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I nod and wait for her to continue.
"Vitto's father is intense, hell the man is a real tyrant but the family must do whatever he says. That's just the way the dynamic is. It's not a loving relationship at all. If they try to go against him there are dire consequences."
"Like what?" Surely, Vitto's father can't be that bad.
"Have you seen the brand on Vitto's neck?" I nod and Rosie continues, "That's because he decided to help his brother when their father made everyone vow not to. It was a punishment for showing compassion."
"What the hell. That's ridiculous." I nearly shriek.
"Tell me about it. Well, there's about to be a new decree passed. According to Giancarlo, his father thinks that one of his sons has been on his own for too long and needs to be brought back into the fold. He likes to keep all of them under his thumb. In their world, it's always better to solidify treaties with some sort of connection so their father has set up an arranged marriage. That's what he's coming to announce today."
My mind whirls and I can feel a cold sweat start to crawl up my spine. Arranged marriage. She must mean for Vitto. I clamp my mouth shut not wanting Rosie to know how much this is bothering me. Hell, I don't want to admit to myself how much this is bothering me. I'd only just met Vitto and for the majority of our time together all I could think about was getting away from him but what is going to happen now that I don't have a choice. If he's forced to marry someone else that doesn't leave very much space in his life for me. I'll be discarded, tossed away, in the same position I was in before. Alone and fighting to survive.
Somewhere over the last few days, I've started to see Vitto as somewhat of a partner. More than just my protector. He's mine and I'm not ready to give him up.
"But we have a child together. Maybe he'll change his mind?" I question only to have Rosie shake her head no. "Vitto can't leave us now."
"If his father tells him he has to, he will." Rosie squeezes my hand in comfort but it's doing no good.
I clear my throat and blink a few times in order to stop the tears that are threatening to fall down my face. "Thank you for telling me."
"He's knocked out, let me put him down in my bed." Rosie outstretches her arms and I look down to see Chance is indeed sound asleep.
"Okay thank you," I say softly and watch as she gently lifts Chance, wraps him in a blanket, and walks out of the room. She'll be a good mother, I can just tell.
Usually, I'd be more concerned about taking care of Chance but I know in this house he's probably the safest he's ever been.
I pace back and forth in the small room, the emotions running riotous inside of me. We've not put any type of label on what it is that he and I are doing and maybe that was Vitto's plan the whole time. Maybe he just wanted to get me over here and drop me like a bad habit. How the hell could he not tell me something like this.
"Stella." Vitto's voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I turn toward him.
"You weren't going to say anything?" I get right to the point.
"What?" He asks and closes the door behind him as he walks further in the room.
"About getting married. You're father is coming to announce that you're going to marry someone and you didn't think that was something that you should tell the mother of your child?" I squeeze my hands into fists.
"Stella, it's got nothing to do with you."
I've never been a violent person but for some reason every time Vitto and I get into any type of altercation all I want is to beat the hell out of him. Make him see reason.
My hand flies out faster than either of us can anticipate and I smack him hard across the face. "Nothing to do with me? You made me believe that I was yours, told me that you'd never let me go only to discard me the minute your father says jump." I poke him. Poke the bear I know he's got hidden inside of him.
"I'm not letting you go. You are mine. You've been mine from the moment your contract was pushed in my direction. No one is taking you from me." He grabs hold of my wrist hard to keep me from hitting on him.
"Really? And how do you think this is going to work? You think I'm going to play mistress? That I'm going to hide away in some apartment while you move on with your new wife and family? I don't want that. I don't deserve that." A lonely tear rolls down my face and I grab hold of his shirt pulling him closer when I should be pushing him away.
"I'm not giving you up." He says again.
"You're father is going to have something to say about that don't you think?" I squint at him but his expression doesn't change. It's nearly maniacal.
"I'm. Not. Giving. You. Up."
I want to believe him. Want to know how he intends to fight his entire family for me even though we both know it's a losing battle.
"Vitto...I..." the doubts rush through my mind.
Before I can open my mouth again his lips crash down on mine. The kiss is blistering and he swallows all the doubt and pain that I feel. It's like everything is closing in on us and the only thing that's keeping me sane is the feel of his body against mine.
