“I know you can, which is why I’m telling you.” He grins at me and I don’t like what’s coming. Casso thinks this is funny and it’s driving me fucking insane. And I hate losing to him in pool.
“Karah went to see Papa last night,” he says casually. “She talked to him about marrying one of the soldiers.”
I go very still. Jealousy wars through my skull, screaming and rampaging, and I imagine punching Alfonse’s nose over and over and over again.
“And what did he say?” I ask and manage not to sound to desperate.
Though Casso sees through my calm veneer.
“Papa told her he won’t accept anyone, except for you.”
I take a step back and stare at him.
The words linger in the air between us.
Some part of me knew that already. Some part guessed Don Bruno would never let his daughter wriggle her way out of whatever deal he made with the Russians—except for me.
For the boy he thinks of as his own son.
He’d do it for me, which makes all of this so much harder.
But to hear Casso say it out loud—it’s one thing to guess it, but another to know it for sure.
I’m Karah’s only chance.
She fucking needs me.
Which means I own her.
“She hasn’t said anything to me yet. How do you even know?”
“She told Gavino and Gavino told me. And now I’m telling you.” He shrugs and collects his hundred dollars. “A little whisper down the lane, but it’s true. I confirmed with Papa this afternoon.”
“And you’re telling me this, why? You think it’s fun to fuck with me?”
“Yes, partly, but I’m telling you because I want you to marry her. I need you to understand that you’re the only person that can possibly keep her from going to Dallas, and none of us want her to go.”
“Except for your father.”
“Except for him.” Casso shrugs and shoves the hundred into his pocket.
“If that’s true, why hasn’t she come and spoken to me yet?”
“I suspect it’s because of that poor soldier Alfonse’s broken nose.”
His smirk makes me want to snap the pool cue in half and stab him in the throat. “You fuckers really do know everything.”
“No secrets in the Famiglia.”
“Who ratted me out?”
“None of them, honestly. All I heard was Alfonse was seen talking to my sister, and then had a nasty black eye and broken nose the next day. I put it all together and you just confirmed it for me.”
I curse under my breath. He didn’t know and tricked me into admitting it. “Devious prick.”
“Thank you.” He nods gratefully. “Now, if you don’t give a crap about my sister, why did you punch Alfonse in the face just for taking to her?”
I throw my drink back and swallow it down.
Why did I do that?
I can’t tell him the truth. I can’t say I did it because I want to own his sister, body and soul. I can’t tell him I want Karah to crawl at my feet and beg for me to fuck her until she screams.
I can’t tell him that I went insane with jealousy and made a stupid mistake.
I only shake my head and glare.
“No reason at all.”
Casso laughs. “God, Nico, you’re so full of shit. You’ve always been full of shit. You don’t think I notice? All your sneaking around? I don’t care what you’re up to most of the time, but this affects everyone. If you want my sister, go fucking marry her. Stop with the childish games.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Yeah, man, it’s definitely that simple.” He waves a hand in the air. “Now, enough about Karah. You really want another game? Double or nothing?”
“Double or nothing.” I start to rack the balls.
“Just consider it, all right? I know you like her. You’ve just got to admit it to yourself first.”
Admit it to myself.
Admit the truth about Karah.
Admit that I hate her. That I hate him, and I especially hate his father.
He has no clue what he’s asking of me.
Marry the girl I despise the most in this world.
Help the family that ruined my life.
And the sick part is, I want to do it.
“You’re up,” Casso says and eyes me warily.
I walk to the front of the table and break.
Chapter 21
Karah
I can’t do it.
As much as I want to, I just can’t do it.
Three days pass after I spoke with my father. Three days and I do nothing but work, sit by the pool, and work some more.
I know he’s my only chance. Nico’s the only person in this entire world that can save me, and it’s a sick irony, it’s truly messed up.
He can give me what I want, but he hates me so much he’d rather ruin my life than help.
And I don’t even understand it.
When he kisses me, I taste his passion. I feel it in his fingers. I feel it when he pulls my hair and bites my lips and skin.