Return of the Queen: He Chose His Mistress Over My Son

sband, the acting Boss of the Romano Syndicate, dismissed the assault as a reflex. His mistr

dea that my father had only lent Franc

detta h

pte

ra

the hall. On his cheek was the livid, blistering print of a hand. My phone showed a message from my husban

with a phosphorescent heat. A band of iron tightened arou

per could have a city block leveled, a predator who had painted the streets of Chicago in blood to secure his t

Don Salvatore, on his deathbed. I was to be the quiet anchor to his storm. I had play

er's "deathbed decree" came with a second, secret clause. I was not just

ormed for four years dissolved into a page of unreadable

mall shoulders shaking with quiet, hiccuping sobs

in three strides and went to my knees before him. My hand

" he said, his voic

tightened in my sto

only wanted to show Daddy my new drawing. The guards at the casino let me go up. But sh

my scalp; the saliva in my mouth seemed to vanish. The casino was o

her do?" I asked, my v

aid, his gaze dropping to his shoes. His lower l

y veins receded, replaced by something ancient and hard.

r and breathing in the scent of his shampoo. I kissed his for

ne, dialing Franco's private line. He answered on

a meeting. You h

on," I stated, the words fl

matic. Leo startled Isabella. It was a reflex. He mus

no Syndicate," I replied. The plastic shell of the telephone

d. "Oh Franco, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.

suppose it was someone else who sent me a message from her telephone five minutes a

placed by a sharp, aud

my tongue to the roof of my mouth for a long second, and when I spoke again, the words had no rise or fall. "She w

re losing your mind, Clara. I am the

My thumb hovered over the screen. I tapped th

ssed

know-what he had never bothered to learn-was that my father had not left him the Syndicate