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“I was dumped today.”
Bloodlust flares suddenly in Salvatore’s eyes. “You have a boyfriend? Who is he?Has he touched you?”
If I did have a boyfriend then what might have happened between us is none of his business. The truth is I’ve never dated or been touched by anyone except Salvatore and his friends.
I wonder if it would bother him to hear what they did to me. Especially Lorenzo. Humiliation courses through me as I remember the way he showed me my wet G-string and then shoved the hilt of his knife between my thighs. Or maybe they bragged to each other what they did to me. So why is it different if another guy puts his hands on me?
Dad glares at me. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend. What are you talking about, Chiara?”
“I’m talking about my best friend. Nicole says her parents don’t want us to be friends anymore.” I flick my gaze at Salvatore. “Because of him.”
Dad’s face relaxes into a smile as he cuts through his steak. “Oh, I see.”
Salvatore picks up his red wine glass and settles back in his seat. “For a moment there I thought I’d have to go and spill some blood.”
“If I had a boyfriend it would be none of your business.”
“My fiancée’s private life is all my business. Do I have to come to the school every day and kiss you? I thought once would be enough to spread the message around. You belong to me, and no one else is to touch you.”
“The headmistress won’t allow it.”
A grin spreads over Salvatore’s handsome face. “Some old woman in a cardigan isn’t going to keep me away from my girl. I’m warning you, Chiara. You kiss some boy or let him get his hands on you, I’ll make him wish he’d never been born.”
I imagine one of the students from the nearby boys’ school going up against Salvatore, and shudder. Right now he’s relaxed and sharply dressed in a designer suit, not a lock of rich brown hair out of place, but I have no doubt he can go absolutely feral when he wants to.
I turn to Dad, gripping my knife and fork tight in my fists. “Nicole’s parents and people like them are the core of your voter base. Isn’t this a sign that you should rethink everything? You could lose the mayorship because of Salvatore.”
“There’ll be some pearl-clutchers, undoubtedly, but I can lose the Albanos’ votes without any problem.”
Salvatore takes a sip of wine. “Losing a few weak-minded idiots is nothing to the number of people that I can persuade to support Mayor Romano. Everyone who works for me, everyone who loves and respects my family, lives on the streets I own, and everyone who’s terrified of me will do as I say.”
Weak-minded idiots. I hate hearing him talk about Nicole’s parents that way. Salvatore might be wrong, but what matters is that Dad believes him.
I eat my dinner in silence and tune out whatever Dad and Salvatore are saying to each other. If my match with Salvatore isn’t going to damage Dad’s political reputation enough for him to call it off, I still have forty-eight weeks to find another solution.
When dinner is over, Dad says my name. “Chiara. See Salvatore to the door.”
I look up and realize that the plates have been cleared away. Wordlessly, I get to my feet and walk out of the room.
I can feel Salvatore following me, but I can’t bear to even look at him.
At the door, Salvatore takes my waist in his hands. “Hold your head up. You’re a Fiore bride, and we bow to no one.”
“I’m not bowing to you. I’m sad. I lost my best friend because of you.”
“If she cut you out so easily then she was never truly your friend. You’ll make new friends.”
“People like you, you mean?”
“Exactly. Better friends.” Salvatore moves closer to kiss me but this time I’m ready for him and I turn my face away.
He stays right where he is, his fingers biting into my waist and fury lighting up his eyes. “Turn back to me.”
“No.”
I brace for him to grab my chin and force my face back to his. It’s the only way he’ll ever kiss me again.
“That’s the last time you refuse me anything,” he seethes, letting me go. “Next time, I’ll fucking make you.” He strides down the hall, opens the front door, and slams it behind him.
