Page 32 of The Virgin I Desire

“Like your cell phone number?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I imagine he has resources like us.”

“So, you've been talking to him?”

“Yeah. His name is Mikhail Orlov.”

“Orlov from...”

“He's the boss.”

“Oh my god!” My sister covered her face with both hands, hiding her eyes from me. “I thought it couldn't get any worse.”

“No one else should know about this, Perla, please.”

“Of course, no one can know. I think Dad would kill you just thinking about and talking to a Russian, especially their boss. The worst part of all is that you made me an accomplice to this madness.”

“You were the one who asked.”

“I didn't imagine it would be such a mess.”

“Perla...”

“You have to stop talking to this man.”

“But I...”

“Don't even tell me that you have feelings for him, or that you already did.” She interrupted me again. “Did you hear what grandma said correctly? You can't like a Russian. They are not like us. In addition to being an enemy of our family.”

I remained silent, because, as much as my mind gave reason to each of my sister's words, my heart yearned for another.

“I wish I could choose who I wanted to marry.”

“Have you gone crazy, Pietra?! Do you think he would be a better choice than anyone Dad might deem suitable?”

“Then why do I think about him so much?”

“Because you want to play with danger.”

“Danger? Do you think Luca has never killed or beaten anyone?”

“He has blood on his hands like our father, uncles, brother and cousins, but he honors our rules. You remember the seventh, right?”

“Just because the Russians don't have the same rules, do you think he's going to hurt me?”

“You probably don't even have time to figure that out. If daddy finds out, he'll put a bullet in his head and punish you.”

“And declare a war?”

“See! Look at the size of the mess, Pietra.”

“I don't want anyone in the family to get hurt.”

“Then have some common sense and stay away from this man.” She got up from my bed shaking her head no.

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