“How soon?” I sat across from him, casually crossed my leg over my knee, and sipped my drink. But my stomach was twisting into knots. Of course, I wouldn’t show him how I truly felt. My parents weren’t the kind who wasted a second. While I wasn’t either, I also wasn’t in a rush. “Summer isn’t too far off.”
He pinned me in my chairs with an intense gaze. “Mamma said she only needs two days to have everything in order.”
“Two days?” I choked on my bourbon and coughed. “She can have four months. I’m sure Giovanna and her mother would like to be involved in the planning.”
Wait. What? Why would I speak on Giovanna’s and her mother’s behalf?
To buy me four more months, of course.
I didn’t care about Giovanna’s feelings. Or so I told myself. I was the future Don of my family, and I needed to be ruthless.
“I knew you liked her.” Papà smiled wide and lifted his glass, gesturingcheers. “Finally. We need new life running around.” Of course, all he cared about was having grandchildren.
“I like her well enough, I guess. But I’m not attracted to her. She’s so thin and…” I wouldn’t mention her lack of breasts to my father. He’d been there when I groped her. Not my finest moment, but I wanted to intimidate her. And embarrassingly failed.
“She’s young and her body will develop more once she’s pregnant. I’ll give you one week.”
“One week to what?”
“Get acquainted and marry her on La Festa degli Innamorati.”
I jumped out of my chair. “Was this your plan all along?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s a romantic day. What better way to celebrate it than with a marriage?”
Maybe Americans got married on Valentine’s Day, but La Festa degli Innamorati wasn’t a traditional choice for a wedding.
“It’s a day for couples. For lovers. Not for a forced marriage,” I said, my voice slightly elevated. I was losing my cool and needed to pull myself together before he noticed.
And how had I not noticed what he was planning? Stupido!
“Arranged marriage.” He put his empty glass on the table. “Become her lover if it makes you feel better.”
“She’s a virgin. You want me to spoil her before the wedding?” Where had his old-world sensibilities gone? I was confident my mother would not approve.
Again, I didn’t care about Giovanna, I was only trying to buy myself time. Or so I believed.
“You’re so old fashioned, Alessio. These are modern times. It’s okay to have sex with your future wife. It’s not like her father, or I will question her virginity. The marriage is a done deal.”
I paced in front of him, thinking of Cara. She knew one day I would take a wife, and that she would only ever be my mistress. But even she had no idea it would happen so soon. I hadn’t even secured a place for her to live so I could visit her. She still lived in her family’s home. Naturally, she would not be welcome here anymore. Not that she had been around my parents. I’d snuck her in and out, so she never bumped into them or the staff.
“Stop thinking about your whore,” my father hissed through his teeth. “Break it off with her. I won’t have you shoving her in Giovanna’s face.”
I stopped hard and glared at him. “She is not a whore.”
“I don’t care what you call her. If I find out you’ve been with her, I will deal with her.”
The hair on my nape stood tall. “You would have her killed?”
“If necessary,” he replied casually. “Nobody will ever hinder our progress.”
“But what if Giovanna doesn’t care?”
“Oh, she’ll care. A strong woman wouldn’t let her husband disrespect her that way.” My father laughed and made his way to the door. “Treat Giovanna well. That’s an order.” He issued me a firm nod and left.
Cazzo! More than anything, I wanted to throw my glass at the door, but such outbursts would be punished. Even a grown man like me would be dealt with in a physical manner. I needed to temper my rage if I wanted to get through this unscathed.
My father could force me to marry Giovanna, but he couldn’t make me love her. And behind closed doors, all bets were off.
