The Vatican - M.E. Clayton Page 0,42
ground myself before I’ll ever let that happen, baby.”
“Uh…” the sound of someone clearing their throat had me dropping my head in Francisco’s neck.
“We’ll be right there,” Francisco bit out.
No one had access to the foyer, so it could only be Dad, Uncle Luca, or Uncle Ciro. But no matter which one it was, my face flooded with embarrassment at being caught with my legs wrapped around my husband’s waist like we were about to go at it in Uncle Luca’s foyer.
“Sure, no problem,” Uncle Ciro’s voice said. “Take your time, kids.”
“We’ll be right there,” Francisco repeated, and Uncle Ciro took himself off, but not before laughing at us.
Francisco set me back down on my feet, and I just dropped my head in his chest. “I cannot go in there now,” I mumbled.
Francisco’s arms came around my body, and he held me tight. “You’re the only person who can boast of being a Mancini, Fiore, and Benetti, baby,” he teased. “Fearlessness is in your blood.”
He was right.
I looked up at him, and grinned. “Well, then…let’s do this.”
He placed a kiss on my forehead. “Let’s.”
We walked into his parents’ house, hand-in-hand, and it felt good. It felt as if some of the control I lost with my parents taking away my choice in husband was reclaimed by choosing to make the most of it rather than fight against something that I knew, ultimately, I couldn’t win.
We walked in and everyone was in the living room. My parents were seated together on the right side of the couch. Uncle Ciro was standing behind Aunt Robbie, who sat in one of the single chairs. And Uncle Luca was standing near one of the bookshelves, while Aunt Remy sat in the chair closest to the fireplace.
Francisco escorted me to the empty side of the couch, opposite my parents, and he perched himself on the armrest behind me.
The tension was thick enough to feel suffocating.
Francisco was the first to speak. “I called this meeting because I refuse to allow us all to be anything other than the family we’ve always been.” I couldn’t help the pride I felt at how commanding he sounded in a room full of hardened killers. He was speaking as if The Holy Trinity didn’t have the power to snuff him out, and they did. “However,” he continued, “I’m not the one who feels like they were wronged here. I feel like you guys put me in a difficult spot, but I take responsibility for not taking what was mine when I should have.” I felt the tip of his fingers under my chin, and when he tilted my head up to look at him, he looked down at me and said, “I’m sorry, Luca. I should have taken this situation in hand that night.” Even though our mothers didn’t know about the night I killed Trent Hendricks, the men in the room knew what he was referring to.
I just have him a tight nod and, when he let go of my chin, I turned to my mother. She looked composed, but the misery was there in her yellow eyes for anyone who was paying attention to see. And I knew my father was paying attention. “I think I’m mad at you most, Mom,” I told her, and she lifted her chin, ready to take the assault. “You left Dad, Uncle Ciro, and Uncle Luca for six years because they left you out of the loop over something you felt you deserved to know. You felt betrayed enough that you left the man you loved, the only sibling you had, and your very best friend because they didn’t tell you they were becoming official Benetti Family members, even when you knew deep down that’s what they were eventually going to become.” Her eyes watered, but no tears fell. “We all know this story like the back of our hands. And even when they went and got you, you still fought tooth and nail because you were still hurt six years later. After everything you went through, how could you do this to me? How?”
“Because I wasn’t thinking,” she admitted. “Because all I saw was how you and Francisco were special. Because I wanted you to have it all, and I knew he could give it to you when you kids got older. Because I was being selfish.” It was hard to argue with honesty. She didn’t make up excuses or plead for forgiveness. I asked a question, and she answered it