Forbidden By Her Mafia Stepbrother novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: Rosanna's Price

"Name it," Massimo said.

He had stepped in front of Wynne, one hand still inside his coat.

Rosanna looked at the hand, and then at his face, and did not flinch.

"Put that away, Massimo. I'm not the one in this garden you need to shoot."

"What's the price?"

"I'll tell her. Not you." Rosanna set the watering can down in the wet grass. "Go and stand at the corner of the house. If anyone comes out, cough."

He looked at Wynne.

She nodded.

He went, slowly, and his shadow stopped at the edge of the lamplight.

Rosanna waited until the hose drowned his boots.

Then she took Wynne's hands in hers, and they were ice.

"I told you he made me do something at lunch," she said. "I never told you what."

"You said you only saw a bruise."

"I lied, baby. Thursday night he came to my room. He sat on the end of my bed and told me I was going to wear my yellow cardigan on Sunday, the one with the short sleeves. And that when you reached for the bread, I was to say one thing about your arm and keep him looking at it."

"Him?"

"Massimo." Rosanna's voice cracked. "Aurelio said, put her across from my son and let the sleeve ride up. Then he said, you're a good wife, Rosanna. He kissed my forehead."

Wynne could not feel her own fingers.

"You knew what Fabrizio had done to me," she said.

"I knew it was going to be done. Thursday. He didn't say what."

"And you sat there."

"I sat there." Rosanna was crying without a sound. "I said, she bruises like a peach. I heard myself say it. I was so ashamed I put the fork in my mouth to stop."

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