her, or spoke over her, like this.
“I sent you down there to humiliate Ruby Hebert, to break her!” A crack filled the air as Celeste slapped at the top of her desk. Her face came into the dim light cast by a floor lamp behind Matteo.
He grinned as he saw the way her left eye twitched and her mouth pursed into a tight line. It was a very dirty grin, one of complete triumph. He’d made her angry, good.
“You dare, Matteo? You dare to smirk at me? You were sent to Louisiana to deal with Ruby Hebert. Instead, you marry her waif of a daughter and humiliate your family!” She pounded on the desk with her fist again, a move that upended several items on her desk, including a vase full of roses. The vase crashed to the floor and shattered into sparkling shards of broken glass. Water flooded onto the hardwood as the roses fell to the floor, discarded.
A bit like their relationship, that shattered vase, Matteo decided. It had once been a relationship of beauty, a beauty that hid thorns encased in a delicate container that could break quite easily with a little pressure. He inhaled slowly and looked up at her with narrowed eyes.
“Aunt Celeste, I will do my duties to this family. I will ensure every member of our family is taken care of, and I will continue my duties to you. I would remind you that you raised me, you, not my mother. You taught me to think, to look ahead, to do what is best for this family, and when I made a judgment that could be of benefit to this family, you question me? I’m surprised you’d question yourself like that.” He leaned back against the sofa that was too small to contain his height, at ease now, as he relaxed into the cushions.
“You dare…,” her voice choked off and she looked away, pulling back into the darkness with a soft hiss that was the only sound she could get out at that moment.
He waited, no longer afraid of the woman. He hated to admit it, but he’d lived his life in fear of her. Until Marie came along and showed him that he was worth something, that he was capable, and that being under Celeste’s thumb had turned him into her whipping boy his entire life.
“I’ll continue to be your lackey, Aunt, don’t get all riled up and have a stroke.” He sighed as he stretched his legs out, totally comfortable now. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be, but I also want a little bit of respect. You want me to take over this organization and be the boss when you retire, but you don’t want me to act like it? I made a decision about my future, the family’s future, based on what you have taught me. Think about that before you ask me how I dare.”
Silence was all he heard. Then the sound of acrylic tapping against the desktop, slowly at first, then faster as her agitation grew. Matteo could only continue to smirk and wait. She’d either have someone come in and shoot him, or she’d get over it. He wasn’t afraid she’d shoot him because he knew she’d never shot anyone. She always had someone else come along to do the dirty work for her. Someone like him. Not anymore.
“Fine, Matteo. Fine. But know this, I will not treat that young woman as a member of our family. I will not accept her as anything but what she is - my dead husband’s bastard child.” She remained in the darkness, but he could almost feel the waves of defeated anger coming off of her, even from his place on the couch.
Matteo nodded, gently, but his hair still fell over his forehead. He flicked it away and stood up. “Is that all?”
“No. Trina tells me she’s formed a friendship with the young woman. That she’s… nice. I hope that won’t weaken you in any way?” Celeste leaned forward and her eyes narrowed avidly as she examined his features.
His shoulders blocked the light behind him now, but he could still see her face, the way her lips twisted, and her chin jutted forward in distaste. She wasn’t just angry, she was furious, but also bested. He’d beaten her at her own game for once.
“I’ll be fine, Aunt.” He spoke calmly, his deep voice a vibration that buzzed in the air.
“See that you are.” She leaned forward and he