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"Technically it belongs to Saint Mary’s, but yes," he replied "A foro I want to say it’s been nearly thirteen years"

"Christ," Carmine said, surprised it still ran, and save hirandfather had one of these He used to pick me up from school sometimes when I was a kid and drive me around Pretty ht?"

"Yes He died when I was a kid, probably about" Carmine paused as he did the o"

The priest s it It hesitated, the engine roaring and car tre, Carer seat and rattled off his address, staring out the sideas they silently drove through town

Father Alberto pulled the car into the drivehen they arrived Carmine turned to the man, about to thank him, and noticed the look of awe on his face Before Car, the priest burst into a loud, boisterous laughing fit He laughed so hard tears sprung to his eyes, and he wiped them with the back of his hand as Carmine stared at him with confusion "What’s so funny?"

"The door is blue"

"Yeah, so?"

The priest shook his head "I thought Vincenzo was joking"

Carmine’s expression fell at the sound of his father’s naape at theit," Father Alberto continued, "but I co it, nonetheless"

"You know my father?"

"Of course I do," the priest said "It’s no coincidence you ended up on ht, son"

Caroddamn intervention?

"Merry Christood-bye "And for the record, I’ve always suspected Corrado had a sense of humor, too"

26

Christmas on the Upper East Side turned out to be a ifts were exchanged in the , no stories shared in the afternoon At precisely three o’clock they all gathered in the large dining roo at a table fit for a dozen The staff served theeach of the from the room

Haven stared down at her food as the others started eating, her stoht knots Those people, the servants--didn’t they have fahts of the worst kind infiltrated her mind They couldn’t be, could they? A senator, a man of the laouldn’t keep slaves in his home

Would he?

The possible answer to that terrified Haven

"So, Hayden"

Haven looked up fro to Kelsey’s mother, Anita, down the table froht bun on top of her head, a long string of pearls draped around her neck She sipped frolass of white wine that she had already refilled twice since they sat down

"Yes, ma’am?"

"Tell me about your family"

Haven stared at her "My family?"

"Yes, your family I’d like to knohy you’re not with theh clenched teeth at the same time her father muttered, "Anita, please"

"Relax, I’ them both off as she eyed Haven "So, your family?"

"Well, uhI don’t really have one," she replied "My parents are both gone"

"An orphan?" Anita gasped loudly, leaning closer to the table "How tragic! How did they die?"

"Car accident," she answered right away, sing back the harsh truth that the only parent she really ever had took her own life to free herself from restraintsrestraints put on her by the man as supposed to be her father

"So sad," Anita said "What about your other family members? Brothers? Cousins? Uncles? Aunts? Do you have anybody?"

"That’s enough, Anita," Cain said, his voice firet off it," Anita said as she took a sip of her drink "You can’t tell o on Christo," Cain countered "She’s here, isn’t she?"

Anita scoffed "Please, Cain Nobody actually wants to be here Not even our own daughter wants to be in this house"

"That’s because you always give everyone the third degree," he said "I don’t even want to coations"

"Oh, don’t give me that! That’s not why you don’t come home! Maybe you can lie to everyone else and have them believe the bullshit that comes out of your mouth, but not me"

"Bullshit?" Cain slammed his hand down on the table "You want to talk about bullshit, let’s talk about it"