My dad approaches the man and shakes his hand before leading him over to me. “Ciara, this is Marco Amato.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Marco says in a rich voice that sends a tingle through my body. For being forty years old, he’s in great shape. This is not like the boys I tried to date in high school. This is a man through and through and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
“You too,” I say without even thinking about it.
Cormac shoots me an incredulous look before turning to Marco. “Unlike my sister, I don’t think it’s nice to meet you.”
“And this is my son, Cormac,” Patrick says in a tight voice. “Cormac, be nice.”
“Why would I be nice to the man who wants to marry my sister? He’s too old for her and I don’t trust his intentions. He’s part of the Mafia. He will hurt Ciara.”
“It was your father’s idea that I marry her,” Marco cuts in. “It wasn’t mine.”
“But you agreed to it.”
Marco sighs. “I did agree to it and I can’t understand why you’re angry with me. I’m angry too… at my previous boss, Enzo Bianchi. He teamed up with the Bratva and I didn’t agree with it.”
“And yet, you’re willing to team up with us Irish people to get what you want?” Cormac asks, crossing his arms. “How does that make sense?”
“I have to do what I have to do to get what I want in this world. I promised your father more power than he could even imagine. I will make the Irish mob stronger than ever before. We will work to take down Enzo.”
“How can we trust you? You’re Italian.” The way my brother says the word ‘Italian’ you’d think it was the worst word on the planet.
“Your father trusts me. And that’s why this marriage alliance is happening.”
“I am trusting him with Ciara,” Patrick explains. “It will keep Marco in line by being married to my daughter. He knows if he tries to hurt her, I will kill him. This is the best way to make a deal.”
“By giving me away like I’m chattel?” I ask, finding my voice again. Marco’s good looks threw me for a moment but I’m back.
“You are not chattel,” Dad says. “But you are my daughter and you will do your duty. Now, why don’t you and Marco talk? I’m giving you two a chance to know each otherbefore you get married. That’s more than what a lot of couples get in our world. Cormac, come along.”
Cormac stands in front of me. “I am not leaving my sister alone with him.”
“Cormac. You will come with me. Now.” Dad gives Cormac a hard look until my brother finally relents. He shoots daggers at Marco as he walks away.
Marco takes a step closer to me and I take a step back. “I get it. You don’t want to marry me.”
“No, I do not. I don’t even know you.”
“That can be changed. What do you want to know?”
I blink, shocked that he’s even giving me this. “How do I know you won’t hurt me? My brother looked into you. Apparently, you kidnapped a girl around the same age as me. Enzo Bianchi’s sister. You’re not a good man.”
“No. I’m not. I am a man who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what I want in this world.”
“And that includes me.”
“If it means getting what I want, yes.”
“And what exactly do you want?”
“To take down Enzo Bianchi and his right hand man, Will Taylor.” A sneer crosses Marco’s face when he mentions Will’s name.
“You don’t like Will Taylor. I don’t even know who he is but it’s obvious to me that you hate him.”
“How can you tell?”
“The look on your face when you said his name. What did this man do to you?”
