one.
Careful not to trip over the toddler, Lessa set the bag on the bed. "Thank you, Suzannah."
Suzannah beamed and ran into the bathroom to explore. The sound of cabinet doors banging open and shut drifted out the open door.
"How long are you staying?" Nina looked at the single bag.
"I packed for about a week."
Normally Lessa would have dumped her duffle bag out on the bed, but faced with such elegant furniture, she was uncertain how the other-half unpacked. She pulled out her small bathroom bag, and Nina whisked it from her hands.
A second knock sounded on the outside door.
"Sounds like Marc and Jio finished up quickly." Nina headed into the bathroom.
Relieved, Lessa hurried to the outside door to let Marc back in. Except it wasn't Marc. Edoardo, her younger half-brother, slouched in the doorway.
"Hey," Edoardo said, "Sis."
"Come in," Lessa said, uncertain of his stance and tone.
Edoardo sauntered in and paused as Nina moved to stand in the connecting doorway. After a moment, he nodded.
"Hey, Nina," he said, his voice warming slightly.
Nina smiled at him in approval, then called, "Suzannah!" When the toddler came running, she scooped her into her arms. "Let's go see what your brother and sister are doing."
Suzannah squealed and clapped her hands. Lessa wanted to object and Nina patted her on the arm in encouragement before hustling out of the room, Suzannah waving gaily over her shoulder.
"I guess that's our cue to have a warm family moment," Edoardo said with a smile.
Lessa shifted uneasily. He wasn't outwardly hostile as Tony had been, but he also wasn't warm and inviting like Nina. She hated being this unsure about how to act. Maybe there was a book she should read on long-lost family reunions that would have all the protocols and rules for this type of thing.
"According to Marc you're as surprised about the news as we are." Edoardo walked over to the window. "You know, I'm really not surprised you're his daughter. It would have been a surprise if he didn't have a brood of illegitimate brats, with all the running around he did."
Her back straightened at the backhanded insult. So, maybe he wasn't outwardly as hostile as Tony, but his sarcasm thinly veiled his disdain. Open hostility was at least honest.
"What is a surprise is him inviting you here, now, and wanting you to remain here." Edoardo turned to face her
"I'm not moving here. He asked me to come for a visit. That's all."
He cocked his head, considering. "You honestly believe that? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but there is no halfway. You're either a Tazio, with everything it entails, or you're not."
"Everything it entails?"
"T here couldn't possibly be a worst time to bring her into the family," Jio Tazio said.
"I know." Marc lounged in the chair across from the desk, moving his gaze from the now blank TV to where Jio sat behind the desk.
They were alone. Ryan had gone into another room with Clarissa to explain the trust to her, and Tony was with Lucia sitting vigil over Jiovanni. He had no idea where Edoardo had slunk off to.
"It's not like it's ever normal here," Jio said in frustration. "I don't have time to deal with this. Between the internal and external challenges, finding his murderer, and my mother."
"I know."
"If you know so much, why the hell did you bring her here?" Jio snapped.
"Your father told me to."
"When do you stop working for him and start working for me? You wouldn't have any other assignments from dear old Dad, would you?"
Holding his tongue, Marc breathed deeply and waited for control. His loyalty hadn't been questioned in over ten years. "Do you want the letter he left me?"
Jio stared him down for a moment then shook his head. "What else is he having you do?"
"Keep an eye on her and out of trouble." He reminded himself Jio was under tremendous pressure.
"I need you focused on getting his killer."
"I agree." He'd rather be out looking for Jiovani's killer right now than sitting in here having
Careful not to trip over the toddler, Lessa set the bag on the bed. "Thank you, Suzannah."
Suzannah beamed and ran into the bathroom to explore. The sound of cabinet doors banging open and shut drifted out the open door.
"How long are you staying?" Nina looked at the single bag.
"I packed for about a week."
Normally Lessa would have dumped her duffle bag out on the bed, but faced with such elegant furniture, she was uncertain how the other-half unpacked. She pulled out her small bathroom bag, and Nina whisked it from her hands.
A second knock sounded on the outside door.
"Sounds like Marc and Jio finished up quickly." Nina headed into the bathroom.
Relieved, Lessa hurried to the outside door to let Marc back in. Except it wasn't Marc. Edoardo, her younger half-brother, slouched in the doorway.
"Hey," Edoardo said, "Sis."
"Come in," Lessa said, uncertain of his stance and tone.
Edoardo sauntered in and paused as Nina moved to stand in the connecting doorway. After a moment, he nodded.
"Hey, Nina," he said, his voice warming slightly.
Nina smiled at him in approval, then called, "Suzannah!" When the toddler came running, she scooped her into her arms. "Let's go see what your brother and sister are doing."
Suzannah squealed and clapped her hands. Lessa wanted to object and Nina patted her on the arm in encouragement before hustling out of the room, Suzannah waving gaily over her shoulder.
"I guess that's our cue to have a warm family moment," Edoardo said with a smile.
Lessa shifted uneasily. He wasn't outwardly hostile as Tony had been, but he also wasn't warm and inviting like Nina. She hated being this unsure about how to act. Maybe there was a book she should read on long-lost family reunions that would have all the protocols and rules for this type of thing.
"According to Marc you're as surprised about the news as we are." Edoardo walked over to the window. "You know, I'm really not surprised you're his daughter. It would have been a surprise if he didn't have a brood of illegitimate brats, with all the running around he did."
Her back straightened at the backhanded insult. So, maybe he wasn't outwardly as hostile as Tony, but his sarcasm thinly veiled his disdain. Open hostility was at least honest.
"What is a surprise is him inviting you here, now, and wanting you to remain here." Edoardo turned to face her
"I'm not moving here. He asked me to come for a visit. That's all."
He cocked his head, considering. "You honestly believe that? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but there is no halfway. You're either a Tazio, with everything it entails, or you're not."
"Everything it entails?"
"T here couldn't possibly be a worst time to bring her into the family," Jio Tazio said.
"I know." Marc lounged in the chair across from the desk, moving his gaze from the now blank TV to where Jio sat behind the desk.
They were alone. Ryan had gone into another room with Clarissa to explain the trust to her, and Tony was with Lucia sitting vigil over Jiovanni. He had no idea where Edoardo had slunk off to.
"It's not like it's ever normal here," Jio said in frustration. "I don't have time to deal with this. Between the internal and external challenges, finding his murderer, and my mother."
"I know."
"If you know so much, why the hell did you bring her here?" Jio snapped.
"Your father told me to."
"When do you stop working for him and start working for me? You wouldn't have any other assignments from dear old Dad, would you?"
Holding his tongue, Marc breathed deeply and waited for control. His loyalty hadn't been questioned in over ten years. "Do you want the letter he left me?"
Jio stared him down for a moment then shook his head. "What else is he having you do?"
"Keep an eye on her and out of trouble." He reminded himself Jio was under tremendous pressure.
"I need you focused on getting his killer."
"I agree." He'd rather be out looking for Jiovani's killer right now than sitting in here having
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