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“She’d be the only one then.” Amadeus glances at me in the rearview mirror and I know what he means, even if he wouldn’t be so bold as to say it outright.
I caused a lot of trouble when I ran away from my arranged marriage to Don Rossi. I embarrassed my father, and with him, the entire Rinaldo Famiglia, which is basically the worst sin I could ever commit.
But I had my reasons. Pretty good ones too, at least in my mind.
A shiver runs down my spine and I have to close my eyes to keep from crying.
I hoped I could avoid this. Any other husband and I would’ve stayed. I might not have been happy about it, but I would’ve done my duty the way I’m supposed to. I was raised to be a good Rinaldo girl, obedient and quiet, strong when needed, prepared to do what needs doing.
But the thought of joining the Rossi family makes me sick.
Because that would mean getting close tohimagain.
And I don’t want that to happen.
The trip home is long and exhausting. Amadeus doesn’t treat me like a prisoner, but he doesn’t let me out of his sight for longer than a bathroom break. Once we land in Philadelphia, I step out onto the tarmac of the private airport and am greeted by my father, Uncle Cassio, and several more soldiers.
“You put on a parade to welcome me home,” I say with a tired smile as I approach my father.
He doesn’t smile back. Normally, I can make him laugh. All our favorite movies are comedies. I think I’m the only person in the entire world that can do it, except for Adam Sandler. Papa loves Sandler. With everyone else, he’s the terrifying Don Rinaldo. But with me, at least when I was little, he was just Papa.
Now though, it’s the Don welcoming me home. “How was your stay? Did you at least spend some quality time with my mother?”
“Yes, and she’s doing great, thanks for asking.”
He grunts, some of him softening. “What were you thinking, Allegra?”
“I didn’t want to marry him.”
“I know that. You made it clear. And you’re aware that it doesn’t matter what you want. We give what we have to the Famiglia.”
I try not to make a face.We give what we have. That’s his favorite phrase—I’m pretty sure he’s got it tattooed inside his freaking eyelids.
“Anyone else and I would’ve done it. Anyone but a Rossi.”
He steps closer, his voice dropping. Everyone’s watching us. Uncle Cassio’s got a scowl plastered on his lips—although the guy’s got a case of a classic resting-asshole-face so it’s hard to tell if he’s actually upset.
“You know how things are right now,” Papa says so only I can hear. He grabs onto my arm. My father is a tall man but narrow, his eyes sunken, his hair thinning. It’s a shock to realize he looks old. “Our business interests have been squeezed out by the legal sportsbooks, and our attempts to grow into new industries haven’t been fruitful. We need an alliance with another strong family to provide better business opportunities, or else we’ll start to cede turf to the Irish and the Russians. Especially now with this damn war.”
“I know that, Papa.” I stare down at the ground. “Anyone else. Just anyone else.”
“You got lucky. Renzo found another wife and it seems they’re happy together. But unfortunately, his younger brother is still a bachelor. Now, I let you stay in Italy with my mother for long enough, but it’s time for you to do what must be done. We need this marriage, Allegra. It’s important to the whole Rinaldo organization. Can you swear you won’t run?”
I don’t want to.
I’m not afraid of Saul Rossi. That’s not the problem. I wasn’t afraid of Renzo Rossi either. Even their other brother, Carlo, he doesn’t seem that bad.
It’s the last Rossi brother. The one I’ve known since Blackwoods College, since that terrible and incredible week.
Gian Rossi. The man who stabbed me in the chest.
I don’t want to join that family and get anywhere near him. I swore I’d hate those people forever after what he did to me, and it’s a promise I’ve managed to uphold for a long time now.
I got my looks from my mother and my pig-headed stubbornness from my father.
Except if I marry Saul, or Renzo, or Carlo, or even some Rossi cousin, I’ll be forced to see Gian again. I’ll be forced to have a Rossi baby, carry the Rossi name, when all I want to do is curse it for the rest of my life.
I hate Gian Rossi. I think he’s the only person I reallydohate.
