My Husband Called Me Useless, Now a Mafia Don Owes Me His Life novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Drink to My Health

Rocco's POV

I saw her look at my glass.

She didn't turn her head. She only let her eyes drop to the crystal for one beat, and then to my brother's hand.

I have spent twenty years learning what men do with their eyes when they want to kill someone.

Hers weren't doing that.

She was reading, the way she had read me in the hall.

"A toast," Tullio said again, and lifted his own glass. "To my brother's health."

Eighteen people raised their wine.

I looked down the table at the heads of four families. The old Queens boss. Two cousins from New Jersey. A widow from Staten Island. I had known them all my life, and every one of them was watching me to see if the rumors were true.

They said I was sick. They said I was finished.

Tullio was the one who had told them so.

I picked up the glass.

Beside me, Ada Winslow, who until a few days ago I had thought of as the woman who killed my father, did not move at all.

She did not touch my arm. She did not whisper. She just stopped breathing for a second.

I knew what that meant.

I set the glass down untouched.

"I've changed my mind," I said. "I'll toast with my guest instead."

The table went quiet.

"Mr. Rensselaer," I said. "Come here a moment."

Carson looked up from his plate.

"Me?"

"My glass. Drink to my health, since you've done so much for it."

I pushed the glass the whole length of the table. It slid across the white cloth and stopped in front of him.

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