“I’ve had my mouth on your pussy, Ciara. I think we’re past getting to know one another.”
I blush. “Still. There’s so much I don’t know about you. I know you’re possessive. I know you lost someone in your past. A woman. I know you have a need to be in control. That much is obvious. But I don’t know anything else.”
“There isn’t much else to know. I’ve done my duty to the mafia for years. It’s why it hurt when Enzo decided to work with the Bratva. It felt like he was defiling our order. But now I’m working with the Irish. So I guess I’m a hypocrite. Maybe Enzo felt like he needed to work with the Bratva to get where he wanted in life. I can understand that.”
“So why do you want him dead now?”
“Because he still hurt me when he started working with them. I can’t let that stand.”
“So why Will Taylor? You said he was Enzo’s second in command. Why do you want him dead so badly other than he left you for dead?”
“Do I need another reason?”
I shrug. “No. You don’t. It’s just…”
“It’s just what?”
I bite my lip, unsure if I should say but I push through. “I feel like you’re keeping something from me. I can’t explain it. But whenever you talk about Will Taylor, there’s this… anger in your eyes you don’t have when you speak of Enzo. I just… I feel like there’s something else there.”
Marco’s open expression closes off right before my very eyes. “No. No other reason.”
“Fine,” I snap harder than I mean to.
We both fall silent for a moment before he clears his throat. “And what about you? What should I know about you that you haven’t told me yet?”
“I’ve been controlled by my dad my entire life. So that’s been fun.”
“I take it you haven’t been happy.”
“Nope. Yes, I lived in a nice house with a housekeeper tending to my every need. But it’s no fun when you can’t really live. When your forced to go everywhere with a guard. I just wanted freedom and then I was married to you.”
“Which is why you wanted me dead so much.”
“Yes.” I tap my water glass before looking at him. “I was wrong about that. I never should have asked Cormac to go after you. It was selfish of me. And I’m sorry.”
Marco lets out a slow breath. “Well… thank you for that. And I’m sorry you were forced to marry me. I know you didn’t want it. Neither one of us did.”
“And yet, you married me anyway.”
“To make the deal with your father. I was willing to do anything. But I never expected you, Ciara. You’ve been a pleasant surprise for me. I never thought I could care about another woman after…” He shakes his head. “But I find myself caring more for you every day.”
I can’t look into his eyes for long because I feel like I might cry and I’m not even sure why. “Can we really make this work?”
Marco doesn’t respond. I finally look back up at him… only to see his eyes on someone else.
A couple across the restaurant. They’re in the middle of their meal and talking to each other like they’re the only people in the world. The couple is young – both of them in their twenties.
“Marco?” I ask.
I see his eyes move back and forth over the couple as a slow, seeping rage crosses his face.
“Marco? What’s going on?”
“That’s Will Taylor,” he growls. “Here. Having a nice time after he left me for dead. And that’s…” He stops himself from speaking.
The way he’s looking at the woman… with jealousy. It dawns on me then. That woman is the one he lost.
To Will Taylor. So that’s why he wants Will dead so much. Will ran off with the woman Marco wanted.
