Preface

Enzo's Pov

I arrive at my brother's house and the gates open to welcome me. Antonio told me he had something urgent to discuss with me, and although I knew it had to do with the organization, there was something in his tone of voice that told me that he wanted to talk about a very sensitive and personal matter.

I get out of my car, and the housekeeper opens the door for me, bowing in greeting.

As I enter the first thing I hear are my nephew's screams playing in the yard, and a hint of a smile automatically spreads across my face. Since Stella’s death, those children are the only thing that manages to brighten my days a little.

The housekeeper wants to accompany me but I ask her to leave me alone. I don't need company and she knows it; I know the place very well and I always prefer silence and solitude.

I head out to the garden, and as expected, the first thing I see is Luca running around. His mother is sitting under a tree, cradling Sofia, our little princess and the newest addition to the family. I look around for Antonio and find him sitting on the terrace, a whiskey in his hand.

I raise my hand in greeting, approach his location, and sit on the chair next to him.

"Okay, here I am," I say, patting his shoulder. "What was so urgent that you needed to talk to me about?"

I see him take a breath and ramble, which confirms my suspicions: what he has to tell me is no small thing.

"First of all, I want you to know that what I'm going to ask you is not an order. You know that I love you like a brother and I would never ask you to do anything that would make you unhappy."

"Come on Antonio, say it already, you're making me nervous," I reply.

"You know well that things haven't been easy this year. The Russians and the Irish are upon us. They've taken advantage of the rift within the organization to gain strength, and that's something we can't allow. Therefore, we must help the organization consolidate its position, but Boston is causing problems."

"I'm aware of that, it's nothing new to me, I understand that. What I don't understand is what you're getting at," I say, a touch of impatience in my voice.

"Edoardo always wanted me to marry his daughter and he's been upset since my marriage to Ilaria."

"The girl is almost a child!" I snap with annoyance.

This is one of those absurd traditions that I don't endorse. Every woman should be free to decide who she wants to marry, when she's mature enough to do so.

"Not anymore, the girl is now legal," my friend informs me.

I haven't seen her for a couple of years and I've never paid special attention to her, but I remember her from a very young age.

"He's still very young," I counter. "Besides, you're already married, I don't understand."

I stop my babble when I begin to understand where this conversation is going.

“He wants to strengthen ties with my family at all costs, and if I'm no longer available, he wants my sotto capo. My Right Hand. You.” he says.

"And there it is, just what I feared."

I feel the blood drain from my body at the mere thought of getting married. I lean back in my seat and take a deep breath, trying to process it.

"Do you want me to marry her?" I ask, even though I'm already clear about everything.

"I repeat, it's not an order, it's your decision. If you don't want it, we'll find another way."

I snort in disgust at the situation, lean my head back on the backrest, and close my eyes, thinking about the possibilities.

I don't want to get married. The only woman I wanted to share my life with was taken from me. I'm fine with the way things are now. I like my solitude, being able to dedicate myself 100 percent to the organization, and coming home just to sleep for a few hours, basking in her memory.

On the other hand, if I don't do it, the friction with Boston will continue and will now be worse, and right now we can't afford that luxury; that would give the Bratva and the Irish an advantage.

We've fought too hard to regain power. The last two years have been a mess, and I'm not willing to go back there, much less have Antonio do it. He and Ilaria have suffered enough; they deserve a little peace, as much as our world can allow. And now there are the children too. They deserve a peaceful childhood, even though I know their fates are marked like ours.

Then there's the girl. That poor innocent girl must be terrified that she's going to be married off to a complete stranger, and if I don't do it, Edoardo's going to offer her up to the highest bidder, some dirty old man who's going to take advantage of her innocence, who's going to use her without her consent until he's sick of her and turns her into a human monstrosity, a breeding ground for the Mafia.

Stella always hated this side of our world; nothing we do is honorable, but abusing women is absolutely deplorable, and she wouldn't forgive me if she knew I had the chance to save one and didn't.

I rub my chin, considering my options, and despite everything, I make my decision.

“Family Comes First, Always” I say our motto.

I won't let everything we've worked for go to waste.

“I will, Antonio, I will marry the girl.”