And I’ll have to be alone with her to deal with her emotions.
I fight the urge to rub my fingers on my temple. I knew that something completely idiotic had to occur at this event. I understand why he wants the head of the Calabrese family dead—he views Max pulling out of the engagement as a disgrace to our family.
But whyatthe reception? Where all our women and children will be vulnerable?
Marco always had a flair for theatrics. Hire a sniper to fly to the States and tag him outside of a restaurant? No. We need to get dressed up for this assassination.
“Fine.” I keep my face even. “Just give me the details so I can give my men the proper instructions to make sure this doesn’t turn into a bloodbath.”
“Vincenzo has that covered.” He smiles at his preferred adoptive son.
“Of course.” Vincenzo replies. “No need to worry yourself, Alessandro. Just focus on looking pretty for the ceremony.”
I tell him to fuck off with a chin flick.
After going over some more mundane business details, I can finally leave Marco’s office. I hurry off so that I don’t need to walk alongside Vincenzo to get back to the other side of the castle where me and Elena live.
When I arrive, I knock on her door.
She tilts her head. Her black bangs nearly touch her green eyes, which we both inherited from our mother. “Brother. I’m surprised. I figured you’d be hiding away in your room as much as possible before the wedding.”
Sometimes I feel like she’s the only person who understands me. And the only person I would miss if I walled myself in.
“That was my plan. But Marco wants you to help me with something.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Shopping.”
Chapter 2
Sofia
“Feelingbetter?”Iaskmy sister as we walk through the narrow walkways of this shopping district in Sicily.
Bianca turns her head to look at me with a placid look on her face and her blonde hair shining in the sunlight. “You have no idea how much I needed this.”
She had to get away from the hotel we were staying at. My family insisted we don’t leave the premises so that we stay safe as we wait to meet my future husband’s family. The thing is, Bianca recently sobered up, and being cooped up in the same hotel room with only the gym and restaurant available for a change of scenery is horrible for her mental health.
I caught her in the bathroom right as she was about to sneak a shooter of vodka. I have no idea how she got that but I did whatever any older sister would do and poured it down the sink, opened up the window in our hotel room, popped out the screen and figured out a way for the two of us to climb down to the sidewalk so we could get some fresh air.
And now we finally get to explore the city like normal tourists.
I don’t normally rebel in this way when my family is only trying to keep me safe, but it’s ridiculous. We’ve been waiting for six days now, and this meet-and-greet dinner keeps getting delayed.
Who knows whether this wedding is going to happen anymore. A week ago I was cautiously optimistic about this arrangement, but now? I just want to go home.
“How much longer do you think we should wander around like this?” Bianca asks as she stops in front of a shop with some cute shoes on display.
“I would say we can stay out as long as you need. But…”
“Getting caught would be a bitch.”
“Yup.”
I think about how our dad would have a tirade over this as I stand alongside her, my arms loosely crossed against my chest, my shoulder bag hanging off of my elbow. I sigh, eyeing the display and curling my toes in my sneakers—there was no way I was going to climb down from a second floor in sandals or heels.But now I feel somewhat self-conscious in my current getup. I put on a nice dress today because I was so sick of lounging around in pajamas and didn’t think to change into something less formal before sneaking out.
“Well, maybe we should get some gelato, then we can head—”
