Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
W hen I walk into the dining room for breakfast, all talk stops and all eyes turn to me. “What?” I ask in Russian.
“Nothing. Good morning, printsessa,” Papa says.
“ Bell , come sit. You need to eat. You’re too thin,” Nonna tells me.
“I’m only eating ?cause I’m hungry,” I reply to my grandmother before kissing her cheek. Even as I sit, I can still feel everyone’s attention on me. “Okay, what’s going on? Did someone die?”
“Not yet.” Lex chuckles in that evil I’m going to take over the world way he does.
“Invite Tommy over for dinner tonight, Mabilia. I need to meet him,” Mom says. She picks up my plate and fills it with food. And that’s when I know that whatever is going on, it has to do with Tommy.
I look straight at my father and then my grandfather. “If either of you did something to him, I will never forgive you.”
“He’s fine. For now,” Papa says.
“What did you do?” I ask him.
“Nothing. We went to a poker game,” Nonno tells me.
I groan out loud as I pull my phone out of my pocket and send Tommy a text. I can’t believe they did this. I have no doubt they went there to intimidate him.
Me:
I’m sorry. I had no idea my father and grandfather were going to do that.
Me:
I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore.
“If you’ve scared him off, I’m going to be pissed.” I narrow my glare at my father.
“If I scared him off, he’s not worth your time to begin with,” Papa counters.
“He’s a good guy. Why can’t you just let me live my life?” I whine before turning to my mother. “Mom, tell them to stop.”
“Invite him over for dinner. I want to meet him,” she says, and I’m reminded she’d probably do worse than my father or grandfather.
“He’s a punk,” Nonno says. “Why you gotta be interested in some punk-ass kid anyway? You’re young, bella . Have you thought about girls?”
“I have actually. But I like Tommy. So leave him alone. Or you’re all going to end up looking like him.” I point to my brother, who is still sporting his patchy bleached hair.
“It’s a new look. It’s growing on me.” Neo shrugs.
“You’re an idiot,” I tell him in Italian. Our parents have always encouraged us to use all three languages as much as possible.
My phone dings with a message from Tommy.
Tommy:
Don’t worry, babe. I’d never bet you.
He’d never bet me. What does that mean?
“Everyone shut up,” I tell the table and hit dial on Tommy’s number.
“Morning,” he answers in a surprisingly upbeat tone.
“What do you mean you would never bet me?” I ask him.
“Exactly that. I told your father and grandfather as much last night. I don’t wager things I’m not prepared to lose,” he says.
“So I was put up as a wager?” I attempt to clarify. I see my dad remove the knife from my mother’s place setting and I know instantly that I was.
“Uh, it’s fine, Mabilia. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t bet you,” Tommy insists.
“What exactly was said at that game last night?” I question him.
“I don’t want to cause issues between you and your family. It was just a poker game, babe.”
“If you don’t tell me, you and I are going to have issues,” I threaten.
“Okay, your father offered to play me. If he won, I would have to leave you alone and act like I never met you. But I said no, Mabilia. I wouldn’t do that,” Tommy says.
“I’ll call you back.” I hang up the phone right before all hell breaks loose.
My mother calmly stands from the table. She narrows her glare at my father. Unwavering and unblinking. “Sleep with one eye open, Mikhail. This time, I’ll make sure to hit an artery so you bleed out quickly.”
“Isabella, it wasn’t like that,” Papa says, his tone calm and placating.
“ It wasn’t like that ?” she repeats, her tone… well, not either of those things. “You went to play a poker game where you planned to use your daughter as leverage.”
“I wasn’t going to lose,” Papa says.
“How would you know that?” Mom asks. “It’s a game of luck. A literal gamble!”
“I had it fixed,” Papa explains. “If the little punk would have just played, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I’m going to school. You should be ashamed, Papa. Because for the first time in my life, I’m ashamed to be your daughter. Of all the people in the world, I didn’t think you’d betray me like this,” I tell him, a tear running down my cheek.
“I didn’t betray you. I am protecting you,” he claims.
“You are driving away the first boy I’ve ever actually cared about. If Tommy breaks up with me because of you, it won’t be him breaking my heart. It’ll be you doing it,” I tell my father before walking out of the dining room.
“Sis, wait up.”
I turn at the sound of Lex’s voice.
My little brother reaches up and wipes the moisture off my face. “Don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry,” he says. Lex has always been gentle with me. He really does hate it when I’m upset. “And since it’s Papa who made you cry, I can’t exactly kill him.”
“I’m fine. Just tired, Lex.” I smile, trying my best to reassure him.
“If this guy really means this much to you, then don’t let anyone take him out,” Lex says.
“I don’t plan to. Thanks.” I bend forward and kiss his cheek before turning around again. I need to get out of this house.