Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,90
said as I stirred the sauce. We were going full Italian tonight. Simple, filling, and easy: Spaghetti and meatballs with enough garlic bread to kill a vampire coven. With side salads in fresh vinaigrette, it was going to be easy enough to concentrate on the bigger picture tonight without worrying about the food.
She waved me away. “Go help your brothers bring your table in. Your sister and your man should be bringing chairs.” She shooed me out of my own kitchen…that was at least par for my particular course.
I headed off towards the freight elevator. It apparently opened on the other side of the elevator from Ryker’s public entrance. I got to be a literal door stop to keep the doors from sliding closed every thirty seconds.
Ah, the lives of the rich and famous.
Well, at least my guy was rich. I had a trust fund, but hated using it since it came from my parents. And now that I knew where that money came from, I was going to use it for shelters and programs and scholarships and any other ideas I could think of to give it back to the families and victims.
“Coming through!” Rafe called from the dark cavern of the freight elevator room. “And honestly, could have you designed a bigger table?”
“Probably.” I shoved my hand out to stop the door from shutting as I stuck my leg out to get the next set of doors. “This one’s only fourteen feet, you big whiner. If we all get married and have babies, this will eventually end up being the kids’ table.”
“Goddess save us all,” Rafe said as he started the train with my table on a trolley cart.
Mas brought up the rear. The trestles for the table were stacked on top. He had a big smile on his face. “We need many babies in this family, sorella. Don’t let our youngest brother tell you otherwise.” He leaned over, pressed a kiss to my cheek.
I smiled. As soon as this fiasco with my parents was over, I knew we would be devoting all of our focus to finding Amara. I could already see the hope in Mas. The idea that he wasn’t doomed for all eternity. The possibilities of a daughter had brought him back from the edge.
We would find her. Or we would die trying.
“Beep, beep,” Ryker called as he swung his chair around the corner like he was a Nascar driver.
From behind him, Tali rolled her eyes. “Why are men such children?”
I winced. She’d had a bite in her voice I hadn’t been expecting. Especially if she’d gotten laid last night. Post-sex Tali was chill. Like imbibed freely of marijuana chill. This Tali sounded like she had a piece of rebar stuck up her butt.
Turo, Nico, Jessa, Nik, and Foster all showed up with chairs as well. I blinked. I hadn’t expected the whole crowd, but the more the merrier when it came to destroying the empire of suffering and selfishness my parents had built.
“Welcome to the party and planning pad of paradise.”
Jessa snorted. “No.” She kept walking.
I made a face at her back. Fix a girl some cupcakes and she craps on your alliterations the next day. Some people.
The last of the chairs came through. I let the doors close and made my way back inside. Now I understood why Momma had helped. I hadn’t made nearly enough food for all the extra people we had with us. I was almost surprised Daphne and Jerrod Wright weren’t in residence for the discussions.
The guys got the table set up. We each grabbed something from the kitchen island that Momma laid out. Setting it on the table, we then grabbed our chairs and sat down as Papa handed silverware down in an assembly line of eating utensils.
Momma and Papa took their customary positions at the head of the table once everyone had something to eat with. I popped up from my chair when I realized we had no glasses or drinks. Ryker got up with me while we got everyone served.
Momma smiled at us. Nodded. When I leaned down to set her glass of wine on the table in front of her, she kissed my cheek. “I’m so happy to see you so happy, figlia.”
I smiled, kissed her cheek in return. “I love you, Momma.”
Her cheeks went pink. She shooed me away to the other end of the table. Ryker was waiting, my chair in his grip to slide it under me.