Except I don’t know why I care. I’ve never given a damn before what anyone thinks, but suddenly Mirella’s feelings matter more than I ever guessed they could. I want her happy, healthy, comfortable—and I’m finding there are lines I won’t cross, lines I would’ve blown past with any other woman.
Is my body’s weakness infecting the rest of me?
“You know you guys are all scary as hell, right?” she says as we pause outside of Casso’s office. “You walk around like you’re about to murder everyone nearby and it freaks me out.”
I smirk at her, unable to help it. “That’s sort of the point.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you can tone it down sometimes in your own freaking home,” she mutters as I knock twice and push inside.
Casso’s pacing in front of his desk on the phone. He’s listening to someone and rolls his eyes when I step into the room, so I assume it’s nothing important. As the Don of the Famiglia, he’s obligated to hear petitions and problems, even if so many of them are petty and minor wastes of his time. If we expect certain sacrifices from our people, then we have to be willing to sacrifice in return. In that way, we retain our power, but that power comes at a price. If we break the covenant, we can lose everything we’ve built. And so Casso spends half his day on the phone, listening, reassuring, and commiserating.
Mirella comes in behind me, head hung down in meek submission, and I feel a little jolt of desire. I love it when she gives in and does the right thing, and it’s fucking sexy to see her in here, paying homage to my brother, the Don, the way she’s expected.
The way I demanded.
Casso finally wraps up and tosses the phone aside. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I had some trouble that needed dealing with, but we’re all good now.” He gives me a look like, tell you later, and smiles at Mirella. “So, it’s nice to finally meet you officially and under better circumstances.”
Mirella takes a step forward. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Don Bruno. I wanted to come and apologize for my outburst last night.”
Casso frowns at her then looks at me. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Did you put her up to this shit?”
I shrug. “She’s gotta apologize to the Don.”
“Jesus, Fynn. It’s not necessary.”
“What? You know I’m right.”
“She was having a rough time. If I had any idea she felt that way about her old man, I would’ve told him to stay home. Even if he is a Capo.”
Mirella looks wildly from me to Casso and her cheeks are turning pink either with embarrassment or anger, but probably both. She doesn’t like that we’re talking about her as if she’s not in the room.
“Yes, Casso, it’s necessary. You’re the Don and it’s time you start acting like it. You can’t let people disrespect you, even if it’s minor.”
He shakes his head and smiles kindly at Mirella. “Thank you for the apology, but it’s not necessary, despite what my brother here thinks. Honestly, if I had any idea that you had a bad relationship with your father, I never would’ve invited him here. I hope you believe me. I might owe you an apology instead.”
“No, please,” she says, shaking her head and glancing back at me with a hint of wild panic in her eyes at the idea of the Don apologizing to her. I’m grinning at her, and suddenly she realizes that Casso isn’t angry—at all. In fact, I’d wager that he hasn’t even thought of what she said for one second since it happened. There’s way too much going on in the Famiglia right now to care that some girl snapped at her asshole father in front of him.
“Please, sit down.” Casso takes the chair on the right in front of his desk, and Mirella takes the chair on the left.
Leaving me to stand, the asshole. He knows my knees kill me when I’m not moving, and he’s doing it on purpose. A little revenge for making Mirella apologize. Bastard. But that’s the sort of power move a good Don would make, so I approve.
“I know a thing or two about complex father relationships,” Casso says softly, rubbing his face. “I won’t go into details, but our old man wasn’t exactly the kindest parent in the world.”
“He was a bastard most of the time,” I say and shuffle back to lean against the bookshelf on my right. “And the rest of the time he was a piece of shit.”
“Don’t feel bad about your reaction. I think if I were in your position, I would’ve done something similar.”
“Thanks for understanding,” Mirella says, glancing back at me with daggers in her gaze for making her think Casso would drag her over the coals. I shrug a little bit, pretending to be all innocent. “I do want to say that you have a very nice home, and I’ve actually enjoyed being with your family this last week or so. With the exception of your brother here.”