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“I am the Underboss of the Arturo–Powers syndicate. My godfather is the Don.”
“Your father was murdered.”
“Yes. What I told you was the truth.”
“Hmmm… My mother was too.”
“I know.”
When she lifted her head, turning it toward me, a single tear slipped past her lashes. “How do you know?”
“I guessed who you were based on what Dante said at the restaurant. I only know a little bit about your life, Christiana, and that wasn’t acceptable. Dante is using you to increase his power. I had to find out everything I could about you.”
“I’m not a fool, Francesco. I did grow up in a mafia family. My father honestly never bothered to hide who or what he was from his only child, a girl I finally realized he didn’t want anything to do with.”
“Then he’s a fool.”
I noticed she pressed her hand against her mouth. “He’s a savage and nothing more. Did you learn that my father had her killed?”
“Do you know why?” The anger continued to increase.
“Because she was in conversations with the Feds. At least that’s what he told me only days ago when he threatened me.”
“Do you believe it?”
I’d never heard a laugh so bitter. “Honestly? Yes, I do. I guess I’d thought they were in love but as I think back about her actions and some things she’d told me only weeks before her death, I can tell she was planning on escaping. I’m not just sure if she was going to take me with her. Isn’t that terrible? How could a mother not want her child? If I was so lucky…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence, lowering her head and rocking her body. I couldn’t help myself, easing closer to her but still keeping a distance. Right now, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her, holding her close. Fuck. Why was this so difficult?
What if I took her tonight, keeping her safe? The action would be dangerous, a war starting immediately. I had to play this smarter, but she already didn’t trust me. Fuck.
“The two of you are enemies,” she said before I made up my mind.
I thought about how to answer that. “I’m not going to lie. Yes, we are. More so than I originally thought.”
“Because of territory? Money?” She glanced into my eyes, a hopeful look in them. She longed to find a good man behind my dark eyes. I hated to tell her that I was the same kind of monster, only with different attire.
But she deserved the truth.
“Revenge. Sweet retaliation. A few nights before we met, Dante’s older brother came after my best friend at his bachelor party. He was shot down in cold blood, leaving his fiancée not only a grieving widow but a future single mother.”
“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry,” she whispered, inching closer. There was such emotion in her eyes that I could easily fall into them.
“I wanted to burn down the world and almost did. That’s the way I feel about you.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because I truly believe the connection we had, the passion we shared was the beginning of something special.”
“Then why make me leave?”
I laughed, the sound bitter. “Ironically because Joey was murdered by Dante’s older brother. I killed the man in cold blood, which almost started a war.”
Christiana half smiled. “Do you think Dante knows about us?”
“I don’t know how he could unless someone close to me fooled me for years. Other than my family members and the Consigliere of the regime, only two people know about your existence. However, until tonight, I didn’t know your full identity.”
She pressed her hand across her mouth, another tear falling. Then she wiped both away fiercely. “Do you believe in coincidences?”
