I reach the last step.
It's time for the show to begin.
Chapter 2: Santino
The Costa estate is exactly what I expected. Old money, old power, old traditions.
I'm standing in one of their sitting rooms with my crew, waiting for the formal ceremony to begin. My father is already deep in conversation with Dominic Costa, the two Dons doing what Dons do best; discussing territory, power, and the future of their combined empires.
A future that includes me running both families.
"Boss." Bruno appears at my elbow, keeping his voice low. "You good?"
I glance at my right-hand man. Bruno's been with me since we were teenagers, back when we were just two kids learning the family business. If there's anyone I trust, it's him.
"I'm fine." I straighten my tie out of habit. "Just ready to get this started.4
"Started." Paulie joins us, grinning. "You mean over with."
"It's the same thing." I accept a drink from a passing server. Scotch, neat. "Forty days of playing the attentive fiancé, then we merge the families and expand our operations. Simple."
"Simple?" Bruno doesn't sound convinced. "Nothing about arranged marriages is simple."
"This one is." I take a sip. "Liana Costa gets a powerful husband. I get control of her family's territory. Her father gets the alliance he wants. Everyone wins."
"Except maybe her," Tommy points out. He's the quiet one of our group, built like a tank and twice as observant. "She's losing her family’s empire."
"She's gaining mine." I don't see the problem. "The Marcello name carries weight. She should be grateful."
Sal snorts. He's the oldest of my crew, somewhere in his fifties, and he's seen enough marriages to have opinions. "Grateful. Right. Because women love being told they should be grateful."
"You know what I mean." I scan the room, taking in the Costa family members, the layout, the exits. Force of habit. "This is how it works. Has been for generations. She knows what she's getting into."
"Does she?" Bruno's watching me too carefully. "You've never met her. What if she's difficult?"
"Then I'll handle it." I finish my scotch. "I've negotiated with rival families, managed territory disputes, and survived three attempts on my life. I can handle one woman."
"Famous last words," Sal mutters.
Before I can respond, Paulie pulls out his phone. "Speaking of handling things, I'm starting a pool."
"Of course you are." I resist the urge to take his phone away. "On what?"
"On how long before you lose your mind in this arranged marriage." He's already typing. "I'm giving you twenty days. Bruno?"
"I'm not participating." Bruno crosses his arms.
"Tommy?"
"Thirty days." Tommy shrugs. "He's stubborn."
"Sal?"
"Fifteen." Sal doesn't hesitate. "Any woman who's being forced into an arranged marriage is going to make his life hell. It's just math."
"Nobody's forcing her." I set down my glass harder than necessary. "This is a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"Mutually beneficial for the families," Bruno corrects. "Not necessarily for her."
