Her fingers flew up to cover it. “Oh, no, I—”
“Mina...”
She stared at him, dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.
Dammit all. Nate wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap, cradling her against his chest. She stiffened against him as if ready to bolt, then another sob racked her petite body and she melted into him, her tears soaking his shirt. Shredding his self-possession.
He held her as she cried, ruthlessly commanding his all too aware body that the soft curves that fit so perfectly against him were utterly off-limits. His hand stroked her silky hair, nudging some curly tendrils free from the perfect knot as her sobs dissolved into sniffles, but he didn’t care. She was trembling like a leaf.
“Tell me,” he ordered, “what is going on here.”
She shook her head. “Silvio—my fiancé—he’s a very powerful man. He would kill me if I said anything.”
He lifted her chin with his fingers. “Funny thing about that, Mina, but I’m a powerful man, too, and I don’t hit my women. Silvio who?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Silvio Marchetti. He owns half of Sicily. You really don’t want to get mixed up with him.”
He would like to get very mixed up with Silvio Marchetti right now. Violently, aggressively mixed up with Silvio Marchetti. Unfortunately, he wasn’t here for him to inflict the desired punishment.
“Why are you marrying a monster?”
Her dark eyes shone like polished ebony. “He is my mother’s choice. It’s been...arranged.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “That still happens?”
“Here it does.”
“Does your mother know he hits you?”
Her chin wobbled.
Hell. “Tell her you won’t.”
“I have. I—we need this match.”
“Why?” She could hardly need it.
Mina shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Everyone is at the church already. I am marrying Silvio in front of half of Palermo in—” she looked at her watch “—less than an hour.”
“Call it off,” he grated. “You can’t possibly marry him, Mina. Look at you.”
She pushed a hand against his chest to get up. He held her firm. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because we need the money,” she bit out. “I need to marry to get the ring so I can sell it and pay off our debts. My mother and I are bankrupt. That’s why I was working at the hotel.”
So she was going to marry a violent man to make that happen?
He let her go. Watched as she stood and paced the room, the train of her dress following behind her. “Why not marry someone of your own choosing, then?”
“I told you already.” She stopped and jammed her hands on her hips. “My mother arra
nged the match. Silvio was the last of a dozen candidates she put forward. I am out of choices.”
“Why did you reject the others?”
“Because I didn’t love them.”
Oh, boy. She was one of those. He hated to burst Ms. Mastrantino’s bubble at this particular dire moment in time but... “Love is a myth, Mina.” He gave her a hard look. “Find a man you’re comfortable with, who treats you right, and marry him.”