The Wife Assignment by Paige Victoria

Author:Paige, Victoria
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-09-26T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Kelly

“This was extremely inconsiderate, Sofia. What if I showed up at your doorstep unannounced?” I put the iced tea pitcher in front of her and poured her a glass. I went through the trouble of preparing a fresh one because I didn’t trust Nana not to dump a container of chlorine into it. Thank goodness the patio had two outdoor dining tables. It was an unspoken understanding that I should keep Sofia away from my grandmother’s table.

Levi handled the drinks for Luca and his bodyguard.

“You’re family. Of course, it’s okay,” she said.

I stared at her dubiously. “Really.”

“I’m not expecting you to feel an attachment to me,” she said. Sofia Moretti was a beautiful woman. She was dressed in a black Chanel suit like a tragic Jackie O., complete with large-framed sunglasses. “But I hoped you’d be closer to Mia.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

“Luca didn’t want her coming along, she’s back at the compound.”

“Figures.” My half-sister was the typical treasured mafia princess.

“She wanted to come,” Sofia added. She glanced wistfully over to where Whitney and Ashley were hanging around the other table with Nana. “They don’t like me. I bet that hag poisoned your children—”

“There are many things I will take from you,” I said. “But never insult Nana or Gramps, or any of the McGraths for being protective of me and mine.”

Sofia’s mouth tightened. She plucked the sunglasses from her face and contemplated the hinges on the stems. “You never understood, did you? Life in the family is different. I explained it to you.”

“That I was an embarrassment? Grandpa Rossi acknowledged me.”

“Emilio is old-school. If I wasn’t his third wife, he wouldn’t have married me because I wasn’t a virgin. You’re a reminder of that.”

“Plus, I’m half-Irish,” I added.

She ignored my sarcasm and continued, “The only way I could ensure no harm would come to you was if there was no communication between us.”

I’d asked Sofia a long time ago if her husband was abusive, and she’d said not physically, only mentally and verbally.

“And Luca? Is he good to you?”

She nodded, finally meeting my eyes. “I breathed a sigh of relief when he took over. He’s overprotective of Mia. I always have to referee between them. But Luca is the boss now, and he’s not making me marry someone else and trusts that Mia will keep me loyal to the Morettis.”

“Conversation seems to be so serious here.” The man in question eased himself into the chair opposite me. “Cillian was telling me about his plan to open a restaurant. He gave me a taste of the ribs and brisket. Good stuff.”

Oh, God, please no. Though I was excited about the barbecue restaurant idea, I did not want my Chicago family involved. “That’s wishful thinking. No one wants to manage a new concept.”

“Besides New York and LA, Chicago is restaurant central, and I know some people who’d be interested.”

“Let’s not discuss this,” I said. “How about telling us the purpose of this visit?”

Alana brought the side dishes to the table.

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