A Very Mafia Christmas by Rachel Van Dyken

Author:Rachel Van Dyken [Dyken, Rachel Van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Van Dyken Enterprises INC
Published: 2016-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

Frank

BONES CREAKED IN my hip as I walked through the living room, bypassing the tree where Dante seemed to be making progress with Ella. God knows the boy needed a distraction other than darkness — killing — fighting. My sigh was heavy, my heart heavier, it always was this time of year.

I missed Luca more than I could bear.

And seeing him staring back at me, through Dante’s eyes, oh it reminded me of things, things I’d long forgotten about my brother, my enemy, my friend.

And in the end.

Our savior.

Emotion was a fickle little creature, constantly trying to reach its pesky tentacles into my chest cavity — grabbing ahold of my heart and giving it a little squeeze. But the joke was on it — my heart had not been my own for quite some time.

It was buried.

In the ground.

With a dead wife.

And a dead brother.

She loved us both.

And I often wondered, if that was how our life was meant to be, shared… with each of us taking a small piece of Joyce’s heart and selfishly keeping it as close as humanly possible. Maybe, life, is about grasping the small moments of happiness you’re given, and squeezing tight.

I wiped at the treacherous tear that ran down the side of my face and made my way outside. The chilly Chicago air always did a number on my lungs. I took deep, even breaths and let the memories wash over me.

“You will always love him.” I said. It was the Christmas right after she’d spent the time with him on the ranch. She was sad. I always knew when she was sad, she would get this empty look in her eyes and then she’d touch her hand to her chest, so brief that many wouldn’t even notice anything was different. But I always knew. It was heartache. Plain and simple.

“I think,” Her voice broke. “That I would miss you too.” She frowned, like she was trying to understand her own feelings. “Sometimes, I think I’m cursed to have a soul mate — and my best friend — at the same time.”

“Oh Joyce,” I pulled her into my arms. “I wish I could take that pain away. I wish for so many things — a time machine being at the top of that list.”

She looked up at me with her swollen lips and easy smile. “A time machine wouldn’t fix this, Frank.”

“No?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. “I would have pushed you into his arms, and never looked back. I would have sent you away. I would have told the Nicolasi family to go to hell, and you’d be happy, with Luca by your side.”

“Foolish man.” She gripped me by the collar of my shirt. “What makes you believe I could ever be happy without you too?”

“How very selfish of you.” My voice cracked, that pesky emotion called love snaked around my heart, grabbing hold, refusing to let go. “To want both brothers.”

“That, I do blame you for.” She shuddered. “I thought he was dead, so I clung to you with everything I had.

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