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Francesca turns to me after Emilia leaves the room. “Should … are you going to get in trouble?”
I scratch the back of my head. “Fran, I’m already in trouble.” How to get out of this situation? I don’t fucking know.
Emilia comes back with Marco in tow, and the two of them glare at me. “This is a predicament,” Marco says. “If this gets out … it could ruin Francesca’s reputation.”
“What?” Francesca whispers.
“Leo will tell everyone he tried sleeping with my sister,” Emilia says, pointing at me. “I know it.”
I cross my arms. “And how do you know it?”
“Because I know you,” she snaps back. “You like to hurt women. You’re going to hurt my sister by ruining her reputation. She needs to make a good marriage match, and you’ve just ruined it for her! Not many Mafia men want to marry a woman who’s been with another man.”
“We only kissed,” I remind her.
“That doesn’t matter. No one will see it that way.” Emilia rubs a hand over her face. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Francesca came here so I could take care of her, and look what happened!” She turns to Marco. “You should have kept him away from her.”
“There’s only so much I can do,” he says to his wife. “I’m sorry, Emilia. I can’t control everything Leo does. But I can control what happens next.”
“What will happen next?” Francesca asks, fear in her voice as she clutches the blanket to her chest.
Marco sighs deeply. “You two need to get married.”
CHAPTER9
Francesca
Marco’s words don’t make sense to me at first. It isn’t until Leo stands up and says, “Slow down a minute. Let’s talk this over,” that it dawns on me.
Marco just suggested Leo and I get married.
Leo and me? The thought is absurd. We barely know each other. We can’tmarryeach other. Then again, Emilia hadn’t met Marco before they got married, and now, they have a great relationship. And my mom did send me here to make sure I got married.
This would solve all my problems. I’d appease my mom and Franco by getting married, and I could feel less like a burden to my family.
Then again, it’s Leo. The man Emilia has constantly warned me about ever since I arrived. I’m drawn to him, yes, but I also don’t trust him. He’stoocharming. Though I believed him when he told me he found me fascinating. There was a sincereness in his voice.
However, Emilia’s warnings have been too consistent for me to ignore.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Marco responds to Leo. “This is the obvious course of action. You’re in Francesca’s room, alone. This will get out if you tell anyone. The only way to protect Francesca is by you marrying her.”
“Then I won’t tell anyone.” Leo paces the room. “I promise. This will be a secret between all of us.”
“You tried seducing my sister!” Emilia says, coming over to me. I haven’t moved since Marco made his announcement. “It’s either marry her or leave her alone forever. And since I don’t trust you to not hurt her reputation, it seems …” She inhales deeply. “Damnit. Marriage might be the only good option.”
“Oh, so now you want me to marry Francesca?” Leo looks frantically between the married couple. “Just a moment ago, you were looking at me like you wanted to kill me. Now you’re ok with me becoming your brother-in-law?”
“No,” Emilia replies flatly. “Not at all. I don’t want Francesca stuck to you forever. I don’t trust you.”
Leo rolls his eyes. “What’s new?”
“But.” Emilia slips her arm around my shoulders. “If this is the only way to save Francesca from you, then …”
“It has to be done,” Marco finishes. “You can’t be trusted to not tell other people about this.”
“I’m your second in command.”
“I know. But when it comes to women …” Marco’s eyes flit to me before turning back to Leo. “You have a bad reputation. This is your opportunity to step up. Change your ways. Francesca is in need of a husband, and who better in rank than my number two man?”
