Family Ties (Morelli Family 4)

“He didn’t even do anything, did he?”

“Nothing new—not that I know of, at least.” He shakes his head regretfully. “I can’t tell you anything, Francesca. I can’t get you involved.”

“Is Sal in danger?” I ask again.

He doesn’t answer long enough for me to know I’m aggravating him, but he finally answers, “If he supports the moves his father makes, yes. Anyone who sides with Antonio is going to be at-risk.”

Fuck.

“You can’t tell me anything else?”

“I think you should ask him,” Vince states. “If you need more information about this situation and you trust him, bring it up to Salvatore. Ask him what his dad’s up to.”

My stomach thumps with nerves. “He won’t tell me that.”

Vince shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

I had hoped to get much more information from him, but he doesn’t give me anything more. We ride around aimlessly for a while, then Vince pulls out his phone to see if Mia texted about dinner. She didn’t, but he scowls, saying he needs to return a call anyway. He pulls off the road to get out of the car—presumably a work call, since I’m not allowed to hear it—then when he gets back in, he says he’s gotta go to work anyway.

—

We return to their house much faster than anticipated and without any food.

Vince doesn’t even follow me inside, just asks me to tell Mia he had to go, and then he backs out and heads off down the road.

Since I rarely have Mia alone, and because there’s nothing I can do about my more pressing issues, I decide to indulge my distraction.

Plopping down on the couch next to Mia, I turn to face her and smile. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure,” Mia says, grabbing the remote and muting the television.

I’m still cognizant of the potential for surveillance in this space, so I take a minute to think through my questions before I open my mouth. I don’t want her to say the wrong thing. I really don’t think she will, though. The whole reason I like Mia for him so much is because she’s more or less pure-hearted. I don’t anticipate her reason for lying to Meg was anything underhanded.

“I’ve heard some gossip about Mateo and the new maid, obviously.”

Mia nods, with me so far.

“I also heard someone told her about your history with Mateo, but when she asked you about it, you lied.”

Mia nods once more. “Correct.”

“So… why did you lie? Did he threaten you or something?”

“No, he never said a word to me about it. It didn’t seem like he cared very much about keeping it a secret to begin with, but…” Sighing, she curls her legs up on the couch and turns to face me. She grabs the remote, realizing we aren’t going to be watching, and flips off the TV. “This is really awkward to talk about,” she tells me. “Vince is still sensitive about it and I know you’re close to Vince, so I don’t want to say anything that might get back to him. He doesn’t even know I lied for Mateo—at least, I don’t think he does. It’s in Vince’s best interest, too, but I don’t think he’d see it that way.”

I shake my head a little more vehemently than I mean to. “I’m not here on Vince’s behalf. I’m not here to judge you for either one of them. I’m on all sides. I love Vince, but I also love Mateo. I just want to know why you’re letting the new maid think less of you when he’s the one she should think less of, if we’re being honest.”

“Well, that’s why,” she says simply. “I don’t want her to think less of him. He obviously likes her. If she makes him happy, I don’t want to get in the way of that. I want him to be happy. I felt like he was kind of lonely before, and I hated that. Meg really likes him and he’s going to keep her there regardless, so if I can nudge them both toward happiness, why wouldn’t I?”

“You care about him.”

Her gaze drops to her lap and she fiddles with the hem of her khaki shorts. “Yeah.”

“Even after everything he did?”

Somehow that manages to make her even less comfortable. “Yep,” she states, almost rebelliously.

“So, you didn’t lie because you were afraid of him. You lied to protect him.”

She shrugs, like she’s defensive about it. “Yeah. I made sure he hadn’t hurt her first—I was as responsible as I could’ve been. It’s hard with him because he’s ungovernable. It doesn’t matter what he does, he doesn’t have to answer to anybody else. I would’ve felt awful if I covered his ass and then he hurt her, obviously, but I don’t think…” She pauses to search for delicate wording. “I still don’t think he’s all bad. He can be unscrupulous when he’s pursuing one of his diabolical plans, but I still think there’s good in him. Now that I’ve shielded her from an ugly piece of history, they’re free from the damage and they can be happy together.”