Page 120 of Forced Vows

"Róise is family, mamma. She's going to be my wife." This thing about my mother's uncle runs deeper than I thought.

Aria De Luca knows her duty. She was an excellent don's wife and fulfills her role as don's mother just as effectively.

Besides, she's a lot kinder than I will ever be. The acceptance and compassion she offered Catalina when she married Sev is severely lacking with Róise though.

"We need to plan the wedding for this summer," Sev says, his tone final. "I'll call Brogan about it after dinner."

"This summer?" Catalina asks, eyes wide.

"It's already May. The earliest we could possibly plan a wedding befitting your brother is the end of September." Our mother's tone is every bit as firm as Sev's.

My brother frowns. "You planned my wedding in three months."

"Yes, but I am certain Mr. Shaughnessy will insist on the wedding taking place at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is an old and prestigious church located in Manhattan with strong ties to the Irish community."

Making it the best venue to respect the affiliation of both syndicates. That's the mother I know, thinking of all the angles.

"So? Our wedding was in a cathedral." Sev is not looking at mamma, his eyes are fixed with concern on Catalina's pale face. "Are you well, mi dolce bellezza?"

My sister-in-law smiles wanly. "Just a little tired."

"I haven't overtaxed you with social engagements have I?" my mom asks worriedly.

Catalina shakes her head, grimaces and takes a quick sip of water. "No. Really. I'll go to bed early."

Sev leaps to his feet all plans for my wedding forgotten. "You'll go to bed now."

Catalina's protests are interspersed with laughter as he carries her from the room.

Mamma and I breathe out identical sighs of relief. That low tone of Sev's and his wife's amusement means she's not really sick.

Maybe tired means, I want to fuck my husband now. That's fine by me.

Mamma looks at me, her beautiful face troubled. "I am sorry, Miceli. I want to be a good mother-in-law to your wife, but I can't forget what her family did to mine. Once I get to know her better, I'm sure…" Her voice trails off like she's not convinced of her own words, so she doesn't finish the sentence.

Is this what I have to fight with Róise?

A prejudice buried so deeply even a woman as reasonable as my mother can't dispel it.

"You know that a Cosa Nostra killed her mother. Róise believes her father's killer was also one of us."

Mammo looks outraged. "We aren't the Bonannos."

Her words are echoes of the ones I said to Róise and now her retort comes back in my own voice. "We are all Cosa Nostra."

"Which makes it even less likely she's marrying you with good intentions." My mom will come around eventually.

She's a good person. Better than me. But the past holds on hard sometimes and clearly that moment is not now.

"Her intentions are to protect her younger cousin from having to be the sacrificial lamb."

"Marrying you is no sacrifice, mio figlio."

If I move Róise into a home where the matriarch distrusts her and despises her family it will be.

Which means Róise and I won't be living here after we are married.

Chapter 39: RÓISE

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