Lucky by Jackie Collins Read Free Book Online

an art institute in San Francisco, and never communicated in any way .
    Gino presided over the family dinner, which dragged until he made the announcement they had both been waiting for. It seemed he was in trouble with the tax authorities and faced an upcoming subpoena and chance of jail. He had to get out of the country for a while .
    ‘As a precaution,’ he said, ‘I’m signin’ over a lot of things to you two. Nothin’ to bother yourselves with – you’ll just have to put your signature on some papers occasionally. Costa will have my power of attorney, he’ll take care of everything. And Dario, I want you to move to New York. There’s a lot of things you should know about. Costa’ll start teachin’ you. ’
    ‘Move to New York!’ Dario cried. ‘Why?’
    ‘You’re a Santangelo, that’s why. And you’ve been pissin’ around at that dumb art school for long enough. It’s time you came into the business. ’
    ‘What about me?’ Lucky demanded.
    ‘What about you?’
    ‘If Dario’s going to learn the business, I want to as well.’
    ‘Don’t be a silly girl,’ Gino said mildly.
    She felt four years of frustrated rage boiling up inside her. ‘Why not?’ she demanded. Why not ?’
    ‘Because you’re a married woman who will stay by her husband’s side and behave like a proper wife. And it’s about time you had a baby. What are you waiting for anyway?’
    ‘What am I waiting for?’ she exploded. ‘I’m waiting to have a life first – that’s what I’m waiting for. ’
    Gino threw up his hands in mock despair. ‘She wants a life. It isn’t enough she’s had the best money can buy —’
    ‘Including a husband,’ Lucky yelled angrily. ‘You bought me a husband with your lousy money. You —’
    ‘That’s enough. ’
    ‘It’s not enough. I want more,’ she screamed. ‘Why should Dario get a chance and not me?’
    ‘Cut it out, Lucky.’ His voice was ice.
    ‘Why the fuck should I?’
    His black eyes were as deadly as hers. ‘Because I’m tellin’ you. And watch your language. Ladies don’t talk like you. ’
    She put her hands on her hips and arrogantly faced him. ‘I ain’t no lady,’ she mocked. ‘I’m a Santangelo. I’m just like you – and you ain’t no gentleman. ’
    He stared at his wild daughter and thought, Christ! What have I raised here? I’ve given her everything. What more does she want?
    ‘Why don’t you just shut up and sit down?’ he said wearily.
    This made her even angrier. ‘Oh, sure! Shut her up, marry her off and who cares whether she’s happy or not? You’re a fucking male chauvinist who thinks women are only good for screwing and cooking. Keep ’em in the kitchen or the bedroom where they belong. Is that what you did with mommy before she was murdered? Did you lock —’
    He cut her words off abruptly by slapping her across the face.
    Desperately she tried to control the burning tears. ‘I hate you,’ she hissed. ‘I never want to see you again. ’
    She stormed from the room. Behind her she heard him say, ‘Kids! What can you do? You try your best . . . A woman in business . . . you gotta be nuts . . . Emotional . . . Jeeze, they’re all so goddamn emotional . . .’
    Lucky wasn’t emotional. She was full of a hard cold anger.
    Gino left the country shortly after. He settled in Israel for an undetermined period of time. A few weeks later Lucky heard from Costa. There were papers to be signed and he would be sending them to her.
    When she received the documents, she studied them carefully in spite of a note from Costa that read – ‘Don’t bother reading – just sign by the pencil mark, purely a formality. ’
    If she was signing, she was reading.
    She then decided why bother sending them back if she could deliver them personally?
    Within hours she was on a plane to New York.
    *   *   *
     
    Susan Martino was groomed from the top of her perfectly coiffed head to the tip of her Charles Jourdan gold pumps. She wore a