“No.” It was Miller. “I just put two and two together.”
He took a step closer to me and lowered his voice. “Don’t throw that term around lightly, Brooklyn. And a new last name isn’t going to make you safer. Or change what you are. As soon as everyone found out I had another daughter, you were put in harm’s way.”
“Who do you mean by everyone?”
“There’s been unrest amongst the families these past few months.” He looked over at the Caldwells. “Rumors have been swirling.”
“What rumors?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Actually, it kind of did. But I was more focused on what it seemed like he was confessing to me. “So it is true? You are a mobster?”
He sighed. “I married into it. And I don’t fault you for trying to marry out.”
Wait, Isabella’s mother was the real mobster? Suddenly it made sense why my dad had needed my mom to leave the city. If Mrs. Pruitt was anything like her daughter, she probably would have had my mom killed.
“But make no mistake, Brooklyn,” my dad said. “You’re part of my family no matter what your last name is. There’s no way out. And it’s not Matthew keeping you safe. It’s me.”
There’s no out. I swallowed hard. It’s exactly what Miller had said.
“But if you feel safer marrying Matthew so that he’ll be by your side at all times…” he raised his eyebrow at me. “It didn’t elude me that you were in his bed this evening.”
I could feel my face turning red.
“But given the circumstance, I’ll let it pass. This time.”
I felt like I was sinking under his harsh gaze.
“I assumed you’d want to get married after college.” He shook his head. “This seems all a bit fast. Is this really what you want, princess?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll allow you to marry him. Or Mason. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather tie the knot with him?”
God, when would he let this go? Probably when I walk down the aisle. “I love Matt.” And only Matt. I’d dated enough men in the past two months to know who my heart was with.
“Very well. I have two contingencies though.”
I nodded and looked up at him.
“First, you and Matt will be moving into your mom’s old apartment as soon as you’re married. I won’t have you staying here any longer than necessary. Clearly it’s unsafe.”
Because of Isabella. But I didn’t think my dad wanted to argue anymore tonight. “Okay, I’ll talk to Matt about it.”
“And second, you will let me pay for the whole thing, yes?” A smile spread over his face. The father I was growing to love was the one talking to me now. Not the scary mobster one.
“Really?” I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Of course, princess.” He kissed my forehead. “Anything for you, you know that.” He looked over at the Caldwells and sighed. “Not my choice of in-laws, but I’ll make it work. I’ll go have another word with them to help smooth this over.” He walked over to the Caldwells and started having a much more civil conversation with them.
“Sorry about that,” Matt said as he pulled me back in his arms. “I know you hadn’t had a chance to talk to your dad about the wedding yet. Were you able to change his mind?”
“Mhm.” I pressed the side of my face against his chest and I actually saw Mr. Caldwell laugh at something my dad said. “But he did have one contingency. He wants us to move into my mom’s old apartment after we get married.” I pulled back so I could look up at him. “I know we haven’t talked about what we were going to do after…”
“Are you kidding?” Matt dropped his forehead against mine. “I’d love to live with just you. A little more privacy sounds pretty great to me.”
And a state-of-the-art security system to keep my evil half-sister and the apparently discontent families out. Whatever that even meant. It didn’t matter. None of it did. As long as I had Matt by my side everything would be fine.
But there was one thing about my conversation with my father that weighed on me. And it wasn’t fair to marry Matt without being honest with him.
“I was right,” I said. “He is a mobster.”
Matt sighed. “Yeah, we kind of figured, didn’t we?”
That wasn’t really the reaction I’d expected. “So if we get married…that kind of drags you into this mess.”
“If we get married? There’s no if, baby. Nothing would make me not marry you.”
I breathed in his exhales. “But he told me it’s dangerous. I don’t want to put you in danger.”
“Hey.” Matt cradled my face in his hands. “This isn’t about our families. It’s about us. I want to marry you. And that’s all that matters.”
“It kind of matters.” There’s no out. “It’s a family business. I’m a Pruitt.”
“Yeah, and I’m a Caldwell, but I’m not the future CEO of MAC International. Let our older siblings take care of the family businesses. We can go wherever we want. Do whatever we want. Be whoever we want to be.” He pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“As long as I can be Brooklyn Caldwell I’ll be happy.”
Matt smiled. “And as long as I can call you my wife, I’ll be happy.”
He was freaking perfect. “Can we please get out of these clothes now?” I asked.
Matt laughed. “And into the guest bed.”
Oh my God. I didn’t bother telling him that my dad disapproved of our sleeping arrangements. I couldn’t not sleep beside Matt. The sound of his heart beating while I was snuggled up to his chest was the only way I was able to fall asleep. He’d held me close every night after my uncle passed away. He held me tight every night since I moved in. When I was in his arms, I felt whole. And no one, not even Isabella, was going to break me again.
Chapter 33
Wednesday