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“Do you miss him?”
“I do. I miss them all. I sometimes forget that it’s only me around now. It’s lonely.”
With his recent conversation with Henrietta, he now saw the more vulnerable side to this woman. She wasn’t just a capo’s daughter. A fighter. A force of nature.
As he looked at her, he saw the only daughter left, a sister, someone who had no one other than a soldier who swore his loyalty to her father. There was no one to really take care of her, to love.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close.
She was tense. “What are you doing?”
“I’m your family now.”
“Damon, we’re not even married yet.”
“We will be soon.” He ran his fingers down her back and even as she probably wanted to fight him on it, she didn’t. She wrapped her arms around him, holding on. “I was going to ask you about your family.”
“Go ahead, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“I’m aware of your father’s viewpoints on women. You’ve told me yourself that I’m nothing more than a baby-making vessel.”
“Yes?”
“How can someone who is raised by a man who sees women as property like me be at your side? Respect me and even grant me all the freedoms I have now?” she asked.
“Watching men and women. The guards and soldiers.”
“That’s it?” she asked.
“My training started when I was very young. Being in pain became second nature to me. It’s all I’ve known for a really long time. My father took me everywhere with him, but because I was a kid, I wasn’t exactly considered that important. I’d wander off. I hated my father and following in his footsteps was never what I wanted to do. Most boys want to impress their dad, me, I wanted him to regret ever having me.”
“That’s … er … intense.”
“It’s who I am. Each day I got stronger but I also saw the way other men treated their women. My father beats my mother, or he used to. I’ve seen the state of the women, and I have no desire to hurt a woman. There’s no power in that. I have killed women, Isabella. Traitors. Women who will try and get us arrested, or rat us out. I’m not perfect.”
“All of this is to spite your father?”
“Yes, and I believe women should be cherished.” He stroked her cheek. “I will cherish you, Isabella. Every single day.”
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this, but I appreciate it, Damon. I do.”
“We have to go and start making the necessary arrangements for our wedding.”
She groaned. “Shopping?”
“Either that or we organize a planner for us.”
“I think a planner would be better. I don’t want to have to deal with all of the fine details.” She wrinkled her nose, looking cute.
In her own time, she’d tell him the truth about her setup, until then, he was going to trust her judgment as to why she kept it a secret from him.Chapter Six“You’re getting married in three weeks,” Daniella said.
Isabella looked up from the baby boy in her lap and smiled. “I know. I wanted to invite you but Randy didn’t think it would be a good idea.”
Danielle sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll be with you every step of the way, even if I can’t, you know, be there.”
Glancing around the apartment, Isabella felt so happy for the young woman. Daniella and August were her friends. She held the little boy on her lap as he played with her hair.
“We heard about your father,” Daniella said. “We’re both so sorry.”
“I hope August doesn’t even know what it means.”
“He’s growing up so fast.”
“Tell me about it. I can hardly believe this guy is two years old already. I remember when he was nothing more than a baby bump.” She blew on August’s cheek and the little boy giggled.
“So tell me about your husband-to-be?” Daniella said.
“You know who it is.”
“Damon Romano.”
“Yes. I don’t suppose you know too much about him?” Isabella asked.
“The usual information. He’s a monster. Scares his enemies. Doesn’t feel pain.” Daniella handed her a cup of coffee, taking a seat opposite her.
She didn’t have long before she needed to get back. The only reason she’d been able to escape Damon’s rather invading presence was under the guise of going to try on her wedding dress. She’d tried on the wedding dress, and for the first time since she was twelve, she felt like a woman. A rather strange feeling to her.
“What about the women? Did he visit them?”
Daniella raised her brow.
“What?”
“I have to wonder why you want to know these things.”
“I’m curious about what he’d be like, you know. Nothing more.”
“There is always more to it, but I’ll let this one slide.”
“If you must know, he did visit some of the clubs, at least if rumor was to be believed, but he never took women.”
“He didn’t?” Isabella asked.
