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Many consider arrogance and pride a sin, and I was punished harshly for those qualities.
Days before I was supposed to take over from my father as Underboss, my little sister Emma was in a car accident. Now, she was trapped in a wheelchair with no future ahead of her. The mafia world wasn’t kind. Girls and women who had obvious flaws were cast aside and deemed unworthy, doomed to a life in the shadows either as spinsters or stuck in a marriage with the first scum who accepted them.
“Sofia deserves more than being second best.” That was probably true. True for both our sisters. Fate had dealt Emma some harsh cards, and she deserved only the best. Would she ever get it? Probably not. “I’ll treat Sofia with the same respect as I have always treated Serafina.”
Samuel and I were proud men to a fault, and Remo Falcone had trampled on that pride. A pride we wanted to rebuild. I was beginning to think it would be both our downfall.
“He probably just forgot. Men are like that,” Anna said during the opening credits. “How do you know so much about men?” I scoffed. Anna rolled her eyes. “I have a brother, and he can be a major douche. I doubt he’ll improve with age. What about Sam? Does he always remember birthdays?”
“You like him?” She picked at a chip. “He’s handsome but intolerable. He’s fun to piss off, though.”
The moment I’m surrounded by people who aren’t close family, I’m not even me anymore. I’m this perfect public version everyone expects me to be. I’m public Anna, and it’s incredibly stressful to be her. So, be happy about your place in the shadows until it lasts because once you’re married to Danilo, everyone will watch your every move.”
“That bikini looks hot on you. Good choice.” I grinned, flushing when I felt everyone’s attention on me. “Yep, you look like a hot piece of ass,” Leonas drawled as he leaned against the back of the sofa like a goddamn king. “Shut it,” Santino growled. He sounded as if he was already at the edge of his meager patience. As usual, his furious eyes sent a shiver down my back. Samuel walked over to Leonas and hit the back of his head. “Watch it. You’re not Capo yet, so we can still kick your scrawny ass until your balls shrivel to the size of raisins.” “As if they were ever bigger than that,” Anna
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Santino sent her a hard look. “I don’t care if you two torture each other. The only thing I care about is that you’ll return to Chicago more or less alive and that you don’t get on my fucking nerves.” “Our other bodyguards don’t say fuck because our mother hates the word,” Leonas butted in. “File an official report and see if I give a fuck,” Santino said before turning to Samuel and Carlo. “I’m heading to the guard house. I’ll trust you to keep them alive.”
Sometimes we need to bend the rules a little to live. You just have to make sure people believe you always follow the rules.”
In my darker hours, I’d have gladly taken Sofia up on her offer, to make her mine before someone else could take that from me.
“Stay away from Sofia until the wedding. Our family doesn’t need another pregnancy out of wedlock.” “You don’t seem to have much faith in your sister.” His eyes flashed with rage, but he didn’t say anything.
“Being stupid is the best thing about being young,” she said. “We’ll be tied down with responsibilities soon enough. Let’s make stupid decisions as long as we can.”
ear. “I’m going to fuck you hard right against this tree. I’m not in the mood for fucking foreplay, so you better tell me now if your pussy is ready to take my cock,” he growled.
I waited silently, brokenly, hoping that this would finally set me free, free from crushing on a man who’d never wanted me. A man who spent every night chasing women who looked like my sister. A man who had never seen my worth.
“Does Dante’s little angel hold something in her perfectly manicured hands against you?”
I’d messed up often in the past, and now I needed to figure out a way to make it up to my fiancée. Problem was my pride. It had always been and would always be a problem.
Before the thing with your sister, people liked you for who you were. Why shouldn’t they do the same now?” Tears burned in my eyes. “I’m not sure I know who I am anymore. Everything I’ve done these last few years has been to please others. I faded into the background to give Mom and Dad room for their sadness. I never asked Samuel for anything because I didn’t want him to think I was taking Fina’s place. I always adapted to everything around me. I was so stupid.” “Then stop. It’s been years since Fina left. Everyone’s had enough time to mourn her, to miss her. It’s time to move on, to live in
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“Be selfish for once, Sofia. In this world, we women get so few choices, so little freedom. We have to grasp happiness by the collar and drag it with us. We can’t hope for happiness to jump into our lap. Be selfish. You deserve it.”
But I was done finding excuses for his actions, done trying to be what he wanted, what he needed, because so far, he’d done nothing to deserve my kindness or affection. Anna was right. I needed to stand up for myself for the first time in years, not just against Danilo, but also against my family. I needed to make them see that while they’d lost Fina without a choice, they’d willingly given me up.
I’d spent so much time regretting the past and what was lost that I hadn’t focused on what fate had given me. Sofia was gorgeous beyond measure.
Nevio and his cousins always keep an eye on Greta. She loves ballet so much, and she’s so talented. Remo even built a ballet studio for her so she can practice at home.”
Love doesn’t work from a distance. You can only love whom you know. Love means work and dedication, but most of all, time.”
“Because your hatred is better than your disinterest. You could barely look at me!” He shook his head. “I didn’t look at you because I wanted you, but you couldn’t bear my touch and you were scared because of the party. I acted like a gentleman because I didn’t want to force you when you were still suffering from our first encounter! I held back to show you I cared about this marriage and you. If I’d known you’d take it as proof that I don’t desire you, I’d have ripped your clothes off, buried my face between your legs and then fucked you.” His nostrils flared, his face contorting with
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“I wish you could see yourself through my eyes only once, then you’d never doubt my desire for you again.”
Where I was prideful, Sofia was humble. Where I was vengeful, she was forgiving. Where I was short-tempered, she was patient.
“My desire to get revenge on Remo Falcone. I can’t let it drop. Whenever I hear his name or think about him, this insatiable need to destroy him arises. It’s all about my pride.”
“We still have a few days and plenty of places to test out.” I kissed her shoulder. “The lake, the sauna, the pool, the kitchen . . .” “The bed?” Sofia said in a teasing voice. “Even the bed.”
“Stop loving my sister, stop living with the regret of losing her.” Danilo shook his head. “I told you I never loved your sister. I didn’t know her. I wanted her like a crow wants to possess a shiny piece of jewelry. I can’t deny I regretted losing her for the longest time, but it wasn’t because of my feelings for her. It was because of my hatred for Remo Falcone. I’ll never not want to kill that man.”
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous, Mrs. Mancini. I love you.”
I love you. I can’t bear the thought that something might happen to you because I’m not there to protect you. Serafina and Emma got hurt when I was away, and it almost broke me, but with you . . . with you, I don’t think I could actually live with myself. You are my life, Sofia. Don’t ever risk your health or life again.”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe that you mean the world to me?” “Because I’m stupid.”
“Two babies! Twins!” I stared at her. “You’re pregnant with twins?” She nodded. “Identical twins.” “Oh, wow.”
“Your family has it with twins.” Sofia laughed. “It’s in our blood.” “Apparently.”
