Page 82 (1/2)

"It's not selfish to fall in love"

"In our life, son, that is exactly what falling in love is It's selfish"

"Coet you a drink," I offered

"How selfish are you, Luca?" he asked instead, eyes boring into me

"What do you mean?"

"Are you selfish enough to take that girl, take that life of hers away, and toss her into this one? Where she orry about your safety About her sons' safety should she bear you them About her own safety Are you that selfish?"

I'd fooled exactly nobody, it seemed

Everyone knew I had Romy stashed at my place

"I don't know," I admitted

"That ure out Before I didn't sit and think that way I saw soht that perfect, innocent woman into my shitstorm And she was the one to pay for it, notI want you to really think about before you make any decisions with Romy," he told me as he started past me

"Hey, Dad," I called,him stop, turn

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know Mo as you did But I know that should she have been given the choice of a short life with you, or a long one without, she'd have chosen you every time"

To that, he gaveit was the truth Never had two people been so in love Even in all the pictures I'd seen of the two of them, candid shots at family functions, they couldn't keep their eyes or hands off each other

As a kid, it had been e