by Cora Reilly
“What? What can I do?” I asked with a hint of anger. That brief burst of emotion scared me because I preferred the numbness.
“Something,” Fabi said quietly, blue eyes pleading with me. “Anything. Don’t just accept it.”
“Then tell me what I can do. You are the future Made Man. Tell me.”
Fabiano averted his gaze, guilt on his face.
I touched his shoulder. “There’s nothing either of us can do.”
“You could run like Gianna,” Fabi burst out.
“She got caught.”
“But you wouldn’t.”
“I would.” I was nothing like Gianna. I wouldn’t even last one month, probably not even a week. I wasn’t a rebel. I didn’t even want to leave this life behind. There was no way I would survive on my own for long.
But maybe I wouldn’t have to be alone. Romero could come with me. He knew how to evade pursuers. Together we could make it.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Fabi asked with a boyish grin.
“Remember where your loyalties are,” I whispered. “This is betrayal. If Father finds out, you’re going to be punished harshly.”
“I’m not a Made Man yet.”
“But as good as, you said it yourself. They will judge you as they would a Made Man, and that would mean death.”
“Father needs an heir,” Fabi said.
“Father will soon have a young bride who can give him plenty of children. Maybe he won’t need you after all.”
Fabi made a gagging sound. “It’s like he’s marrying you. It’s sick.”
I couldn’t deny it. “Benito Brasci is older than Father, isn’t he?”
“I don’t know. He looks ancient.”
“I should go up to my room,” I said absentmindedly. I needed to talk to Romero. Fabi didn’t stop me as I walked up the remaining steps and headed for my room.
When the door closed after me, I feared for a moment that I’d actually burst into tears, but the stopper keeping my emotions in held fast.
I fumbled my phone out of the bottom of my travel bag and dialed Romero’s number. My hands shook and when Romero didn’t pick up after the first two rings like he usually did, I could feel panic slip through the cracks in my numbness. He didn’t know I’d call, but I couldn’t help but worry that something had happened to him. Or that he’d found out about my engagement to Brasci and didn’t want anything to do with me. What if Luca had known all along? It was possible that Father had told him on the phone and Luca hadn’t mentioned it because he knew Aria and Gianna would make a scene.
I was sent to voicemail and quickly hung up. I hadn’t even put the phone away when the screen flashed with Romero’s name. Taking a deep breath, I answered.
“Lily, are you okay? I was in a meeting and had the phone on mute.”
I slumped against the wall at the sound of Romero’s voice. It calmed me but at the same time it made me realize what I could lose if I had to marry Brasci. “Father has chosen a husband for me,” I said eventually. I sounded like I was talking about the weather, completely detached.
Silence followed on the other end. I couldn’t even hear breathing. I didn’t dare say anything, although I was bursting with fear and anxiety.
“Who is it?” Romero asked in a low voice. I wished I could see his face to get a hint about his emotions. He sounded as emotionless as I had.
“Benito Brasci. You probably don’t know him, but—”
Romero interrupted me. “I know him. I met him during a gathering last year.”
“Oh,” I said, then waited but again Romero was silent. Why was he so calm? Didn’t he care that I was going to marry another man? Maybe this had always been a distraction for him. Maybe he’d never intended for us to have more than…what? An affair? I felt dirty just thinking about it. “He’s much older than me.”
“I know.”
Of course Romero knew but I wasn’t sure what else to say.
“I thought,” I said hesitantly. “I thought we could…”
I didn’t dare utter the words.
“You thought we could what?”
I closed my eyes. “I thought we could run away together.” I cringed when the words had left my mouth. Could I sound any more pathetic and naïve?
“That would mean war between the Outfit and New York.”
He said it matter-of-factly, like it had absolutely nothing to do with him. I hadn’t thought of that but of course that would be the first thing that crossed Romero’s mind. The Famiglia always came first.
I’d been stupid. Mother had always warned me that men promised you the world if they wanted something from you. Romero had been kind and loving, and I’d given him everything in turn. My body, my heart, every little thing I could give. I’d given it gladly and I didn’t want to feel regret over a single thing, but it was hard.
I bit my lip, suddenly on the verge of crying. I could feel the floodgates open. It wouldn’t be long now. “You’re right,” I croaked. “I—” I choked and quickly hung up. Then I hid the phone in my travel bag again and curled up on my bed, letting sobs wrack my body until my muscles hurt, until my throat hurt, until everything hurt, but nothing as much as my heart. Was this it? The end of every dream I had?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Romero
I stared at my phone. What the fuck was Scuderi thinking? I’d wanted to kill him so often in the past, now I wished I’d done it.
Nino came out of the meeting room and put a cigarette into his mouth. That guy grated on my fucking nerves. “Why the long face? Get yourself a nice long blowjob from one of the girls. That always puts a smile on my face.”
I stormed toward him, gripped him by the collar and flung him against the wall. His head smashed against it and he dropped his stupid cigarette. “What the fuck, you asshole! Let me go!” he screamed like a fucking pussy.
I punched him in the stomach twice and he dropped to his knees. God, I wanted to fucking kill someone. I didn’t even care whom. I hit him over and over again.
