After Don Cordano was out of the way, Nico would make Dante the notional head of the Cordano side of the family, cement the alliance, and Mia and her sister would be protected. Everyone would live happily ever after. Aside from the Scozzari family agreement, which he had yet to address, and the small matter of a few grumblings from New York, it was the perfect plan.
“Married?” Her beautiful face twisted in a scowl. “I’m running away because I don’t want to be married to the mob. Maybe you didn’t pick that up when you mentioned you were engaged.”
Nico frowned. Obviously the engagement was no longer an issue since he was here offering to marry her. He was a good-looking man. Fit. Wealthy. Powerful. Very skilled in bed. He hadn’t expected her to find the idea quite so distasteful, especially since she had come up with it in the first place. “It’s the only way. We’re not strangers, bella. You’re not an unattractive woman so it’s no hardship for me. And we get on fine.”
“I’m not unattractive? We get on fine?” She threw the words back at him, her voice rising in pitch. Sensing a heaping dose of disrespect coming his way, Nico ushered everyone out of the room with instructions to take Kat to his Escalade and guard her until he and Mia were ready to go.
“Those aren’t reasons to get married,” Mia snapped, after the door closed. “And what about the part where you told me you were engaged? All this time you’ve been lying to me, leading me on.”
Dammit. How could he get through to her? “Your alternative is getting married to a man who means to break you, who will take everything you own, and destroy everything you are, a man who plans to start a war with all the families in the city. Dozens of lives will be lost.”
“Or I could run away with Kat.” She put her hands on her hips, clearly not appreciating the gravity of the situation. “And then I can hack into all his accounts, and destroy him financially. He’ll be too busy worrying about his money to come after us.”
Nico closed the distance between them. “Mi bella,” he said softly. “We still deal in cash for that very reason. Your father is desperate for an alliance, and you and your sister are his best way of securing one. He will not let you go easily. You will always be looking over your shoulder. But I can keep you safe.” He reached for her, and Mia slapped his hand away.
“I don’t trust you anymore, Nico. I’d rather take my chances on the run than forever with you.”
“If a divorce is what you want, and the time is right, I will be willing to break with tradition and petition the New York bosses to let you go.” It was an easy promise to make because he knew they would never say yes, but he could see in her eyes that it was a deal breaker, and if he’d learned anything in this life, it was how to close a deal.
“Let me go?” Her eyes flashed, and despite her bitterness, it just made him want her even more.
“It is the man’s prerogative.”
She bristled at his words. “And that right there is the problem.”
“Would it help if I told you I have never met or spoken to the woman I am engaged to? That my father arranged the marriage when I was six years old? I have been in touch with the family only sporadically over the years. But she means nothing to me save for an alliance that I would need only if you marry Tony.”
“You want to use me,” she said bitterly.
“No, bella. Marriage is not something I have seen bring any joy to people, and it is not something I ever wanted. Even the old-school political marriages never sat well with me. I regret that my reaction to your proposal caused you pain.” He reached for her, stroked her cheek. This time he wasn’t denied, and she shuddered beneath his touch.
“I felt humiliated.”
“Mia, tesoro … non era mia intenzione ferirti—I never wanted to hurt you.”
“You grovel well in Italian,” she said, her voice softening. “It seems it’s not just the language of love.”
Taking a chance, Nico drew closer, brushed a kiss over her forehead. “If I have to marry, I want a willing partner. I can protect you with this marriage. I can protect your sister. I can end a war. We may not have love between us, but we have respect and a commitment beyond ourselves.”
Nico felt a curious stab in his chest. He cared for Mia. So much that the thought of losing her had almost been unbearable. But he didn’t want to call it love. He’d lived through the devastation of his mother’s tears, and watched men crumble. Love was not an experience he wished to have.
“If we do this,” she bit out, “and I’m not saying yes, you won’t be telling me what to do. I’ll continue working, and you won’t interfere with my business.”
“Of course, you may continue to work.” He smiled, tasting success.
“What would you expect of me?”
His lips quivered at the corners. “What you offered. You would have to play the role of a proper Mafia wife. You would need to dress and act the part in public.”