Page 67 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

Unfortunately, none of that happened.

Not even close.

“What is it, baby?” I whispered as I caressed his cheek with my hand.

He stared at me for what seemed like forever, looking like a condemned man about to be hanged…

And then he brought my world crashing down.

“My brother Niccolo set up an arranged marriage with a family in Sicily. I… I have to marry some girl.”

Of all the things I had been expecting to hear, ‘arranged marriage’ would never have made the list. Not in a million years.

I staggered backwards like he’d punched me.

“W-what?!Why?!”

“It’s this war with Fausto I told you about. We need allies, and apparently this is the only way to get them.” Val scoffed bitterly. “According to Niccolo, anyway.”

I looked back at the bed.

Just a second ago, I had thought maybe we would tumble into it.

Now I wondered how many nights we had left.

“When is all this supposed to happen?” I asked, tears blurring my eyes.

He winced. “I… I have to leave as soon as I walk out of this room.”

Horror flooded my body.

“WHAT?! NO – tell themno!”

“…I can’t. Dario gave me a direct order.”

When he said that, my heart stopped for a second.

I tried to pretend I just worked for a rich family in the countryside…

But I knew the Rosolinis were mafia.

And whatever else you did in a mafia family, youneverwent against your don. That was a guaranteed death sentence.

Valentino had never told me that; no one in the house had. It was just common knowledge from growing up in Italy. You absorbed the lesson in childhood, likeBoys do this and girls do that.

If Don Rosolini had given Valentino a direct order… then it was hopeless.

If he’d just told us not to see each other, we could have cooled things off for a couple of weeks. After that, I knew I could count on Alessandra to argue my case for me. I was sure she could get me back in Don Rosolini’s good graces.

Even if the situation was worse – if Valentino had broken up with me of his own accord – that would have been horrible, but there would still be a chance we could get back together.

But this?

Marriage?!

And inSicily?!

There was no coming back from this.

---