“Hey! What’s going on here?” Luca growled. He gripped my arms and pulled them behind my back. “Romero, what the hell are you doing? Calm the fuck down.”
I relaxed in his hold and took a deep breath.
Matteo knelt beside Nino who was bleeding from a wound on his head and from his nose. I hadn’t even realized I’d hit him in the face too. Aria joined us after a moment. Since she’d started working the books of the clubs, she was here quite often. She gave me a questioning look, then worry twisted her face.
“I’m going to kill you, you bastard,” Nino snarled. I’d love to see him try.
Matteo helped him to his feet. “You won’t do anything. Go inside and have someone stitch up your head.”
Nino staggered off, but not without sending me a death glare. As if I gave a fuck. Let him try to kill me. I’d wipe the fucking floor with his weak ass.
“Did something happen with Lily?” Aria asked fearfully, walking up to me.
“You can let me go now,” I told Luca. He did and stepped back, his narrowed eyes flitting between his wife and me.
“Why would Romero know if something was wrong with Lily?” he asked carefully.
Aria didn’t say anything, only looked at me, her eyes reflecting the fear that had settled in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I should have been worried that Luca might find out, but I didn’t give a shit about that either.
“Your father has arranged a marriage with Benito Brasci for her,” I said in a low voice.
Aria gasped. “What? He never mentioned that he was looking for a husband for her!” She glanced at Luca. “Or did he mention anything to you?”
Luca’s expression was stone. “No, he hasn’t. But right now I’m more concerned about the fact that Romero knows about this before anyone else does and that he almost killed one of my men because of it.”
I leaned against the wall. I might as well tell him the truth. “Lily and I have been seeing each other during th
e summer.”
Matteo let out a low whistle. For some reason it annoyed the crap out of me. I glared at him and almost lost my shit again when I saw his grin. What the fuck was so funny?
Luca got into my face. “Didn’t you tell me not too long ago that you weren’t interested in her? That there wouldn’t be a fucking problem when she was around? I remember that conversation pretty damn well, and now you’re fucking telling me that you were seeing Liliana behind my fucking back all summer?”
Aria touched Luca’s arm and positioned herself halfway between us. “Luca, please don’t get mad at Romero. He and Lily didn’t mean any harm. They fell in love. It just happened.”
“And you knew all along?” Luca muttered. “You knew and didn’t tell me? Didn’t we have a discussion about loyalty and trust when you helped Gianna run away?”
Aria blanched. “They are my sisters.”
“And I’m your fucking husband.”
“Luca, she didn’t mean—” I began.
Luca jabbed his fingers against my chest. “You stay the fuck out of this. You’re lucky I don’t put a bullet into your head right this second for going against my orders.”
“Hey, calm down, Luca. Maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds,” Matteo said, trying to be the voice of reason, which was a joke in itself.
“Oh, I suspect it’s exactly as bad as I think it is,” Luca murmured. His eyes fixed on me. “Just tell me this, will we be in trouble on Liliana’s wedding night?”
I knew what he was asking.
“Lily won’t marry that guy. Isn’t he over fifty? It’s ridiculous,” Aria butted in.
“Over fifty and a nasty piece of shit,” Matteo added.
Luca ignored them. His eyes bore into mine. “Will there be a fucking problem on her wedding night?”
“I slept with Lily,” I said calmly.
Matteo let out another of his annoying whistles.
Luca cursed. He looked like he wanted to smash my head in with a sledgehammer. “Why couldn’t you leave your dick in your pants? Couldn’t you at least have drawn the line at actually fucking her?”
“I don’t regret it,” I said. “Now less than ever.”
Luca took a step back from me as if he didn’t trust himself this close to me. “This is a fucking mess. Do you realize what happens if Benito Brasci finds out his wife isn’t a virgin? Scuderi will figure out it happened in New York and we’ll be screwed.”
“I don’t think there will be a problem. I stood beside Brasci at the urinal once. That guy’s cock is tiny. He can’t possibly expect there to be any blood on the sheets with that small sausage. Liliana probably won’t even notice his cock in her,” Matteo joked.
I saw red. I lunged at him, my fist colliding with his jaw. But Matteo wasn’t Nino. After my first hit, he blocked my second and pulled his knife. Mine was out too. We faced off, knives pointed at each other.
“Enough!” Luca roared, stepping between us and shoving us away from each other. “I’m going to put you down like rabid dogs if you don’t get a grip on yourselves right this second.”
“He started it,” Matteo said, never taking his eyes off me. We’d never fought against each other, and I wasn’t sure I could beat him in a knife fight, but I wouldn’t mind to find out.
“You provoked him,” Aria said. “What you said was horrible.”
Matteo rolled his eyes. “My God, I was trying to lighten the mood.”
“You failed,” Luca said coldly. “Now put your knives away. Both of you.”
I sheathed my knife and Matteo did the same. I exhaled. “I shouldn’t have punched you,” I said eventually.
Matteo nodded. “I should keep my mouth shut now and then.”
We shook hands and I leaned against the wall again. My legs felt heavy. I peered down at my phone. I needed to call Lily, to tell her I wouldn’t give her up.
