Page 20 of Ravage God

I was obviously not close with any of them, but I knew them well enough to know never to trust them with even the most mundane facts about me. The women would somehow twistthem into entertaining fodder to feed to the other women they hung out with.

This was just going to be so much fun.

Not.

“Hello,” I said, bowing my head slightly.

“Why don’t you stay and keep the girls entertained,” Dad said. It wasn’t a question or a request.

I nodded and took the only available seat between Chiara and Alessia.

I was surrounded.

Great.

Their perfume hit my nostrils as soon as I sat, the scent strong and nauseating. Maura came out and brought a small plate over to me, along with some utensils. I smiled my thanks at her, and though she didn’t smile back, her eyes were soft when they met mine, and I knew she wished I were anywhere but here right now. Same as me.

I piled some of the salad on my plate and a few deviled eggs, not really tasting any of it. I mostly pushed my food around on my plate, not paying attention to what the other women were saying as the sound of Dad’s voice, along with his friends’, moved in and out of my consciousness.

Until I heard my name.

The women stopped talking as well. And while I told myself not to do it, I couldn’t help but look up at the table to find Dad’s gaze already on me.

“When are you going to set up a marriage for Isa?” Aldo asked.

My skin felt hot, and I tried not to show any reaction to the question. It was a sore subject for Dad, especially since I knew how much he hated having to defer to Valentino for most things now.

Dad scoffed. “When Valentino gets his head out of his ass and does right for the girl.”

I looked back down at my plate, focusing intently on my food as the men around the table made sounds of agreement.

“I get having Valentino take over for you in business, but family matters should have remained in the hands of the head of the household,” Dario commented.

Chiara leaned in close to me and whispered, “Is it because no man wants you that Valentino is having such a hard time finding a husband for you?”

On the other side of me, Alessia snorted, hearing Chiara’s words. I didn’t bother with a response. Trying to say anything would only bring our fathers’ attention over to us, and that was the last thing I wanted.

Dad took a sip of his beer. I wished he wouldn’t drink too much… I wished he wouldn’t drinkat all.

“What can I do?” Dad said, not bothering to disguise the bitterness in his voice. I tried hard not to flinch at that. “Valentino has Massimo’s backing, and we already know how things are run with that kid in charge.”

Both Aldo and Dario nodded. They all held the same view. And while Dario and Aldo hadn’t been forced to retire like Dad, they were losing a lot of the power they had held back in the day.

That kid.

Massimo was thirty-three years old. He was anything but a kid, and unlike his father before him, he was known to be ruthless, ruling over Las Vegas with an iron fist, whereas Amadeo De Luca had been known only for his cruelty. I was young when Amadeo died. I remembered how most of the traditionalist men had mourned his death, my father included. But Massimo had done something his father hadn’t been able to do. He expanded the empire further west, making deals overseas that had seemed impossible during Amadeo’s rule.

This was something I knew about, even if I wasn’t in the life. I was sure Dad and his friends knew this, too, but they were willing to “forget” this little fact because Massimo was slowly veering away from most of the traditions that were set in place during his father’s time.

Not that I would say any of that to them. I didn’t have a death wish.

I poked around at my food, focusing intently on that as the conversation around me moved in and out of focus.

“Remember how we were all making fun of Aldo for not having any daughters?” Dad said, and Dario let out a small chuckle. “The bastard is luckier than us.”

I sank a little further into my seat.

I knew why Dad was saying that. Daughters were easier to control. And with no sons in the household, there was no one to vie for power.