Page 126 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

I hadn’t confessed the part about going to Sicily and marrying Giacomo. I was afraid of what that news would do to my father.

Better not to say anything.

I averted my eyes from my uncle’s dead body on the floor and stepped into the hall. Massimo D’Agostino followed me, his gun still in his hand. “You don’t need to come with me,” I said over my shoulder. “It’s not far.” We set my father up in Frankie’s old room at the other end of the mansion.

“I do.” Massimo kept his eyes on our surroundings, hyper vigilant. “Your uncle’s men have not all been secured. The threat has not passed.”

He was wrong. My uncle was dead, his compatriots being dealt with. In a few hours it would all be over. My father was safe to die in peace, however long that took.

* * *

I knocked on my father’s door. “Gloria, it’s me. Everything’s okay now.”

My father’s aide answered the door. Her expression relaxed as soon as we locked eyes, then she threw her arms around me. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear it. We have been so worried.”

I squeezed her back. “It’s over. I’m okay.”

“Let the girl pass, Gloria,” my father grumbled behind us. “I want to see her.”

Gloria and I parted, but I held onto her shoulder. “Let me speak with him alone for a few minutes.”

“Of course. He’s eating lunch, so I’ll come back in a bit.”

Gloria edged around me and left. Massimo stood awkwardly in the bedroom, still holding his gun, then pointed to the hall. “I’ll be right outside the door.”

My father was sitting up, a tray of mostly uneaten food nearby. He looked tired and worried. As I drew closer, I smiled as best I could, hoping to reassure him that I was okay. “Hello, Papà.”

“Come here,principessa.” He patted the bed and I sat down, careful to keep my weight from shifting him. I leaned in and kissed his paper-thin cheek.

My father didn’t mince words. “Is he dead?”

“He is. You don’t need to worry any longer. Enzo and his men are dealing with the others.”

“Thank God. Your sisters, they have chosen good, strong husbands.”

Giacomo was a good man, too. I wished I could tell my father about him, but what was the point?“How are you feeling? Uncle Reggie’s betrayal has to be upsetting for you.”

My father made a dismissive noise in his throat, then coughed for a few seconds. “He was always jealous, always pushing for more. But I needed him when I got sick. I didn’t think he would ever do this to the family.”

“You could have brought Vito here sooner. Let him take over.”

“Yes, I should have. We always think we have more time, don’t we?” He studied my face. “How are you? I know you don’t care for violence.”

“I’m fine.” I could still picture Uncle Reggie’s lifeless eyes, staring at nothing. But honestly? I was too numb to process anything right now.

“You don’t look fine. You seem sad. Ever since you returned from Peru, these sad eyes. What’s going on, principessa?”

“Just a lot going on,” I lied. “Don’t worry about me.”

“But I am worried about you. It’s what a father who faces death must do for his children. We worry about what happens when we leave.”

A series of small explosions went off in my chest, bursts of pain that I tried to hide from my father. “I want you to get better. I want you to relax and focus on your health.”

“Emma, we’ve both spoken to Dr. Morrissey. We know the inevitable draws closer every day. That's why I want to discuss something with you.”

If this was about his funeral arrangements, I might actually start sobbing. I could not handle that conversation right now. “Papà—”

“I want you to marry Vito D’Agostino.”

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