Page 30 of Dating the Don

“When your mother arrived here, she was not in good shape. I know that you won’t like to hear these things about her, but she was beaten to the point that every doctor I took her to was afraid that she would miscarry you. She was merely weeks from delivery. But by some miracle or the grace of God, you survived. I don’t want to say that it was because of pity for her that I took her in, a dejected wife from a rival mob, but there was a fire in her eyes that I have always seen inside of myself. Though, maybe not as much now that I’ve lost my husband.”

Silence falls over the room for a long moment. Nobody rushes to fill the absence of sound.

“She was running from her husband. One look at her and it was beyond obvious why. We hid her here, it was not her fault she had ended up in the situation she had found herself in. Any time that I asked how a woman like her could…” Annalisa trails off and waves her hand dismissively. “Anyway, she would only say that Callum was not always like that. That something changed him but she never said specifically what. It seemed to be too much of an open wound for her, so I never pressed further. In exchange for her shelter, she provided us with valuable intel on the Doyle clan. Invaluable secrets that have helped us in many ways. I suppose that it comes as no surprise her only asking price was that you be cared for and kept safe.”

Cristiano straightens. “Something I jeopardized by asking her to marry me.”

Annalisa nods somberly.

“You put a target on her back, son. I meant it when I said that she was dangerous. Not for herself, but for who she is, her bloodline. Harboring her here is effectively an act of war itself. The Doyles… Sullivan, are going to treat her as stolen property. Any treaty lines that might have existed before… you’ve broken them all,” Annalisa confirms grimly.

Cristiano looks pale. I squeeze his hand, hoping to comfort him but I can’t tell if it helps or not. “How did they even find out that she was here? How did they figure out that she was Sullivan’s daughter?”

“That is the very question that I’ve been looking for an answer for myself,” Annalisa wiggles her bejeweled fingers in the direction of the wine bottle, and Cristiano refills her cup. “As you know, my friends and I meet for tea every Wednesday.”

Cristiano’s chin dips into a nod.

Though it's such a subtle gesture, time seems to stop for a split second. Is that the life he envisions for me? Book clubs or wine nights, getting together for tea and conversing with other mafia women while he isout and about in the real world? A spoilt, pampered doll? I don’t know if I can live that life. Is that what he expects from me? Or is thatjust what Annalisa chose? I try to picture her life before children for a moment, perhaps for the first time. What was she like when she was younger? What am I willing to give up for this life? This ruse?

It doesn’t really feel like much of a ruse as I sit here with Cristiano’s hand in mine.

I know the answer without even having to think about it.

I don’t know, however, if I’m ready to face all that my answer implies.

“It has been no secret that Hugh’s been looking for a wife for his son for some time now. I began to wonder and suspect that Sullivan might have offered up his daughter not long after the engagement party was announced to the men. I don’t know if he just has excellent sources, if we have a rat, or if maybe he’s been watching her from the wings for years. I thought that maybe shewould be safe since it was you that she was engaged to. It is why I wanted you two to at least keep things private,” Annalisa continues. “Though, after the attack earlier tonight, all of my suspicions have been confirmed. I think the most likely option is that Sullivan has been silently watching his daughter grow for years, waiting for the perfect moment. Now, not only can he snatch her back for his own benefit, but knowing you love her? It's an added incentive.”

I turn to look at Cristiano. He’s not meeting my gaze. In fact, he seems to be looking straightthroughhis mother to the far wall. I can practically hear all of the gears whirring around inside of his head. The alarm he’s feeling matches my own, he’s wearing it plainly enough on his face.

It must be as much of a shock to him as to me… right?

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CRISTIANO

The regret I feel is instant.

Maeve shouldn’t be here for this. I never should have involved her. She doesn’t deserve any of this. No woman should have to deal with this sort of horror. Most of all, notmywoman. To be reduced to nothing more than a pawn? Auctioned off? I distinctly remember when Ada came of age and the subject of an arranged marriage had surfaced. It had floated around for a few minutes as my father debated whether or not such a political arrangement would suit the family.

I had been shocked.

Of course, it happens. I was even ready and willing to accept it if that was my fate since I was the head of the family. But, Ada? My sister? My baby sister? Absolutely not. She’s always been free todate whom she chooses, within reason, as a result of that choice that I made back then. I would never allow Maeve to be treated like that either.

And yet here we are.

There’s another man out there who likely now believes Maeve belongs to him. That she’s his property.

Over my dead body will she ever belong to anyone but me. Even then, that’s because she chose to surrender herself to me. Such a beautiful and willing submission. I can’t imagine the sort of monster who would take such things by force.

Even then, I only have as much of her as Maeve allows me to have.

At the end of the day, she belongs to nobody and nothing but herself.

Fake or not fake, I can’t let her be dragged into this because of me. The whole point was to keep her safe from my men. I never thought about how it would paint a target on her back for my enemies.

I’m failing even more spectacularly than I presumed. I had no idea Sullivan was alive until tonight. I can feel the accusation in Maeve’s eyes as she stares at me, but I knew nothing before Annalisa spoke. I had hunches and suspicions that I fullyintended to spend the night figuring out for myself, and now here we are.

“Did you know about this?” Maeve asks plainly.

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