Page 61 of Lust and Honor

He stubs out his cigarette beneath his shoe and steps closer until he’s standing right in front of me.

“If it came to that, yes. Don Carlo’s word is an unwritten law. It’s obeyed without question.”

I toss the cigarette butt under my foot and scoff. “So you don’t even get to choose who you spend your life with? What kind of man marries a woman he doesn’t even like just because he’s told to?”

“Who said I don’t like you?”

I blink at him, caught off guard. He keeps his calm, respectful tone. “First of all, remember that Don Carlo never actually intended to marry you off.”

“Then why did he keep sending you to our house?”

“That’s a question for him. I have my guesses, but judging the boss’s decisions isn’t my place. Even if his plan didn’t work out, it never would’ve come to a forced marriage.”

A cold gust of wind makes me shiver. Without hesitation, he slips off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders. As he adjusts the collar, he leans closer to my face, his voice warm and sincere despite the respectful distance he keeps. “I’d seen pictures of you before. I liked what I saw. That’s why I agreed to meet you.”

“And if I didn’t like you?”

“Then Don Carlo would’ve moved on to someone else.”

“And if I don’t want to get involved with anyone in your world at all?”

He pulls back, leaning against the railing again, lighting another cigarette. “Things have changed, Ava. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t date someone from our world anymore. No one would dare get close to you.”

My brows furrow. “Why? Do I have some contagious disease I don’t know about?”

“Worse than that! There’s an invisible fence around you, sealed with Maxim’s name. Crossing it means going head-to-head with Don Carlo’s right-hand. No one’s brave enough to approach you because the price is steeper than they can pay. A mafia soldier is untouchable, except in one case: if he touches another man’s woman.”

I pull the jacket tighter around me. “I’m no one’s woman. Maxim and I have no relationship.”

“You live under his roof, raise his daughter, and show up to parties with him. That’s more than enough proof you belong to him. Maxim’s staked a claim on you that no one dares challenge. There’s a wedding next month, and your name’s already on the guest list. That means you’re his. Until Maxim says otherwise, you’re forbidden fruit.”

I shrug. “I don’t care. I have no interest in getting close to a mafia guy anyway. I’d rather live my life with a normal man.”

I know I’m lying through my teeth. Even now, with Maxim’s manipulative nature laid bare, I can’t picture myself with anyone else. I need an exorcist because I swear Maxim’s put a spell on me. The worst part? As much as I want him as a man, my conscience screams to stay away because, in my heart, he’s not a good person.

Enrico’s short laugh makes me realize I said that last part out loud. My cheeks burn, and I mumble, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t offend me. I was laughing at something else.”

I give him a questioning look. He takes a drag from his cigarette and explains, “Getting close to another man. What makes you think Maxim would allow that?”

“He told me himself.”

That actually seems to surprise him.

“May I ask exactly what was said in that conversation?”

I don’t like his nosiness, and he sees it in my face. “I’m just trying to help. You’re still new to our world.”

I think it over and decide there’s no harm in sharing the gist of it. “I asked him if he’d mind if I dated other men. He told me I could do whatever the hell I wanted because he didn’t give a damn. Logically, that means I’m free.”

He nods slowly and stubs out his second cigarette under his shoe, his tone serious now. “You’re right. You’re free to date whoever you want without facing Maxim’s wrath. But I’d suggest asking him one more question: does that immunity extend to the man who gets close to you?”

His words carry a bad vibe. “What do you mean?”

He takes a deep breath. “You’ll figure it out eventually. I just hope you don’t learn the hard way.”

His gaze shifts behind me, his eyes narrowing as he nods toward the hall. “You should head back inside.”