Page 196 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

I turned back to Isabella, who had locked the door again. “Can we talk in private?”

“Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Ludavica.”

“This is private.”

Isabella crossed her arms and looked at me sternly. “I’m not sending her out of the room.”

“I’m not going torapeyou if that’s what you’re afraid of,” I said angrily.

She recoiled at the word but shook her head. “I don’t care. Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of her.”

I looked over at Ludavica. It was obvious she wasn’t going anywhere.

I had no intention of gambling my life on her silence –

But at some point, I was going to have to take a chance. I didn’t have any other choice.

I decided to give themjustenough information that I could figure out how they might react.

“No offense, but I need to tell you something that could get me killed, and I need to know she’s not going to go ratting to your father,” I snapped.

Isabella’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

“I think I can trustyousince we’re going to get married. Her, I don’t trust at all.”

“She won’t tell my father anything. Neither will I.”

“That’s not going to do me any good if she – ”

“I swear on my mother’s soul that I won’t tell,” Isabella interrupted, then looked over at Ludavica. “Lu?”

Ludavica didn’t look happy, but she muttered, “I swear onmymother’s soul I won’t tell.”

“There? Satisfied?” Isabella asked.

They’d both gone fullCosa Nostraand sworn on something holy to them.

“Yeah… okay,” I relented.

I started to speak –

Hesitated –

“…well?” Isabella prodded me.

“I don’t want to get married to you.”

She didn’t react the way I thought she would.

She gave an amused smile and raised one eyebrow. “You risked a beating from my father just to tell methat?”

I stared at her in shock. “You don’t care?”

She chuckled. “I don’t suppose this ever crossed your mind: do you really thinkIwanted to marryyou?”

I know it was kind of arrogant of me –

Okay,reallyarrogant –

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