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Roberto Ferrari was a rapist. He was a man who harmed women and did so with a smile. The romantic in my sister would have been eaten alive by such a monster. She still believes in love. Even knowing she’ll be promised to another, she believes they will fall in love. I want to shake her and make her see. That falling in love with your captor isn’t anything but a coping mechanism.
“Mama, that’s enough.” Tony steps up, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Bianca is frightened enough and heartbroken”—he looks at me with wide eyes—“that Berto is dead.”
I drop my face, playing my part by sniffling softly.
“I don’t know what she expected to happen.” My mother speaks as though I’m no longer present. As though I’m not five feet away, listening to her. “Opening her legs for a man who’s not intended for her.” She swears under her breath, making the sign of the cross.
“We’ll wait downstairs.”
I nod at Tony, and he steers my mother from the room.
The door has barely closed when Cat throws herself at me. “What if they kill you?” She sobs.
“It’ll be worth it.”
“Not for your life.”
I push her back. “For yours, yes, it is. He was a horrible man, Cat. You wouldn’t have survived by his side.”
“He’ll just promise me to another.”
I swallow my sigh. “Anyone has to be better than Roberto Ferrari.”
“Oh, B. If they hurt you—”
“Stop.” I cut her off, pushing off the bed to take up my mother’s pacing. “I don’t want to worry about my death until I’m certain it’s imminent.”
A knock on the door has me sucking in a quick breath.
“B,” Tony tests, popping his head through the crack he makes. “Father has requested you fix yourself up. You’ll be requested downstairs in half an hour. Be presentable.”
“For what?” I move toward him. “Death?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “I’m a soldier, Bianca. They don’t tell me shit.” He closes the door, and I turn to Cat.
“Presentable? For what?”
She swallows. “When we were told of our pairings with Salvatore and Roberto, Father told us we'd have to dress nicely for our initial meetings. He promised Mama would take us shopping.”
“Surely, Salvatore still doesn't want me?”
Cat shrugs. “You’re beautiful. What’s not to want, Bianca? You’re the prize of the family. Maybe his attraction to you is deep enough for forgiveness.”
It’s stupid that beauty can hold such high esteem. I’m beautiful and, therefore, a prized possession of Cosa Nostra.
“Let’s make you look as beautiful as we can,” Cat blurts. “Maybe if he’s driven crazy with lust, he’ll be more forgiving.”
“Unlikely. Wait? You don’t think he’shere?”
“I don’t know. Your appearance is all we’ve got up our sleeve right now.” Cat climbs off the bed, moving into my closet. “Shower. Let’s remove any reminder of Roberto from you.”
“I have none of Roberto on me.”
“They don’t know that.”
I do as she says. Scrubbing my skin to free it of Roberto’s touch. It’s true that Roberto didn’t fuck me. But his hands felt along my body, and his hideous lips tasted my skin. The thought makes me want to vomit.
“I’ll fix your hair while you put some makeup on,” Cat tells me as I climb from the shower. “We’ll leave it down. It makes you look less severe.”
