Dante gestured Father closer and they talked quietly for a moment. Father didn’t look pleased in the least.
“I won’t make this an official Outfit matter. I won’t stop you from going through with the wedding. If you don’t, however, I won’t have a choice but to punish you,” Dante said to me. He nodded toward Matteo before turning to my father once again. “I’ll hand this over to you since Gianna is your family, and I hope at the end of this day there’ll be an agreement that allows us to work together peacefully.” With that he stepped back and motioned for Father to take over.
“Can you really afford to welcome someone like Gianna to New York? As a new Capo your people expect you to protect traditions and treat traitors without mercy,” Father said to Luca.
“My men accept my decisions,” Luca said, but there was a hint of warning in his voice. “Whatever that decision will be.”
Suddenly I wondered if Luca would really burden himself with me. It wasn’t like I wanted to become part of the Cosa Nostra, but if the choice was between staying in my father’s territory and living in New York with Aria, then I knew what I’d choose.
Looking like he was on the verge of pulling his knives, Matteo walked over to Luca to discuss something quietly and Aria used the moment to join me. I gave her a grateful smile.
“My brother will take your daughter off your hands, despite her transgressions. I think that’s a very generous offer on our part. You should be glad that you don’t have to look for a new husband for her.”
Father scoffed. “As if I’d find someone. I wouldn’t waste my precious time like that.”
My blood was boiling, not only because of Father’s words, but Luca’s offer didn’t sit well with me either. They acted like I was a piece of scum. Listening to them made me realize I had been right to run. This world was majorly messed up.
“So what do you say?” Luca asked, lips tight.
Father glanced at his boss but Dante seemed intent to stay out of it. He looked like he couldn’t care less about the result.
“I hope you don’t intend to have a wedding celebration. I want this matter to be dealt with as quietly as possible. She has caused me and the Outfit enough embarrassment already. I won’t give her a chance to shame us further,” Father said eventually.
I gritted my teeth so hard I was surprised my jaw didn’t snap.
Matteo shook his head. “I don’t need a wedding party. I prefer getting drunk without the old spinsters of the family around anyway.”
A laugh tickled the back of my throat but I swallowed it. Matteo shot me a look as if he wanted to see if I found him as funny as he obviously found himself. Everything he did was calculated. That was something I could never forget. Matteo masked his deadliness with humor and smiles, but I wouldn’t let that fool me. Not now, not ever, especially not when it was obvious he thought he was being generous by taking me back.
“The old spinsters wouldn’t have come anyway. Nobody wants to be associated with someone like her,” Father said with a glare in my general direction.
Aria’s grip on my wrist was steely as if she still didn’t trust me not to viciously attack our father.
“There will be a church service as is tradition,” Luca said. “There’s no need for guests beyond the closest family.”
“Tradition,” Father huffed. “Gianna spat on our traditions. The presentation of the sheets your Familia is so adamant about will have to be cancelled. And a white dress is out of the question too. I won’t have her make a mockery out of our values.”
Luca nodded. “That’s reasonable.”
Aria gave her husband an incredulous look, but I wasn’t surprised that I wouldn’t be allowed to dress in white. As if I gave a damn. For all I cared I would marry naked. I didn’t want any of this. And I didn’t give a fuck about their stupid traditions. They acted like they were doing me a favor, as if I was a criminal on death row who was handed a pardon on a silver platter. I’d done nothing wrong, nothing compared to what each of the men in this room had done.
“She’s probably let every man in Europe have her, and you still want her?” Father asked again. I knew he was doing it to shame me and hurt me, and I hated it that he wasn’t entirely unsuccessful.
I stared at the man who was my father, and felt nothing. I’d always known he didn’t like me much, but I’d never realized how much he despised me. I sunk my nails into the soft flesh of my palms.
Matteo stood tall with that twisted smile on his face. “I hunted her for six months. If I didn’t want her, do you really think I would have wasted so much time on her? I’ve got better things to do.”
If I heard that one more time, I’d completely lose it.
“I thought you were looking for revenge, but my men told me you didn’t lay a finger on her.” Father directed a hard look at me. “Then again, you probably didn’t want to get your hands dirty. I don’t think a simple shower is going to wash my daughter clean again.”
Aria gripped my wrist even tighter, and I halted. I hadn’t even realized I’d taken a step toward our father to do…I wasn’t even sure what I would have done. Hit him? Maybe. His words and expression made me actually feel dirty, and I hated that he had that power over me. At the same time I’d have rather thrown myself off the roof of this house than admitted that I hadn’t slept with any guy while I was on the run. That was a secret I’d protect with all my might.
“Who says I’m not still out for revenge?” Matteo asked in a dangerous voice. His dark eyes met mine. The bastard. So the concerned looks in the car had been all for show? He knew I didn’t want to marry him. He knew this was a punishment for me. Who knew what else he had in mind for me once I was in his clutches?