14. Vinnie
“Miss Paladino! Are you excited for your big day?” Marcia, the head housekeeper at my parents” house, asks as she fluffs the couch pillows beside me, doting on me as I relax into the sofa with a fresh latte in hand.
I smile politely over the rim of the mug. “Of course,” I drawl before taking a sip of the hot liquid.
“You’ll be the most exquisite bride, Miss. I can’t wait to see the photos,” she continues to gush as she moves on to fluffing the cushions on the loveseat across from where I sit.
It’s eleven-thirty a.m. and we just finished our intimate family brunch. Mother thought it’d be nice to have one last meal as just our family, and August opted to do the same with his. Sitting around the dining table, just me, my parents, and my three brothers, made it easy to pretend like everything was normal.
For a moment, I was able to retreat to the memory of when family brunch was exactly that—a simple meal between the six of us.
Even Joseph seemed to be in good spirits today, which put me on edge slightly. It feels like he has the upper hand in some capacity, and that makes me uneasy.
After brunch, Mother sent me to relax for a while and asked one of the kitchen attendants to make a latte for me while the housekeepers set up our spa treatments.
My mother hired a manicurist and massage therapist to treat me and her before I leave to go get ready with Raina and Cecilia in a few hours. I want to get ready at my apartment, but my mother insisted on booking a suite at The Manhattan Grand hotel, just down the road from the church.
Next to me on the plush, velvet couch lies a full itinerary of the day on embossed paper. I can’t take my eyes off the words wedding ceremony.
This is actually happening.
The day is here.
Excitement buzzes throughout the Paladino residence. Staff members are extra cheerful as they go through their daily tasks, watching my mother dance around with a smile on her face.
Looking at her these days breaks my heart—shatters it, really.
How can she not see the pain on my face and the hurt in my eyes?
She’s been so hyper focused on this wedding, engrossed in every detail.
I love my mother, but I pray if I have children one day that the gravity of her mistakes will be so ingrained into me there won’t be a shadow of a doubt that I would miss something so blatantly outlined on my child’s face.
Although I can’t fully blame her. I am fully aware I have the power to speak up—to protect myself better and to put an end to this—and I’m choosing not to.
Still, it doesn’t dull the ache of knowing my mother either doesn’t see it, or is purposely ignoring it.
“Out,” Joseph”s voice commands suddenly, and I whip my head in his direction just in time to see Marcia straighten herself and scurry from the room.
Joseph closes the French doors behind him and strides over to the fireplace, picking up a photo of the two of us when we were children. He scoffs at it before setting it back down and pinning me in his stare. “Ready to become Mrs. St. Jean?”
He doesn’t try to hide the smirk on his lips.
“No need to hide your glee, Joey. I’m sure you’re getting something out of this union, I just haven’t figured out what.”
He sits on the loveseat across from me. Leaning forward on his thighs, he steeples his fingers over his mouth. “I’m getting a lot out of it, actually.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Sitting back, he drapes his arm over the cushion behind him. “Well, for starters, it eliminates the cross-contamination. Did you honestly think you could fuck a Lucchetti and keep it a secret?”
My heart falls to the bottom of my stomach, along with my expression. I suspected August told him, but he has yet to bring it up until now. Hearing him confirm he knew about my relationship makes me ill.
Schooling my features, I tighten my lips into a line and watch him closely, waiting to hear what he has to say next.
“You’re not as sly as you think you are, baby sister. Pun intended. At least you didn’t pick that pathetic excuse for a man, Lorenzo.” His features twist up at the mention of Sly’s cousin. “Still though, not like the other one is any better. Way to be a loyal member of this family.”
“You don’t know him at all,” I seethe. Pushing to my feet, I stand, my shins hitting the coffee table as I take a step toward him. My finger raises, pointing at him. “What about our family loyalty, Joseph? You hate me and you don’t even have the human decency to tell me why.”
Not wanting me to have the upper hand, he stands too, taking a step forward. Although my brother is a full head taller than me, I find myself not cowering.
It feels good to grasp a little of my power back.
Joseph’s voice drops to a low growl as he stares down at me, shooting daggers through his eyes. “You should know why.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU MORE,” Joseph explodes.
His mouth snaps closed, and the room becomes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. My heart splinters, tears immediately springing to my eyes as I continue to look up at my brother. For the first time in what feels like years, I feel like I see bits of the brother I used to know reflecting through his navy irises.
