“I know that you’re only being nice because Julian made you, so if you don’t mind, I’ll get a cab and go home.”
“I don’t do anything that Julianmakesme do,” Lulu says, tilting her head to the side. “He’s not the boss of any of us.”
“He’s a man.”
Both of them blink fast, as if they can’t believe what I just said.
Let’s be clear, evenIdon’t necessarily believe that it’s right to always do the man’s bidding, but it was drilled into me foryears.
Obviously, not all Mafia families are trained the same.
“And?” Scarlett asks. “Look, we respect him, and the other three, because they’re the crime bosses, and let’s be honest, they can get a little scary, but they’re also fair and have earned our respect.”
“Rome is my husband,” Lulu adds. “And yeah, he can be intense, but I don’t blindly do what he says just because he’s aman.”
“Who are theother three?” I ask.
“There are four Kings of Vegas. Have you heard of them?” Lulu asks.
I nod. “I know that Julian is one of them because I’ve heard my father talk about it.”
“Yep, Julian, Rome, Mateo and Carson. They’re all best friends, pretty much brothers,” Lulu says. “And they each have their own things going, but they also work together.”
“Kind of like a Mafia gang?” I ask, and they both smile at me.
“Totally like that,” Scarlett says with a laugh. “My man, Luke, is Rome’s number two.”
I nod. “I know what that means. My father is the head of the Bratva. I just didn’t know who exactly all of the players are. I’m on a need-to-know basis, and according to my father, I don’t need to know much.”
Lulu wrinkles her nose. “My dad was the head of the Italian Mafia. It’s such a patriarchal thing. So misogynistic.”
“Very,” I agree, loosening up just a bit. I have things in common with these women. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been around women who understand my world. I’ve never been allowed to socialize before, and this feels ... nice. “What happened to your father?”
“Rome killed him.” She shrugs a shoulder. “It’s a longer story than that, but that’s what it boils down to. My father tried to sell me in an arranged marriage, and I was having none of it. That’s how I met my husband.”
I shake my head mournfully. “I wish I could get out of my arranged marriage. I have to marry Elliott.”
“Julian’s son?” Scarlett asks. “The idiot who abused you and hurt Miranda?”
Wordlessly, I nod.
“Oh, hell no.” Lulu shakes her head. “Absolutely not. There’s no way Julian will let that happen.”
“He’s the one who made the agreement with my father. There’s a lot of money involved. It’s an alliance thing, and I have to do it, or my papa will kill me.”
They’re both silent as they stare at me.
“I’ll talk to Rome,” Lulu begins, but I shake my head adamantly.
“No, you won’t. This is business. You understand that. I’ve known since I was a child that this was my fate. I wish it wasn’t Elliott. He’s not a good man, and it’s going to suck, but it is what it is.”
“It is what it is?” Scarlett demands. “I think we need something stronger than tea.”
“Do you have any chocolate?” I ask. “Sugar is actually my drug of choice.”
“You’ve come to the right place. I just made cannoli,” Lulu says and stands, gesturing for us to follow her. “Come on, let’s eat them all and discuss how we’re getting you out of this marriage.”
I appreciate that they want to help, but there is no getting out of it.
