Chapter 4

Just before dawn, someone kicked open the door of my house.

The old butler stumbled into the living room, his face white.

"Boss, something terrible has happened!"

I threw on a black trench coat and hurried to the family chapel. Ash covered the marble floor.

The Five Families' parchment marriage alliance, signed by a Vatican cardinal and kept on the altar, was reduced to charred scraps. Its five wax seals had melted into a black smear.

Anna sat slumped on the floor beside an iron chair, shaking like a leaf.

"I heard the Five Families' wax seals were made with pure gold dust, and I just wanted a closer look. The candlestick fell over on its own. I really didn't mean to."

The gunman guarding the cellar said in a trembling voice, "Anna had the Don's personal pocket watch. She said she'd been sent to pray in the chapel, so I left my post."

I looked down at Anna.

"Do you know what the punishment is under family rules for burning the Five Families' alliance?"

The color drained from her cheeks.

"Claire, I really did knock over a candle by accident."

"Tie her up and take her to the punishment hall. She'll answer for this under the family rules."

Two bodyguards in black were about to move when Dante stormed in, cold as ice, and yanked Anna behind him.

"It's one burned piece of paper. Do you have to sentence her to death for it?"

"That's the alliance the elders of the Five Families signed together!"

I pointed at the charred remains on the floor. "The wedding's in a few hours. There's no way to gather the Five Families again and get the bishop's seal from the Vatican in time!"

Dante scowled.

"Then we postpone. Richie's body was torn apart when he died saving me. I owe him 100 days of mourning anyway. Once the scandal dies down, we can hold the wedding next year."

Next year.

Anna had already taken my ruby necklace and my smuggling routes. Now even my investiture as Donna had to be postponed for her.

"What if I insist on punishing her under the family rules today?"

Anna sobbed and clung to Dante's sleeve.

"Don, let me go to the punishment hall. I don't have any family left anyway. Even if I die there, I'll just be going to join my brother."

Dante's face darkened with fury.

"I'd like to see anyone touch a hair on her head!"

I said coldly, "If she's the sister of a man who died a hero, she should know the rules better than anyone. Does a dead brother give her the right to trample on the Five Families' honor?"

"Shut up!"

Dante cut me off with a roar.

"Richie died taking a bullet for me. Why do you have to drive his only sister to her death?"

"Am I driving her to her death, or is she testing my limits one step at a time?"

I pointed at the still-smoking ashes on the floor.

"She burned a binding pact witnessed by mafia families across America!"

The last trace of warmth vanished from Dante's eyes.

"Claire, get this straight. The only reason you can stand here today as heir to the Gambino family is that I silenced the council's doubts about you!

"If I can put you on the Donna's throne, I can pull my protection just as easily. I'll drive you out of Chicago, and you'll be a stray dog running from your enemies again!"

The huge chapel went so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

So in his heart, everything I'd won with blood was a gift he'd given me out of pity.

He had no idea how I'd survived the blood-soaked dinner at the Gambino estate.

And he certainly didn't know that Chicago had never been my only safe harbor.

Agreeing to marry him had never meant I couldn't survive without him.

I'd just been naive enough to believe that a mafia Don's alliance would be stronger than Gambino blood.

Only then did I understand: power granted at someone else's pleasure could always be turned against me.

My father had done it. My brother had done it. Now Dante was doing it too.

A bone-deep exhaustion washed over me.

"Fine."

Dante froze.

"What do you mean, 'fine'?"

Without looking at him again, I turned and walked out of the chapel.

Late that night, Dante came alone to my house and stood at the bottom of the steps for a long time without coming up.

I was in the dressing room packing.

If he pushed the door open and came in, he'd see I was getting ready to leave.

But as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, Anna's personal maid came running over in a panic.

"Don, Anna had a nightmare and went into a fit. She's drenched in cold sweat and keeps calling your name."

For a moment, silence fell outside the door. In the end, Dante pulled his hand back and hurried away.

His footsteps faded over the flagstones, and the last faint hope in my heart went out.

I pulled the spare vault key off my key ring and tossed it on the coffee table.

The lion-head crest went to Anna. The smuggling routes went to Anna.

They could have the Donna's seat I hadn't even occupied yet.

I took only the deeds to the three casinos, the bearer bonds, the Gambino family's secret ledger, and the scrap of the alliance that hadn't burned.

Evelyn's eyes were red as she asked quietly, "Boss, won't you stay one more night? Maybe the Don will come once he's calmed her down."

I took one last look at the closed carved doors.

"No.

"From now on, no one in this world can make me stay."