It will be me.
Mamma is staring at her plate, her jaw tight. Beside her, my brother, Vince, is swirling the wine in his glass, a notch between his brows. I glance to my right, over Gemma and Rafaele’s empty seats, and lock eyes with Nero De Luca, Rafaele’s consigliere. For once, that annoying mountain of a man looks a bit uncertain. He lifts his brows, like he’s asking me if I know what this is all about.
As if I’d ever tell him. He’s just as bad as his tyrannical boss.
While it’s a bit thrilling to be the only one here in on the secret, what’s not thrilling is knowing that the best-case scenario ends with me walking out of here as an engaged woman.
I vowed I’d never marry a mobster.
But for Gemma, I’ll break that vow without any regrets.
Footsteps sound, and a moment later, the two of them reappear.
My heart jumps into my throat. I search Gemma’s expression for a hint of how it went, but she’s looking at the ground as she hurries over. As soon as she slips into her chair beside me, I take her hand and give it a squeeze. She squeezes back twice.
Is that good or bad?
Before I can ask her how it went, Rafaele stops at the head of the table like he’s about to announce something.
I turn my attention to him.
Sculpted cheekbones.
Jaw line carved into a firm, decisive line.
Muscular build that even the sleek tailoring of his black suit can’t hide.
In another universe, Rafaele Messero could have been an underwear model, but in this one, the only thing he’s modeling is how to be the most intimidating man in a room full of killers.
At twenty-seven, he’s the youngest don New York has seen in decades, but he’s already gained a reputation for being the most brutal.
A shiver slithers down my spine. I might be marrying this guy.
I should probably be more afraid of him, but I’m not. I’ve long since trained myself not to think too hard about the consequences of my actions. Papà and Mamma have spent their lives trying to keep me on a tight leash, and if I worried about how they’d punish me every time I broke their stupid rules, I’d never have any fun.
Of course, back then, I didn’t know Gemma often paid the price for my indiscretions.
Rafaele drags a tanned hand over his black silk tie. “The engagement is off.”
For a second, my lungs seize.
Holy shit. It’s done.
“What?” my father barks, his gaze darting between Rafaele and Gemma.
“Take a breath, Garzolo,” Nero warns, sensing the impending meltdown.
“You promised me a virgin bride,” Rafaele says. “And Gemma is not a virgin.”
Papà’s face turns red. “Nonsense.”
“Garzolo, she admitted to it herself,” Rafaele says.
“She’s unwell. You know how she’s been ever since she returned to us. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying,” Gemma says firmly as she stands up.
Nero clicks his tongue. “It seems to me like she’s quite in control of her mental faculties, Garzolo.”
Papà rises, his chair skidding out behind him. “This is a misunderstanding. Let me talk to my daughter in private.”
No way in hell. He’s not going anywhere near her again.
I move to put myself between my father and Gemma, but my brother beats me to it. Vince stares down Papà, his jaw a hard line.
“I’m done talking to you,” Gemma spits out, peering around Vince. “It’s already been decided. I won’t be marrying Rafaele.”
Papà tries to come closer, but Vince blocks his path. “Sit down,” my brother snaps.
“Get out of my way,” Papà snarls at him. “Gemma, what the hell is this? How dare you—”
Gemma slams her fist against the table. “How dare I? How dare you demand anything from me after what you’ve done? I spent my life trying to keep you happy, only to get beaten by you and emotionally abused by Mamma. You’ve never loved me. I don’t think you’ve ever loved any of your kids. I’m through with you. My only regret is that it took me this long to get here.”
Let him hear it, Gem.
“And by the way, I’m pregnant,” she says.
Our parents’ reaction is priceless. I wish I could take a picture of their shell-shocked expressions so that I’d have something to look at on the days I’m feeling down.
“Like I said, Gemma is no longer qualified to be my wife,” Rafaele drawls, cutting through the stunned silence with his cold voice. “The stipulations in our contract were very clear. I’ve already delivered what I promised. I got you out of prison, and I got your charges dropped. This isn’t how I do business, Garzolo.”
“What do you want me to do?” Papà rasps. He’s really panicking now. “I had no idea—”
“You owe me a wife.” Rafaele’s gaze falls on me. “So I’m taking your other daughter.”
Our eyes clash together. His are so cold that most people are repelled by their icy scrutiny, but right now, there’s something else swirling inside all that ice.
Something vaguely possessive.
My blood chills in my veins as my surroundings fade. I don’t break eye contact even though it feels like a noose is slowly being tightened around my neck.
In our world, marriage is never an equal partnership. It’s a prison.
And I’m not the kind of person who does well in captivity.
Just ask my parents. I’ve disobeyed them my whole life. The more they tried to control me, the more I rebelled. I was going to find a way out of this life. I would leave New York, build a career, and become independent.
That dream is all over now, isn’t it?
I tear my gaze away from my future husband and look at my sister.
Gem.
That’s right. This isn’t about me.
I’m doing this for her. Because I love her, and I want her to be happy with Ras and her baby. My dreams have always been just that—dreams. But her happy ending is real and ready for the taking.
“Everyone knows that girl is a slut.”
The voice of Rafaele’s uncle pierces through the pounding in my ears.
I flinch even though it’s not the first time someone’s called me that.
One of my recent attempts to piss my parents off included lying about going all the way with an outsider. They bought it, given Papà was the one who walked in on us in bed. The truth is all we did was some heavy petting, but I encouraged the rumor to spread. If it helped me avoid marriage, I didn’t care what anyone thought of me.
But right now, the word bothers me. If it’s what stops Gemma from getting away from here, I’ll never forgive myself.
Rafaele turns to his uncle. “I’m aware there are rumors floating around about my future wife. Good thing they’re completely unfounded. From now on, anyone who speaks a word of them will lose their tongue. Have I made myself clear, Uncle?”
My future wife. My mouth goes dry. Jeez, he’s adjusting quickly to the change.
And already doing damage control. He needs to clean up my reputation, so I guess he may as well start now.