Prologue
Dante
I can’t stop staring at her.
My brothers must notice because Antonio clears his throat beside me, but I don’t look away. Seated a few tables across from ours in a long lavender dress that glides down her slim figure is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
I saw her first at the church with the bridal party, and my heart threatened to escape from my chest. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Not once during the wedding procession did I glance at the bride or the groom. Hell, I couldn’t say what the priest was wearing to save my life.
And now, here we are, at the wedding reception, in some dimly lit hall, and my eyes haven’t shifted from her. It’s reckless of me to not be conscious of my environment. I’m a Rossi, for Christ’s sake, and can’t afford to be distracted. Not even at a wedding.
And especially not at this wedding!
Matteo, my oldest brother and the soon-to-bedon,is getting married and expects his brothers to have his back if someone tries to take him out. I've been doing a piss poor jobof keeping tabs on the people around us, seeing how my eyes haven’t moved from the woman with the face of an angel.
She was a vision back at the church. When I first spotted her, she was standing behind the bride, her beautiful face bathed with sunlight streaming through stained glass. Her hair was let down in a cascade of golden strands, reflecting the light and creating a halo around her head. She looked like an angel, and isn't it ironic that she had a devil watching her the entire time?
I have to talk to her tonight.
“No.”
A familiar voice pulls my gaze from the woman, and I turn to look at Antonio to find his eyes narrowed on me. "What?"
"You've been staring at that girl all fucking day," he says, keeping his voice low so it doesn't carry to the other people seated at our table. "I know what you're thinking, Dante. Don't do it."
My brows arch at his words. My brothers know better than to warn me against something. That only makes me want it even more. “Why not?” I ask, my eyes slowly shifting to her.
“That’s Gia Marino.”
“Aaah, so she’s the bride’s sister,” I muse, turning to look at the bride with her wavy, chocolate brown hair and anxious expression. It makes sense that the bride would look so nervous on her wedding day when it’s clear she was forced into an arranged marriage. To be fair, my brother wasn’t happy with the marriage deal either, but he needed to marry. The burden of bringing two wealthy and powerful Italian families together fell on those two. I pull my eyes from the couple greeting their guests before dinner is served and to my angel with her bright face and sweet smile. “The sisters look nothing alike.”
“She’s off limits, Dante. I’m warning you not to mess with a Marino sister and create tension within our families. Look elsewhere.”
But how could I possibly look at other women after seeing her? No one comes close to her in this snooze-fest of a wedding. “I think I should go introduce myself,” I say, getting up but Antonio grabs my arm before I can leave our table.
“I’m serious, Dante. Leave the Marino sisters alone!”
“I’m not interested in the other sisters, just her." I smirk at my brother, shrugging off his grip before approaching the wedding party's table. As I walk toward her, I notice the excited flush on her cheeks, the way her eyes keep drifting to Sofia and Matteo with unmistakable hope. She’s a romantic, this one—thrilled for her sister despite the circumstances.
She doesn't see the dangerous crime family Sofia married into—she only sees her sister's happiness. And the way she looks at Matteo, with such innocent trust, tells me she has no idea what the Rossi name really means. But despite my family’s reputation, we’re not all monsters.
Matteo, least of all.
Sure, the man has a reputation that rivals the devil's, but there are lines even he won't cross. He's the firstborn son, making him the face of the Rossi empire and the next don once our father retires. The rest of us—well, we’re not bound by the weight of responsibility. Antonio carries his share, but Matteo holds all our leashes. We can afford to be reckless and dangerous within the boundaries he sets.
“She’ll be alright, you know.”
Gia’s head whips up when I stop next to her, those perfectly trimmed brows arching inquisitively. “Sorry?”
“Your sister, she’ll be fine with Matteo,” I tell her, noting with pleasure the twin pink spots that dot her cheeks. “I can tell you’re worried about your sister but Matteo values and protects family above all else. Now Sofia is family, and by extension, so are you and your sisters. He’ll treat her with the care and respect she deserves.
“And how can you be so sure?” she asks in the sweetest voice as she tucks a golden strand of hair behind her ear.
“Because I’m his brother.” My lips twitch at the surprise I read in her eyes, but she looks so fucking beautiful, and my dick twitches behind my fly. I decide to sit before she looks down and notices. "You don't mind if I sit, do you?" I say, nodding at the empty seat beside hers.
“No, I… you’re a Rossi?”
“Guilty,” I chuckle, sitting down next to her. “Dante Rossi. The family negotiator and the brother who gets things done.”
