Page 34 of Not Mine to Keep

“And if I just say no to marriage?”

She snatched the sequined black dress again. “You don’t have a choice.”

I knew an American saying or two as well. “There’s always a choice.”

“Sì, but Armani will ensure you make the choice he wants. You know him. He will find a way to make marriageyouridea.”

She handed me the dress as I blurted on instinct, “Not possible.”

Rosa’s red nails walked down her throat to her collarbone, as if trying to suppress a secret that wanted to escape, but then she blinked and said, “Let’s get you dressed. A little makeup, too. You’ll be good to go.”

I didn’t push her to talk about whatever she was keeping from me, because the last thing I wanted was to get her in trouble.

Within ten minutes I was ready, and we followed Leo downstairs to Gabriel’s office.

Alessandro was at the bar, head slightly bowed, a tumbler next to his left hand.

“A little early for drinking, isn’t it?” I said, letting him know I was back.

“Morning here. Late-night drinking hours back home,” Alessandro remarked, his tone raspy. He lifted his hands and slowly turned. I hadn’t expected a pissed-off look from him as he took in my transformation from “a quick errand run to the store” to “princess going to the ball.” Well, to a mafia ball.

The dress was a showstopper, though. A sweetheart neckline that reminded me I had damn good breasts. And I didn’t totally hate that I was rocking Jimmy Choos for the first time in my life. Plus, Rosa wasa queen at doing makeup, and my green eyes popped from the smoky eye shadow. So what was the deal with his angry face?

“Why in God’s name ...?” Alessandro dragged a hand through his hair, mussing up those wavy locks. “Why?”

“Why what?” Rosa asked, stepping alongside me. “Armani wanted her in something fancy.”

He tossed a hand in the air my way and began speaking Italian. Just great. Way to leave me out of the conversation focused on me.

“Relax,” Rosa said as Gabriel came up next to the angry beast still snarling at me.

With Alessandro quietly stroking his jawline, continuing to stare at me like I offended him, I faced Rosa for answers instead. “What am I missing?”

She smirked. “You look hot, Callie. Smoking hot. Gorgeous. Stunning. And he doesn’t like it because your father’s men will see you.” She made atsksound probably directed toward Alessandro. “Your future husband is a jealous man, it would seem.”

“I’m not jealous,” Alessandro snapped, then returned to the bar and tossed back whatever was left in the glass.

Gabriel crossed the room, took his wife’s elbow, and kissed her cheek. “Maybe you should wait for me upstairs,amore mio.”

“Good luck,” she said to me, and why’d that feel like she was talking about my “marriage” to Alessandro and not facing Armani?

Once it was only the three of us—well, plus there was Leo hanging outside the office doors, waiting—I snatched the skirt of the dress so I didn’t trip as I made my way to Alessandro. “Are you okay?”

He didn’t have his suit jacket on, so when his back muscles snapped together at my question, it was hard to miss. “No,” he hissed, then faced me. “How am I supposed to go to Rome and handle the Esposito family and leave you here?” His silver-gray eyes went to my cleavage, shamelessly parking there for several long beats.

“Ahem.” I nearly crossed my arms to help with my scolding look, but that’d only have my boobs on display more, and probably inspire those veins at the side of his neck to pop as well.

“What?” Alessandro snapped out.

“You’re snarling at her, is what,” Gabriel commented, saving me from having to say it. “Calm down. I’ll be here when you leave. She’ll be fine.”

I’d been so taken aback by Alessandro’s reaction to me in the dress, I’d nearly forgotten the whole him-leaving-me-to-commit-murder thing.Kind of a big thing, too.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Gabriel gestured toward the double doors of his office. Alessandro gave me one last angry look, then stepped to my side, a hand moving to my back again, and I took that as a cue to walk. So help the man who did try and steal a quick view of my cleavage, because I was pretty sure the growly grump at my side would knock them out.

Alessandro abruptly stopped walking, made eye contact with Leo in the hall, then removed his hand from my back to shut the doors. “She needs to know what’s going on before we face Armani.”

“Wait, what?” I spun around, nearly falling in the heels, but Alessandro was quick and caught my arm, keeping me upright.

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