“But she’s not pregnant, is she?” Luca asked after a moment.
I shook my head. We’d always been careful.
“Then maybe we’ll get out of this unscathed. Brasci might not notice, and there are ways to fake blood stains on the sheets.”
“She won’t marry that man,” I said.
Luca raised his eyebrows. “Oh, isn’t she? Are you thinking about stopping Scuderi? Maybe kidnap Lily and marry her?”
I didn’t say anything. I wanted to punch Luca too, but that would definitely have been the nail in my coffin.
“Luca, please. Can’t you talk to my father?”
“Talk to him and tell him what?” Luca growled. “That my best soldier screwed his daughter and wants her for himself? That I broke my oath to protect Liliana and now she’s lost her fucking honor? That will go over fucking well.”
“No, but you could tell him that Gianna and I want our sister in New York with us and if he wouldn’t maybe consider marrying her to someone from the Famiglia. You wouldn’t have to tell him who right away. It would give us time to figure something out.”
“I can’t get involved. It’s none of my business. And if your father has already promised Liliana to Brasci, he won’t change his mind. It would make him look bad and offend Brasci.”
“But we have to do something!” Aria exclaimed.
“I won’t go into war over this!” Luca hissed.
I understood him. He had to consider only the Famiglia. But I didn’t have to.
* * *
Liliana
I was woken by the ringing of a phone. Slowly my conversation with my father and then Romero replayed in my mind. My eyes darted toward my travel bag in the walk-in closet, thinking and hoping it was Romero again before I remembered that it was on mute. Disappointment crashed down on me once more. I sat up, disoriented and exhausted from crying. The clock on the nightstand told me it was only 10 p.m. I walked toward my desk where the landline phone was and picked it up. It was Aria. She must have heard already. Had Father called her to tell her the good news?
I picked up. “Hi, Aria,” I rasped. There was no hiding that I’d been crying. Aria knew that voice.
“Oh, Lily. I just heard. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it.”
“We’re not going to let Father get away with it. We’ll figure something out,” Gianna shouted in the background. They were together, they had husbands they loved, and I’d be stuck here with an old man I would never be able to love. How could things have gone so horribly wrong?
“Did Father call you?” I asked, my voice regaining some of the emotionlessness I preferred.
“No, he didn’t. We found out through Romero.”
“He told you.”
“Yes, he did,” Aria said slowly. “He attacked one of the other soldiers who said something to him, so Luca had a word with him, and figured it out.”
“Why did he attack that man?”
“What do you think? Because he doesn’t want you to marry Brasci,” Aria said softly. “He’s been trying to call you for the last hour but you didn’t pick up. He almost went crazy over here. He wants to talk to you.”
“He’s there with you?”
“Yes. I’ll hand him the phone now, okay?”
Fear corded up my throat. “Okay.”
“Lily,” Romero murmured into the phone. His voice was anything but detached now. I released a harsh breath and felt tears run down my face.
“Lily?”
I swallowed hard. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me now that I’m promised to someone else.”
“No, never. I know I didn’t react the way I should have. I…I was so angry when you told me your fucking father wants to sell you off to that old bastard. I wanted to fly over there and kill him. I didn’t want to let out my anger on you so I tried to push it back.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Do you still want to run away?”
Yes, more than anything else. “It would mean war. You said it yourself.”
“I don’t care. I would risk war for you.”
“Is Luca there to hear
you say that?”
“No, he isn’t.”
“He would kill you if he could hear you.”
“Your sisters would risk war over you as well.”
I didn’t doubt it. Gianna, in particular, but even Aria who was the more reasonable would do anything to protect me, and that was what scared me so much. Fabi would soon be in the midst of mob business. The war with the Russians had gotten worse in recent years, and I probably didn’t even know half of it. If New York and Chicago started fighting each other again, this could cost the lives of many people I cared about.
“I have to meet him tomorrow.”
“I don’t want you alone with him, Lily.”
“But what if he asks me and Father says ‘yes’? You know I can’t refuse him.”
“You can refuse him. You are an honorable Italian girl, play that card. If I have to worry that you’ll be alone with him I’ll book the next flight and be there tomorrow. Fuck. I want to do just that and kill him.”
I smiled slightly, wishing he could. I wanted nothing more than to have him with me, to feel his arms around me. “I’m not an honorable girl anymore. Maybe if I tell my father I can get out of this marriage.”
“He might kill you. Your father has been very volatile since that thing with Gianna.”
“Maybe that would be better than marrying that guy.”
“Don’t say something like that. We’ll figure something out.”
I nodded, even if he couldn’t see it. I wanted to believe him. “I know,” I said quietly.
“Aria is going to call your father tomorrow morning to get a feel for his resolve.”
“I don’t think she’ll be able to talk him out of it. Does Luca know everything about us?”
“Yes, at least everything he needs to know to assess the situation.”
My cheeks flamed, but Romero was right. We needed to tell Luca the truth if we wanted him to be able to do something. “Was he very angry?”
Romero was silent for a moment. “He wasn’t happy. I punched Matteo, that didn’t really help matters.”
“You hit Matteo? Why? I thought Aria said you’d attacked another soldier.”