Page 3 of Angelo

For women tied to the mafia, exile from their clans was a death sentence. Elyse gave a wince. She almost pitied Valentina. Gaspare De León was Mariposa's eldest brother. According to Malina, the man was an idiot and ten years older thanValentina. Was this marriage really going to cement the blonde’s loyalty?Or would it only cause her resentment to fester even more?

Her gaze fell on Alessandro again. She studied him intently. His eyes, Elyse realized, mirrored his soul to perfection today. Duality was very much at play. She saw a darkness that was frightening, and a light that called to her soul. In this moment, Elyse glimpsed the devil hiding behind the smoke and mirrors of shameless charisma and easy charm. Gone was his shine, everything about Alessandro felt cold and calculating,cruel even, and this shift seemed directly tied to Vincenzo's death.

"Valentina won't be happy about it," Elyse remarked in warning tones.A gross understatement. Valentina was going to murder them if they forced her to accept a husband like Gaspare.

"Fuck her happiness," he rebuked. "Valentina should not have rammed a knife in my back if she valued a comfortable, easy life."

Alarm trickled through Elyse. As much as she disliked Valentina, it seemed unwise to punish a daughter for her mother's crimes. Elyse knew a thing or two about being forced to pay for a parent's sins. Marrying Valentina to a horrible man seemed like a surefire way to ignite her wrath.

"I know that Carmen intended to betray the clan. She deserves to rot in Salemi." Then, Elyse surprised herself by speaking up for her nemesis, "But is there proof that Valentina was involved as well?"

"No evidence yet," Alessandro admitted. "I know my stepsister, though. She is simply a stealthier snake than her mother. I am certain she means to harm us."

"I'm not a fan of Valentina, either. But you shouldn't jump to conclusions. At the end of the day, she's still family."

Brown and blue-gray eyes flashed with irritation. "Valentina may be family, but she is not an ally. Never was. Never will be. I intend to strike first before she gains the upper hand."

"I don't think we should force Gaspare on her until we have the facts."

Glaring down, his arm slid around her waist, pulling her to him. "There is no need to question my judgment.What I need is your trust. Know that every move I make is meant to keep you safe."

The ice in Alessandro's voice set her on edge. Elyse leaned closer to kiss his cheek, attempting to soften his steely countenance. "I can tell that your heart's in the right place, and I'm grateful for it, but I wonder…"

He prompted archly, "Go on."

"What kind of leader do you want to be, Alessio?"

Silently, he glowered at her.

Undeterred, Elyse continued, "Domenico will turn everyone against us if you rule through paranoia. Ascapo, especially a newcapo, you shouldn't fuck with Valentina—or anyone else—until the evidence is solid and the timing works to our advantage."

"You do not know howCosa Nostraoperates. Kindness is weakness. Weakness will get us killed."

"Recklessness might get us killed, too."

Alessandro snapped, "Do you know what my father said before he died?"

"Tell me."

"He claimed that I reminded him of my mother."

"Was it meant to be a compliment?"

Laughter rose from his chest, but there was no joy in the sound. "My father died with the belief that I will destroy the empire he built. Apparently, likeMamma, I am too fucking soft."

"What's wrong with being soft? Anything can be a weapon if you know how to use it."

A scowl graced his face.

"You're the one who gets hard," she argued in a murmur, "but I can bring you to your knees by being tighter, wetter, and…softer."

Alessandro's eyes flashed with anger, but his cheeks flushed for entirely different reasons. He shifted on one foot. "That is not a fair comparison."

"Why do you care about what your father thinks?" Elyse stressed, "There's more than one way to win a war."

"No one has time to strategize every goddamn move. I must act the moment we are threatened. My father thrived ascapobecause he never hesitated to gun down his rivals before they could pull the trigger. I need to be more like him."

"Or you can be better."

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