Chapter 3
Massimo asked one question.
“Who?”
Nobody answered.
Christmas music still played softly somewhere beyond the ballroom doors.
Piano.
Bells.
A woman's voice singing about peace.
It felt obscene.
My father placed the broken tag on the table.
“One of you showed Grant the passage.”
Grant laughed.
“You have no proof I've ever been near it.”
Josephine tugged my hand.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
She pointed at the reindeer.
“Daddy took black thing.”
Every adult in the room looked at her.
“What black thing?” Massimo asked.
Josephine made a small rectangle with her fingers.
“This big.”
“When?”
“Before people came.”
Grant's face changed.
Barely.
Enough.
Massimo stepped toward him.
“What did you remove?”
“Nothing.”
Josephine shook her head.
“Yes.”
Grant looked at her.
Not angrily.
Worse.
Warning.
I knew that look.
I had spent eight months learning it.
Josephine had too.
She immediately moved behind me.
My father saw that.
His expression hardened.
“So that's what she does.”
Grant frowned.
“What?”
“She watches your face before you hurt someone.”
Nobody spoke.
I rolled my sleeve up.
This time deliberately.
Grant's eyes widened.
“Isabella.”
“February.”
I pointed to my wrist.
“You broke this because I couldn't remember where Mom kept old boxes.”
Massimo went completely still.
“April.”
Another bruise.
“You shoved me into a wall because I didn't know whether the chapel had a basement.”
“Stop.”
“June.”
My voice shook.
But I kept going.
“You put your hand around my throat because I couldn't tell you what Dad kept below the east wing.”
Grant stepped toward me.
“You don't know what you're saying.”
“I know exactly what I'm saying.”
Robert cut in.
“My son has a temper.”
I turned on him.
“You knew.”
His expression remained calm.
“I knew you had marriage problems.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You always came afterward.”
Silence.
“When he broke the bathroom mirror, you sent flowers.”
Robert's face tightened.
“When he locked me in the bedroom, you told me marriage required patience.”
Grant whispered:
“Dad.”
Robert ignored him.
“You were emotional.”
I laughed.
“That's what Grant says.”
Josephine looked at Robert.
“Grandpa Robert says Mommy needs lessons.”
The room went cold.
Massimo turned slowly toward him.
Robert finally looked nervous.
My father didn't shout.
That would have been easier.
Instead, he looked toward Vincent Moretti.
One of his oldest capos.
“Check the east chapel.”
Vincent hesitated.
Half a second.
Maybe less.
Grant looked directly at him.
That was enough.
Massimo smiled.
“Interesting.”
Vincent straightened.
“I was waiting for instructions.”
“You have them.”
He left with six men.
My father watched him go.
Then Josephine tugged my hand again.
“The black thing.”
I crouched.
“What about it?”
“Uncle Vincent gave it to Daddy.”
Grant closed his eyes.
I stared at him.
May you like
Massimo didn't move.
And somehow that was more frightening than anything he'd done all evening.
