Page 43 of Now and Forever

Silence enveloped the interior as beautiful scenic views passed by the windows. My thoughts fluctuated between my family and my questions about my new life as we left the majestic mountains behind for the more concrete world of Kansas City. There was no way to describe the ache I felt when I thought of Mama and Camila. I missed both of them dreadfully. They weren’t the only ones in my thoughts. Em was there too.

He hadn’t actually thought I would hurt Dario, had he?

I couldn’t fathom the consequences if Arianna entered our bedroom and found her eldest son slain. That wasn’t the blood she was expecting.

About thirty minutes into the trip, Dario reached over and laid his hand on my thigh. I looked down at his long fingers, remembering the way they felt caressing my skin, teasing my nipples, and stroking inside me. It seemed odd that he could be so attentive at one moment and aloof at others. I turned, taking in his profile, wondering where his thoughts were.

“Did my mother upset you?” he asked.

I inhaled. “She cut my gown.”

Dario turned to me; his brow furrowed. “What the fuck?”

“She said if the gown wasn’t sent to the seamstress for repair, word would get out that you can’t follow traditions and would therefore be unfit to lead the famiglia.”

“Did she say anything else about my unfitness?”

“She started to say something and stopped.” I shook my head. “It was about sown oats and thank God I’m at least Catholic.”

His fingers gripped the skirt of my dress as his head shook from side to side. “I see the world differently than others do. The world is changing. That means our parts of the world too. My mother doesn’t want to see what’s right in front of her, but that doesn’t make the changes disappear. I have plans for modifications, but I know enough to take it slow. The next few months will be a test period for this alliance, and then there’s my father’s announcement to pass the torch.”

“Did Arianna want the alliance?”

Dario looked at me and back to the road. “She approves of you.” He grinned. “Remember—Catholic.”

“She didn’t approve of an alliance with the cartel, did she? She basically said it when we spoke. She wanted a nice CatholicItalianwoman for you.”

“Girl. A child. If my mother had her way, I’d wed a child. My mother wants to be involved in my life, and she believes that me marrying a child would be her chance to weasel her way in by gushing over a girl who couldn’t see through her bullshit.” He squeezed my leg. “By your reaction to your talk, you aren’t susceptible to that bullshit.” He grinned. “Fire. The sheets today shut her up. I told you she would be happy.”

I shook my head. “That’s just disgusting.” I lifted my chin. “Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to do as she wanted. I’m sure there’s a young Italian lady that would have provided her with the same show she had this morning.”

“Easy isn’t in my playbook. The alliance with Roríguez is tenuous, but if we can pull it off, we will have more product and that means more money.”

“If it doesn’t work, the rest of your family will hate me.”

Dario shook his head. “You’ve done your part. There’s no reason to hate you.”

“I didn’t stab you.”

He scoffed. “That’s a start. Did you bring the knife?”

“It’s in my suitcase.”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t want one of my mother’s maids to find it.” He turned my direction. “Did Emiliano teach you how to use it?”

“He said to stab you in the groin.”

Dario pursed his lips. “Good advice. I’d bleed out fast if you hit the femoral artery.”

“That’s what he said. Em gave me lessons,” I admitted. “But I wouldn’t mind having more. If you could teach me? You had three knives on you last night. I suspect you know how to use them. I mean, you’re nicknamed The Blade.”

“I know how to use them. I know how to use them well. Contrary to what my mother believes, slicing a man’s throat is a better use of a blade than cutting a beautiful wedding gown.”

We were now in city traffic. The scenic green views of the Ozarks were replaced by tall buildings and busy sidewalks. It was my first time in the city, and I was surprised how big it actually was. It wasn’t like Los Angeles, but it wasn’t a small town.

Laying my hand over his, still on my leg, I remembered how Dario had worked to take away my fear last night. “Thank you.” I turned to his profile. “Mia was the one who told me about the tradition. Giorgia told me about her husband cutting her dress on their wedding night.”

He smirked. “I’m glad no one tried to scare you.”

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