I stared at my sister incredulously. “I’m not an idiot. I know my own feelings.”

Aria took my hand. “Please don’t be mad, Lily. I only want to protect you.”

Everyone always said they wanted to protect me. I wondered from what. Life?

***

Two days later, Aria, Gianna, Matteo, Romero and Luca left for New York. I wasn’t sure when I’d see them again. Aria had asked Father if I could visit them for a couple of weeks in the summer but he’d refused with a not so veiled look in Gianna’s direction. I’d put on a brave face, told them I’d be busy spending time with my friends and taking care of Fabi. Romero hadn’t even hugged me goodbye, and he and I never got the chance for a private talk. Maybe it was for the best that I couldn’t ask him about the kiss.

Aria called the same evening, trying to make sure I was really okay. I wasn’t but I didn’t tell her.

Instead I learned to go through the motions, trying to pretend things were going well. But my friends were either on vacation or busy with family matters, and I spent my days alone in our house with only the maid and my ancient bodyguard for company. Father and Fabi were gone almost all the time, and when they returned they shared new secrets they couldn’t talk to me about, and even in their presence I felt alone. The loneliness you felt when you were surrounded by people was the worst kind.

I often spent hours sitting in the chair next to the bed where mother died, thinking about her last words and wondering how I was supposed to keep my promise. Father didn’t allow me to go to college, didn’t allow me to visit New York, didn’t want me to party with my friends. All I could do was wait for something to happen, for life to happen. Maybe if Mother hadn’t died Father would have spent the summer introducing me to potential husbands and I would have a wedding to plan in the near future. Even that seemed preferable to the way my life unfolded now, without anything to look forward to.

Romero

Luca, Matteo and I played cards when Aria’s cellphone rang. She sat on the sofa with Gianna, drinking wine and laughing.

The moment Aria started talking I knew something was wrong. Luca put his cards down as well.

“Why didn’t you call before? You should have send her with us right away!”

Luca got up.

“You can talk to me, too,” Aria said, then she glanced toward Luca. “My Father wants to talk to you.” She held out the phone for him and Luca took it with a worried glance at his wife.

Gianna crossed the room toward her sister. “What’s going on?”

I had a bad feeling.

“Lily’s passed out today. Apparently she hasn’t been eating much since the funeral.”

I rose from my chair. “Is she alright?”

Aria nodded. “Physically, yes. Father called a doctor and he said she needs to eat and drink more. But it’s more than that. From what Father said Lily’s been alone almost the entire time since we left. Nobody took care of her. I can’t believe I let Father talk me into leaving her there. I should have taken her to New York with me right away.”

“By my honor, no harm will come to Liliana when she’s here. She’ll be well protected. I will make sure of that,” Luca said. Then he listened to whatever Scuderi had to say on the other end. “I’m aware of that. Believe me, Liliana will be just as safe as she’s in Chicago.” He listened again and then he hung up.

Aria rushed toward him. “And? Will he allow her to come here?”

Luca smiled tightly. “He agreed to let her spend the entire summer here, maybe even beyond that. He seemed really worried about her.”

“Really? That’s great!” Aria said, beaming.

“I doubt he’s doing it because he’s worried but who cares as long as he allows her to stay with us,” Gianna said.

“When will she arrive?” I asked, trying to sound casual, as if I was merely a concerned soldier making sure he could fulfill his bodyguard duties.

Luca’s expression made it clear he didn’t buy it for one second but Aria was too wrapped up in her euphoria to pay attention. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

“She’ll be staying in our apartment, right?” Aria asked.

Luca nodded. “I told your father I’d personally make sure that she’d be safe.”

“You mean that she doesn’t go around having fun or god forbid sully her purity,” Gianna muttered.

“Yes, that,” Luca said matter-of-factly. “And since war with the Outfit might be the outcome if I don’t keep my promise I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she has only very limited fun.” Again his eyes found me and I had to suppress a curse. He didn’t even know about the kiss Lily and I had shared in the graveyard. I wondered how much worse it would be if he actually knew.

“We could spend the summer in the Hamptons. It’s too hot and stuffy in the city and we’re using the mansion not often enough anyway.” Aria touched Luca’s forearm and fixed him with one of her looks that always got him. “Please, Luca? I don’t want Lily to be stuck in the apartment. In the Hamptons we can lie at the pool and swim in the ocean and take trips with our boat.”

“Okay, okay,” Luca said with a resigned look. “But Matteo and I can’t stay with you the entire time. We have a lot to deal with at the moment. Romero and Sandro will have to keep you safe while we’re gone.”

Aria chanced a glance in my direction. She probably wondered if it was a good idea to have me around her sister, and to be honest I wondered the same thing.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Liliana

I hadn’t even realized how much I’d neglected myself in the last two weeks since Mother’s funeral. I hadn’t been hungry and rarely thirsty, so I hadn’t eaten much.

Of course, I was happy that my fainting had changed Father’s mind. Sending me to New York was the greatest gift he could have given me. In the last two weeks I’d wanted nothing more than to be finally out of this house.

When I landed in New York, Aria and Luca were waiting for me. After a brief moment of disappointment that Romero wasn’t there, I allowed myself to be happy that I was here at all. Aria hugged me tightly. When she pulled back, her eyes wandered over my body. “How could Father not have noticed something before. God, you’ve lost so much weight, Lily.”

“It’s only a few pounds and I’ll gain it back in no time,” I said with a smile.

“You better,” Luca said, giving me a one-arm hug. “I will have you force-fed if necessary. I promised your father to take good care of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even understand why Father cares. He hardly paid attention to me and now he’s suddenly worried sick over me? What is that all about?”

A look of worry passed Aria’s face and I was about to ask her about it, when Luca nudged me and her toward the exit. “Let’s get going. I hate this place.”

“So what are we going to do today?” I asked as we headed toward the car. After weeks of doing nothing, of feeling nothing, I needed to get out, needed to feel alive again.

“Nothing,” Aria said apologetically.

My face fell and Aria hurried to add, “But only because we’re leaving for the Hamptons early in the morning. We’ll be spending the summer at the beach.”