“Probably because your father hadn’t ramped up his search by that time and called in reinforcements. You wouldn’t have been so lucky if you’d waited a day longer.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Vale, you won’t last a day.”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“Stay here.”
“As your prisoner? No thank you.”
“Not as my prisoner. As my guest. When I’m the new Casalese don, you’ll be under my protection.”
His words infuriate me so quickly I don’t stop to pick my words carefully. “Not this again. I’ve lived my entire life under the protection of a powerful don. Guess what? It protected me from nothing. I’ve learned many important lessons from my father, my favorite being that men like you make promises you have zero intention of keeping. They’re lies. All of them, without exception. I won’t ever put my life in the hands of a don again.”
I can see my outburst is unexpected. His skin loses some of its color, and his expression dims. “I am not your father. You won’t tell me what he did to you, but I know I’d never go back on a promise I made to my daughter.”
“That’s because you don’t have a daughter yet,” I counter.
“No, but Martina is practically a daughter to me, and I’ve done everything I can to keep her safe.”
What can I say to that? Damiano put his ambitions on hold for well over a decade to protect his sister. Papà would never make a sacrifice like that for me.
But Martina is his blood, and I’m not.
“What if I want to leave when you become the don? Will you let me?”
His shoulders drop, and there’s a grim twist to his mouth. I can see he hates the idea, and this realization makes something warm settle inside my chest.
“I won’t keep you here against your will,” he says finally.
It would be easy for him to lie to me, but somehow, I know he’s telling the truth.
He finishes buttoning up his shirt. “Think on it tonight and give me your answer tomorrow.”
One night isn’t nearly enough time, but I nod, and he takes his leave.
The room suddenly feels too empty. I feel too empty.
My elbows connect with the bed, and I toss my head back to stare at the ceiling. There’s a lot for me to think about.
The details about that day with Gemma slowly start coming back to me. There was also that conversation with Tito in the car. Papà had Tito, Lazaro, and Vince doing work for someone else-Sal? Must be. But how is that connected to him increasing the family’s security? What was he afraid of?
Gemma always took more of an interest in Papà’s business matters. When she was younger, she’d eavesdrop outside his office door, but she’d never tell me what she heard when I asked. Back then, I thought she liked keeping secrets. Now, I wonder if she was able to sense even at that age that I didn’t really want to know. I preferred to think of Papà as a valiant protector, rather than the boogeyman, even if the latter was far closer to the truth.
When the evening comes, a guard brings me dinner. I discover I’m exceptionally hungry, and when I consider why that is, images of Damiano dripping wet in the shower make heat rise to my chest. I down the cold gazpacho and devour the Spanish tortilla. By the time I finish dessert-a slice of incredibly creamy cheesecake-I’m finally full.
What if Damiano protected me with the same devotion he has to Martina? Would I stay then? Of course, that’s not a realistic scenario. He might want me physically, but he doesn’t love me. There’s no way I’d ever be someone truly important to him. Even if he intends to keep his promises now, there are always sacrifices to be made for power in our world. There’s no guarantee that one day I wouldn’t be one of them.
Still, what options do I have? If I don’t cooperate with him like he wants, then what? He might still change his mind about the carrots and go back to sticks.
No, refusing isn’t an option.
I’ll tell him what I know, and then when he’s the don, I’ll leave.
DAMIANO
I tell Ras I’ve decided not to trade Valentina back to her father when we sit down for lunch on the terrace the next morning.
When I finish my explanation, he places his cutlery down and crosses his arms over his chest. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Why?” I ask. It makes perfect sense to me.
“Because she doesn’t know anything. The line about the sister was just a ploy to buy herself more time.”
“It wasn’t.”
He rolls his eyes. “Mio Dio, you’ve lost your head over her. When will you admit it?”
“Admit what, exactly?”
“That you’re in love with her.”
My mouth goes dry, and something sparks inside my chest. “That’s absurd.”
“When she was still working at Revolvr, you started spending a lot more time there. All so that you could be around her.”
“I had work to do.”
“You were either talking to her or daydreaming about her in your office.”
“How would you know what I daydream about?” I retort, not wanting to pause and reflect on the truth in his words.
Ras shakes his head. “I thought you’d move on after we realized who she was, but you’ve just dug in deeper and deeper. And now this. You want to bring her into our plan. A plan that requires me, Napoletano, and many other men to put their lives on the line. You know I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, but you’re not going to win a lot of respect from the other capos if they see your strategy for taking over as don has your dick as a compass.”
His words light the fuse of my anger, but I take a breath and put it out before it explodes. “I did realize who she was. The woman who saved my sister. That makes her someone worthy of respect, mine and yours.”
He chuckles. “Oh, I respect her. Very much. She’s done the impossible. She’s brought you to your knees.”
My hand tightens around the fork. “Then maybe it’s respect for me that you’re missing.”
“You know that’s bullshit.” He heaves a sigh. “Goddamn it, Dem. You know I want you to be don. And not just because you’re a brother to me, but because unlike Sal, you’re a real leader.”
“Then have a little faith. She wasn’t lying. She knows something.” A flicker on the security monitor pulls my attention to it. “The guards just let in a car. Are you expecting someone?”
Ras’s brows pull together. “No. Is it Mari?”
I zoom in on the car as apprehension coils inside my gut. “She’s in the Mercedes with her driver. She shouldn’t be back from her shopping trip for another few hours. This is a white BMW. Why would the guards let someone through without checking with you?”