Page 76 of Mafia And Taken

“Nothing’s wrong.” Her unresponsiveness made my hackles rise and made my emotions stir up with a violent intensity.

“Each day you just go through the motions, but I can tell you’re unhappy.”

She didn’t say anything. Her reticence made it difficult to talk to her, to get anything out of her.

“Cate?”

She sighed. “I guess I just don’t like being away from Chicago and Nonna.”

“It’s more than that. I can tell you’re not happy with things between you and me.” I had tried to be patient with her, and I was trying to keep my voice calm, but I was struggling when she acted like this with me.

“I’m doing everything you’ve asked,” she blurted out. “I’m spending all my time with the family every day and eating all my meals with you…” Her words trailed off.

“Go on, what’s the issue then?”

“I don’t know…” Her voice was soft. She was a mass of contradictions and was driving me mad.

She was polite and compliant when she was with me, yet she defied me by concealing her real emotions from me. She tried to appear strong, but everything about her recent behavior underlined just how vulnerable she was.

A few moments ago, I was enraged with her, but now an overwhelming sense of protectiveness washed over me. I took her hand in mine. “Look, we won’t be here forever. Just until we sort out the situation between the FBI and the Fratellanza—”

“I’m sick of my life being dictated by the needs of the Fratellanza,” snapped Cate, snatching her hand away from mine.

“Cate, just listen to me—”

“No, I won’t. I can’t. I’m coming from a situation where I don’t give a fuck about the Fratellanza. I just don’t care. You just want to own me, make me your possession, make me submit to your power.”

“You know it’s not like that. Surely you can see how much I care about you? I really do—please believe that. Come here…”

“No,” said Cate as she struggled out of my hold. She was withdrawing from me again, not just physically but also emotionally.

“Cate—”

“No, I can’t. You don’t get it.”

“I do get it. I do understand.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I know how you are feeling now, believe me. There are reasons why I am the way I am. Cate, talk to me. Please.”

“I can’t do this or be here with you right now.” She tried to walk away.

“You’re just running away.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Open up, cara, and tell me how you’re feeling,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her tightly and refused to let her walk away. I needed to make her feel secure here with me, in my life, and as my wife.

She struggled against my hold but gave up once she realized I wasn’t going to let her go. After a few moments, she said quietly, “It’s hard. It’s just really hard.” I didn’t need to see her face to know she was crying.

“I know it’s hard,” I whispered into the top of her hair.

“It’s just not easy for me. Every time I care about someone, they go away.”

“I understand how you’re feeling.”

“No, you don’t. You willingly took an oath to join the Fratellanza. I wasn’t given a choice in any of it. It’s completely different for you.”

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