Page 84 of Pretty Little Game

My heart skips a beat at his brazen lecture that all but insults the Marchetti brothers’ father. But Nicolo doesn’t speak to the contrary, and that, more than anything, scares me.Does that mean Lorenzo might actually kill someone over dating his son against his wishes?

“I won’t let him,” Cassio states firmly.

“And you’re confident enough in your ability to stop him that you would bet my sister’s life on it?” Ilya demands.

“My father’s threat to ban Bianka was entirely meant as a punishment for me. He wouldn’t go so far as to kill her. He just doesn’t trust me not to screw things up,” Cassio continues.

“You shouldn’t fucking with something as delicate as a Bratva relationship when they border our territory’s entire south side,” Nicolo counters. “Especially when Father told you to stay away.”

“Exactly,” Ilya says, leveling me with an intense gaze. “Your little romance could be risking far more lives than your own, Bianka. Think about that now that you’ve witnessed firsthand the results of two mafia families conflicting.”

It’s strange to witness Nicolo and Ilya so solidly on the same page, arguing with each of us while maintaining a respectful line and not scolding each other’s siblings. It makes me cringe to recognize my brother has a point.

His men put their lives on the line to rescue me from the Matron, and if Lorenzo Marchetti ever chose to do something to harm me, I’m confident the results would be the same.How many of my brother’s men might he lose if he and the Marchettis went to war?

The thought sends a shiver through me. After witnessing how dangerous Cassio–a man who is kind and gentle at his core–could be, I can only imagine how bloodythatbattle would be.

I glance toward Cassio as my resolve weakens slightly, and then his confident gaze meets mine. His fingers lace with mine, and he gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, renewing my determination as my heart responds giddily.

“Nico, you found love. And so did Lucca,” Cassio says passionately. “I think I deserve the chance to do the same. You’re happy, and I’m happy for you. So, why can’t you be happy for me?”

The plane falls silent as both Nicolo and Ilya seem to contemplate his words deeply. Though the question wasn’t directed at my brother, I’m sure he’s taking it to heart after he and Whitney have finally found their happy ending recently.

I silently implore Ilya to consider the same question for me, looking into his eyes and searching for his support in something that means so much to me. “Please, Ilya,” I murmur after a long pause.

He and Nicolo look at one another, as if wordlessly coming to an agreement.

Then Ilya releases a deep sigh as he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Fine. Cassio has proven how far he’s willing to go to protect you. If it’s really what you want, I won’t stop you.”

“Nico?” Cassio asks when his brother stays silent.

Nicolo shakes his head, making my gut wrench uncomfortably. “It seems like Ilya and I can manage to work together well enough when the need arises. And I must admit, it’s refreshing to see you take anything so seriously. If Bianka’s who you want to be with, who am I to stand in your way?”

Cassio and I release our breaths in simultaneous relief, and I turn to him once more, mirroring the broad grin that spreads across his face. Suddenly, the room seems far less tense as Ilya releases a deep chuckle and settles back in his seat.

“That doesn’t mean you’re in the clear to date each other,” Nicolo warns. “Just because I’ve decided to be okay with it doesn’t mean Father will be.”

“Please, will you not say anything?” Cassio pleads. “Just until Bianka graduates in May. After that, I’ll face the music and tell Father everything. I’ll find a way to make things work, even if it means he disinherits me. I just want Bianka to be able to finish at Rosehill.”

“You should have thought of that and waited to date heraftershe graduated,” Nicolo points out apathetically.

“I know,” Cassio groans, massaging his temple with his free hand not holding mine. “My plan was to switch majors so I could just have class with her again. But… I couldn’t bring myself to stay away.”

My heart flutters at his words, and I give his arm a reassuring squeeze, wordlessly telling him I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“Jesus, Nico, have a heart,” Lucca pipes up. “It’s not like you have much room to talk.”

The off-hand comment catches my interest, and I make note to ask Cassio later about Nicolo’s love story. All I know is that Nico has a daughter around elementary school age, which means he was pretty young when he got his now-fiancée pregnant.

Nicolo raises an eyebrow in Lucca’s direction, but the first hint of a smile plays across his lips. “Fine. I won’t say a word. But Father’s going to have questions about why I took nearly thirty of our men to New York before sunrise.”

Cassio nods. “I’ll handle it,” he promises.

30

BIANKA

By the time we make it back to Chicago and everyone goes their separate ways, it’s late afternoon. I’m beyond exhausted from the events of the last twenty-four hours. Still, I don’t want to leave Cassio, even though my brother did his best to convince me to come home tonight.

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