Chapter 11 #3
I didn’t know how to tell him that I worried his trust in Frankie might have been misplaced. Frankie had been acting too strangely and I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling. I’d have to investigate him on the side, without anyone knowing that I was looking into my cousin’s recent communications.
The pride I felt earlier gave way to guilt.
Frankie wasn’t the only one who had been acting strangely.
I too was up to something. My father trusted me while I had spent the morning going behind his back to ruin plans he had painstakingly made for my protection.
As much as I resented the arranged marriage, I understood it was my father’s misguided way of showing that he loved me.
In return I had tried to blow that up while pretending to be the loyal daughter.
Deep down, I knew this guilt wouldn’t subside because I would always resent having to go along with a marriage into the De Luca empire.
If my own family was capable to this kind of betrayal—sneaking behind my back to arrange a marriage I did not want—then our enemies could surely do worse. “When I’ve found this traitor—”
“Leave them to me,” my father interrupted, his tone lethal, chilling me to the bone. “I’ll deal with their punishment. When I’m through with them, the feds won’t be able to find them. The government won’t have a witness—won’t have anything.”
“This is the kind of trouble that might make the De Lucas hesitate to go ahead with the wedding,” I said, still desperate to negotiate my freedom despite everything.
Despite my father’s power on one end and the might of the De Lucas on the other.
As a Romano, I had my own strength, and I would use it.
Use it to survive and then seize the power that was rightfully mine.
“Then we won’t tell them,” my father said. “We’ll go ahead as if nothing has changed.”
I felt a tightness in my chest, frustration building. I’d give anything to make my father see just how painful this was for me. How demeaned I felt at being used for men’s ends without any regard to what I actually wanted. “You want to go through with this wedding. Even now.”
“Especially now. Don De Luca and his son can add to our strength when the time comes.” Papa stopped to glance around, once again making sure we were truly alone.
“This is why I told Frankie to leave us. I wanted to speak to you alone about your marriage. Circumstances have made this wedding even more important now.”
“The De Lucas might interpret this as our attempt to drag them down with us,” I pointed out.
“We’ll catch the traitor before it comes to that,” my father said smoothly. “Just make sure you keep this to yourself.”
“I won’t say a word,” I promised sincerely. My fiancé and his family meant nothing to me. No matter the effect of his mind-melting kiss on me. I could still think clearly in spite of my burning desire for Enzo. At least, I told myself I could.
“Excellent. Keeping your future husband in the dark for now will protect him later,” my father said. “And when you’re married, neither of you will have to testify against the other if it ever comes to that.”
“Right.”
“We’ll get through this.” Papa reached out to place his hands on my shoulders. “Look, Lena, I know I’ve put a lot on your plate, but I need you to start the wedding planning in earnest because the ceremony is in six weeks. Make sure that you and Enzo are on the same page.”
My heart clenched at the time frame. Six weeks of freedom was all I had left. I forced myself to nod. “Understood.”
“There’s also the engagement party your mother insists on hosting,” he said.
It was then that I was reminded that I hadn’t found the time to discuss my upcoming nuptials with my mother.
I suspected that Mom taking the reins of planning an engagement party was her way of trying to smooth over all the unpleasantness of an arranged marriage.
Not to mention the unpleasantness of her knowing about it before me.
“Sounds like she has it under control already.”
“Yes, she does. The engagement party is going to be the first time the two families will be in the same place,” my father explained. “Let’s see if the Romanos and the De Lucas can be under the same roof without killing each other.”
A gathering like that would only serve to make this wedding all the more real. Once both families were formally on board, I’d never be able to get out of being Enzo’s wife. “Here’s hoping,” I said numbly.
In that moment, my father drew me close to give me an affectionate hug.
His anger had dissipated now that I had played the dutiful daughter and gone along with the engagement party.
But my worries had only just begun. Not only was I now keeping secrets from Papa, I’d have to do the same with my future husband.
All while I protected my family from whoever it was working behind our backs with the feds to destroy us.
I just hoped that I could quickly cross my cousin off the suspect list. Because as I moved to hug my father back, it felt like the ropes were getting tighter and tighter.
As if I was becoming more and more ensnared in something sinister.
And I couldn’t help feeling as if my cousin Frankie had been the one to set the trap.