My jaw dropped, and outrage on Sofia’s behalf blasted through me. “I would have shaved all my sister’s hair if she did that to me. Then added permanent marker to her face in the form of a mustache.”
“Yeah, well. My parents put a stop to it because things had gone too far. Nico was grounded, but so were we. It was a pretty awful two weeks. Mom made us do everything together, rotating through things each of us liked. If anyone complained, a day was added and filled with the thing we complained about. It was brutal. Sof was into this fashion video game… I wasn’t. Pure hell, let me tell you.”
“Oh, poor you.” I snickered. “But I bet she was devastated about her hair.”
“She was. Sof rarely cries. If someone outside of our family makes her, they pretty much fear for their lives. It’s probably only happened once. That night, she stayed in my room and bawled for hours.”
“I don’t think I would react well to that either. But at least Sofia probably looked beautiful, shorter hair or not.”
Trey furrowed his brows. “Hailey, have you not looked into a mirror?”
“I try not to.” I rolled my eyes, uncomfortable with the focus shifted to me.
“You’re gorgeous. How do you not know that?”
“Thank you.” Heat climbed into my cheeks, and I took a hasty sip of my wine. “Was it always Sofia against the three of you?”
“No. A lot of times, Sof and I were a team. She always had my back, and if I needed to talk to someone, nine times out of ten, I would go to her instead of our brothers.”
I liked their dynamic, but it made me miss Kasey even more. “Did you have many friends outside your family?” I honestly didn’t know how the Mafia worked.
“Of course. But it was easier with the others—Enzo and the rest of the guys. We were all around the same age and spent so much time together. Friendships with people not in the Mafia could be dangerous—to them.”
Sensing he was done with that line of talk—it probably reminded him of those he had lost, like Teresa—I shared more of my experience at MIT, including the messy breakup, and he seemed genuinely interested in my experiences.
After dinner, we ordered to-go cocktails and strolled along the beach. The night was magical. I felt at ease with Trey and capable of talking about anything, and I got the impression that he did too. His phone rang, and I waved away his apology. He was a doctor and in the Mafia, and even though he was off, I could imagine there would always be important calls he’d have to take. Oddly enough, I was okay with it.
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close as he laughed at whatever the other person said. I had been more content in those six hours than I had been since my sister died. I never wanted the day to end.
Trey
Ihung up with Vincenzo, chuckling. The water lapped at the shore in a soothing repetition, and I looped my arm around Hailey’s waist, resuming our walk along the beach. Stars twinkled overhead, growing brighter the farther we got from the seaside restaurant.
“What was that about?” She matched my pace, tilting her head to meet my gaze.
“I sent a friend of the family, Katherine Armond, to stay with Vincenzo, Lil’s grandfather, in Italy so she can receive specialized medical treatment. He was calling to update me on the demands Katherine has made.”
“I take it she’s a handful.”
“And then some.” I laughed again, imagining the uproar she was creating in his life. He needed some shaking up. “She’s amazing. He’s annoyed because she’s barged into his room on more than one occasion and demanded that they go for a drive.”
“Shouldn’t he be doing those things, anyway, if she’s his guest?”
“Yes and no. He’s Vincenzo Brambilla, Italian royalty.” I grinned at her. “She threw out his cigars.”
“Oh.”
“He doesn’t know what to do. I wish I could’ve seen her in action. My mom’s been texting me updates me here and there. From what she’s said, there’s something brewing between them.”
“You mean they’re interested in each other?”
“Yeah, but he’s fighting it every step of the way.”
Hailey kicked at the water as it rushed over her foot. “Sounds like that would egg her on even more.”
“I think he’s met his match. From what I understand, his wife was a gentle, quiet woman. She loved him fiercely but never opposed him. And Katherine—”
“Doesn’t have a complacent bone in her body?”