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“I won’t be drinking because someone died and I won’t sit here watching you do it.”
I got up too fast and my chair fell back on the marble floor and the echo followed me while I made my escape into the back yard.
Cristo, I was so angry, I couldn’t breathe, even when I was out in the open. Today was… I gave up a chunk of my heart when I walked out on Salvatore. I left him the day his father died and I needed some empathy. I needed a sign that I did the right thing.
Delfina came running after me.
“Oh, dear.” She whispered. “That’s where you were last night?”
“Don’t ask me that.” I hissed.
“Fine. Your father is expecting you to go back and finish your breakfast.”
“He ruined my appetite.”
Giovani appeared in the doorframe too and he kindly asked Delfina to leave and give us a moment.
“Grazia, are you ok?”
“No. I can’t believe he laughed.”
“I know.” He put his hands in his pockets. “That was pretty weird.”
“It was rude and disrespectful. It’s bad enough that we can’t even say our goodbyes, andBabboacts like that? I thought life should be respected. Isn’t that your code? You kill someone, you respect the life they lived?”
Giovani looked at me with his eyes round, debating if he should answer that. “It’s different in business.”
“It’s still death, only now, it should mean something. Adrian was like family and we shouldn’t laugh because he died after fighting a very painful disease. We shouldn’t laugh at what just happened to Salvatore.”
“I know, you don’t have to claw at me.”
“Well, I have to claw at someone.”
I found a wood bench to sit down on and my brother followed me, but instead of sitting, he started to inspect the rose bushes.
“Is that why you’re so unhinged, Grazia? You worry about him?”
“Adrian?”
“Don’t play stupid with me. I’m talking about Salvatore.DonSalvatore Fiori.”
“Yes, I’m worried. He doesn’t have a mother, he doesn’t have seven brothers, he doesn’t have me, and he just lost his father. I’m worried about a lot of things.”
“There are many things one could say about Salvatore. He is an asshole, he doesn’t know how to lose, he always thinks he has the biggest pair of balls in the room. All of that might get him in trouble now more than ever.” I frowned, trying to figure out what the point of this was. “Buthe is a strong man. I know how Adrian raised him. Salvatore has honor and strength and he will be a greatDon.”
I couldn’t help a shy smile. “Like you. It will be fun to watch you and your two huge egos trying to split this island in half.”
“I’m not theDonyet and I don’t wish to be.” Because that would mean that our father would have to be dead.
“You’re the head of thefamiglia, Giovani. Everyone knows that.” I cleared my throat. “Will you, umm, talk to him? Salvatore, I mean.”
“Why would I do that?”
“It’s tradition. Adrian was part of the Sacra Corona Unita and our family is too. All the Capos are going to go to the funeral. I know you can’t go, but maybe you could send flowers.”
“I… Grazia, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“You should. You should send white daisies. They were Cristina’s favorite.” Adrian used to get the same flowers for me on my birthday.
