Page 111 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

“Start at the beginning, Emmie,” Gia ordered.

I rubbed my eyes under my glasses and tried to think of where to start. There was so much. “Papà is dying.”

Gia’s entire body jolted, her feet falling to the floor with a thud. Her wide gaze studied my face, her mouth slack with shock. “What?”

“Prostate cancer, stage four. It’s spread all over his body.”

Her expression transformed with a flood of emotions, and I let her grapple with the news. “How long?” she finally asked.

“It’s hard to say for sure. He just finished with radiation, but they’re talking about palliative care.”

She blinked several times, then looked over at Enzo. He rubbed her legs soothingly. “Breathe, Gianna.”

“Does Frankie know?” Gia turned to ask me.

“No. He asked me not to tell either of you.” I stared at my lap and folded my hands. “But I’m tired of secrets. I’ve seen how destructive they can be. It’s time you both knew.”

“You’ve been dealing with this by yourself the whole time?”

“It’s only been about five months. He has full-time care to help. Her name is Gloria and she’s been a godsend.”

“I can’t believe he didn’t want me to know.”

I could hear the hurt in her voice. Her relationship with Papà has always been strained and this was not going to help. “I can’t pretend to know his reasons, but when was the last time you tried to call him? When was the last time you came to visit?”

We both knew the answer.

“I would have, if I’d known,” she snapped. “He had no right to keep this from me and Frankie. And really, neither did you, no matter what he said. We’retwins.”

“Gianna,” Enzo said quietly. “Those are conversations for another time, no? Let your sister continue.”

“You can be mad at me, if you want,” I said. “I didn’t like it, but I would do it all over again. You both have your lives and responsibilities. Neither of you are close to him and I’m still living at home. It made sense for me to honor his wishes, at least for now.”

“I don’t agree, but let’s set that aside for now,” Gia said. “Get to the marriage part.”

“Do you know a Sicilian named Don Virga?” I asked Enzo.

He inclined his head. “He is the head of the Cosa Nostra, a very powerful man. Stuck in the old ways, as are many of them.”

“He came to Toronto and ordered me to pack a bag.” I told them of Virga taking me to Palermo, leaving his men behind in Toronto, forcing me to marry Giacomo and imposing the three-month baby deadline.

As I spoke, Gianna stood and began pacing in the aisle, the bracelets on her wrists clicking as she moved. When I got to the baby part, she stopped in her tracks. “If you tell me some Sicilian piece of shit knocked you up, I swear to fucking Christ we are turning this plane around so I can put a bullet in his brain.”

“Are you listening?” I said. “I told you, we didn’t have a choice. Virga was blackmailing me with Papà and Giacomo with his sister.”

“You are related to two of the most dangerous men in Europe!” She gestured at Enzo, as if I didn’t know who she was talking about. “We don’t get blackmailed, Em. Not you, not me, not Frankie. Not anyone in this family.”

“But,” Enzo said, his gaze studying my face. “There is a reason you didn’t reach out, no? Does this have to do with the sit down between Buscetta and Ravazzani?”

“You knew about that?” I asked.

“I know everything that happens in the ’Ndrangheta—especially when it pertains to your brother-in-law.”

“What are you two talking about?” Gia demanded, taking her seat once more.

It was Enzo who answered. “The heads of the Cosa Nostra and ’Ndrangheta tried to bring peace between Ravazzani and Buscetta through marriage. But these days marriage isn’t enough. Apparently they also needed a baby.”

“Fausto fucking knew about this?” Gia was incensed, her hands gripping the arm rests.

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