“That’s true,” Luca conceded. His gray eyes regarded me as if he thought he could pull any truth out of me with just his watchful gaze, but I had learned to hold on to my secrets. “But you could marry someone else.”
I could, but if I refused to marry Nino Falcone, I’d be even more of a pariah in our circles. Uncle Felix and Aunt Egidia would be disappointed, and they would have an even harder time finding someone else. And how would I justify my refusal? In our world, you married the man your parents chose for you, no matter how bad the choice. “Who would marry Nino Falcone in my stead?”
“Most of my cousins are promised or married. I’d have to choose one of the daughters of my Captains. A few of them will be turning of age this year and aren’t engaged.”
Another girl given to the monsters in Las Vegas. A girl more innocent than me. A girl who deserved a chance at happiness no matter how small it would be in our world.
Nobody had protected me all those years ago, but I could spare another girl this fate. “I will marry him. You don’t have to choose anyone else.” My voice didn’t betray my terror. It was firm and determined, and I forced myself to meet Luca’s gaze for the first time this evening.
Luca stared at me a moment longer, but I could tell he approved of my decision. Duty and honor were the pillars of our world. Each of us had to do what was expected. It would have made him and the Famiglia look bad if he couldn’t have offered one of his cousins to the Camorra. These were the rules we lived by, and his own wife had been given to him for peace. This was how it was done, how it would always be done.
After dinner, it was Aria who approached me. She smiled kindly and touched my arm while the men drank their scotch in the smoking lounge and Aunt Egidia got espresso ready for us. “Nobody would blame you if you refused,” Aria said.
“You married Luca. You did what was expected, what honor dictated, and I know the same is expected of me,” I said with a smile.
She frowned. “Yes, but—”
“It’s not like this has ever been my home. Even if I wasn’t the one who broke his oath, I’m paying for my father’s mistake. I want to move on from it. This is my chance to redeem myself. Las Vegas can be a new start for me.”
Those were the words expected of me, but they fell heavily from my lips because I knew that my marriage to Nino could destroy everything. My reputation and any chance at peace. And beneath these worries, lay a deeper, darker fear—a fear born in the past that haunted my present and would determine my future.
NINO
“This was too risky and you know it, Remo. One day you will get yourself killed,” I said as Remo and I settled at a table in the Sugar Trap. I knew he was starting to grow tired of my lectures, but as long as he acted impulsively, he’d have to listen to them.
Remo threw his feet up on the table, watching the stripper sway her hips, her tits bouncing up and down. The Sugar Trap was deserted, except for the women preparing for the evening.
“When that happens, you are there to rule over the Camorra.”
I frowned. He was taking this too lightly. He was the born Capo. Nobody could scare people into submission as easily and fast as Remo. I didn’t want to become Capo. That was Remo’s birthright, not mine.
“Don’t give me that look, Nino. I know you would have handled things differently.”
“Anyone would have handled things differently.”
“It worked. Luca got his drugs, and he agreed to give this union a chance. And I bet Aria played a part in the matter. She wants her brother back. She is a woman. They want peace and love. They like to meddle.”
“You aren’t an expert where women are concerned. When was the last time you talked more than two sentences to a woman?”
Remo swung his legs off the table and got up then pointed at the stripper. “I want to fuck. Get your ass into the changing room. I’ll be there in two minutes. You better be naked.” The woman nodded and hurried backstage. Remo raised one dark eyebrow. “See? Four sentences.”
I sighed and rose to my feet. “That wasn’t talking, that was commanding. A monologue, at best. For it to be an actual conversation, she has to say something in return.”
Remo grinned. “Why would I want to hear what she has to say? I prefer her mouth filled with my cock.” He pointed at another stripper who entered our club. “Why don’t you take that one? In a few months, you’ll be a married man. No more stripper pussies for you then.” He laughed at his own joke, knowing Made Men could do whatever they wanted, and clapped my shoulder. “Come on, relax a bit before you have to meet with Luca tomorrow.”