Page 29 of Single Malt Drama
Marco tightened his grip on me. “Maybe not, but I can promise you I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”
“Who will protect you?” I pulled back and met his gaze.
He kissed my brow. “I can take care of myself.”
He can’t be that naïve. Or maybe he is. Maybe we both are.
Since he’d pulled me onto his yacht, I’d become distracted by his handsome smile. I had more important things to worry about than whatever was going on between us—we both did. “Do you realize how much trouble your family is in?”
“What are you talking about?” He might have asked the question, but the look in his eyes told me he knew the answer.
“Gabe announcing he’s breaking ties with the mafia made you look weak. You know what happens to the weak in our world. Why do you think my father is so determined I marry Enzo?”
“Are you honestly suggesting Pietro Lazio is trying to save my family?” Marco gave me a yeah-right look.
“Yes, and not all of his reasons are self-serving. He’s always been fond of your mother.”
Marco made a sour face. “Ugh, if you’re about to tell me they have a history, or I’m secretly your half-brother, I will vomit.”
“I don’t know if they have a history, but you look too much like your father to be anyone else’s son.” I laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation. This. This is how it is supposed to be between us. “How familiar are you with the current balance of power between the five families?”
He hitched a shoulder. “My involvement with Sicilian politics is limited. Why don’t you fill me in?”
“There are two camps. Your family and the Riccis are on one side. The Abruzzos and the Salvos are on the other.” A pang of guilt stole my breath. Telling him this was more of a betrayal to my family than running away.
“And the Lazios?”
“Before I say another word, you have to swear you won’t repeat any of this.” I’d never had to ask him to keep my secrets. It was an unspoken rule between us, but this was different. This was business. Business that could get people killed.
“I swear.” He pretended to pull a zipper across his lips.
“My father is the tie-breaker, which means the votes go the way he wants.” I couldn’t meet his gaze. “There are other up and coming families who will step into the void the Marchionnis leave behind, but there is no way to know how the new capos will affect the balance.”
Nodding, Marco seemed to take it all in. “How is it you know all of this? I didn’t think you were involved.”
“Men like our fathers don’t see women as a threat. They treat us like ornaments.” I gave him a weak smile. “People don’t think twice about having a conversation in front of a vase or sculpture.”
“I hate to say it, but you’re right.” His frown deepened. “Why the marriage? Where does it fit into this?”
“It keeps at least one Marchionni in the Fratellanza. Enzo has always made it clear he wants to step into your father’s position when Papa Joe retires.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”.
I lowered my voice. “The deal my father brokered with your mother is simple. If there is a marriage, and Enzo is sitting in your father’s chair, the rest of you can leave without bloodshed. He believes once Enzo is his son-in-law, he will be able to control him.”
“Shit.” He ran his hands over his head.
Marco stood and paced the room. “If your father isn’t ordering the attacks against my family, do you have any idea who is?”
“It’s hard to say. It could be one of the lesser families staking a claim, the Abruzzos, or the Salvos. At this point, I’m willing to admit my father could be involved.” Explaining the situation to Marco gave me a new perspective. While I had no desire to marry Enzo, it would solve a lot of problems for people I cared about.
Am I being selfish? Going through with it could save Marco and his brothers’ lives. And what about Shanna and Enzo? Will he throw away a chance at love to gain power?
He stopped walking and turned. “Does it have to be Enzo? Wouldn’t it work just as well if you married me?”
“I don’t know, but there are a few problems with that scenario. Our parents have chosen Enzo for the role. They are not going to change their minds.”
He hitched a shoulder. “We don’t give them a choice.”