Chapter 25

25

Luca

"I can't do that."

I search her features. In the world I live in, the Mafia are a part of life. As omnipresent as air. As inevitable as taxes. As woven into the fabric of the country as corrupt politicians. We provide the checks and balances that allow this country to function in a stable fashion. Well, as stable as any western economy trying to manage the clash of the rich and the poor; the struggle between those who have power and the powerless.

I've stopped thinking of my actions as illegal. I don't question my conscience anymore. I was born into this life, and there was never a question of accepting what we do for a living. But it's more than that. We see it as our duty to provide protection to those who can't fend for themselves. To provide a livelihood for those who find it difficult to get a job. To share our wealth, our happiness, and our sorrows with those whose lives we've improved, and who are our extended family, in a sense. It means we often take from those who have more and give it to those who don't. You might call it a Robin-Hood-esque style of living. I've never questioned it, not for one second, not until this slip of a woman came into my life and forced me to examine the very foundations on which I've built my existence.

Her features pale. She searches my eyes as if she's looking for an excuse to redeem me. Sorry sweetheart, you're not getting that here. I lost my soul a long time ago. Lost it when I saw how my father abused my mother, with no consequences. Lost it when he whipped me and my brothers. Lost it when my mother stayed with my father because she loved him. Lost it when she finally dropped dead one day. That kind of a love is not what I want. That kind of relationship is not for me.

My brothers may have found their happy endings, but that's not something I aspire to find.

I can't trust myself not to turn out to be like my father.

The door is pushed open and I retreat back. So does she. A crowd of people walk out, separating us. Likely, other members of the cast, leaving. Some of them call out to Jeanne and her two friends. A couple of them pause to say how sorry they are she lost the role. Others congratulate Olivia, then they move on.

All through it, I hold her gaze. Across the stream of faces. Across a chasm that I may never be able to bridge. A gap I hadn't even thought of until she pointed it out to me.

I take another step back.

She firms her lips. By the time the crowd has separated, she's pulled herself back together. But she still looks shaken. Her eyes are shadowed, and the hollows under her cheekbones seem more pronounced. She looks exhausted and I am the cause of it.

I gesture toward the car. "Can I take you ladies out to dinner?"

"No," she gripes.

"That would be lovely, but we couldn't possibly intrude on your romantic evening together," her friend responds.

"We're not going to have a romantic evening," Jeanne says through gritted teeth.

"But you two are getting married, right?" Her friend looks between us. "I'm Penny, by the way."

"Luca. Luca Sovrano." I take her proffered hand and air kiss her knuckles.

Penny sighs. Jeanne makes a noise at the back of her throat. I suppress the smile that threatens to break out on my lips and turn to the other woman. "And you are?"

"Olivia, Jeanne's friend," she murmurs.

"Any friend of Jeanne's gets the protection of my clan." I take her hand between both of my much larger ones.

Olivia fixes me with a steady gaze. "What are your intentions toward Jeanne?"

Jeanne stares. Penny gasps. Olivia doesn't take her gaze off of my face. She's looking out for her friend, which is good. Jeanne needs loyal people around her.

"My intentions are to marry her and take care of her."

Penny's gaze widens. Olivia glances between me and Jeanne. "Is that right? Are you going to marry this guy?"

"No," she replies.

"Yes," I counter.

"So, you're not marrying him?" Penny blinks rapidly.

She shuffles her feet. "I?—"

"Oh, she is. She's just waiting for me to get her a ring before she shares the happy news with everyone. In fact, that's why I'm here to pick her up. Dinner first, then we go and pick out the ring, don't we, Angel?"

She sears me with a look that could cut right through me if I were the kind of guy who could be easily scared. Which I'm not. The more she pushes me away, the more something within me pushes to make this arrangement as real as possible. At least, for the time we have together.

"Jeanne, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Olivia asks. She moves forward and takes Jeanne's hand between both of hers. "Do you want us to stay with you through dinner?"

"Yes, if you want company, we'll be happy to stay. But it seems to me, it might be better off if the two of you had time together to figure things out," Penny adds as she walks over to flank Jeanne on her other side. I was right. The two of them are ready to protect her and stay with her and run interference if she asks them to.

Angel glances between her friends' faces, then at me. I hold her gaze, not allowing any emotion to show on my features. This is her call. If she wants to come with me alone, or if she'd rather have her friends chaperone us, she has to decide.

She finally looks away and shakes her head. "I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Olivia grips her shoulder. "If you'd rather we stay, we wouldn't mind at all."

"Yep, just say the word." Penny leans in. "Of course, if I were you, I'd rather have that hunk of a man all to myself." She drops her tone even lower and I miss the rest of the words, but whatever she says causes Angel to snort. She glances at me again, a slight blush painting her cheeks. Can she get any more adorable?

I fold my arms across my chest as she bids the two of them goodbye.

Finally, Olivia and Penny turn to me.

"Take care of her," Olivia warns.

"If you hurt her, you'll have us to contend with," Penny says with a pleasant smile on her face.

I bow in their direction. "I swear on everything I hold dear, I'll take care of her, protect her, and ensure nothing ever makes her unhappy. If anyone dares to wipe that smile off her face—" Like her bastard director did today. "I'll make sure I wipe them off the face of this earth."

She scowls at me.

"Unless I promise her otherwise," I add smoothly.

The two friends glance at each other. Olivia nods at me, Penny waves, then they depart. They walk away and the two of us are left looking at each other. I give her her space for a few seconds, then prowl toward her. She stiffens, her big amber eyes widen.

When I reach her, I hold out my hand. "Shall we?"