Page 2 of Doll's Eye

“Home then?”

“Yup.”

We’re pulling away from the club when two of my father’s men exit it scouring the street. I’m tempted to roll down the window to flip them off, but they’re just doing their job. And it isn’t them who I’m upset with. It’s me.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t suppress themafiosain me. It’s who I am, but if I want a relationship with a man at all, then I need to rein in my Italian gangster some. I’m not even looking for a serious relationship because, as the daughter of Marino Bonetti, it is my obligation to marry a man of my father’s choosing.

So, for now, I’d like someone to pass the time with and experience some normalcy until then.

I thought Maverick could be that someone, but I should’ve known. I mean, his name wasMaverick, and he wore polo shirts. I don’t know what I was thinking. Well, he was really hot, that’s what I was thinking. We started dating a couple of months ago, and everything went fine. He was pleasant, fun, and pretty good in bed. He wasn’t the best, but he left me satisfied almost every time.

My phone starts ringing with a call from my brother. “Ciao.”

“I heard another one bites the dust,” he muses.

“Vaffanculo.”Fuck off.

He chuckles over the phone, and I crack a smile with him. “So, what happened this time?”

I let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, you know. The usual,” I murmur and inspect my nails.

This time he more than chuckles. He actually laughs. It’s a rare sound to hear from him these days.

It wasn’t always so hard to make Tullio smile or laugh. He used to be jovial and easygoing, even though he was the oldest of our siblings, born and bred to be the head of the family someday. One of the biggest crime families on the east coast. But then he met a girl, fell in love, got her pregnant, and they were engaged to be married. He was mad about Agnella. It caused quite a stir in the outfit since Tullio was already betrothed to another, but nothing could stop love.

Not even death.

Agnella was in a fatal accident and died only days before their wedding. My brother hasn’t been the same since. His refusal to ever marry left our father disgruntled, but at the end of the day, our father would never force us into anything irrevocable.

“Stop laughing at me, Tullio!”

“Well, stop going out withstronzos!”Assholes.

“Who the hell am I supposed to go out with? I’m not going to sit around like a nun and wait for mybetrothed.”

“I do not need to know that,” he mutters.

“I didn’t mean save myself. That ship has long sailed. This isn’t—”

“Okay, okay,” he rushes out, making me giggle. “Pain in my—so, are you on your way home?”

“Yes, I am.” Unfortunately. I was hoping I would be heading home with Maverick right about now to have some mediocre sex.

“Good.Babbowants you here. We’re entertaining the De Luca’s tonight.”

I sit up straight. There are only a few reasons why we would be having the De Luca’s over and why I would need to attend. “Should I bring a bottle of champagne?” I ask dryly, hiding the hurt in my chest.

The warning in his grunt tells me just to shut my mouth and get my ass home.

“See you soon,” I mutter before hanging up.

On the ride home, I conjure up several theories. One thing is for sure: The De Lucas are there to discuss solidifying both families once and for all with a marriage, making us both a stronger, unconquerable force.

There are six of us Bonetti heirs, and only Armando has married so far. That leaves Tullio, Santino, Gemma, Paolo, and me. My father would never ask Gemma, my twin sister, to even consider an arranged marriage, so she’s out of the equation as well.

Tullio was set to marry Sarita De Luca before he met Agnella. When he broke off the engagement, breaking his word, shit went down between our families. It drudged up old matters that should have been buried along with the past, and it was bad for a while.

Things finally settled down once we handed some of our territory over to the De Lucas to pacify Angelo and make amends for what was broken.

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