Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
The beauty in a silk, navy-blue number with draping shoulders and a lowcut front that clung to a body to die for, gave the little girl her attention. “I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll find him soon.”
“Right here,” came a quiet call.
All heads swung in the direction of the voice. Nico’s raised finger, as if that was the thing that somehow called out to his little sister, only dropped when Carmen found where he waited. Off to the side, alone. His cigarette had disappeared.
“Hey, you,” he told her, smiling for the first time since the cars pulled up.
“Nico!”
The squeal echoed.
Those shoes of hers made no difference to the way she beat pavement to get to him. If he took a step before his knee had to meet the ground to bend down and catch her, Frankie would be surprised. She bear-hugged him as Nico stood up and then bent over at the waist, bending in half to hug his sister back. Fast, quiet words passed between the two.
So much, it was hard to catch.
“...missed you, missed you so much...”
“...are you happy, are you okay...”
“...love you.”
“...love you so much, Nico.”
It was only movement at the two vehicles which drew Frankie’s attention away from a moment she knew meant so much to him. Two men exited from the second vehicle, their doors closed by the black suits who’d exited the front.
More interestingly, Vanna closed the distance beside her husband. Her gaze caught his while her hand came up to lay overtop where his collar met his throat. He nodded to whatever she said, as if without question, and then patted her ass with a nod in the direction of the house.
Neither said anything to the siblings, still catching up. Although now, Carmen held three of her brother’s fingers as she pulled him toward a patch of blue hydrangea flowers.
“Did you know PH changes their colors?” she told him.
He shook his head. “Where’d you learn that?”
“Mama. We planted a bunch this summer.”
Nico glanced back then, at the same time Vanna peeked over her shoulder next to her husband. It was only when he also had to meet his father’s stare did the happiness in his face start to bleed away.
Giorgio nodded at his son.
Nico did not return it. He went right back to Carmen instead.
Frankie had to remind herself to plaster that smile back on as the Russos climbed the steps to meet them.
“Happy birthday,” Vanna greeted her first.
“Yes, a big number, eighteen,” the boss agreed. “And a high school graduate now, as well. You’re growing right up, sweetheart.”
He spoke to Frankie, but his attention remained on Carina as the first person he intended to greet. He leaned in, not her. She put a hand up against his chest, stopping him from moving further than she allowed. Against air, as she did not move an inch to let him touch her, Carina turned her cheek to the side for a kiss that never made its target.
“Beautiful, as always,” Giorgio praised Carina, and his gaze swung on Frankie. “Both of them, Sal. You’re doing quite well for yourself.”
“Come,” Salvatore spoke up, drawing in Giorgio’s attention with a tight smile, “I have your favorite cognac poured.”
Giorgio made an approving grunt. “You do know how to treat me.”
“Don’t we all?” came the barely-there statement from someone Frankie had not expected.
The wind practically took it away the moment she said it.
Vanna.
She’d said it flippantly at her husband’s back after he’d moved a couple of stairs higher. He didn’t hear, continuing away.
As fast as it happened, Vanna moved on. To Carina.
She leaned in, and Carina moved inward, just the opposite way. Frankie took in the two women, watching Vanna’s profile against her stepmother’s cheek. Her lips moved, forming words said so quietly that Frankie strained to hear. She did make out their greetings but more became lost in the breeze.
“Seriously?” Vanna asked slightly louder, her eyes glittering.
Carina nodded.
Vanna’s hand came up fast, squeezing Carina’s side and she kissed her before pulling away. A kiss that landed somewhere beneath Carina’s ear, at her throat.
“Don’t tell him; for as long as you can,” Vanna said.
“I know.”
Neither woman looked at the other as they parted. Frankie wouldn’t realize it until much later, but that was the only time that she saw Vanna and Carina together that evening.
She became distracted by the two men climbing the steps now while Vanna hurried to catch up with her husband in heels that would make the devil’s mouth water.
Well, she did sleep beside one. Maybe that was the point.
“Happy belated eighteenth,” a man she didn’t recognize said, his stride slowing as he passed both Frankie and Carina on the steps.
“And congrats on ditching high school,” Marco Russo, walking alongside the stranger, added with a wink.
The total opposite from his brother, he wore a similar suit, all black from top to bottom, and that was one thing that looked the same. Dark eyes raked her over. The hand that held two gift bags had been painted by so many tattoos she couldn’t tell one from the other. The ink climbed over from under the throat of his dress shirt and stopped where the ridge of his jaw met his handsomely cold face.