The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau
19
Luca dropped me off at the stoop of my house after I reassured him again that I’d be fine. I can do this, I reminded myself as I stared up at the redbrick row house I’d called home for so long. Soon, I’d be free to start my new life with Luca. Nerves mingled with excitement. It felt surreal, like I’d been thrown into a wormhole, but there was no denying how lucky I was to be marrying him instead of Nicu.
A face popped up from the bay window, and I saw my grandmother wave at me to come inside. Nodding, I took the steps up, mumbling to myself that I could handle anything. Luca had parked down the street, ready to rescue me at any moment.
The front door swung open. Bunică stood in the middle of the doorway, a kerchief wrapped around her head, arms wide open. I threw myself at her, bending over to bury my face into the padding of her shoulder.
“There, there, everything will be fine. That Nicu wasn’t good enough for my girl, was he? Bah! Too wet behind the ears, the young pup. You were right to find yourself a grown man. As it should be.”
I puffed out a laugh of surprise. Always my biggest champion, Bunică spun anything I did into a positive. Like when I was eight years old and my mother forced me to join a local gymnastics club. I cried every day because I hated the cliquey girls and wasn’t interested in the sport. After almost a year of cajoling, my grandmother finally convinced her to let me stop.
I dragged my feet as she propelled me into the living room, where my father, mother, and brother somberly waited for me. My mother and brother sat on the reupholstered couch, piled high with cushions, while my father sat in one of the comfy, mismatched armchairs. A votive candle flickered low behind him, on the shelf displaying my grandmother’s favorite icon.
Again, I was struck by the fact that this was no longer my home. I’d gone to boarding school, but I always felt a distinct moment of homecoming when I stepped into the living room after a long absence. This would be the last time, I thought nostalgically. My home would be a huge mansion in Westchester or a sleek, impersonal penthouse in midtown. At least I was looking forward to Westchester, with its gorgeous garden and pool. The penthouse, not so much, but Luca didn’t seem attached to it, so hopefully, I could bring my own style to it.
My father was the first to rise. He lifted heavily out of his favorite armchair, the stuffing of the arms dipping in the center, the material faded and worn. Suddenly, he seemed old, the crow’s feet and bags under his eyes were accentuated.
Wrapping me in his thick arms, he murmured, “I’m not angry, but I wish you had come to me. To hear it from Alex was humiliating.”
He was a proud man, and it was a blow to his ego to have heard the news from his rival. It certainly added to the shock. A stab of remorse slashed through me. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have taken the risk of him denying me and closing my one chance at happiness with Luca.
“I’m sorry, Tata.”
Not rising from the couch, my mother acknowledged me, “Cat.”
Cristo cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit of his, as he glowered up at me. I looked up to my older brother. We’d always had a supportive, loving relationship, and this was the first test of our easy camaraderie.
Blowing out a long breath, I went to my mother and kissed her on both cheeks. As I moved to kiss my brother, he flung his head aside, rejecting me. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I pulled back and took a seat across from them.
“Congratulations are in order, Cat,” began my father, returning to his armchair. “I’m glad that you’re with Luca. He’s a better match for you. He may be hardheaded, but Nicu’s a loose cannon. Immature. Which shows in his ruthless behavior.”
Turning to my mother and brother, I said, “I’m sorry that you’re unhappy. I started having feelings for Luca, and once I sensed that he shared them…well, I couldn’t go through with marrying Nicu. I didn’t plan for any of this to happen.”
Shaking her head, my mother lamented, “Everyone will say it’s my fault for letting you sleep over at an outsider’s place. They’ll accuse me of neglect for letting you go off to boarding school. You ran wild up there and lost touch with our traditions.”
“Doina, don’t let those gossiping vipers get to you. We know how we brought up our children. We know that we did the best thing for her by letting her go away,” my father said, attempting to comfort her.
His words only made me feel worse. If I hadn’t messed up the night I caught my father murdering a man, my parents wouldn’t have had to send me away. If I’d been home, I would’ve been able to help Cristo take care of my mother. The brunt of caring for her fell on him because my father was busy, especially with our recent financial problems. He was the one who drove her back and forth to doctor and chemo appointments. He had to clean up after her when she was sick from the meds. I tried catching his eye, but my brother refused to look at me. Guilt sloshed around in my gut like a bottled-up tidal wave.
My grandmother spoke up, “You’re exaggerating, Doina. The girl did the right thing. Instead of settling for the young one, she found herself a mature man. What is he, twenty-six?”
“Twenty-seven,” grumped out Cristo.
“There you go! Twenty-seven. A man ready to settle down and have a family. Have children. Not like the youngest. Choosing him has been an insult. The girl took what was owed to her as the Popescu princess. You say people will look down on you, but who needs to know that you didn’t plan it yourself? Tell everyone, hush-hush, that you had been working behind the scenes, pushing Cat to do this because you couldn’t stand Nicu.”
Cristo chuckled. “Clever, Bunică.”
