Page 10 of Forced Arrangement

“There has to be something poetic about both my parents dying at the same time. Was he killed?”

“No. His health had been failing for a long time. Your mother was aware.”

“If you're trying to make me feel bad for him…”

“I don't believe in useless emotions like guilt, and I can't abide people who waste their time on it, or mine.”

She sighs and leans back in her seat. “I guess I'll be needing that drink after all.”

I call for the bartender, and she orders a scotch, which makes me smile.

“I didn't know him,” she says after taking a long sip.

“I know. But I did.”

“Is this the part where you tell me what a good man he was? Spare me the lecture.”

“He wasn't a good man, at least not in the orthodox definition of the word. But he was a fair man.”

“That does not make a single difference to me.”

“I know,” I continue, my voice measured. “That’s not why I needed to meet with you, though. His death has left a power vacuum, one that others are all too eager to fill.”

She swallows hard, her throat working as she tries to process what I’m telling her. “And what does that have to do with me?” she asks, though I could tell she already knows the answer.

“It has everything to do with you,” I say quietly. “You’re the only heir to the Agostini family business. With your father gone, you’re the one who holds the keys to the entire empire.”

She shakes her head, her hands tightening around each other in her lap. “If it wasn't already obvious, I took those keys and chucked them right into the ocean when I ran off with my mother. I haven't been his child for twenty years.”

“Time is of no relevance here, Sophia. If I cut your skin, you will bleed Agostini blood. That’s all that matters. Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of this world, Sophia. And now, with your father gone, you’re in more danger than you realize.”

Her eyes flick up to meet mine, a mix of fear and defiance burning in their hazel depths. “And you’re here to protect me, is that it?”

“I’m here to make sure you stay alive,” I correct her. “There are people who would kill to take control of the Agostini family. And if they find you, they will kill you to get it.”

The color drains from her face, and for a moment, she looks like she might be sick. But then she squares her shoulders, drawing on that inner strength I had always known she possessed. “So, what’s your plan, Angelo? What do you want from me?”

“I want you to come back to New York,” I say simply. “It’s the only place where I can keep you safe.”

She stares at me, disbelief written across her features. “You want me to just…what? Pretend like the last twenty years never happened? Go back to a life I barely even remember?”

“I want you to survive,” I say, leaning forward slightly, my voice dropping to a low, insistent tone. “I want you to live, Sophia. And the only way to do that is to come back with me, to take your place in the Agostini family, at least until we can figure out who’s trying to take control of your family’s business.”

She shakes her head again, but there is less conviction in it this time. I can see the wheels turning in her mind, the struggle between her desire for a normal life and the reality of the situation she is in.

“And if I say no?” she asks, her voice quiet.

“Then you’ll die,” I say bluntly. “It’s only a matter of time before they find you. And when they do, they won’t give you a choice.”

Her breath hitches, and I see the fear flash in her eyes before she looks away, staring down at the table. She is silent for a long moment, and I can almost see the battle playing out in her mind—the longing to stay hidden, to keep the life she had built for herself, warring with the knowledge that it was no longer safe. But I knew her, I knew that a threat to her life would not be enough to change her mind.

“The people who want what you have are ruthless. They will stop at nothing to break you utterly. That includes getting rid of everyone you care about. Everyone.”

Her eyes go wide, and she gulps down the remnant of her drink.

Finally, she looks up at me, her expression resigned. “If I do this…if I go back with you…what happens next?”

“I keep you safe,” I say, relaxing slightly now that I know I have her. “We figure out who’s behind this, and we take them down. And when it’s over, if you still want to leave, I’ll make sure you can.” There's that lie again. It tastes bitter on my tongue, but I swallow down the distaste. I’m trying to protect her. I will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

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