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“Don’t,” she mumbles. “Don’t say you’re sorry or something else stupid and make me regret saying anything even more than Ialready do.” She exhales heavily, looking away. “God, I can’t believe I told you that.”
“Why the hell haven’t you told anyone else?”
“My own reasons.”
“Like?”
“They’remyreasons, Dante,” she says tiredly.
“That’s why you took Maeve’s place.”
“Bingo,” she says dryly.
“It’s a little easier to dive onto a grenade when you’re already bleeding out,” I growl.
“Basically.” She exhales again. “Look, I know what I signed up for. And I’ll play the part when I have to.” Her eyes lock on mine. “I’ll be your wife.”
She blushes the second she says it, looking away quickly.
“And…after?”
“Well,” her lips twist in a sardonic smile. “After, I’m afraid I’ll have to retire the role.”
I frown deeply. Tempest smirks.
“You’re gonna have to be cool with gallows humor, Dante.”
This is surreal. And again, this is not the reaction I would have pictured myself having. Not because I’m a heartless monster who doesn’t give a shit that this woman is on a countdown. But again…we’re notreallya thing. We’re virtually strangers, and it’s clear that all we have in common is thewhite hotsexual chemistry between us.
“Look, you don’t have to worry, Dante. I’m not telling anyone, like I said. And when I go…” she shrugs. “You’ll be golden.”
I frown. “What?”
“You’ll never have to marry again to appease them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I went to lunch the other day on Arthur Avenue?—”
“I know.”
“And I met a lot of mafia women, and you know what I noticed? The ones who were married were…okay. Meanwhile theunmarried ones had this look like there was a clock ticking down the seconds until they were married themselves. But the ones who were free, sitting pretty, and doing just fine?” She shrugs. “The widows. They’d already proven themselves to your world. They did it: they got married, and then some higher power or karma or whatever took it away. They’d gotten their participation trophy, you know? They didn’thaveto play the game anymore.”
I arch a brow. “You’re saying I’ll be like an old Italian widow.”
She grins. “Something like that.”
I suck on my teeth. Tempest clears her throat.
“Anyway…” She trails off, looking down at her hands. “I guess we should probably get back to the reception before?—”
“I’m going to bring in a doctor I know.”
Her gaze lifts to mine, a look on her face I can’t quite read before she rolls her eyes.
“Dante, I’m done looking for a miracle.”
“So you’refinewith dying by the age of twenty-five?” I growl. “That’s okay with you?”
