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My uncle’s eyes bore into me. “It has been suggested as a way of repairing the bond between our families after your father’s betrayal.”
So, there we had it. I was expected to pay for my father’s actions.
However, even in our world, the woman is asked to consent to an arranged marriage. I hadn’t been consulted before the engagement contract was signed.
“My father signed the contract without even speaking to me about it. This isn’t an arranged marriage. It’s a forced marriage. I won’t do it.”
My uncle slammed his fist onto his desk, making me jump. “You owe it to the Russo family. Your father’s betrayal could sink us all,” he snarled.
I couldn’t have cared less about the rest of the Russo family, and my expression made that clear.
But my uncle knew my Achilles heel. “Think about what it would do to your grandmother,” he said in a foreboding tone.
I stilled. Nonna had been knocked sideways by my father’s death. The disgrace of her oldest son was a severe blow to her. Since his death, she had been looking unwell and I could sense the huge stress she was under, despite her attempts to hide it.
I couldn’t let my grandmother suffer any more, I wouldn’t put her through that. I would go through with this marriage only for her, not for any other member of the Russo family.
When I didn’t say anything further, Alessio knew he had won this battle. As if it had been a fair fight to begin with.
“We will marry in two weeks.”
“I’m in mourning for the next twelve months. It would be in bad taste to marry so soon after my father’s death and burial.” I didn’t really care about the mourning period, but it gave me an excuse to delay the wedding.
“No one will bat an eyelid,” Alessio replied, his eyes soulless. “They’ll know the reason for the marriage.”
Yes, they would, I thought. Everyone would know that I was paying for my father’s sins.
CHAPTER 13
CATE
“I’m enjoying planning the wedding,” my grandmother said. “It gives me something to do to keep my mind off your father and everything that’s happened.”
“With our family being in mourning, at least it will be a small wedding,” I replied. What I really meant was that there would be fewer people to witness my humiliation. I wouldn’t have been able to face everyone in the Fratellanza being invited and gawking at me, knowing that I was being forced to marry to pay for my father’s sins.
“The Consigliere of the Fratellanza is marrying. The only person more powerful in the Fratellanza is his brother, the Capo. It is an important occasion. Some are put out that they are not being invited, but no one would dare say so openly.”
I looked down at the ring.
“You are a lucky girl marrying the Consigliere. That ring is beautiful. Not only does he have money, he has good taste.”
“He sent it via a courier—how romantic,” I said with sarcasm. But then, nothing in the Mafia world was about romance. It was all about business, alliances, and power.
The ring was three brilliant cut diamonds set in a row upon a band of platinum. It caught the light every time I moved my hand, and I still couldn’t get used to the feel of it. I still couldn’t get used to the fact that I would be married in less than two weeks.
My grandmother carried on chattering about the arrangements. “The church is booked and both families have agreed there will be no reception. Whatever the circumstances, a reception would be unseemly, having held a funeral only two weeks prior. Your poor father, God bless his soul.”
Given that the wedding was to be low-key, I would also be spared the humiliation of my husband being asked to confirm to both our families that I had been a virgin for him.
I shuddered as I thought about it—I would be spared this tradition, but I would still be expected to bleed on my wedding night.
I bought the wedding dress yesterday. I chose the first one I tried on. It was beautiful but, in all honesty, I couldn’t care less about the dress I wore.
The bouquet was also taken care of. In keeping with Italian tradition, my flowers would be sent on the morning of the wedding from my future husband.
Husband. I still couldn’t get used to it. I had tried to distance myself from the Mafia world, from the criminal world, from the violent bloodbath. I had a job, my own apartment, and friends from outside the Fratellanza.
But now I was being dragged back into the Mafia world, back into a life I swore I would never live again.