“It didn’t matter the grades I held or the achievements I accomplished,” he continues. “The awards, the hard work—they were all overshadowed by you.” His voice is like venom, thick and icy, seeping into my veins. “All you had to do was exist, and you became Father’s favorite.”
“I never asked for that, Joseph! I never even accepted that role—never wanted to be the favorite! I’m not even sure that’s true. He loves us all.”
His eyes are dark and cruel as he stares down at me, hardly two inches from my face. He’s so close I can feel his spittle as he speaks. “It doesn’t matter. It’s still a fact. He puts you before any of his sons.”
I shock myself by not stepping away to put distance between us. As intimidated as I am, I refuse to cower. I want answers. I’m owed them.
“So, what is your endgame? Obviously you and August have a plan. I’m not obtuse, Joseph. I know you’ve been planning and calculating for months. So tell me. What are you after?”
A sinister laugh floats from his lips and I’m surprised when it’s he who steps back. Joseph begins to pace with short steps in front of the coffee table that separates us.
“Well, I suppose it won’t hurt to tell you now, since the wedding is tonight, anyway.” He stops and watches me for a moment, then sits back on the couch, resuming his relaxed position from earlier.
“When our father inevitably hands the business over to you, it will be August who takes over on your behalf. There’s a bit of paperwork you’ll have to sign this evening as soon as your marriage license is signed.” A smile pulls across his face. “Of course, making sure you don’t end up with a Lucchetti is another perk.”
“When has Father even said he’s going to give it to me, Joseph? You’re the one involved in it. It makes no sense as to why you think he’d skip over you and hand it to me.”
“All my life, I’ve been in the shadow of my baby sister. You get everything I want. You take everything from me!” Joseph snarls, his teeth clenched. A vein bulges on his forehead. “It wouldn’t shock me one bit for Father to hand everything I’ve worked for over to you.”
“So all this so August can take over the business—a business that I have absolutely no interest in—on my behalf? How does that benefit you?” I ignore the comment about Sly.
“It’s a partnership, baby sister, and your document won’t be the only one signed tonight. The details are none of your concern.”
“I beg to differ.”
Suddenly, Joseph stops and steps into my space again, the coffee table a welcomed barrier as he leans toward me.
“All you need to know, Vinnie, is everything I’ve ever wanted will be mine, and you’ll no longer be a Paladino,” he snarls.
His words catch me off guard and completely obliterate any sense of confidence I’ve been holding on to. An overwhelming sense of fear washes through my body as his words sink in, and I realize just how unpredictable he is.
He sidesteps around the coffee table and toward me until we’re toe to toe. “Make no mistake, Vinnie. This is my time. And I will stop at nothing to make sure my plans are carried out successfully. Your new place is by August’s side—silent, and with a goddamn smile on your face.”
The next several seconds are tense as we stare at each other. My heart beats frantically, my chest rising and falling in rapid succession. Words swirl through my mind but I can’t get a sentence to form, too speechless from the clear malice my brother harbors for me.
“Vinnie! Darling,” my mother”s voice singsongs from outside of the doors. As she pulls them open, Joseph grabs ahold of my hand and stretches it to the side as his other hand comes to rest in the middle of my back so it looks like we were getting ready to dance.
“Oh! There you are, Joseph. Your father is looking for you, sweetheart.”
Dropping his hands, he takes a step back and smiles wildly at her. “Thank you, Mother. Vinnie and I were just practicing our brother-sister dance for tonight. You know I have two left feet.”
A laugh of disbelief bubbles up and I shake my head, frustration radiating off me in waves.
“That’s so sweet,” my mother exclaims, beaming at my lying, manipulative brother. “I hate to break up the bonding time, but Vinnie, our massage therapists are ready for us!”
Joseph leans forward and gives our mother a peck on the cheek. “I’ll leave you two to it.”
Pushing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Joseph strides from the room, and I watch him go, shaken to my core at the altercation we just had.
Paying my mood no mind, my mother loops her arm through mine and pulls me out of the den. “I’m so excited for our girl time, Vinnie! We’re going to get all pampered before it’s time to get ready for your wedding. I can’t believe today is the day, can you? Aren’t you just so excited?”
Sighing deeply, I let a single tear fall and look to the side so she doesn’t see it. Reaching up, I swipe it away before it can fully slide down my cheek, then I look straight ahead with a smile that feels like plastic.
“Absolutely elated, Mother.”
“This is the start of your forever.”
Or the end of it.