I grimace and look away. Elise is the last person in the entire world that I want to see right now. I thought she wasn’t home—the house had been so peaceful lately with her in Italy.
And yet my father’s second wife is here, standing in my room, now of all times.
When normally she’d ignore me and pretend like I’m nothing more than a member of the house staff.
“Sweetie,” she says, rushing forward. “What happened?”
“Elise,” I say, blinking away tears. I won’t cry in front of this woman. She’s in her mid-thirties, much younger than Papa, with fake blonde hair, fake eyelashes, fake boobs, and fake fingernails. Everything about her is manicured and Instagram-ready, like she’s always waiting for the cameras to start.
I’ve disliked her for a long time—ever since she married Papa only months after the attack that took my mother’s life.
“Oh, you look so awful.” She stares at me as she lingers next to my bed like I’m contagious.
“I thought you were still in Italy.”
“I got home an hour ago. Casso told me you weren’t feeling well, but this?” She stands there and doesn’t move.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’re lying. That’s not nothing. Someone did that to you and they did it recently.” Her face hardens. “Who did it, Karah?”
I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine explaining to Elise that the man I thought I would marry in place of that Russian out in Texas tried to rape me and strangled me during it.
I can’t find the words, and only shake my head, my jaw working as I fight back the tears.
“I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
She softens slightly and sits at the edge of the bed. She’s wearing designer yoga pants and a tight workout top that shows off her extremely big boobs, and her posture is immaculate. She keeps herself away from me—but her face softens a touch.
“Did your father do this?”
I reel back like she slapped me. “What are you talking about?”
“Your father. Did he do this?”
“No, Elise, god, no. He didn’t touch me.”
Her lips tug down and she leans closer. A strange fire burns in her eyes and that dream gnaws at my guts. “You can tell me, Karah. Tell me the truth.”
“I told you already. It wasn’t Papa, it was Rinaldo.”
She lets out a sharp breath and pulls back. “That soldier? The young, handsome one?”
I’m not surprised she knows who he is. Elise isn’t involved in Papa’s day-to-day operations, but she seems to know every handsome soldier in the Famiglia.
“He’s a monster.” I stare at the blankets and want this conversation to be over more than I’ve ever wanted anything in the world.
“All the men around here are monsters, sweetie. I’m surprised you’re only just figuring that out now.”
I glance at her and there’s a distance to her gaze I’ve never seen before. The Elise I know is a petty, selfish, shallow woman that cares more about the perfect party than she does about her family. I don’t know what Papa sees in her or why he keeps her around—they barely spend any time together, only when it’s absolutely necessary.
And yet she’s still his wife, whether I like it or not.
“I guess I had to figure it out the hard way.”
Her face is tense as she pats my knee. “I’m sorry this happened to you. If it’s any consolation, I’m sure your brothers will hunt him down and kill him. Pity though, he is a handsome boy.”
I brush her away. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“It never does, but you know boys and their violence.” She rolls her eyes and stands. Her collagen-filled lips press together as she studies me. “You need a makeover, sweetie. Nothing’s better for the spirit than to look beautiful.”
“The last thing I want in the world right now is a makeover.”
“Think about it. I’d be happy to take you to my people. They’ll fix all that—” She waves a hand at me. “Well, you know.”
“Thanks for your advice, Elise, but I’ll pass.”
“Your loss.” She walks toward the door but stops and looks back. There’s something haunted in her eyes as she tilts her head to the side. “And sweetie, about what I said? About your father?”
“Yes?”
“Keep that between us, okay?”
I let out a breath. Anything to make her go away. “Sure, whatever.”
She nods as someone else knocks at the door. I lean back against the pillows. I’m not getting any more respite now that my whole family knows about what happened.
The door opens and Gavino comes inside. He frowns at me and outright glares at Elise.
He likes her about as much as I do.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
“Speaking to my stepdaughter. Nice to see you as well, stepson.”
“God, Elise, you’re a nightmare.”
“Fuck off, little moth.” She flicks her fingers at him as she struts out of the room.