By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers #3)(5)

Luisa and I played back and forth for a while before I fired the ball to Clifford’s side. I jogged over to the barrier. Clifford picked up the ball with a scowl. “Hey, pay attention to where you’re pitching your ball. You disrupted our game.”

He tossed the ball over to me, not even bothering to come closer. I pursed my lips. Rude. He was as I’d remembered him, tall, blond wavy hair and lanky limbs.

His rudeness rubbed me the wrong way. I turned back around in a sour mood.

Luisa shrugged. I didn’t bother another contact attempt, and listening in on their conversation was moot. They were too focused on their match.

Later at the juice bar, I tried my luck again and settled on a bar chair close to Clifford and his friend. Their conversation about Lacrosse almost had me fall asleep. Soon two more boys joined him and his friend.

I’d never paid much attention to Clifford Clark, and now I knew why. We didn’t share the same crowd or interests. He was the preppy, polo-wearing, teacher-pet kind of guy. Their track records were as squeaky clean as their tennis attire.

I knew their parents had their own secrets, but they weren’t as dark as the ones mine carried. Clifford and I came from vastly different worlds. He and his friends thought they were tough. I knew what real toughness looked like. I wasn’t sure if I could ever like someone like him, much less respect him.

Mom had asked yesterday if I could imagine marrying Clifford one day. I’d always known I’d have an arranged marriage. For a Capo’s daughter, there wasn’t another option. Right this moment, I had a hard time considering Clifford as anything.

The four boys migrated to a table in the dining room of the tennis club, ordering sandwiches, fries, and sodas. At least in that regard, they weren’t as pretentious as they looked. If Clifford had ordered an acai bowl or tuna sashimi, I would have drawn a line.

Santino appeared in the doorway, obviously tired of waiting. “What’s taking you so long? Can’t you take your green juices to go?”

I rolled my eyes. “We need to relax after training. Give us a few more minutes.”

Santino perched on a vacant barstool. The girl working the counter immediately sauntered over to him, tossing her hair in a flirty way. “What can I do for you? Maybe a nice Ginger booster? It’s spicy and will give you an extra kick.”

Santino’s expression almost had me laughing out loud.

Santino got his kicks in a very different way, most of them involved knives and guns.

“Black coffee, as strong as possible.”

She smiled almost reproachfully. “Too much caffeine isn’t conducive to your health.”

I knew what he was thinking: Pissing me off neither…

Luisa nudged me, dragging my focus away from Santino and back to the table with my possible future husband.

I still listened to Santino and the girl while Luisa and I watched Clifford inconspicuously.

“I’m good,” Santino said sharply when the girl didn’t stop pestering him with juice suggestions and finally she took her clue.

“He looks kind of nice,” Luisa said, eyeing Clifford critically.

He wasn’t bad looking. He was almost too pretty for a boy. I shrugged. “He’s a boy. A rich boy.”

“And you’re a rich girl,” Santino commented.

I jumped, my cheeks flaming. Indignation filled me as I glanced over my shoulder at Santino who’d snuck up on us. He was always close, but I hadn’t thought he’d listen in on our conversation.

“She’s a Capo’s daughter,” Luisa said almost shocked, then smiled awkwardly.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Santino drawled. He cast his eyes skywards, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath. “How much longer will it take you to stalk these boys? I don’t have the patience for awkward pre-teen crushes.”

He hadn’t bothered lowering his voice. Clifford and the other guys slanted us looks and then the Asian boy nudged Clifford with a grin and they all began snickering.

I scowled at Santino. “Great, now he thinks I have a crush on him.”

I hopped off the barstool and headed toward the car, Luisa hot on my heels. Santino sauntered after us, almost bored. “Isn’t that the case?”

I shoved my fists into my sides. “No, it’s not. Mom and Dad are considering marrying me to Clifford Clark, the blond boy. He’s a politician’s son.”

Santino slanted me a look, his face reflecting boredom. “I’m sure they have their reasons,” he said in a manner that suggested he didn’t care what they were, nor that I’d marry at all.

I bit my lip and shut up. Santino had a way to make me feel stupid and like a little child without actually insulting me. His gaze said more than a thousand words.

The strange thing was, while Clifford’s rudeness today made me want to stay away from him, Santino’s abrasiveness only made me more eager to be around him.





When Mom came into my room that evening to talk about Clifford, I didn’t tell her about my doubts. I could tell how important it would be for the Outfit and I wanted to do my part in helping.

“This won’t be public for a long time. And from what I gathered the Clarks won’t tell Clifford now. They want to wait until he’s older and can grasp the reasons for their decision.”

I nodded. For people outside of our mafia world, arranged marriages were rare. His parents probably worried he wouldn’t be able to handle the situation or let something slip to others by accident. I had to admit I was glad he wouldn’t know until later. That way I wouldn’t have to talk to him again soon.