Karma’s gaze widens. She seems speechless for a second, then a smile curves her lips. "Older men, eh? There’s something so appealing, so intriguing, so enticing about them, hmm?" She adjusts the pillow behind her back. "Michael is twenty years older than me. Did you know that?"
I shake my head. "I could tell he was in his late thirties or early forties, but no, I hadn’t thought about the age gap between the two of you."
"Well, he is. Also, he kidnapped me."
I blink. "He what?"
She nods. "Kidnapped me. He pointed a gun at me, and I thought for sure he was going to shoot me—"
"But he didn’t," I murmur.
"Instead, he pushed me into the boot of a car, then climbed in after me."
"He didn’t." I shake my head. Michael Sovrano, that tall, massive Don climbed into the trunk after her? "It must’ve been a tight squeeze."
Her eyes gleam. "You have no idea."
"Then he married you?"
"To pay a debt our father owed him."
I glance in Summer’s direction and find her features wearing a slightly stricken expression. "I’ll never get used to you talking about this. After our father revealed who was after him, I should have insisted that you move in with me and Sinclair after we got married."
Karma snorts. "And be the third wheel? I don’t think so. And Sinclair did have security on me. It’s my fault that I gave them the slip and went on the run that day. I don’t regret it, though. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met Michael." Her eyes go all dewy. "I love him, Summer. I do. And it’s not his fault I didn’t come to visit, or update you on what was happening. That’s completely on me."
Summer searches her features. "When I found out I was pregnant, you were the first person I wanted to tell. But you were gone. Thank God for the Sisterhood of the Seven, or else I’d have been so lonely."
"Sisterhood of the Seven?" I furrow my brow.
"That’s our informal name for the wives and girlfriends of the Seven." Summer smiles, more than a touch of wickedness on her features. "Each of us is more than a match for our men. Put us in one room, and the Seven get worried."
With good cause, no doubt. I haven’t met the rest of the Seven, nor their wives, but if the sisters are anything to go by… I have no doubt they’re each a handful, and together have the kind of energy that could cause revolutions.
"You need to meet the wives of the other Sovranos, too. They’ve been my de facto family the last few months. They were my strength when I lost my child. Even Michael’s brothers. And Xander, the youngest of the Sovranos who passed away… He was my best friend." She sniffles.
"Oh, honey." Summer joins us on the sofa. She wraps her arms around Karma. "I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I wish you’d called me. I’d have been there on the next flight."
"I knew you would, and maybe that’s why I didn’t call."
Summer leans back. "What do you mean?"
"It’s just… It felt like I was too close to you. You knew me as your younger sister who you had to be responsible for while growing up. Whereas, I was now the wife of the Don. And with that, I had responsibilities." She coughs, then reaches over and sips from her glass of water. "My position was something I wasn’t sure you’d comprehend."
That’s something I understand. After all, it’s a very similar reason that has me holding back from speaking with my family.
"Let me get this right," Summer says slowly. "You didn’t call me because you thought I was too close to the situation?"
"I knew you’d want what was best for me, but I had to think about what was best for the family. The other women? They only know me as Michael’s woman. The one who’s responsible for the future of his family. They" —she places the glass of water back on the table— "they got why I did what I did…" She hunches her shoulders. "Or didn’t do."
Summer searches her sister’s features, then gasps. "You didn’t tell him."
Karma rises to her feet and walks away.
Summer pushes up to standing, and follows her. "Oh, my god, Karma! You didn’t tell Michael about your heart condition, did you?
Heart condition. What heart condition?
Karma turns. She coughs again. Is her color paler than it was? Surely not.