It was clear that Romero was hell-bent on risking a conflict with Luca. Romero, who had always been loyal, who was Luca’s best soldier. All because of Lily. He must love her.

I touched Luca’s arm. “Luca, please. Can’t you talk to my father?”

“Talk to him and tell him what?” Luca growled, gray eyes hard as they settled on me. “That my best soldier screwed his daughter and wants her for himself? That I broke my oath to protect Liliana, that she’s lost her fucking honor? That will go over fucking well.”

“No, but you could tell him that Gianna and I want our sister in New York with us and ask if he wouldn’t consider marrying her to someone from the Famiglia. You wouldn’t have to tell him to whom right away. It would give us time to figure something out.”

“I can’t get involved. It’s none of my business. And if your father has already promised Liliana to Brasci, he won’t change his mind. It would make him look bad and offend Brasci.”

“But we have to do something!” I begged, my grip tightening.

“I won’t go to war over this!” Luca roared back, shaking off my hands as he stepped back.

I quieted, stunned by his fierce anger. It wasn’t only directed at Romero, but also at me.

“Fuck!” he snarled and stalked back into his office.

I followed Luca. Since I’d started working the books, I’d often worked at Luca’s desk when he’d been out or even when he had been around. I closed the door. Luca sat in his desk chair, and regarded me with a deep frown.

I hesitated in the center of the room as I was again confronted by his fury.

“I thought we’d agreed that you wouldn’t keep secrets from me again. Not after what happened with Gianna. You remember the promise you gave me?”

I did. I moved around the desk and stopped in front of Luca. “I do. I hoped things would solve themselves. I only wanted Lily to be happy. Romero and she are in love. It’s something beautiful. Something I didn’t want to have destroyed.” I eased between his legs and rested my palms against his chest as he leaned back in the chair to scan my face.

“Destroyed by me?”

“You are Capo. You would have stopped Romero from pursuing Lily. You have to put the Famiglia first, but I don’t.”

He straightened so our faces were on the same level. His eyes were fierce. “You should put our marriage first. And when have I ever put the Famiglia before you? I should, damn it, I shouldn’t even consider you when I make decisions that concern the Famiglia, but I always do and you know that.”

“I know,” I whispered. “Am I not allowed some secrets? I didn’t want to burden you on top of everything else that’s been going on, and I didn’t think she’d have to marry so soon.”

“When it comes to your siblings, you never think things through to the end. You are too emotional.”

“You would keep a secret for Matteo, wouldn’t you?”

“Don’t turn this on me,” he said quietly.

I ran my hand up his neck and into his dark hair. He didn’t relax under my touch, but he didn’t pull away either, which I took as a good sign. “Everyone’s got secrets. I’d never keep something from you that concerned our relationship.”

“Are you sure you can draw a line?” Luca asked.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Luca. That’s all I can say. We’ll figure a way out of this mess.”

“Your sister will marry Brasci and pretend to be a virgin. That’s all there is to do. We won’t figure out anything.”

Luca’s voice didn’t brook an argument, but the idea of letting Lily take the fall didn’t sit well with me.

“We can’t let her marry that man.”

“You married a man you feared because it was for the good of the Outfit, Gianna married a man she didn’t want, and now your sister Lily will have to do the same.”

“That’s not the same thing. We are close in age and so are Gianna and Matteo, and you and Matteo aren’t sadistic to women.”

“But you didn’t know that before you married me, Aria. You feared me like the devil, flinched from my touch, expected me to rape and beat you, and yet you said yes. You did what was expected because you know the rules of our world, and even your sister Gianna accepted her fate after that one mishap. You can’t protect Lily from this world.”

I pressed my forehead against his. “I feared you, but you proved me wrong. You gifted me with something I’d thought impossible in our world,” I whispered. Luca’s eyes were keen and softer than before, but the hint of anger remained. “You gifted me with love and tenderness, and there are no words to express how very grateful I feel. I know both are rare in our world, and I don’t want you to think I take your love or your trust for granted, because I don’t. I know it’s an honor that you are like that with me.”

I fell silent and Luca didn’t say anything either, but his hands came up to my waist, the touch light. I took one of his hands and pressed a kiss to the scar in his palm. “I’m grateful that these hands always treat me with care when they have had to perform so many violent deeds.”

Luca pulled me closer, his lips finding mine, before he retreated again and murmured, “I’m still angry at you, but I appreciate what you said.”

I nodded. I knew he’d forgive me because deep down he understood I hadn’t gone against him. I’d only acted out of concern for my sister.

chapter 12

LUCA

In late October, Aria and I had been invited to dinner at Dante’s home two days before Liliana was supposed to marry Brasci. So far nobody suspected anything, and I could only hope that it would remain that way in their wedding night.

It became obvious the moment we set foot into his home that Dante wasn’t all that happy about having me in his house, and I got it. His wife was pregnant and vulnerable, and somewhere in the house slept his defenseless child. Even if there was peace between us, that didn’t mean we trusted each other. Things hadn’t exactly improved since the beginning of the truce. Except for not attacking each other, we’d hardly worked together in the last few years, and if Liliana didn’t manage to convince Brasci she was a virgin, war would be the result.

Aria and I stepped into the lobby of the Cavallaro villa, and my eyes did a quick scan of our surroundings. Valentina was heavily pregnant. She hugged Aria then turned to me with a more restrained smile. She was a very controlled woman, not as controlled as Dante, of course, but no one was. Despite her restraint, she couldn’t hide her unease around me. I kissed her hand, sparing her the decision if she should hug me. The way that small kiss already made Dante tense, it was for the best that I hadn’t embraced her.

My eyes slanted to Aria. If she were pregnant, I wouldn’t have Dante anywhere near her, but Aria wasn’t and I was glad. Life was too dangerous at the moment, and I wasn’t really cut out to be a father.

“It’s a pleasure to have you over for dinner,” Valentina said with a small smile. Dante inclined his head but his eyes sent a very different message. My grip on Aria’s hand tightened as we followed them into the dining room and settled around the set table. Dante and I sat across from each other, and my muscles tightened because of his expression.