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He scratched the corner of his jaw, eyes on the wall as he considered my question. “Active? Close to three hundred across the country.”
My eyes widened at his confession. “You invited three hundred people here?” I shook my head in disbelief. “This house is big, but notthatbig.”
He sat on the bed beside me and lifted me onto his lap. “We invited the Knights who live close by. They wanted to meet their future queen.”
I smiled at his words. “When will I become their queen?”
“After you accept Luca’s proposal.”
“What if I want to marry you instead?”
He sighed, his eyes lowered to the floor. Marcello insisted I marry Luca. So even though my grandfather said I had a choice, I really didn’t have one. Not when Marcello and his brothers were so loyal to Luca.
“We’ve gone over this, princess.” He squeezed his big hand around my thigh. “Marry Luca. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
“I’m serious, Marcello.” I stroked my thumb across his cheek and stared into his pretty blue eyes. “I would rather marry you.”
He released a deep breath, turning his head toward the window. “I know you think I’m the better choice.”
“You are,” I said without hesitation.
“Not true.” His eyes met mine once more. “My brother is the reason you’re still alive. When the rest of us failed you, Luca succeeded.”
“They drugged you. None of you could control that.”
“Still,” he groaned. “I failed you. I should have anticipated the attack at The Mansion.”
“Even the all-knowing Luca hadn’t expected it. Don’t blame yourself, Marcello. You did nothing wrong.”
“Luca saved you.” He pursed his lips. “He has saved you more times than I can count. In his own way, he cares about you.”
“This is what you want?”
He nodded.
“Okay.” I slid off his lap and clutched his shoulder. “I will consider his proposal. But I’d much rather it be you.”
“You’ll change your mind about him,” he said with certainty in his tone. “Give it time.”
Marcello shot up from the bed and closed the distance between us, the bikini hanging from his finger. “Put this on.”
I bit my lip as I looked at the skimpy ass fabric. “Luca really wants me to wear that in front of his friends?”
“My cousins are coming tonight, too.”
“Which cousins? The Serpents?”
He nodded. “They’ll be here. But I was talking about the Luciano brothers.”
“Right.” I bobbed my head. “YourMafiososide of the family.”
“We were the only ones with enough sense to get out.”
“I thought you can’t leave the Mafia once you’re in.”
Marcello rolled his shoulders as if it were an easy task to walk away from the Mafia. “My father has his ways. He’s the reason we’re not Made men.”
“How did he get out of it?”
