Page 29 of Mafia Mistress

Then again, Giulio could lie and invent a transgression that would necessitate getting rid of me. It wasn’t as if his father actually liked me.

Oh, God.

By the time we arrived, I was in a full panic. As soon as the car stopped, I tore out of the car, ready to put distance between the Ravazzani heir and myself. Unfortunately, Giulio came around too quickly and caught my hand before I could get away.

He didn’t speak as we walked. We continued to his bedroom, and horrible thoughts ran on a loop in my brain. What was he planning?

“Giulio,” I started, but he cut me off with a swipe of his free hand.

We ended up in his bathroom. Dropping my hand, he shut the door and flicked on the overhead fan. Were we being listened to? Or was this to cover my screams?

He must have noticed my growing hysteria because he held up his palms. “I’m not going to hurt you. The castello has many eyes and ears, and I’d rather not be overheard.”

Could I believe him? “This isn’t necessary. You don’t need to worry that I’ll tell.”

He grimaced and dragged a hand through his hair. “Frankie, if anyone found out…if my father found out, I would be dead. This is worse than a secret. This is my life we are talking about.”

“I know. Which is why I’ll never breathe a word of this, no matter what. You saved me from that dark cell when you didn’t need to. I owe you.”

He stared at his toes. “This hardly compares.”

“Giulio, I understand and I am not judging you. Also, I genuinely like you. During this nightmare, you’ve been my only ally. So please, don’t think this matters. If you like men, who cares?”

“Everyone cares, Frankie. Literally everyone I work with and live with would care. The last gay member of the ’ndrina had his dick cut off and shoved in his mouth before they dumped him in the ocean. Alive.”

Holy shit. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“Enough to lie about it? Enough to marry me, knowing I’ll be sleeping with men behind your back? Eventually you’ll grow resentful and want to punish me.”

“I won’t,” I promised. “But Giulio, I don’t want this. I don’t want to marry you and live here as a mafia wife. I’ll never stop looking for a way to escape.”

“Including blackmailing me into helping you, I suppose.”

My jaw fell open. I actually hadn’t considered that. “You could just as easily kill me.”

We stared at one another, each trapped and wondering who would lash out first. Or, would we become allies in this nightmare?

He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. “My father will be very angry if you leave. He’ll never stop hunting you down.”

“Is that your way of telling me you plan to kill me?”

“I’m not going to kill you, Frankie.” He gave a grim laugh and rubbed his eyes. “I probably should. Cazzo! I hate this. I have prayed countless times to prefer women, to be like all the others.”

“So you aren’t bisexual?”

“No, I am one hundred percent gay.”

“See, I like the D, too. We have that in common.”

That got a small laugh out of him. “Strangely, it is a relief to tell someone—even if it is the woman I’m going to marry.”

We weren’t going to marry, but I didn’t bother correcting him. “You’ve lived with this secret a long time.”

“Since I was nine. The hardest part has been lying to my father. All he cares about are future generations of Ravazzanis to carry on the family legacy.”

“He cares about you, too. Otherwise, why come all the way to Toronto and kidnap me?”

“Because of your mother. He thinks you and I will make beautiful Ravazzani babies together.”

I pressed a hand to my stomach, feeling my dinner unsettle. “The man you were with? Does he know who you are?”

Giulio nodded. “He’s a low-level foot soldier. We’ve been together for a year or so. I….” He clenched his jaw, his eyes darting away. I sensed his need to confess, though I had no idea what he might say.

“You can tell me, G.”

“I love him,” he blurted, the lines of his face deepening. He looked ravaged by guilt and secrecy. “We talk about running away all the time, going to America and leaving the ’ndrina behind.”

But he couldn’t. He was the Ravazzani heir, the only male child. His father would never allow it.

There were no words to make this any less painful, so I stepped forward and gave him a hug.

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