Page 4 of The Taste of Deceit

“I’m saying Mikey isn’t just a CEO.”

“What else is he then?”

I laugh once.

“You’re not going to believe me.”

“Try me.”

I stare at her for another second. Then I say it.

“He’s the Don of the Amato family.”

Her face goes completely blank.

“What?”

“The Mafia, Sarah.”

Her eyes widen.

“He’s in charge.”

Sarah rises slowly from the bed, staring at me like she’s waiting for me to take it back. When I don’t, she takes a step backward.

“No.”

I swallow.

“Sarah—“

“No.” She shakes her head. “This isn’t real. This doesn’t happen.”

I almost laugh at that. Not because it’s funny, but because I remember thinking the same thing once. Before I was old enough to understand exactly who my family was and what came with the Amato name.

“It is real.”

“Stop saying that.”

There are tears gathering in her eyes now, and somehow that’s worse than the yelling. Worse than the anger. Worse than the threats to leave.

“This is real life, Luca. Not the movies. This can’t be true.”

I know. God, I know. I move toward her and stop when I’m close enough to touch her.

“Look at me.”

“Please tell me this isn’t true,” she whispers.

“I’m so sorry,” is all I can say.

The fight leaves her all at once. She bites the inside of her cheek, nodding like she’s trying to absorb the blow, but a second later her composure shatters. She folds into me with a broken sound, and I wrap my arms around her automatically, holding her against my chest as the first sob works its way free.

Chapter 3

Sarah

Idon’t know why I’m still here. Actually, that’s a lie. I know exactly why I’m still here, which is somehow worse.