Page 289 of Merciless Desires

“Matteo…” My papà’s tone was weak, and when I peered over at where he stood, he looked afraid. “May I…”

“Yes,” I sighed.

Papà pulled out the chair to my left and took a seat, seeming to mull over his words before he spoke again. “Thank you for allowing me to attend your wedding. It was beautiful. Marcella did a great job.”

“She did,” I agreed. “There was nothing you could do that would ever stop me from marrying her. Your opinion of her means nothing to me.”

“I didn’t mean what I said. For years, figlio, I believed you would not marry. So…I held the company over your head by creating a stipulation that I believed you would never fulfill. But you did. And you are happy. Which makes me happy.”

I looked away from him and found my wife dancing with the capo wives, grinning and singing along. “You’ve never been a good liar, Papà.”

“I’m not lying, figlio. I swear.” Papà sighed. “I have ruined almost everything for myself, and I nearly ruined it all for you, too. I’m sorry, Matteo. I never meant for her to get hurt.”

“But she did,” I finally turned my glare back to him. “We moved the wedding back so her throat could heal from where Dominov choked her with her own hand and her engagement ring sliced her skin repeatedly. Her scars will remind her of it all, and you are the one to blame, but you will never admit it.”

“I am to blame, Matteo. Fully. I hired Dominov, I was fooled by his lies, and…” Papà hung his head. “I believed Melinda’s attraction to me was genuine, when it was all a perfectly crafted trap that I fell into.”

When he met my gaze again, I barely recognized the man across from me. His eyes were hollow with torment.

“I’m done, figlio. The company is yours. When you are back from your honeymoon, I will no longer be the one with all the power. I don’t deserve it anymore.”

Papà was stepping down.

“Tell Marcella she looks beautiful. I don’t believe she would want to hear it from me.”

He stood, and the conversation was over. Papà had said what he needed to say.

Marcella flopped onto my lap and brought her mouth down to mine. “Hello, Mr. Cortese.”

I slid my hands across the lacy bodice of her wedding dress. “Hello, Mrs. Cortese.”

“What did your papà have to say?”

“He’s stepping down. The company is mine. When we get back from Italy…I will be the new Don, amorina.”

She smiled sweetly. “How do you feel about that?”

That was one of the many things I loved about Marcella. She cared about me, not the power that would come with the promotion from underboss to Don. She wanted to know if this would make me happy, or if it was something I would hate.

“I’ve waited a long time to hear him say those words…and I only have you to thank.”

“Me?” Marcella squeaked.

I grinned. “You, amorina. I didn’t just want you…I needed you. Only you.”

“We’re married,” she whispered, wearing the sweetest grin.

“We are.”

“Since, you know, I didn’t leave you at the altar. Thought of it…”

“Oh, yeah?” My grip on her tightened, and she giggled. “You’re mine, amorina. Officially. Legally…”

I tapped on the gold and diamond wedding band on her ring finger.

She raised her hand and admired the way the low lighting still made her rings sparkle. “Papà picked a good one, huh?”

I chuckled. “What?”

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