the amount of stress Stephani’s put him through the past few weeks, he probably won’t be speaking to her again for a while.”
“He’ll be reasonable. I’m only going to tease him a little,” Sandro’s mother replied, and she grinned.
The doorbell rang, and Sandro’s father headed for the door with his youngest son in tow. “Be nice to your brother, you brats.”
Sandro’s brothers grinned.
I suspected I understood why Sandro fled to other quadrants, using my bounty as an excuse to do so. Maybe he’d somehow dodged inheriting his parents’ insanity.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Sandro stated, and I grinned at the resignation in his voice.
“Your fox is in the living room, but if you want her, you’ll have to negotiate with your mother. Your mother’s in a mood, your fox is tired but fine, so don’t you be creating a fuss. Also, I resent how well you did the paperwork for your fox, as it has cost me four million dollars. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“Well, I am now,” Sandro replied. “Also, my fox?”
“You’re the only son I’ve got who doesn’t return home when he should, requiring his sad and lonely mother to lure him back where he belongs. Get your ass in the living room, settle down, say hello to your mother, and prepare to beg. Otherwise, your fox is your mother’s fox, and she likes your fox more than she likes you right now.”
Did Sandro’s parents love or hate him? In a way, I envied everything about their relationship. I could see my parents tossing ten grand out to drag me back in chains without a care of what happened to me on the way, but only if they needed me for something. Like selling me off to garner favor with the rich or influential.
And if they had issued the first bounty, it would have opened all sorts of other doors—like the Morettis playing a game of one-upmanship to issue a bigger, badder bounty to override theirs.
“Dad,” Sandro complained.
“Why are you whining? Your fox is fine. She’s tired, but she’s fine. The docs have already seen her, and while she’s been through a lot, she’s healing well. That said, she’s best off in the East for now. She wouldn’t have lasted a week in the Alley.”
“I’m aware.”
“I know you’re aware. That’s why you cherry-picked the bounty hunter who brought her here. Of course, we didn’t realize it was you at the time, and your fox snitched because she’s smart and wanted to put herself in a better position, which she has. You picked the bounty hunter with a good reputation and a tendency to be kind to her female targets.” Sandro’s father came into the living room. “Close and lock the door behind you. We’re having roast tonight, and your fox wants pizza tomorrow.”
“Few places have pizza in Tulsa,” Sandro stated, and he followed his father into the room. “They’re being careful with the staples now, and pizza needs too many ingredients that are harder to acquire.”
Milk and cheese topped the list of hard-to-acquire ingredients, and I wondered if I’d even be able to eat it without getting sick. I decided not to worry about it, instead turning my attention back to Sandro, who wore a suit a little too well for my comfort.
My fox settled in to enjoy the scenery.
I needed to make sure nobody found out my fox was more than ready to roll over for the bounty hunter, especially him.
With his hands shoved into his pants pockets, Sandro regarded his family with open suspicion, and when his attention landed on me, he sighed.
I waved.
“Are you all right, Jade?”
“I’m not doing too badly. I’m holding minimal hope I’m over the infections this time. I got to spend an entire week sleeping and reading, and while being shot is an experience I’d rather not repeat, the painkillers here are a lot better than in the Alley. I definitely appreciate being alive right now, but I’ve determined you come from a crazy rich family. Your mother seems to believe if she didn’t haul me here, you would never visit her.”
Sandro heaved another sigh. “Mother.”
“What part of that isn’t true?” she challenged.
“All of it is true, which is why I’m complaining. You spent how much on this stunt?”
“A million and a half to her, a million and a half to you, and the auction house fee, the charity contribution, taxes, and some other stuff I decided to buy. You know that because your bounty hunter account was