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He stands up, his imposing form reminding me to be cautious. Despite everything, this man is still capable of snapping my neck.
“God willing, you will never know what it feels like to lose a child.”
“But Alessio does. You did that. Not the Irish, the Russians, or even the cartels. You, the man he sworeomertàfor. The man he pledged his life to.” I can’t imagine the betrayal he must have felt.
“You don’t have to like my decisions, but you will remember who you’re talking to.”
“And who is that exactly? Because right now, you’re nothing more than a stranger.”
He stalks toward me, backing me up until I’m against the wall with nowhere else to go.
“You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? But you know nothing, Nova. Nothing. I did everything to keep you safe.”
“No, you didn’t. Alessio kept me safe. I kept me safe.” I shake my head, feeling numb. I know I’m in shock, but I’m blown away by how he’s acting about it all.
“I had Alessio train you so you could protect yourself. Women in the Mafia don’t get that kind of training. As my daughter, you would have been expected to keep quiet and look pretty. That would have done nothing but get you killed. As Gia’s bodyguard, though, I could bend the rules. People knew I was protective because of the attack. They understood Gia needed a female guard on staff so she, you, could accompany her into changing rooms and restrooms. It was an acceptable excuse, easy to explain away, and all the while, it was to train you to never be an easy target again.”
I stare into his eyes and wonder how someone can be so smart and so mis-fucking-guided at the same damn time.
“I’ve saved Gia’s life eleven times. Eleven attempts on the life of an innocent girl whose only crime was being the child of a don. Do you at least love her?”
He looks away, and my heart breaks, not so much for Gia but for Alessio.
“How did you even get away with it?”
“Nobody questions me, Nova. You and Gia were just little girls, same age, same coloring, same dark hair. Nobody paid much attention to you and those close enough to know the difference…”
“You killed them.” Innocent people were murdered to hide my true identity. I wonder if those choices lay as heavy on his conscience as they are on mine right now.
I always found it odd how, as hisconsigliere, Alessio alwaysseemed indifferent and, at times, angry with the don. I never in a million years would have guessed this.
“That’s why you asked if I remembered.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything.
“Does Gia know?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That girl couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it or, in this case, yours.”
I feel my eyes virtually bug out of my head. Blood or not, this is the woman he raised as his daughter. She is the way she is largely because of his influence. Jesus, is Gia how I would have turned out if life had played out the way it was supposed to?
“Why now? Why, after all this time, tell me now?”
“Because I need you to marry Aldo.”
I close my eyes, having forgotten about that. But if he’s serious about him being my father, then he’s serious about this, too.
“Why?” I ask, opening my eyes.
“Are you questioning me?”
My temper flares before I can stop it. “I think I have the right to know what’s going on when it affects my life,” I bite out.
He cups my jaw tightly, not enough to hurt but enough to be a threat. “You’ll do as I say because it’s your responsibility.”
I fist my hands at my sides and just stare at him, refusing to say anything. Sighing, he lets me go and takes a step back, an apology in his eyes that never makes it to his lips.
“The five families have kept our enemies away. As the strongest family of all of them, it has fallen to me to ensure it stays that way. Lately, there have been some who insist on testing the boundaries. The cartels have been moving drugs and women across the border, transporting them through the fringes of our territories. Same with the Irish. Their drugs keep ending up in mycity, no matter how many of their dealers we eliminate. Even some of the other families are causing trouble. The only fuckers keeping their distance right now are the Russians, but if they find a weakness, they’ll exploit it.”
