But I didn’t have a choice. And it didn’t mean I wouldn’t be strong. In fact, I was pretty sure I didn’t have a choice about that, either.
I was going to have to be strong. Really strong.
“I went out with friends one night. Just for a drink. That was the plan, anyway. Somebody . . . put something in my drink. Tony saved me.”
“How do you know it wasn’t him?”
I shook my head.
“He wasn’t anywhere near me. He saw it happening and tried to stop it.”
I exhaled and turned to look at her.
“None of this is his fault, Mama.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“How do you know he didn’t plan it? Maybe he was coordinating with them.”
“Because he beat the hell out of them! I was standing with a couple of men. They did it. And God knows what else they would have done if he hadn’t been there!”
She pursed her lips and looked away.
“So he saved you. It doesn’t mean you have to marry him.”
“He’s very traditional, Mama. It turns out, so am I.”
“He’s a criminal,” she hissed. “This place is a den of thieves!”
I shook my head.
“I can’t explain, Mama. Please don’t make me lie to you. This is for the best.” I inhaled shakily. “I want to marry him,” I added, lest she think I was being forced, even though technically, I was. “Please believe me when I say that he is more than one thing.”
A mix of lies and truth, all of it.
“I will be okay, Mama. I will finish school. I’ll just do it from here instead of the dorms.”
“Are you sure he will let you?”
“Yes, Mama. We’ve discussed it. He knows I want to go to grad school.” I gestured to the living room where my schoolwork and laptop were neatly stacked on the sleek modern shelves. “He even got me a new laptop.”
I didn’t mention that I hadn’t actually been to class in weeks. That would not go over well. And I needed her to stay calm, for both of our sakes.
“This is happening,” I said firmly when I could tell she was wavering. Or worse, on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. “I need you to respect my decision.”
That did it. She pinched her lips together, looking annoyed. But I had her between a rock and a hard place. She had taught me to know my own mind from a very early age. She had always asked me to consider her opinion for big decisions, but the final choice was mine.
A knock on the door was followed by a waft of perfume and fresh hairspray as Auntie poked her head in.
“It’s time, Miss Evangelina,” she said, adding an extra ‘a’ to the end of my name. I think it made her feel like I was more Italian. “I brought you the flowers,” she added with an excited grin.
She stepped inside, waving a bouquet in the air. I gasped in pure feminine pleasure, all my worries forgotten. The bouquet was gorgeous. Bright pink peonies, white tea roses, and leafy stems in varying shades of green. A wide white satin ribbon was wrapped around the thick bundle of stems. I smiled and took the flowers.
“They are so beautiful. Thank you.”
“For the bride, yes? You are more beautiful,” she said, patting my cheek. One thing was for sure. I wasn’t alone in this house. It wasn’t just Tony, either. Auntie was looking out for me, too.
“I’m ready.” I nodded at my mother, and she stood, sighing. “We are,” I amended.
The next few minutes passed in a surreal haze. I’d been so panicked about Mom, I’d forgotten to panic about me. I didn’t even spare a thought to what I was doing until the music started.
Vincent came to collect me at the foot of the stairs. I stared at him. He was handsome and cold and austere. But when he gave me a small, secretive smile and whispered, ‘welcome to the family,’ as he pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and took my arm, everything changed.
Just like that, I felt better. I felt ready.
I knew, I knew, that being part of the family wasn’t a good thing. It was a powerful and dangerous crime syndicate. But it was also a real family. The two brothers who ran it loved each other. They loved their Auntie. They loved their cousin. It was a family, for better or for worse.
And they had welcomed me into the fold without reservation. It was far more than I could have ever expected under the circumstances.
“Ready?”
I nodded and stepped out into the courtyard.
Chapter 31
Antonio
I was glaring at my dad when the music started. No, it was more of a death stare. The old man had better not fuck this up for me, I thought. He was lording it over all the guests, which were almost a hundred percent old-school mobsters. Our aunts, uncles, and cousins were the only ones not packing heat. It was straight out of a scene from Goodfellas, which was one of my favorite films about the mafia.