Turning his head slightly toward me, he lobbed an accusatory stare my way. “You might as well do everything you can to salvage this situation. Pretend you did it as revenge because the Lupul forced Nicu on us when Luca was available. No one can prove you didn’t do it. Tell your closest friends,” he sneered the last two words, “and swear them to secrecy, which of course, they won’t keep. Cat here won’t deny it. Will you, Cat?”
My brother sent me a scathing glare. While he was helping me manage my mother, the waves of anger rolling off him were undeniable. His temper was hanging by a thread, and I was dreading the moment it snapped.
“No,” I quickly replied. “Of course not. I’ll play coy. Won’t outright deny or admit to anything and let them come to their own conclusions.”
“That’s right. Keep them guessing. The seed will be planted that you pushed Cat to use the blood bond to our advantage. If they think you were behind it, you’ll look like the cunning one,” he finished to my mother, ignoring me completely.
My mother thoughtfully stroked her bottom lip. “While I would’ve preferred Cat had simply done what she was supposed to do, I suppose this is a better alternative to the scandal we have on our hands.”
Bunicăsent me a covert wink. I mouthed thank you back to her.
I sagged into my chair with relief until Cristo turned his attention sharply to me. His brown eyes were flinty hard, narrowed in anger. I stiffened under his hostile gaze.
“You owe us,” he threatened, in a brittle tone he’d never used on me before. And…there it is. I understood that he was upset, but his words still hit me like a spray of bullets.
“W-what do you mean?” I stammered out, half rising from my seat.
“I mean that we are making the best out of a bad situation, but don’t be fooled by what you just saw,” he said, indicating to my mother.
“Cristo—” my grandmother began.
“Silence, Bunică,” Cristo cut her off with a slash of his hand. “You spoil her too much, and look where it’s gotten us. She went away to school to pursue whatever bullshit she wanted and see what it led to? While we busted our asses, day in day out, she’s turned into a silly girl with ridiculous notions of love.”
His eyes flashed as he spat out, “There is nothing more important than serving the family. I loved Una, but I did what I had to do to protect the family. Your only goal in life should’ve been to marry right and not bring shame down on us. You failed. Even if we cover it up, the Lupu brothers won’t be fooled by the gossip. That might’ve tricked stupider people, but not Alex or Luca. And especially not Nicu. He’s going to use any chance he gets to dig into me with an insult. God, I hate that fucker.”
I glanced over at my father for reassurance, but his face was a mask of stoicism, a sign that he agreed with my brother.
“But we’ve got bigger problems,” he went on. “Marrying Luca may just be our ticket out. You know the financial strain we’re under, with the partners in Afghanistan we lost with the American withdrawal. We’re scrambling to create new allegiances, but the Taliban are not making it easy. Then there’s the half million we spent for Mama’s treatment on top of the steep discount we gave Alex to compensate him for our failed trick with Una. We had to borrow from the Hagi clan to keep afloat.”
Cristo paused, his eyes darting away from mine. “There’s been a complication and the debt has to be paid back right away. I mean, right away.” His gaze met mine. “And you’re going to help us.”
I blinked at him, gulping down the acid rocketing up from my gut. “W-what did you do, Cristo?”
“I—” He cleared his throat. “During a meeting, the Hagi’s youngest son—the fucking spoiled prick—insulted me. I lost my temper.” His tone dropped. “I attacked him. It took Simu and his uncle to pull me off him, but…the damage was done. He won’t be a pretty boy no more.”
My eyes flew to my father, who gave me a nonchalant shrug as if to say, you know your brother.
“What the hell, Cristo? That temper of yours will get you killed one day. When are you going to do something about it?”
“Shut up, Cat,” he growled. Flinging out his hand, he snarled, “You’ve been gone for the past six fucking years. Six. Years. You were nowhere to be found when I was lifting Mama off the toilet bowl and cleaning vomit off the floor.” He jabbed his finger at me. “While you were traipsing around with your head in the sky, falling in love and embarrassing your family, I was holding down the fort. You have no idea what it takes to lead this clan, what kind of pressure I’m under. And I will not be insulted by a little douche like the Hagi boy.”
I didn’t tell him that I would’ve dropped my senior year and moved back to help, but that our parents insisted I graduate from my boarding school. He already knew that. Nor did I lecture him that the pressures he endured did not justify his behavior. I refrained from shouting that he was going to get himself killed if he continued in this way. Instead, I swallowed down my barrage of retorts.
Only one thing mattered: Cristo was my brother and he was in trouble. I was a Popescu and we stuck together, no matter what. I could easily guess what happened when you provoked a şef that you owed money to. Cristo was in deep trouble, and I couldn’t abandon him in his time of need. It wasn’t just loyalty because he’d been the best of older brothers (for the most part). It was because I loved that son of a bitch. As awful as his temper was, he was my brother. Mine.
“How bad is it?” I asked.
“Bad,” he replied instantly. “We have to pay it back. Like right now, or else they will hurt me.”
