Traditional.
Binding.
The elders would approve as it would prevent immediate bloodshed and buy time to stabilize our position.
"You'd sell your daughter to secure your safety?" I ask, testing him.
Marco shrugs. "I'd unite our families to ensure peace. She's eighteen, educated, and bred for this purpose. The elders on both sides would respect such a union. And it’s proof of my commitment to the proposition of peace. We both know neither of us can afford war right now."
He's right, thought I won’t admit it to him. I need time, not another front to defend.
But I can’t trust him. Any Don who’ll sell his daughter to the man he’s spent a great deal of time and effort to destroy doesn’t think much of his daughter.
She’s likely as disposable as that soldier he sent with a message last time.
"No."
"No?" Marco repeats, his confidence faltering. "Perhaps I wasn't clear?—"
"Crystal clear. The answer is no." I lean forward, eyes hard, letting him know I’m done with his bullshit. "I have no interest in marriage, Marco. Not to your daughter, not to anyone."
Enrico's face flushes with indignation. “You have no heirs.”
"If something happens to me, Adriano will step in. He’ll have children soon, or Luca has a son. My legacy is secure without breeding more Dantes."
Marco's lips press into a thin line. "You're making a mistake, Alessandro. This alliance would strengthen both our families."
“No smart man brings the fox into the henhouse, which is my way of saying I don’t trust you.”
Marco rises slowly, straightening his suit jacket. "Think about it. The offer remains open. For now."
I don't stand as they leave, watching as Roberto shows them out.
When the door closes, I exhale slowly.
I’m so tired of this bullshit.
I enjoy running our family business, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep it safe and running, but I am tired of the threats and wars.
Roberto returns, silently pouring me a drink before taking his own seat.
"You handled that well," he says, but his tone betrays him. His thirty years as my father's right-hand and now mine have given me the ability to read the disapproval in his voice.
I take a slow sip, letting the whiskey burn. "Say what's on your mind, Roberto."
"The marriage proposal deserves consideration. We're vulnerable. The men know it. Our enemies smell it."
"Marco Vitale is a snake." I set the glass down. "He'd use this marriage to worm his way into our operation, find our weaknesses."
"Undoubtedly." Roberto nods. "Just as you would use it to identify his."
I pause, studying the amber liquid in my glass.
"It works both ways, Alessandro." Roberto leans forward. "Your father understood that. There’s that other saying. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer."
"My father would have already put a bullet between Marco's eyes."
"Your father wasn't facing what you're facing." His voice drops. "The elders are restless. Half our territories are understaffed. We need time to rebuild. This marriage buys that time."
