Page 258 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

“Aren’tyouupset?” I asked her.

She frowned. “Why would I be?”

“You’re gonna be forced to marry me in three days.”

She smiled. “I can think of worse fates.”

“Ican’t,” Ludavica muttered as she stared at her book.

“Ha ha,” I said, not laughing – although itwaspretty funny.

“Lu,” Isabella scolded her, then turned back to me. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I said with a half grin. “Even if she hates me, I kind of like her.”

Ludavica snorted.

“She’s not seeing the whole picture,” Isabella said. “Neither are you.”

“And what’s the whole picture?” I asked bitterly.

“I only got to leave this place a couple of times until you came along,” she said softly. “I’ve seen more in the last week than the rest of my life combined. I’m hoping that once we’re married, maybe – just maybe – we can get the freedom we both want. And deserve.”

“Not as long as your father has anything to say about it,” I grumbled.

“We’ll see,” she said cryptically. “We’ll see.”

89

Forty-eight hours before the wedding, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I had to see Cat.

Even if it was just one last time…

I had to see her before everything else was taken away from me.

So I did the unthinkable.

I went to see Don Vicari in his study.

He glared up at me hatefully. “What?”

“I’d like to call my sister-in-law Alessandra,” I said.

“Fuck off. You can talk to her when she arrives for the wedding.”

I gritted my teeth.

This was the part I really, really,reallydidn’t want to do –

But even the chance of seeing Cat was worth it.

“If you allow me to have a short phone call with her, I’ll apologize for everything I said the other day.”

Vicari looked at me, surprised –

And then broke out into a vicious smile. “Alright. Let’s hear it.”

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