"And I've taken care of that," I remind him. "But it's also not going to stop, and he's got two children being born. He's primed for alliances, and I'm planning to renegotiate."
Marcello's brows are nearly in his hairline. "You've thought this through…a lot."
"I've thought about nothing else." That's not entirely true. I've also thought about Gemma's face when she said she loved me. The way she felt in my arms at the beach house. The desperate hope in her eyes when she thought she was pregnant.
I push those thoughts away. They're not relevant.
I promised to keep the family together, and that is what I am going to do.
"What do you think Adrian will do?" Marcello asks.
"Punish her." I turn to face him.
"And you are alright with that?" Marcello asks. "You don't think that makes you look weak?"
I shrug. "It's a sacrifice, and I'm hoping Adrian sees it as such."
"And if he decides to kill her?"
I shake my head. "He won't." I'm confident about that.
"You sure about that? I heard he nearly killed his wife's brother."
"And yet, he didn't." I'm convincing myself as much as him. "This is family. And besides, wives and children are off limits. Always have been."
Marcello doesn't look convinced. "And if you're wrong?"
"I'm not."
"But if you are?" he stresses. "Have you thought about that?"
I meet his eyes. "Then I made the hard choice. The one Antonio would have made. The one a Don has to make." The words taste like ash. "Family over everything."
Marcello studies me for a long moment, and I think he's going to argue with me. I'm surprised when he just nods.
He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I've also been thinking."
"About?"
"How I can help if Adrian decides to press things."
I lean back, listening.
"I've read that thing backwards and forwards. It's pretty tight, but I'm good at what I do, and we've got a way better legal team."
"Meaning?"
"If he invokes the clause, I'll tie him up in court for years. Challenge the clause. Argue duress, coercion, diminished capacity." He ticks off on his fingers. "By the time I'm done, he'll wish he'd just taken your word that you're handling it."
I stare at my cousin. Really look at him. "Antonio was smart. Smarter than I think I gave him credit for."
My cousin laughs. "Meaning?"
"He made you a weapon, just like you said. Only, one that I could use." I sit back down, studying my younger cousin, really seeing him for the first time. "I kill with my hands. You kill with words. He knew we'd need each other."
"Words and leverage and legal loopholes, yes." He takes a sip of his drink. "Father always said there are many ways to destroy a man. Violence is just the most obvious."
"He was grooming you."
