Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
I want her in my bed, too. I think. But then I toss that thought away as soon as it comes. Though she’s ravishing, and any man in his right mind would be thrilled to spend the night with her, I know I’m not what she has in mind. She needs someone younger, someone up and coming, not a man who’s part of the mob—the very thing that killed her father.
She deserves the best husband life has to offer her. I just hope that the universe will conspire to bring us together, no matter what the circumstances. Maybe she’ll grow to think about me the same way I think about her. Stranger things have happened.
“I want a meeting of all the capos as soon as possible,” I tell Edoardo when I find him in the foyer.
“Yes, boss,” he says, pulling out his phone like the dedicated soldier that he is.
I retreat to my office, almost immediately interrupted by Marcello and Giovanni. They’ve both heard from Edoardo that I called a meeting, and are there to see what’s up before the rest of the capos arrive.
“What’s going on?” Giovanni asks.
I consider waiting until everyone is assembled so that I don’t have to explain myself twice. But I know that some of my men are going to be coming from far-flung corners of the city. It could be an hour before everyone arrives, and I don’t want to just sit there twiddling my thumbs.
“I assume you know Marlena is staying with us,” I say for Marcello’s benefit.
“Yes,” Marcello replies.
“I’ve asked her to marry me,” I explain.
“What!” Giovanni exclaims, either unwilling or unable to hide his shock.
I give him a cold stare until he calms down. This is my decision, and I don’t quite understand why he has a problem with it.
“I was joking,” Giovanni says, struggling to compose himself. “I didn’t expect you to actually propose to the girl.”
“It’s more like a business arrangement,” I say, walking back on my declaration of love. “It will serve to unite our two families and protect her from Andretti at the same time.”
“Why does she need protection against Andretti?” Marcello asks.
“She’s the daughter of Vincent Rocco,” I say, revealing Marlena’s closely held secret to my inner circle.
Marcello shakes his head, as if he still doesn’t understand. That’s good, because if he were too quick on the uptake, I might think that something was wrong. Rocco is a familiar name. Everyone in the business knows about the Italian family. But Vincent is a little more obscure. Hitmen don’t often generate a lot of press, even in underground circles.
“Her father was a hitman who took out Andretti’s brother,” I explain.
“Oh!” Marcello exclaims, sitting down to process the information. “No wonder she needs protection. And you think that if you marry the girl, then Andretti won’t make a move.”
“That’s right,” I agree. “And if I can get in touch with the family in the old country, I might be able to make good on Frankie’s betrothal.”
“Frankie’s betrothal?” Marcello wonders.
“A long time ago, I promised Frankie to one of the Rocca girls. But she died in childhood and the wedding was called off,” I tell the tale one more time, making sure that everyone is up to speed.
Marcello looks at Giovanni, who shrugs. If I were expecting any kind of feedback from either of them, it looks like I’m on my own. They’re both too savvy to get between me and something I’ve decided on. Which is good.
One by one, my capos arrive, and I fill them in. I’m not planning the wedding just yet. Marlena still hasn’t given me her answer. But I’m fairly confident of my chances. I’ve laid out a good argument, several in fact. My only concern is the look in her eyes when I left her. There was something she wanted from me that I didn’t give her, and I’m not sure what that is. I hope it’s not big enough to cause her to reconsider staying with me.
I haven’t put my foot down, and I’ve been hospitable. But if the choice is between staying on her good side and keeping her alive, I know what decision I’m going to make. She’s not a prisoner in my home, but she could be. I won’t allow Andretti to get to her, no matter what I have to do to prevent it.
“What do you think?” I ask Giovanni. He’s my brother, and I value his opinion above all others.
“It’s your life,” Giovanni says with a shrug.
I narrow my eyes at him. “That’s not the kind of feedback I’m looking for.”
“If you’re asking for my blessings…” Giovanni begins, unsure how to respond.
“No,” I tell him.
“Good,” he snaps, “Because you know how I feel about marriage in general.”
Giovanni is a self-inflicted bachelor. He’s sworn never to tie himself down to one lady, even in the old mafia tradition where he’s free to have a few girlfriends on the side. He’s told me repeatedly that he doesn’t see any advantage in marriage. When I was married to Alessia, he teased me about not being able to dip my pen in any other inkwells.