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Shady business?I type, then hand it over for him to read.
“Ahh. Well, in the mafia, sometimes business can be … shady. You know, not exactly legal.”
I just stare at him, my eyes wide. I feel like they’re so wide they’re taking up my entire face.
Dario chuckles. “Sorry. I take it you’re not fully prepared for this. You really didn’t know anything your father was up to?”
I shake my head. My father didn’t tell me a damn thing about his life. I was left in the dark.
Are you trying to use me to gain information about my father?I show him the screen.
Once we reach the car, Dario opens my door for me. “I don’t want to use you, Pia. But if you have any information about your father that could hurt him, I would love to know.”
The image of my mother lying dead in his arms flashes through my mind. Even now, years later, I remember how much blood there was, how it dripped from the knife and pooled onto the floor.
I could tell Dario. I could finally tell someone.
But something holds me back.
It’s not loyalty to my father. I want him to hurt the way he hurt my mom and me. It’s fear coursing through me. Fear that my father will find out that I told the truth and will come after me. Fear that this time, he’ll kill me rather than lock me away.
I shake my head and type,I don’t know anything.
Dario looks disappointed, which pains me. I want to help him. Even in this short time I’ve known him, I have this desire for his approval. But I can’t speak the truth about what happened. Not now. Not ever.
“It’s all right,” he says. “I want you to know that you’re more to me than just what you can do for me. You’re mine, Pia.” His hand grazes my cheek, and I lean into his touch almost involuntarily. Dario bends down and brushes his lips against mine again, and just like before, he keeps it gentle and barely there before pulling back. What’s holding him back? He kissed me with more passion in the church, and it was glorious. I never thought I’d ever get the chance to kiss someone, and it was as amazing as I’d always hoped. But why isn’t he doing it again?
He motions for me to get in the car. “I’m excited to take you home. You’ll get to meet my sisters.” He laughs at my worried expression. “You’ll like them, trust me. Only one of them is intimidating.”
Only one?
As Dario drives away from the church, I watch in my review mirror as it gets smaller and smaller. I was married there. I don’t want to forget what it looks like.
The drive to his home takes a while, and soon, I notice we’re getting closer to the water. Luxury homes line the streets, overlooking the ocean on the other side. As someone who’s only view was of a farm of olive trees, the sight of the ocean takes my breath away. I press my face to the window, seeing all the modern blended homes mixed with rustic Italian charm. I feel like I’m at a resort, far from the shackles of my tower.
Dario eventually arrives at a house and goes up a driveway to reveal a stunning, gray-stoned mansion with large windows and archways everywhere. A warm glow of light comes from within the house, signaling that people are still awake. The house is so beautiful that I feel the urge to breathe in like I’m taking more of the house inside me as well.
“Do you like it?” he asks, turning the car off.
I can’t help the smile that crosses my face as I nod.
Dario smiles in return. “I’m glad.” He reaches over and gently takes my hand in his. “Pia, as my wife, this is your home now, too. I want you to feel happy here.”
Why do you care so much about my happiness?I type.
He inhales deeply before saying, “I just do. Isn’t that good enough?”
I shrug. I guess so. Since my mom died, I’ve never had anyone care about me, so I find it difficult to believe Dario truly cares for me.
“Let me show you your new home.” He gets out of the car and runs around it to open my door. When he takes my hand in his again, I feel the same spark I felt the first time we touched. There’s a strange connection between us, and I’m still trying to figure it out.
My legs feel heavy as we approach the house. I know Dario has said he wants me to be safe, but what if once I take a step inside this house, he decides he wants to lock me up as well? I could be walking into a trap.
Dario opens the large wooden door and motions for me to step inside. I pause, staring at the beautiful interior, with its herringbone floors and soft white walls. Despite the modern exterior, the inside feels like something out of a historical movie. I feel like I could dance through the halls as I fall in love—that’s what all the girls did in the movies I watched. This place has an elegance and timelessness to it that feels cozy.
I turn to Dario, hoping he won’t change his mind and lock me up. But all he does is nudge me forward and smile.
“Let me give you the tour.”
