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“And you think I’m the weakness?”
“Not yet, but you will be. I’m dying, Nova.”
He takes another step back as his words seep in. I wait for the pain to hit, but nothing can penetrate the numbness I’m feeling.
“Our enemies are pushing in, but it’s not them I’m worried about right now. It’s the ones trying to take over from within. The Fiore family has been in power for three generations. Though there are five families, it is widely known that most defer to me.”
I don’t argue with that. People call himcapo di tutti i capi, boss of all the bosses,and there is an element of truth to it.Vigo is more powerful than the dons of the other four families. He has more territory and more men at his disposal. The other dons would have to band together to bring Vigo down, which is why they have the Commission, made up of all the heads of the families, to keep him in check.
“The Commission will use my death to remove the power advantage that I have right now, breaking my territory into pieces and sharing it amongst themselves. I know because it’s what I would do.”
“I still don’t understand what it has to do with me.”
“When I’m gone, all my assets become yours. The secret of who you really are will be revealed, and you’ll once again be the target of our enemies.”
“Then don’t leave it to me. I don’t need or want any of it.”
He snarls at me. “You are my fucking legacy. It was always going to end this way. Being a guard served its purpose.You are fit and strong and have an inside into how things work that you wouldn’t have been privy to otherwise. But the time for that is over. Aldo Lambardi is my underboss. He will succeed me, but he is not my blood. You are. You will be his bride, and together you will keep this family and all it holds dear at the fucking top where it belongs.”
I open my mouth to argue with him, but he moves forward, wrapping his hand around my throat, and leans in.
“He is the only one with the power to keep you safe.”
I almost snort. He cannot be that stupid.
“Gia and her feelings are irrelevant. Your safety is all that matters.”
He releases me and straightens the lapels of his jacket.
I almost tell him about Aldo’s violent tendencies toward women but stop myself. If I find out he already knows and still insists I marry him, it will cause far more damage than the knowledge he’s leaving me with tonight. No, I need to think. I can’t marry Aldo. I won’t. I’d rather die, and if that’s the only other option, then so be it. But first, I need time.
“When?”
“As soon as possible. A week at the most.”
“A month. You owe me that.”
He looks like he’s about to argue but thinks better of it. “Fine. But I expect you to show up and smile and be the dutiful daughter. You will make this marriage work and have children that carry on our traditions.”
“I’ll do what you want. All I ask is for you to keep this quiet until I walk down the aisle. You said it yourself. I’ve only made it this far because people don’t know who I am. Some people won’ttake kindly to being tricked, so my identity needs to be kept secret until the last possible minute.”
He weighs my words and nods. “That’s a smart decision. I need to tell Aldo, though.”
“You might trust Aldo, but we don’t know how many of his men are trustworthy. He might not be happy to have the reveal done on our wedding day, but he’s smart enough to see the big picture and understand why.”
“It’s risky.”
“It might be the only way to stop the wedding from becoming a funeral.”
“Alright. For now, we’ll keep this between us. I’ll return home, and things will stay as they are until I get to walk you down the aisle.”
He chokes up a little at that, and the ice around my heart thaws a bit until I remind myself of all the lives lost because of his stupid decision.
“I’ll see myself out. Goodbye, Nova.”
“Goodbye, sir,” I whisper as the sound of the door banging in its frame reminds me of a cell door closing.
That’s what being married to Aldo would be like. A prison sentence followed by, if I’m lucky, a walk on death row.
