secret and is keeping it but doesn’t have a wolf. I didn’t know that was supposed to happen.” Kerrianne looks up at Antonella, who looks to me and Royal.
“There are special times when secret keepers don’t have wolves, like Father Michael doesn’t have one, but he knows.” I try to offer an answer. “If you’re ever not sure if someone knows our secret, it’s best not to tell them. Not even to test and see if they know it.”
Kerrianne squirms uncomfortably. “Are we going to give Leticia a wolf like we gave Antonella?”
“Not unless we absolutely have to.” Royal answers for me. His tone is sharp before he takes it back to a joking rumble. “It’s kind of nice having a human around.”
“Hardy, har, har. Asshole.” Leticia comes in carrying a tray of mugs of cocoa.
“For the best cousin.” Leticia holds one out to Antonella.
“For the asshole I like.” She holds one out to Royal.
“For my favorite little bestie.” She gives one to Kerrianne and leaves mine on the tray on the table before sitting down with her own.
“Be nice, Leticia.” Antonella warns her.
“He has arms,” Leticia answers before bringing the cup up to her mouth. “I could have poured it down his shirt... or worse.”
One hand holding a mug, the other keeping Kerrianne close, Antonella can only sigh and look to the ceiling to voice her dismay.
I stand and take the cup, looking at it. “Should I be concerned this is... different?”
“Should you be?” Leticia cocks her head. “Do you require something different?”
Royal holds his mug out to me, and I take it instinctively as he swaps it for the one I grabbed. “Speak now...”
Leticia rolls her eyes. “The only thing different here are the two of you.”
“Manners, all of you,” Antonella says over the lip of her cup before she takes a drink .
Kerrianne giggles. “Different isn’t a bad word.”
“Oh, in this case, it most definitely is. They’re using it as an insult.” Antonella groans. “And it’s not one we’d repeat at school because?”
“Insults are bad and meant to hurt people. Even if we think they’re funny, it could hurt,” Kerrianne recites.
Royal looks over at me and whispers behind his cup, “The fuck are they teaching the kids at the school?”
With a shrug, I shake my head as I sit on the sofa again. “I don’t know, but maybe I should take some classes.”
“You can’t come to class,” Kerrianne huffs, the attitude strong. “You’d never fit at my desk. Your legs are too long.”
“Excellent logic.” Leticia nods and takes another sip. Her phone rings, and she groans answering it. “Berto, for the last time. Mind your own business and not mine.”
Antonella must hear whatever Berto said because she taps Kerrianne’s leg, and Kerrianne scrambles out of the way, coming over to sit with me.
When Antonella holds her hand out, Leticia hesitantly gives her the phone.
Antonella’s voice is glacial as she rumbles, “Berto. You did not just say that.”
Leticia has gone ghost white. She leans forward and sets her mug on the table.
“That’s the second most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said.” Antonella is on the verge of growling, and Royal gets up, going over to her and steadying her with a hand on either arm, demonstrating breathing.
“I’m not letting that happen.” Antonella is firm but then hangs up the phone. She raises her gaze to her younger cousin, repeating herself. “Leticia. I’m not letting that happen.”
“Don’t be silly. Look how well it worked out for you, aside from like, say maybe, the last week, arranged marriage can work quite well. It’s time anyway. I shouldn’t be putting it off.” But her words and smile don’t match the dread in her eyes. The lack of fire and fear of the unknown.
“I’ll figure you a way out of this.” Antonella shakes her head.
“You’ve got enough on your plate. I know the man Berto is talking about. I’ll keep his house in order and dinner warm and on the table. Nothing I don’t do now.”
It’s noble the way Leticia has resolved herself to this, even though she’s more shaken up about this than she’s letting on.
But she doesn’t let us dwell on it. “Sorry for the interruption. Now, where were we? Talking about putting a Christmas tree up in here? With such high ceilings, surely we could get one at least a respectable height. Maybe ten feet?”
“Better go twelve with these ceilings.” Royal looks up, playing into her change of topic.
I hug Kerrianne tighter before downing the rest of my cocoa and nudging her off me so I can take my cup to the kitchen. Kerrianne runs over to Royal, and they talk loudly about ornaments and how she likes colored lights on a tree because they’re just that much more ‘Christmas.’
As I stand, Antonella does too and swipes Leticia’s discarded cup from the table.
Rinsing the mugs at the sink, I try to reassure Antonella. “We’ll find a way. They can’t make her do this. Not on our watch.”
My comfort only goes so far with her. “Berto says the papers are done,” she whispers. “It means that as soon as they’re back in the US, they’ll file the documents. She’s already married. The next year will be planning a wedding that’s just for show.”
I wrap an arm around Antonella’s shoulders and press my mouth against her temple. “The Cavanaghs aren’t exactly ones to let something like a little paperwork stop us.”