Page 11 of Not Mine to Keep

Not the mental image I wanted.

“Why didn’t he force her to come back to Italy with him?”

“As much as I hate the DiMaggios, they have a few rules that they’ve maintained in their four-hundred-plus years of criminal enterprise that make them slightly less repulsive, one of which is no one in their organization can force themselves upon a woman in any way. No trading or trafficking of people. And nothing involving minors. Not even drug sales to anyone under eighteen.” I revealed what my father had shared with me years ago when he’d given me the bad news my former best friend now worked for the DiMaggio crime family. “If anyone breaks the rules, there are consequences.”

“So as the leader, Armani can’t exactly force his daughter to try and give him a male heir without breaking a four-hundred-year-old tradition of not harming a woman. But now ... something is clearly wrong, or you wouldn’t be calling me.”

“Armani’s third-in-command is the reason why I’m here. We go way back. And clearly we’re no longer friends, but I’m indebted to him. Idon’t want to get into why, but he doesn’t support what Armani plans to do. He wants my help overthrowing him.”

“And this involves Calliope somehow?”

“Since Armani couldn’t kidnap his own daughter and force her to come to Italy, he’s been trying to set her up in the last year with men he deems suitable: Sicilian, Catholic, and wealthy. She’s rejected every one and quickly realized they were bait to try and entrap her. Give him the heir he wants.”

“But?”

“Two weeks ago, Armani found out he’s dying. A rare blood disease. He has a few years to live. So he’s lost his patience. He’s willing to bend the rules and family traditions to ensure Calliope is married and pregnant before he dies, and that her child will one day run the family dynasty.”

“Get to the part where this involves you.”

“If I want to save her life, I either need to force her to go on the run with a new identity and stay hidden forever or ... well, marry her myself.”

“Now you’re just fucking with me, right?”

I wish.I gave him silence as an answer.

“So I assume you’re going to push her to go into hiding until her old man dies instead of becoming your wife?”

“She’d need to hide a lot longer than that,” I shared, my shoulders falling in frustration. “Armani’s second-in-command, Marcello, will take over without an heir, and he’s an asshole of the highest order. He’ll hunt her down to ensure she’s never a threat to his power. DiMaggio’s people are loyal to the bloodline, and they’ll choose Calliope over Marcello if it were to come down to it.”

“So why not kill Armani and his second-in-command now,” Hudson tossed out. “Problem solved.” He went quiet for a moment, as if quickly realizing the issue with his solution. “Unless whoever takes over also has the same line of thought about her, and that’s a lot of dead bodies we’d need to pile up. Shit ...”

“I don’t think she’ll even run. Hell, she hasn’t yet, and she’s aware her father is a monster who has her under his protection even as we speak.” I gripped the steering wheel and let go of a heavy breath.

“What does this old friend of yours that’s third in charge get out of all of this if you marry her? What’s his endgame?”

“When Armani dies and Calliope takes over, she’ll then pass on the mantle to him. Give him her blessing publicly to run the family business. No one will hunt her after that. No one will come for her if he’s the one in charge and it was a DiMaggio who put him there.”

“Ah, so he wants to be crowned king. Of-fucking-course. So you’re supposed to marry this woman until what, Armani dies? That’s—”

“Insane, I know. And no, the marriage wouldn’t last years.” I sure as hell hoped not. “A few days ago, Armani went ahead and negotiated a deal with who he wants Calliope to marry. He’s arranged for her to be taken on Monday and married by Wednesday.”

“And if she chooses to marry instead of run, how will you convince her father to let you have her hand instead of his choice?”

Another problem to tackle, but Gabriel had thought out everything in advance before contacting me; he also knew he’d need someone he could trust who wouldn’t ever want “the throne” once married to Calliope. “I meet his requirements, but I can also offer something that no one else in Sicily can, and that’s—”

“A truce with The League, like The League once had with The Alliance,” Hudson finished for me, connecting the dots.

“But if I marry into the DiMaggio family, that should alleviate their concerns The League would terminate the truce.” Well, that was the idea Gabriel would help me sell to Armani.

“And do you think she’ll choose you over this other guy?”

“I have until tomorrow night to convince her since Armani’s men are taking her after she gets off work Monday.” This was a damn tight timeline.

“Do you plan to live in Italy during all this?” A harsh breath cut over the line.

Just wait until I get to the real bombshell I haven’t dropped on you yet. You’ll breathe so hard you’ll nearly pass out, like I almost did.

“No, I’ll figure out something,” I finally answered. “The thing is, as much as I’d prefer her to go into hiding forever so I don’t need to get hitched, it’d be better if she doesn’t choose that option.”

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