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"Is this e don’t see Grandhter sounded through the room, and it took Vincent a second to realize it had coain "Let’s just say she has her beliefs A slave was bad enough An Irish slave orthy of disownment"

"So she was Irish? That part’s true?"

"Yes Her father fell into some trouble with the Irish mob They snatched Maura as collateral when she was six"

"She was kidnapped? Didn’t people look for her?"

"Of course they looked for her, butin this country every day Your encies forchildren existed, and certainly before there were things like Amber Alerts All they had ord ofabout her, it was like she’d never existed"

"But what about her parents?"

"They were killed," he said "Maura was sold a few times and ended up with Erika Moretti"

"Who freed Mom? Who vouched for her?"

"I suppose you could say I did Your grandfather said if I wanted so in life, it was my responsibility to earn it So I initiated, and I’ for it today" He paused "Is that all you want to know? Because I’y for this conversation anyh Vincent could tell he wanted to know much more

"I’ll talk to your brother, but whether or not you tell the girl is up to you"

"I don’t think so," he said "She has enough on herat the computer to see she still hadn’tof which" Opening the right bottorabbed soirl’s paperwork It’ll take a while before the estate is settled, but no one will contest her inheritance Technically it all goes to Corrado, anyway, but he’ll hand it over to her once it co with her freedoive her"

"It’s not a gift, Car"

Rain splattered theas it fell fron of thebut blackness Oit was how Haven felt on the inside

Es as her heart pushed blood through her body, but a part of her had stopped existing It had been a slow, torturous death, agonizingly painful as she withered away fro at the clock on the wall, Haven strained her eyes to ht for her to see the little hand past un

Septeer before a shadowher "I think we should go to bed"

Grabbing the book in her lap, she set it on the table and hurried to the roo else Car her body close to his when he cliazza," he said "Happy birthday"

43

Haven gazed across the roo Car a sle blue candle stuck out from the top Haven could s burned told her who had made them

"You baked?" she asked, stunned

Caronna atteh It took ure out how to open the canister I had to call Dia and ask"

Haven s with love to the point it was painful Despite everything, he was still her world, her one and only Part of her may have felt dead, but there was still another part of her that lived for Car the plate "You didn’t have to I told you--"

"I knohat you told nore your birthday You’ve never had one before It’s special, so no arguing, because it’s rude to argue when people wanna do shit for you It’s like, punching a gift horse or soift horse in thehis eyes, he reached into his pocket for a lighter and lit the candle "Yes A caval donato non si guarda in bocca Just take it with a smile, and it’ll be over before you know it" The er, are we? Did you make a wish?"

Her brow furrowed as he pulled the candle from the pastry "A wish?"

"You make a wish before you blow out the candle," he said "It’s the whole point But you’ll get another chance later with Dia"

She tensed "What?"

"We’re gonna spend the night in Charlotte with Dia for your birthday Co with her? We’re pretty ly, pleading for her not to argue

Haven tore the cinna it with him The bottom was black and hard to chew, but she said not a word about it as she choked down her piece Once Carrabbed a stack of papers and handed them to her