Keep: The Wedding: Romanian Mob Chronicles Read Online Free PDF

lives. Both of us loved our men, but their world—our world—was isolating. It wasn’t completely bleak, though. I brightened and smacked Esther’s arm, excited.
    “Too bad you missed the dinner with Anton Constantin and his new wife,” I said.
    “I was pissed about that, but Baby Sorin was up to his eyeballs in puke, so I couldn’t be there. Then again, maybe it’s good that I missed it. How was it? Godfather to the max, right?” she said.
    “Come on, Esther,” I said, laughing.
    “What? Tell me I’m wrong. I can imagine the posturing and chest-puffing now. And I’m getting hives just thinking about it. I bet I’d have put my big foot in my mouth and set off World War III or something,” she said.
    “It’s not that serious, Esther,” I said.
    She rolled her eyes again. “Come on, Fawn, you don’t even believe that.”
    I shrugged. “Well, no, but this was different, very low-key,” I said.
    “That’s good, but you know as well as I do, I’m not cut out to be a mob first lady. Good thing you’re around to handle all that crap,” she said.
    I hadn’t ever quite thought about it that way, but Esther, as she always did, gave me a new perspective. I supposed she was right. Vasile rarely accepted invitations or extended them, but when he did, I was happy to help him however I could. Dressing up and being inoffensive was one of my greatest, and only, talents. More importantly, at Vasile’s side, I never felt fear, worry, or anything but being completely safe.
    After a moment, I glanced back at Esther and waved her off.
    “Um, thanks, I guess,” I said. “Now, back to the topic at hand. You want some new blood. Well, Lily is married to one of Vasile’s…” I trailed off, trying to come up with the right word. “Associates,” I finally settled on. “She’s really nice. Maybe we should get together with her?”
    Esther huffed and then went to grab a crying Baby Sorin. She patted the baby and soothed him and then put him back down.
    “What did you say, Esther? About meeting Lily?” I asked when she came and sat next to me again.
    “Hmm,” she said, murmuring noncommittally.
    I frowned at her, confused, and Esther didn’t look at me, a sure sign that something was amiss.
    “I thought you wanted new blood?” I said.
    “Of course, but…” She trailed off.
    I narrowed my eyes and then watched her. Then I smiled, suspicion dawning.
    “Am I hearing what I think I’m hearing?” I said.
    “What do you think you’re hearing? I haven’t really said anything,” Esther said.
    Then she went to Baby Sorin again and began straightening his shirt.
    “Leave the baby alone and talk to me, Esther. Or I’m gonna say you’re a ’fraidy cat,” I said.
    That got her attention, and she turned sharp eyes on me. “‘’Fraidy cat’? Are you in third grade?” she said on a huff as she brushed the baby’s hair.
    Bingo. A nervous, fussy Esther was a scared one, and if she was brushing her baby’s hair in the park, she was extra nervous. I smiled, watching my best friend as she did everything but look at me.
    “Aren’t you? I can’t think of any other reason you’d be afraid to meet someone. I thought you were fearless, Esther Petran,” I said.
    I still smiled, but I had stuttered over the last word, and Esther finally stopped fussing with the baby and looked at me, her expression soft.
    “That’s weird, right? I never thought I’d be anything besides Esther Jordan.”
    “It fits,” I said as calmly as I could manage.
    It did fit, as did the look of contentment on Esther’s face when she looked at Sorin when she thought no one was looking. She belonged to the name and had had time to grow accustomed to it.
    Not that it meant anything, really. Sorin loved Esther, just as Vasile loved me. A name didn’t change that. No, not at all.
    Fawn Petran.
    I tried the name on for size in my mind and as the sound rang in my head, I made a face. It was awkward, sounded strained, and not pretty, not