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Chapter 8
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Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 10
On Christmas, the family hosted a dinner party at the estate.The center of the long table was covered with flowers and holly, and a fire roared in the fireplace.Light snow fell outside the window, and the distant hills had turned gray-white in the dusk.After dinner, Matteo brought out a deck of cards.I hadn't touched a deck in years.Matteo held it out to me. "Do you know how to play?"I smiled. "A little."Five of us sat around the table.No one had decided in advance who would win, and no one deliberately played a card they knew I could beat just because I was the Don's daughter.In the first hand, I made one mistake, and the underboss blocked me with a higher card.He grinned, pleased with himself. "At work, I answer to you. At the card table? Not a chance."The others joined in and teased me.I laughed, too.So this was how a card game was supposed to feel. If I lost, no one called me dramatic. If I won, I didn't have to thank anyone for handing it to me.In the last hand, I wa
Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 9
Three years later, I was running the family's overseas operations.My first deal in that role was in the city where I'd spent more than 20 years of my life.Matteo was going to handle it for me, but I took the files from him. "I'll go myself."Matteo nodded. "Then I'm coming with you."The negotiations went smoothly.As we left the building, one of my men told me, "Ms. Caruso, that white cat you used to have is at a pet boarding facility."I stopped. "Go get her."The boarding facility was tiny. Luna was in a cage at the very back.She had grown much thinner, and her coat had lost its luster. At the sound of the door, she gave only a listless glance.That changed when I crouched in front of her cage.She got to her feet, walked to the door, and rubbed her head against the bars again and again.I lifted Luna out.She was lighter than I remembered. She curled up in my arms, her claws hooked tightly into my sleeve as if she were afraid I'd set her down again.Matteo stroked her fur. "She
Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 8
After Damon returned home, the four of them had a bitter falling-out.Leo contacted me first. He sent me a recording.Damon had used his private intelligence network to investigate Vera's communications over the previous six months. He found a recording of a call between Vera and her best friend.In the recording, Vera sounded nasty and spiteful."Those 13 shots of vodka? I set that up on purpose. Isn't Eva the one who can handle anything? I wanted to see how long she could keep taking it!"And the cat? I knew she was wary of strangers. I wanted to stress her out. I wanted her to scratch me. Those three guys fall for it every time. All I have to do is shed a few tears, and they believe me without question."The recording cut off there.I wasn't surprised. Vera really did love being the favorite.She had played them perfectly. All it took was a few tears, and the three men did whatever she wanted.But in the end, they were the ones who forced those 13 shots on me.They were also the o
Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 7
A month later, Damon showed up outside the estate.He stood at the foot of the stone steps, his hair a mess and his eyes bloodshot.When he saw me come out, he rushed forward and grabbed my wrist. "Why didn't you answer my email?""There was nothing in it that needed a response."His expression shifted. He pulled a box out of his bag.Inside was a brand-new deck of cards."Before you left, didn't Allen tell you to get a new deck? I bought one."I looked at the deck, still sealed in plastic. "So?""Let's play again." Desperation filled Damon's eyes. "This time, we won't throw the game for Vera or team up against you. You can play however you want and win as many hands as you want. Just don't leave me."It all seemed ridiculous.He thought one new game could erase every choice they'd ever made.But this had never been about a few card games. They'd left me alone when I was in pain. They'd given away my cat without my consent. Again and again, all three of them had decided that Vera deser
Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 6
On my second day back with the family, my father called me into his study.On his desk were three transfer agreements, each for a different territory.Beside them sat a family ring and a pistol custom-made for me.My father said, "These are the three territories the family's negotiating for right now. Eva, which one do you want to take over?"My hand went still for a moment.Which one did I want?In my entire life, I couldn't remember anyone ever asking me that.Back in our group of five, my place had always been decided for me.My stomach medicine. Luna, who I'd raised. My time. My plans for the future.They never thought they had to ask me first.They were sure I'd never leave, so they decided everything for me.The moment I stopped going along with them, I became selfish, cold, and ungrateful.My father saw me hesitate and slid the pistol toward me. "This is power, not obligation."Matteo stood beside me. "Choose whichever one you want. If you close the deal, it's yours. If you don'
Beneath the Last Card Lay My Ticket to Sicily Chapter 5
When the plane touched down in Sicily, a cold rain was falling outside the window.As soon as I turned on my phone, Damon called.When I answered, he didn't ask if I'd landed safely. He didn't ask about the weather."Why didn't you tell us you found your birth parents?" His voice was low and urgent, barely hiding his anger.I wheeled my suitcase toward the exit. "I didn't hide it. You just never asked."The line went quiet for a moment.Then Allen grabbed the phone, sounding impatient. "So we didn't ask. Couldn't you have told us?"You found your birth parents and took off without a word. Did you ever think about us?"Do you even think of me as your brother anymore? Or of them as your friends?"I tightened my grip on the phone and forced myself to stay calm. "If I'd told you, would you have listened?"That night, after 13 shots of vodka, my stomach felt like it was on fire.Even after I'd drunk every one, not one of them asked what my good news was.Allen shot back, "How would you know
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