Scorched(37)

“Excuse me!” Molly yelped, turning sharply to face her husband. “What ex-hoes?”

Shifting his attention from his irate wife to a hapless Nick, Devil ground his teeth together. “Do you absolutely have your heart set on this guy, man? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, he’s living on borrowed time if another stupid comment like that comes out of his trap,” Devil threatened before focusing on his wife. “Baby, I promise you’re the only hoe in my life,” he attempted to sooth.

“Somehow I don’t think that remark is going to help you, Dev,” Nick muttered under his breath.

“It won’t,” Molly agreed, before lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders. “We’ll be discussing your hoes later, Devil Delancy.”

“You are so going to pay for this,” Devil hissed at an unconcerned Armando.

“My boss pays very well. I can afford it,” Mannie returned, blinking owlishly at their irritated host.

Clearing her throat, Molly interrupted, “For now, I think our company has arrived,” she informed the group, gesturing with one hand at the Cadillac pulling into their driveway outside the house. “Nana, would you mind taking the baby upstairs to the nursery and staying with her. I don’t want her little ears to fall off from the things she might hear this afternoon.”

“What company?” Mannie asked with a suspicious look at Molly. “You said that Vivian and Sami had other plans,” he continued as Nana passed him on her way up the stairs.

“Mannie, you know how you’re forever telling me that it is so much easier to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission?” Molly asked as the doorbell pealed in the foyer.

“Si,” Mannie answered slowly.

“Well, I finally understand what you mean, sweetie.”





Chapter Nine


Molly

Hurrying past a confused Armando and an uneasy Nick, Molly followed after Devil. She pasted what she hoped like hell was a welcoming smile on her face and walked into the foyer to greet their guests. “Hello,” she greeted the older couple that stood on their threshold. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Santino. I’m so grateful that you accepted our invitation. I’m Molly Delancy and you’ve already met my husband, Devil,” she said pleasantly, extending her hand.

“Yes,” Sofia Santino replied, somehow managing to look down her nose at Devil even though she was several inches shorter than him while shaking Molly’s hand. “I met your aptly named spouse several years ago. He doesn’t appear to have changed very much,” she continued haughtily, looking Devil over with an exacting eye.

“Oh, now, Sofia. I’ve changed. I’m a whole lot less patient with rude folks that ought to have learned better manners given their social standing,” Devil returned icily.

“Oh, good! We’re already on a first name basis with each other, too,” Molly tittered. Dropping Sofia’s hand, she reached for Gino Santino next. “And you must be Nick’s father. Gino, isn’t it?” she questioned quickly before her husband could continue insulting Sofia. The old witch deserved it, she thought angrily, but they were here to try and repair Nick and Armando’s relationship. These two uptight assholes were part of that pivotal plan whether they wanted to be or not. Therefore, she couldn’t allow her husband to decimate those thirty seconds after arrival before the meal and peace talks even got underway. Maybe by dessert, though, if their attitudes didn’t improve.

Gino took Molly’s hand in his, shaking it gently and smiling. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Delancy. My son told us that Devil had married, but he neglected to tell us how beautiful you were.”

Probably because I don’t have a penis, Molly thought silently even as she blushed and smiled at the older man. He didn’t seem quite so bad. Perhaps, there was a bit of hope on the horizon. “Thank you, sir. And please, call me Molly. And come in. Welcome to our home,” she continued, gesturing for them to precede she and Devil into the formal living room. “Nick and the others are waiting inside for us.”

“By others, you mean….” Sofia broke off meaningfully.

“I mean that he is waiting with his fiancé, Armando,” Molly acknowledged softly, carefully keeping her face expressionless as she stared down the older woman.

“I will thank you not to refer to that man as my son’s anything,” Sofia ordered sharply, stiffening as she glared at Molly.

Sighing heavily, Gino looked at his wife. “Sofia, we spoke of this already. You will be civil and not offend our hosts with rudeness. Let’s just go inside and hear what our son has to say,” he suggested reasonably, placing a guiding hand on his wife’s lower back. “How can I convince you to remain quiet for long enough to get the facts, wife?”