“I do. As much as I can I will avoid hurting the innocent. But sometimes it’s necessary,” Carmine’s voice raises. “Now, this is about the union of you and Rosalie. It is not up for debate. You will meet with Rosalie and discuss your wedding and honeymoon.”
I hear a snort from the side of me, it’s Cassian. Our youngest brother. He’s been quiet this entire time.
“Do you have something to say, little brother?” I ask him with a glare. “You’re nearly eighteen yourself, perhaps they have an idea of your suitor.” I look to Carmine and Soren. “Or, are you not going to force all of your siblings into marriage?”
“Arranged marriage isn’t uncommon in this world and you know it,” Soren hisses at me. “Fall in line or find out what happens.”
“Oh, but not for the two of you, right? You get to be together regardless.” I take a step back and laugh softly.
“Is there something else you need to say, Alessio?” Tiberi asks. “I would happily marry whoever was asked of me to continue to protect this family.”
I nearly bite my tongue. “If you’d like to step in and marry Rosalie, I’ll have no objections.” I wave a hand. “But don’t youdare suggest I won’t do what it takes to protect this family. I’ve killed for us, and I’ll kill again, but springing this on me without so much as a discussion is something I would expect from our father. Not you, Carmine.” I look to him as I take another step back.
He blinks at me. “I won’t apologize. We thought it for the best. Your reaction tells me I was right.”
I shake my head. “Maybe you were,” I say as I take a slow breath.
“Where are you going?” Carmine asks me. I’m headed for the door of the room.
“Rosalie will be here soon, you want me to greet her, don’t you?” I say this without looking in his direction. My hands are balled into fists. I walk toward the door, not another word coming from my mouth and leave the room. Leaving my brothers staring at me until the door closes behind me and I’m headed down the hallway past the library and into the foyer.
I can feel the anger built up inside of me. It dares to come out in a short huff as I stand just a few feet from the door.
I could leave right now if I really want. I could pack a back and run away as far as I desire. I have the money to do so. My own private bank account with money I’ve been stashing for just this very occasion. The occasion of which I need to get the hell out of here because something rather insane is going on.
It’s not that it’s unheard of, arranged marriage being used to connect mafia and crime families together. However, I had always thought that the deal with my older brother was that he didn’t really believe in it. At the very least, that he would have come to me and spoken to me about it first. Clearly, I was wrong on that front.
I pace the elegant tile floor of the foyer five times over before I hear the sound of a car pulling up the driveway. The car doesn’tpull up past the front door to the garage but instead stops under the car-port.
I try to prepare myself for meeting Rosalie. It’s no good. I’m desperate for a drink and for a cigarette right about now. My fingers twitch. My throat is dry. How am I supposed to greet the woman whom my brother has decided is to be my wife?
I know how. Polite and proper. Not a single word of disagreement uttered between us or about us.
Still, I can’t imagine Rosalie would agree to this without something truly being in it for her. The family uniting and power exchanged simply isn’t enough. Not for her. I know enough about her to know that. I watched the way she pretended that Soren was truly kidnapping and torturing her in the past when they needed to get Eivor to agree to a truce. She’s willing to play the game, clearly, but is she really willing to play thelonggame?
It doesn’t matter. I’ll be face to face with her in mere moments.
Despite my heart pounding in my chest, I step over to the large double doors and open one side of them to invite the woman in.
Rosalie is standing at the top of the stairs, her blonde hair in a messy bun at the back of her neck, several waves of it framing her face, and that face of hers flushed pink from the cold.
“Rosalie,” I say as calmly as possible. It comes out stiff.
“Alessio. Good morning,” she says with a small smile. She steps in and immediately begins to take her coat off. Before the butler can help her with that and put her coat up, I step over and offer to help.
I need to get alone with her as soon as possible. We need to talk, and we need to talk without anyone else listening. That is a chore in and of itself.
“Let’s go to the library,” I suggest as I hang her coat up. She’s taking her wet boots off and pulling her gloves off as well.
“Slow down for a second, I just got here,” she insists. “I need something hot to drink. It’s freezing out.”
I sigh and look toward the butler who nods and disappears from the foyer toward the kitchen.
“You’re my wife-to-be, I have some questions I need to ask you,” I insist and motion her down the hallway.
She eyes me from head to toe. “I gathered that. I have some things I need to ask you too, but we have all day for that. I’d like to see my brother while he’s still here.”
I growl under my breath. “Fine, if you must.” I wave a hand. “He’s past the library in the board room.”
