Blood Ties

time in ten minutes. His father's absence had stretched to seventy-two hours now. No calls.

to face her. She sat perched on the edge of the sofa,

answer she'd given since yeste

sion. His mother jumped to her f

oached the door. She checked the peephole, and her shoulders sagged-not with

ved from granite. "Uncle" Sal-though Marco had never been entirely clear on how he was related to them. He'd bee

other, then glanced past her. "

checking the street before closing the door behind hi

tact?" S

ok her head. "Noth

him. It's all over the news, but they're

co demanded, stepping forward

e Marco's stomach twist. It was the look of

ndows and checking through the blinds. "The Donato family set him

words felt foreign on his tongue, disc

"Your father is the underboss of the Ricci

a step back, his mind racing to process what he'd jus

oftly. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "We always wanted to

mafia?" The words sounded ridiculous coming out of h

ree generations. Your grandfather, Don Vittorio, handed operations to your father fifte

contradict Sal, to laugh and tell him this was some elab

tunity," Sal continued, pulling out his phone. "They'l

ing his hands through his hair. "I

you to stay with some of our people upstate. Pack

eone explains what's happening!"

s hands in hers. "Marco, everything is

re life has been a lie? Yeah,

this," she said. "We both did. But now w

way. "By running? By lea

"The Donatos are old-school. They'll ta

eir? I

h that explained everything. "Now go pack. Clothes, toiletrie

is mother again.

ith us," Sal an

ted, his tone making it cle

bedroom. Behind him, he heard Sal murmur t

ered back. "That's why h

hrough disjointed thoughts and memories-his father's late-night phone calls, the visitors who sometimes came to the hou

designer clothes, the luxury car, the sprawling house in t

ag, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He

you're ok. Missed

xplain what was happening? What would Ellie-smart, ambitious Ellie with her perfect

is academic trophies lining the bookshelf, the scuff on the wall from when he'd

Sal said, checking his watc

e they belonged to someone else, his mother caught his ar

ispered. "We never

tairs two at a time, his mind racing faster than his feet. The Ricci family. H