He didn’t have to get into the details. The ruling principle in our world was an eye for an eye. Revenge for beating up the Hagi boy was in order.
“Is it what I think it is? The Hagi şef is demanding full repayment, plus interest, due immediately. And if we don’t pay…”
“Then, I’m living on borrowed time,” he finished for me.
One misstep could be fixed. But two? And back to back? Not so much. Sure, he was being set up but being a şef’s heir wouldn’t save Cristo with the kind of money involved.
What choice did I have? None. We Popescus had fought tooth and nail to get where we were. For so long, it had been us against the world. As upstarts, we were constantly looked down upon, and that had spawned a deep loyalty within us. Within me. More than that, Cristo was my brother and I couldn’t abandon him to his fate, even if he’d brought it on himself.
Swallowing, I stared at Cristo. I could tell from his expression that he already had a plan.
Bracing myself, I asked, “What do you need from me?”
“Luca wants you to live with him before the marriage. That’s a fucking insult, but Tata and I agreed because it will give you free rein to search his apartment, which I happen to know he uses as his office. I want you to dig around, find something useful, and report back. Look through his files, his computer, his phone. Whatever you have to do, you do it,” he gritted out.
As Cristo talked, my finger curled into the upholstery of the chair, nails digging in. I didn’t want this. To see him this anxious, this stressed out, only proved how desperate he was, but it meant betraying Luca, and that thought tore through me like a knife. I was petrified of losing him.
“I’m sure his computer is password protected and he uses facial recognition for his phone,” I hedged. “Isn’t there another way?”
“We’ve thought through every way, Cat. And for the love of God, don’t you dare tell Luca. You need to find something. Find anything. He’s a computer genius and he’s in charge of the Lupu financial schemes. They’re legendary moneymakers. I’ve heard rumors that they were involved in the most recent ransomware attack on that oil pipeline. He’s a supreme hacker, stalking them online and making it seem as if they’re based in Eastern Europe. Received ten million in bitcoin, which is near impossible to trace.”
Reading my face, he gave me a pleading look, his eyes blazing with desperation. “Cat, they’re loaded. They have a fucking empire. They can afford to share. And if you can find out something that hurts them? Even better.”
I recoiled. No way was I going to hurt Luca or his brothers. An image of Luca shimmered in my mind, his passion when he looked at me like I was his, his gentleness when he took my virginity, his vulnerability in the car when he shared about his father. I loved his independence and his principles, clearly something I lacked in comparison.
Here I thought I was a bit of a rebel, not buying into the bullshit of arranged marriages and forging my own path with the blood bond. Turned out, I wasn’t half as strong as he was because the moment my big brother was in trouble, I jumped in to save him. Luca has been good to you, and this is how you repay him? I paused, indecision racking my system.
I glanced at my father. He was slumped back in his armchair, arms hanging over the sides in exhaustion. The lines around his eyes and dark bags spoke of worry and sleepless nights. Cristo was his heir, and I was only a girl, one who was now part of another clan. Not only would it gut him if anything happened to Cristo, but it would mark the end of the Popescus. I turned to my mother, who was still rail thin from the months of not being able to keep down any food. No, I couldn’t desert them.
Taking a huge breath of air, I blurted out, “One time. I’ll help you one time, but that’s it, Cristo. After that, I’ve paid my moral debt for being away and for ruining my engagement with Nicu. I swear, you better do whatever you have to do to change, because next time, you’re on your own.”
“Yes,” he replied eagerly, his head snapping toward my father for confirmation. My father nodded gratefully. Cristo cracked that notorious easygoing grin of his for the first time today.
My stomach lurched in revolt. What I was about to do was wrong, but I would make that sacrifice for them this one time. It was a crazy risk, but I’d do it once and never again.
“Cristo, swear to me that if I do this, you will never use it against me or ask me again.”
His smile slipped and his eyes grew sober. “I swear on my honor,” he promised.
I didn’t know how much honor he held in that tainted soul of his anymore, but I had already agreed. Silently, I made an oath as well. I would only turn over information that helped my family but did not directly harm Luca or the Lupu clan.
For a moment, I thought of going behind Cristo and telling Luca, but I immediately shut it down. The last six years of self-dependence made the decision easy for me. I mean, I had busted my butt for years to become valedictorian and didn’t even tell my parents, much less invite them to my graduation. At school, no one outside of Jewel knew anything about my family. I was used to living a double life and handling my problems on my own. But underneath it was fear. The Lupus, like the Popescus, were a prideful clan. There was no reason for Luca to help Cristo.
With Cristo’s life on the line, I couldn’t afford to trust Luca. There was no love lost between the two of them. Luca couldn’t pay off another clan’s debt, and he had no leverage with the Hagi family, which was located on the other coast. It was best to be cautious. As long as I protected Luca, I would help Cristo. As for the guilt that would come from my betrayal, I’d figure out how to live with that once the deed was done.
