Her smile softens. “We’re not. Not even close.” There’s a pause, then she adds casually, “Try a forced marriage, forced pregnancy, and a kidnapping.”
I blink at her. “I’m sorry . . . what?”
She laughs lightly, like she’s talking about bad weather. “We’ve had our moments. Still do. But we always find our way back to each other.”
My chest tightens as I realise she’s serious. “That’s . . . a lot.”
“It is,” she agrees. “But men like Vinn, like Ray,” she tilts her head slightly, “they need strong women beside them.”
“Couldn’t you refuse?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not really. It was what was best for the families. Saying no to a man like Vinn wouldn’t have gone down well.”
Something cold settles in my stomach.
Families. Whispered deals. Ray knowing shady men.
This isn’t normal.
“So, if Vinn is the boss,” I say slowly, “Ray is—”
“Not Italian mafia,” she cuts in quickly, seeing my expression. “Not like Vinn.”
I exhale slightly.
“But,” she adds, not softening it, “he runs a huge, organised operation here. He’s powerful. Very powerful.”
My fingers tighten around my glass. “I think he’s been playing things down,” I say, forcing a small smile.
Sofia studies me for a second. “Ray built everything himself,” she says. “He wasn’t born into it. No family legacy. He fought for every inch of it.”
I glance across the room at him. He looks different now. Not just intense.
But dangerous.
“How?” I ask quietly.
She shrugs. “By doing what he had to. Taking people down. Climbing to the top with Dale and Anika right there with him.” She smiles faintly. “They’re like their own little unhinged trio.” The way she says it so casually makes my stomach twist. She pauses, then her expression shifts. “Oh god,” she says suddenly. “You didn’t know.”
I shake my head slowly. My eyes flick back to Ray. To the man speaking to him. To the leather jackets.
To everything I didn’t see before.
“I just thought . . .” she trails off, covering her mouth. “I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t,” I whisper. There’s a beat of silence. “Can I ask you something?”
She hesitates. “Depends.”
“How did Anika end up like that?”
Her expression changes instantly. “I’ve probably said too much already,” she says carefully.
“Please,” I press. “Catherine wouldn’t tell me. Was it her ex?”
Sofia glances over her shoulder again, checking where Vinn is.
Then she leans closer, lowering her voice. “It wasn’t Luke,” she says. “That’s all I’ll say about him.” My heart pounds. “It was a warning,” she adds. “Someone came for Ray. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”