Kiss de La Notte - Book III (Mafia Romance)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Timber

Lucius didn't even look unphased by her jab as he returned from the coat closet. "I have to let you shine as always, sorella." He seemed restless, his fist tightening and opening a few times as he leaned from one foot to the other. "Where's the rest of the family?"

"You were late. They went to brunch without you." I noticed she hadn't even looked in my direction yet, let alone acknowledged my existence. Rude.

Lucius slid up the sleeve of his jacket to check his watch. "We're only fifteen minutes late."

Carmine shrugged a dainty shoulder. "I tried to get Dad to come around, but you know how is with punctuality. Caused a fight with Mom and everything." She waved a polished hand in the air like it was old news. "The whole thing gave me an awful headache, so I'm lying-in bed resting while they're out." The way she raised her wine glass with a smile implied said headache had been a blatant lie.

Lucius did not seem pleased by this at all. "You let the twins to go out to brunch with them while they were fighting?"

"The boys could have found a way to get out of it. Survival of the fittest, am I right?"

Geez. They were teenagers and I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not.

"You should have gone with them, Carmine," Lucius growled.

"Don't be mad at me. I'm not the one who put a timer on you getting here when he knew your little lover girl hoe was tagging along."

Waiting for Lucius to defend me had been a lost cause. He just shrugged of his jacket to hang up. What the fuck?

I stepped forward. "I'm not his lover girl hoe. I'm his girlfriend, bitch."

Admittedly, the last word slipped out before I could stop it, but she deserved it.

"Whatever, puttana." Carmine was already heading back up the stairs with her wine glass. "Better start scripting what you'll say to Dad, you two are off to a rough start so far." Over her shoulder, she added, "Oh, and we need more wood for the fireplace, so maybe get on that, Lucy."

I'd never felt so much rage toward someone in such a short amount of time. I hated how she looked down at me and I hated her snobby tone.

"Korinna, come," Lucius said, his back to me as he started down a hallway.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I reluctantly followed Lucius. What was I a freaking dog? I pinned my lips together, now wanting to cause an argument where it didn't need to be.

The moment I closed the bedroom door behind me, Lucius threw our bags like they were feathers across the room, the loud thumps startling me.

"Eravamo in ritardo di quindici minuti!" We were fifteen minutes late! "The rest of this evening needs to go perfectly. I can't progress things with us if things are tense in my family."

It sounds like things are always tense in your family. The insensitive words almost slipped out before I could stop them.

Lucius was back and forth now. "What did I tell you about my sister?" he demanded. "You're not supposed to instigate her like that. Are you out of your mind, or just trying to sabotage this?"

"The person trying to sabotage this is you by letting your sister talk to your girlfriend like that," I hissed back.

But my words fell on deaf ears. Lucius seemed to already tap out of the conversation and had taken out a pair of dark brown Timberlands from his bag.

"You're afraid to stand up to her," I said. "She called me a whore and you didn't even flinch."

"She's not attacking you, she's attacking me," Lucius explained.