Page 29 of Where Quiet Hearts Scream
Wait a minute. This sounds too official, too mafia-like. Not only am I being told I’m to marry someone I now realize I don’t know, whether I want to or not, I’m not even allowed to be alone with him so I can figure out what on earth is happening.
The injustice of it makes my blood boil. “What about Tess? She’s been openly kissing Benito and they’re not getting married! How is that appropriate?”
“That’s different,” Cristiano says, plainly. “Benito hasn’t asked for her hand in marriage—yet—and he’s not a don.”
I frown in confusion. “This man hasn’taskedfor my hand either, and neither is he a don. I keep telling you. He’s a businessman. Isn’t that right, Andrew? Will you tell him please, because he doesn’t believe me.”
Even though gun metal is glinting up at me from the waistband of Andrew’s jeans, my brain simply will not compute anything else. He’s Andrew.JustAndrew.
Andrew doesn’t speak, he just stares at me,expressionless, his grey-blue eyes charred black around the edges. Cristiano’s tone dips and Trilby’s gaze flits between the three of us. I can feel the alarm radiating from her bare shoulder.
“Andreasisa don,” he says, clearly. “He’s the don of his own outfit in Providence. With this marriage, we will be forming a Di Santo-Corioni alliance. And through that, we will control Boston and Connecticut.”
My jaw drops open. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
“But… butyou’rea don, and you were able to see Trilby without Papa being there. You even moved her entire apartment into your home!”
His impatience cuts through the calm. “Killing my own brother earned me special privileges.”
He waits for me to counter-argue again but I have no fight left in me.
“And as for asking for your hand in marriage…” Cristiano says, turning to Andrew.
Andrew reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a small, square box. I stare at it in disbelief. Trilby gives me a gentle nudge on the shoulder but I’m unable to move. I can’t say I’ve ever been one to fantasize about my big engagement moment or wedding, but I certainly never expected it to play out this way… Without my consent.
With his gaze still resting heavily on me, Andrew pops open the box and the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen glistens up at me. Trilby gasps.
If the situation were different, it would be perfect. Abrilliant cut diamond surrounded by smaller stones set in a platinum band. It looks like it cost as much as Boston and Connecticut.
Trilby gently lifts my left arm by the elbow, raising my hand. Andrew drops his gaze to the box, carefully lifts out the ring then pauses to glance at my face. I’m stunned. I can’t believe this is happening. Fury and despair hover beneath the surface of my skin, confusion being the only thing stopping the darker emotions from bursting out of every pore.
He gently slides the ring onto my finger, the touch of his fingertips sending hot tendrils along my arm. I ignore his gaze and stare, open-mouthed, at the ring on my finger. Trilby rubs a hand up and down my back, drawing my attention to the fact I’m almost hyperventilating.
This moment should be one of the happiest of my life. It should be one that I hold close to my heart, that I treasure, and tell my grandchildren about.
These people—this person—has just robbed me of that. A little bit of fury leaches through to the surface and I want to throw this beautiful piece of craftsmanship across the room.
I dare not look up from the ring as I whisper, “Why did you lie to me?”
He snaps the box closed and pushes it back inside his jacket, then clears his throat. “I didn’t.”
I shake my head, unable to look at him. “Everything you told me was a lie.”
“No,” he insists. “I just didn’t tell you everything.”
I flash angry eyes up at him. “You said you work intechnology.”
“I do.”
“You told me you weren’t Italian.”
“I told you I was born in New York.”
Each time he corrects me or deflects from the real issue, I feel myself getting more wound up.
My teeth grit together. “What do youwantfrom me?”
His head tips to one side as though he shouldn’t have to spell it out. “Everything.”
