“A real gentleman never tells.”
Dad rammed his fist against the locker, his expression burning with rage. I tensed. The rattling of the locker could probably be heard down the street.
“I swear I’ll beat every goddamn word out of you if you don’t open your mouth now.”
“We had sex, a few times. End of story.”
Dad stalked toward me as if he had every intention of breaking my neck. I didn’t back away. I’d encountered Dad’s wrath before, though never quite as potent as right now, and was too hardened to be overly bothered by it. He grabbed my shoulders in a bruising grip, bringing us nose to nose. His hot breath hit me. “And you call yourself a gentleman?”
“It’s not like you didn’t fuck other women before you married Mom. You and Matteo fucked every woman that crossed your path from what I hear.”
“Careful,” Dad snarled, his fingers tightening even more.
Matteo clucked his tongue. “Your dad and I had enough blood left in our horny brains to pick only outsiders to fuck.”
Dad shoved me away and punched another locker, leaving a dent, before he faced Matteo. “I can’t even look at him. I really want to kill him.”
“I had sex with her, consensual. I didn’t push her to have sex, so stop overreacting.”
Dad was on me before I knew what was going on. I blamed my lowered guards around my family. With anyone else I wouldn’t have been caught off guard. He thrust me against the locker. The back of my head smashed against the metal, making my ears ring.
My muscles tautened, wanting to retribute like I was used to, but I forced down my body’s overwhelming need to act. This was my father and Capo.
Dad’s eyes looked unhinged. “If you’d raped her, we would have a very different conversation, son.”
I kept my mouth shut. My sister Marcella always accused me of being rash but I knew when to stay silent, at least sometimes.
“She’s an honorable Italian woman, the daughter of one of my Captains, and you fucking take her virginity.”
“Fuckingindeed.” I countered. “Trust me, she didn’t act honorable at all. And the way she threw herself at me, I really wouldn’t call it taking. She practically begged me to relieve her of that burden.”
Dad glanced at Matteo, and motioned him to take his place. Matteo stepped forward and took Dad’s place who turned his back to me.
“Have you had too many hits to the head over the years, or are you playing dumb on purpose?” Matteo asked with a harsh smile.
Dad’s shoulder muscles flexed under his white T-shirt and his hands were balled into fists.
“Her family isn’t amused in the slightest. The girl definitely made it sound as if you promised her the world and she practically couldn’t say no.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s bullshit. I didn’t promise her anything.” She’d simpered about how she’d love to see me again and how our families would be so great together. I’d ignored her words and showed her how to suck dick properly so she’d shut the fuck up.
“Why did you do it?” Dad asked in a very low voice, turning to me once more. Mom’s expression would have reflected disappointment in such a case but Dad was furious.
“It was to prove a point.”
“And what point would that be?”
“That she had no right to judge Marci. She called her a slut.”
“You acted like a fucking idiot. You should have thought about the consequences,” Matteo muttered.
“Give her father money and more soldiers, I’m sure he’ll take it gladly.”
Matteo chuckled. Dad didn’t look amused and his answering smile was predatory. “There’s only one thing he’ll accept as compensation. Marriage.”
It took a moment for me to understand what Dad meant. I laughed. “Right.”
Dad shook his head as if he didn’t know me. “This isn’t a joke. I told him I’d consider a marriage between you and Cressida.”