Page 26 of Sin and Redemption

With everyone’s eyes, I wouldn’t, and it wasn’t as if Maximus scared me. The demons of our shared past did. People watched our every move, and they continued to do so for a while. They wanted a huge scandal. The last one—Marcella marrying a biker—was getting to be old news, and they were hungry for fresh meat.

When we arrived on the dance floor, Maximus gave me a questioning look. I nodded, and he pulled me against him. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he put one hand on my back, not too far up and not too low. Our gazes met, and that felt more intimate than our closeness. It was almost as if I could see the guilt burning in his eyes and thus the reminder of what happened. I lowered my gaze to his nose, not wanting to remember. My eyes registered the dressing over his neck once more. He was moving a little stiffly as if his neck wasn’t his only injury.

The music began. Only now did I realize that Maximus and I had never danced together before. I had never even gotten the chance to rehearse the dance with Paolo. Maximus didn’t look like a man who could dance, at least not any standard dances. The dance clubs he and Amo had frequented didn’t require that sort of thing.

Maximus took the lead without any prompting and surprised me with his dancing skills.

“I asked my mother to teach me how to dance. I knew it would be required today, and I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of all these people,” he murmured. His voice was naturally low and very deep. It was a voice that exuded manliness but also a subtle danger.

I gave a small nod. I doubted anything could ever be more embarrassing than knowing that half of the people in this room had probably seen the video of Maximus and me. It was a thought I rarely entertained, and whenever I did, I wanted to crawl into a hole and never emerge. I couldn’t escape the cruel gossiping of our world unless I left, something I’d never even consider.

“You’re doing good,” I said simply. Maximus was much taller than me, so it wasn’t easy to find a flow, but his efforts shone through, and I didn’t feel as uncomfortable in his proximity as I’d thought. I was glad when we were out of the spotlight and returned to the table, though even without the lights directed at us, we were of course still the center of attention.

Mom leaned over to me and touched my hand, her eyes seeking confirmation that I was okay. I gave her a smile, which seemed to convince her.

Despite things going smoother than I’d expected, I could feel myself getting overwhelmed by the situation. My mind always judged people’s expressions, wondering what they were thinking and how much they knew.

It was exhausting.

I needed a moment to myself, some peace and quiet. My nausea had become increasingly worse despite the meds I’d taken. Nervousness and lack of food definitely didn’t help.

After ten minutes of convincing my mom that I didn’t need her support, I left the ballroom and strolled through the quiet corridors. In the past, I’d often enjoyed solitude. I loved being part of a family, but I also liked being alone. It wasn’t long before I heard steps, and two guys from Paolo’s circles headed through the corridor. Their parents were Captains like Paolo’s, and Dad had decided to keep them and their families invited for that reason.

Their expressions told me they weren’t happy with me. Luca’s attempts to keep the gossip down only led to colorful rumors that made the rounds among those who didn’t get the chance to see the video. And even some people who had seen the video chose to believe that the reason I had been with Maximus in a car in the first place was because we were having an affair. My “It’s okay” in the video only confirmed their ridiculous assumption.

“Whore,” one of them hissed as he passed me by, stunning me.

The other added, “Paolo’s lucky he didn’t marry your cheating ass.”

I wasn’t sure if I’d come up with a good comeback. I wasn’t fond of confrontations, but I never got the chance to figure it out. Maximus stormed past me, grabbed the first guy by the neck, and smashed him face-first into the wall. Then he grabbed the second by the throat and thrust his fist into his mouth. Blood spurted everywhere. I froze, my belly doing a roller-coaster ride that was bound to end in disaster. Silver flashed on Maximus’s knuckle, and I realized why his punch had left the guy’s face a bloody mess: he was wearing brass knuckles. Both guys sank to the floor and remained there, moaning and clutching their bleeding faces.

Maximus’s chest heaved, and every muscle in his body was ready for more violence.

I stepped to his side and briefly touched his bicep. Even through the fabric of his shirt, I could feel his heat and steely muscle. “It’s okay.”

I’d said those words before, and the way Maximus’s eyes flashed with recognition and regret told me he thought the same thing.

“It’s not,” he growled, not looking at me but at them. His eyes burned with barely contained rage and brutality. “Our Capo gave an order. If you don’t keep your fucking mouth shut, I’ll shut you up.”

The guys exchanged a look that spoke of fear. I didn’t pay much attention to gossip, but I knew what people called the Trevisan men: Butcher.

“Leave now and don’t come back. Next time I hear you talking shit, I’ll break more than your noses.”

They scuttled away, leaving a trail of blood drops in their wake. A blood smudge also covered the wall where one of their noses had been smashed.

I swallowed down bile as the nausea in my body increased.

“I don’t like this violent side of you,” I said quietly. Maybe it was hypocritical of me, considering I’d grown up in the mafia world. Every man in my life was involved in violent crimes.

“Then you won’t find much to like,” he growled, the remnants of aggression still swirling in his amber eyes. I’d always found them astonishing. They reminded me of toffee. If only they didn’t also remind me of the past…

I swallowed. I hadn’t considered what life with Maximus would be like. We’d live under one roof. We’d have to get along, even if we didn’t live a real marriage. Was he the raging kind of man? With a horrible temper? I’d made a choice for our unborn child and my family’s honor. My own happiness hadn’t been part of my considerations.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he glanced around. We were alone. “I’m trying to redeem myself. You don’t have to fear this side of me.”

Redeem himself? By marrying me?

I didn’t get the chance to ask him what exactly he meant because my younger sister Inessa entered the corridor. She didn’t know what had happened, for which I was eternally grateful. She had Mom’s honey-blond hair but Dad’s brown eyes, and how Aunt Aria always said “Mom’s old temper.”

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