“You realize what you’re volunteering for?” His voice is incredulous. “If she goes into that meeting determined to prove she’s Giuseppe’s daughter…”
“She could start a war.” I finish the thought he doesn’t want to voice. “She could destroy everything you’ve built.”
“And you’re willing to let that happen?”
The question hangs between us, heavy with implications.
Am I willing to let Bianca burn down everything Matteo has built if that’s what she chooses?
Am I willing to support her even if it means watching her become something monstrous?
“I’m willing to love her enough to let her choose,” I say finally. “Even if I don’t like the choice she makes.”
Matteo studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable despite the blood and bruises.
Then, slowly, some of the tension leaves his shoulders.
“You really think she’ll listen to you?” There’s sadness in that question.
Not too long ago, Bianca would listen to him.
I have to tread carefully.
I’m talking to a broken man here and I don’t want to set him off again. “I think she’s going to reject anyone who tries to control her right now,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “But she might accept someone who’s willing to stand beside her without judgment.”
He nods slowly, like he’s come to some internal decision. “Fine. You want to love Giuseppe’s daughter? You want to see what she becomes when she stops fighting her nature? Then you get to deal with the consequences.”
Wait, where the hell is this going? “What?—”
“No.” He holds up a hand, wincing at the movement. “You’ve made your choice. Now live with it. But understand this—if you hurt her, if you take advantage of her vulnerability again, if you let her destroy herself because you’re too fascinated by her darkness to actually protect her…” He leans forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I will end you. Slowly.”
The threat should terrify me.
Instead, I feel something like relief.
Because underneath the anger and betrayal, I can hear what he’s really saying: he’s willing to let me try.
He’s willing to step back and let me be what Bianca needs, even if it goes against every protective instinct he has.
“Understood,” I say quietly.
“Good.” He gingerly gets up and starts toward the door, then stops. When he turns back, his voice has taken on the coldauthority of Don Matteo DeLuca. “But don’t think for one goddamn second that I’m staying away from that meeting.”
My mouth dries. Fuck. That isnotgood. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t give a fuck if you think it is or not. She may hate me right now, but she’s still a DeLuca. I won’t let her drag our name through the mud because she’s hot-tempered and doesn’t understand how this world really works.” The rage is returning but he’s tempering it well.
That makes him even more terrifying.
Matteo DeLuca’s control is legendary.
I can see the logic in it, even if I don’t like the implications. “She’ll see it as you not trusting her,” I point out.
“She’ll see it as me doing my job.” His voice is getting stronger, more certain. “The other families will be looking for any sign of weakness, any excuse to challenge our position. If she goes in there alone and emotional, they’ll tear her apart and use it as justification to question DeLuca leadership entirely.”
“And if she seesyourpresence as interference?”
“Then she’ll have to deal with it.” He wipes blood from his nose with the back of his hand. “I’ve spent twenty years building alliances, maintaining the balance of power in this city. I won’t let one night of hurt feelings destroy everything because she wants to prove a point.”
