Page 9 of Vincenzo's Promise
I decided not to question Cyrus’s strange statement, shrugging it off as the ramblings of an old man. He was sick, and the blood staining the white linen cloth was proof. Maybe whatever was wrong with him affected his brain, too.
“I don’t think I would ever be ashamed enough to do that to a child who had my blood running through their veins,” I argued. “Blood is blood, Lombardo.”
“Like I said when you become a father, the way you see things will change,” Cyrus insisted. “But I was never ashamed of her. I sent her away because I loved her and her mother. I sent them away for their own good. My wife was going to tell the Families about her, how do you think that would have turned out for Isabella? Bastards are treated as outcasts anyway; it would have been ten times worse for her.”
“Sounds like excuses to me, Cyrus.”
He shook his head. “No excuses, Vincenzo. It was what needed to be done. Away from here, she carried my name, affording her the protection and opportunity she deserved as my daughter. She had all the desires of her heart—a great home, cars, the finest clothes any woman could want, and an education at some of the best schools in the world. She had a wonderful life, and now she’s an accomplished doctor. What would have happened if she’d stayed? She would have gone through hell with a target on her back. I refused for my daughter to go through that.”
Damn, she’s a doctor? That’s impressive.
“The one thing she should have had was you.”
“She had me as much as possible.” Cyrus took another deep sigh. Pain flickered in his eyes. “But if she hadn’t been sent away, she would have been seen as my bastard daughter and mistreated, Vincenzo. You know this to be true. I could be more of a father with her being away than I could have been if she stayed. The question is, if you take her as your wife, will you protect her as I have as her father? Can you do the same as her husband?”
I stood and placed my palms on the table, glaring at Cyrus. “You are in no position to question what I could or would do, Lombardo.”
“Trust me, De Maio, if I could get my Bella out of this mess my son has forced her into, I would. She deserves so much more than to be pulled into our world, into a loveless marriage. She’s innocent and has her whole life in front of her. She deserves a husband whose world revolves around her, not one who would only use her to produce an heir and increase his power.”
Maybe the old man did love his daughter; however, I would not let him make me feel guilty for my actions. Yet, my decision to take her as my wife caused a dilemma for me. Was I willing to deal with the aftermath just so I could expand my territory and influence amongst the clans? Was I ready to go to war with the Cosa Nostra?
“You have much to think on, Vincenzo. I suggest you take some time and think of the ramifications. I have no doubt you would not personally mistreat my daughter, which is the only reason I’ve gone along with this bullshit. You have honor, unlike most in our world. But I must be frank—I can’t see anyone else in your clan or the other clans respecting Isabella the way she should be respected, even if she were married to you. She is precious, intelligent, and pure. I would trust you with her life, but not anyone else. However, it must be known, if you decide you still want to marry her and any harm comes to my daughter, I will be out for blood. No matter whose it is.”
“Is that a threat, Lombardo?” I crossed my arms over my chest. I was seething, and didn’t take too kindly to Lombardo threatening me, no matter how much I understood where the man was coming from. He wanted his daughter protected, and I had no problem doing that if she became my wife.
It would be my duty. A duty I would take seriously.
“Not a threat, De Maio.” Cyrus smiled and stood with a grimace, straightening his jacket. “You know that’s not how I do things. When it comes to my daughter’s safety and well-being, no one will go unpunished if she is harmed. I will burn this fucking world to the ground and everyone in it for my Bella. This isn’t a threat.” He slightly shook his head. “No, Vincenzo, it’s a promise. When you’ve made your decision, you know how to reach me, and we will go from there.”
Without any more words, Cyrus exited the restaurant surrounded by guards.
I sat down in the chair and mulled over what should have been an easy choice. No doubt I wanted Isabella; she was beyond beautiful, poised, and shit, she was a fucking doctor. Yet, the question Cyrus asked was a good one—was I ready to protect Isabella against the storm I knew would come once we officially announced our engagement? And that made an otherwise easy choice an exceedingly difficult one.
“Do you think she’s worth it, Angelo?” I asked as he took the seat beside me.
“She’s fucking gorgeous.” He looked where Isabella had exited, shaking his head. “Did you see that ass?”
“Any man with goddamn eyes could she’s a fucking goddess, Angelo. Her beauty isn’t your concern, nor does it have anything to do with my question. Do you think marrying her is worth the backlash I will receive?”
“Are you thinking with your dick or your brain?”
I laughed. One thing I could say about Angelo was that he didn’t have an eloquent bone in his body. He was straight to the point, and honest to a fault, which was what I needed. There wasn’t any need to lie to him, and if I tried, he would see through it and call me on my bullshit.
“Both. Like I said, any man can see she’s gorgeous.”
“If it was me, I would be thinking with both too,” he confessed with a shake of his head. “Did you see that look she gave you when you were about to speak? She shut your ass up quick. Damn, that was hot.”
“Fuck you, Angelo!” We sat in silence, briefly, before I had to admit he was right. “It really was hot, wasn’t it?”
We both laughed, and some of the tension lifted despite the big decision that needed to be made. She was sexy and had her shit together, which was different from most of the women in this world who clung to their fathers for money, then their husbands when they married. They didn’t worry about education or making their own way through life.
My decision to make Isabella my wife couldn’t depend just on her looks, like most of the men had chosen their wives. Even if she weren’t a Lombardo, my decision wouldn’t be solely on what she looked like. Intelligent, beautiful, and she carried herself with grace in front of two of powerful men. All great assets. However, Isabella had access to the power I craved. She was the total package.
“But, in all seriousness, why even ask the question if you’ve already made the decision, Vin?”
“And how do you know I’ve made a decision?” I faced my cousin. “Have I said I’ve made my decision?”
“Vin, it’s me. I probably know you better than you know yourself. You’ve made the decision to marry Isabella Lombardo, or you wouldn’t have even entertained the conversation once you found out who she was. In my opinion, I wouldn’t go through with it because there are other ways to get a piece of the Scuderi empire without causing a shitstorm with the other clans. But you never do things the easy way.”
