Here’s a Teaser Scene from my New Re-Release of Mafia Captive at 99 cent introductory offer (limited time!) with a NEW Bonus Epilogue you’ll love! (It’s below the first set of buy links!)
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble iBooks Google Play Smashwords Kobo
Teaser Scene from MAFIA CAPTIVE:
Christmas Eve With The Raspallo Family
(c) Copyright Kitty Thomas. All Rights Reserved.
Leo returned his focus to his sister. “What interesting gossip have I missed?” His grip tightened on Faith with each syllable.
“That’s on a need-to-know basis. Like every fucking thing else in this twisted family,” Gemma retorted.
“Don’t test me,” Leo said. “What did you say to her?”
By now, family members had dropped their clumps of snow and drifted closer to hear the commotion, except for the few adults who’d herded the children away into their cars—sensing things were about to turn very mature.
“I don’t think you want to open that can right now,” Gemma said, “Not in front of the whole family.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Leo said. The warning in his tone was unmistakable.
“Let’s put it this way. You’re the only member of the family I’m a hundred percent sure is a murderer.”
There was a thud as a body hit the ground.
“Grammie!” Leo shouted.
“It’s okay,” Sal said when he reached Alba. “She just fainted.”
Gina crossed herself. “It can’t be true. My Leo’s such a good boy. He would never hurt a fly.”
“Fuck,” Leo muttered. “He broke Gemma’s jaw and one of her ribs. She was a mess the night she came to my house. And it wasn’t the first time. He would have killed her eventually, and none of you did a goddamn thing about it!”
“Language!” Uncle Sal said.
“Fuck language. Emilio deserved to die. Nobody touches any of my family. Being married in won’t keep you safe from me if you hurt someone I love. I don’t care if it’s not my business.” He let go of Faith and stalked toward the car.
Gemma stood in the middle of the snow like an abandoned angel with her mouth gaping open, unable to believe the truth had been spoken.
Everybody else went to their own cars. Maybe they were too jaded and used to pretending to behave any differently. They’d all probably reboot like a bunch of computers and forget all this unpleasantness in the morning. Suddenly the night felt colder, so cold that it could suck the soul out of each of them, leaving only frozen corpses behind.
“Seriously!?!” Gemma shrieked, her breath making large white puffs in the air as she spoke. “He kills my husband, and you’re all turning to get in your cars like it’s nothing?”
“Emilio was a vicious bastard,” Leo said. He’d stopped and turned back to the group.
“If Leo hadn’t done it, I would have,” Sal admitted.
“You’ll never know what it cost me to kill him,” Leo said, his voice cracking. “Never. I thought joining the priesthood would fix what’s broken inside me, but after Emilio… I couldn’t.”
“What did you have that needed to be fixed before killing my husband? What could you possibly have done in your perfect little life to give you a big enough complex to take holy orders? Because I know you didn’t have some big dream to become a priest.” Gemma turned to Faith. “Is this the family you want to marry into? Do you even know who the Raspallo family is?”
“Yes,” Faith whispered. “I know.”
Gina crossed herself again.
“You TOLD her?” Sal bellowed.
Leo turned at his uncle’s sharp voice. “Of course not. But it’s not like rumors don’t fly around about us. It’s the 21st century. It’s not as if she knows any incriminating details. No more than any of the other women in this family.” He glared daggers at Faith, as if this were her fault. Or maybe he was daring her to challenge the white lie he’d told to paint over the cracks and make things okay again.
What was she supposed to do? Pretend she hadn’t heard what Gemma said? Act too stupid to pick up on the innuendo?
“Well, hell, why don’t we take an ad out in the paper, if everybody’s gonna know everybody’s business? It wasn’t like this when I was young,” Sal said.
The ride back to the house was tense. Lily stared out the window while Gina quietly cried. Both women were trying—in their own way—to insulate themselves from the almost visible, demonic rage curling off Uncle Sal in the backseat.
“You’d better not become a liability to us,” Sal said.
“Sal!” Gina hissed. “Of course she’s not going to be a liability. She’s Leo’s fiancée. She’s family. How can you say such a thing?”
“We don’t know her from Adam. Leo, you better keep your girl in line.”
“If you’ve got a problem, you take it up with Gemma. She’s the one who opened her big mouth,” Leo said. “And you will leave Faith out of this. I wasn’t kidding back there. She’s my concern.”
“Are you threatening me, boy?”
Faith clenched and unclenched her hands in her lap. She wanted to scream. She wanted to blurt out the truth. Nothing would have felt better than to say: “No need to worry. I watched Angelo mow some poor guy down in an alley. Leo and I aren’t really together. I’m his prisoner to protect you assholes.” But she was too afraid of what Leo might do to her if she lost control and spoke her mind. And the situation was too dangerous with Sal at the moment. This wasn’t a family that made idle threats.
Want more?
Grab it now on sale:
Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Barnes and Noble iBooks Google Play Smashwords Kobo
Thanks so much for reading!
Kitty ^.^
Leave a Reply