“Because we need to talk first.”
Exhausted and weary, she leaned back against the headboard and stared at him with numbed eyes. “About what?”
He didn’t want to bring this up today, not now. She already looked so angry, tired and depressed all at once, and he was about to make it ten times worse. Even though he hated himself for what he was about to say, he didn’t have the time left to break it to her gently. “You won’t care about any of this,” he began with a sigh. “But the family is rocky right now. They agreed to follow me out of fear, with the hope I can solidify this truce with the Marcanos and lead in a way Dad couldn’t.”
“You’re right.” Jumping off the bed, she headed toward her bedroom door. “I don’t care about any of this.”
“Bela, I need you right now.” He stepped into her path, but she weaved around him, her gaze focused on the exit. “I need you to go through with the arrangement.”
Bela froze with her back to her brother. For a second, she just stood there, completely silent and immobile. Slowly she turned to face him, those stunning eyes of hers now narrowed on him in disbelief and distrust. Her voice was a venomous whisper. “You what?”
“These are Dante’s terms, not mine. He won’t join with us unless you marry Rafe, and everybody is counting on me to get them to join us. If I can’t, I’ll be taken out—no doubts about it.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” The disbelief turned to fury. “You murdered my father right before my eyes, and now you expect me to enter an arranged marriage to save your life?”
“It’s despicable, I know.” His gaze didn’t waiver as he looked at her. “I hate myself for it. But I need you to marry him.”
“He’s Vincent’s brother,” she hissed. “This would break his heart. And mine. Does that mean anything to you?”
“I’m your brother.” Stepping forward, he kept his eyes locked on hers in a silent plea. “Your flesh and blood. I taught you to swim, to ride a bike. I held you at Mom’s funeral while Dad gave that big speech about what a wonderful woman she was. I know I’m not perfect, but when it counts—when you really need me—I’m there.”
“Are you trying to guilt trip me now?”
“No, but if you care so much about Vincent then you should have a fraction of that loyalty for me,” he said. “At least enough of it to want to keep me from being fed to the fish.”
“It’s not like I want you to die. Of course I don’t,” she said. “But…you got yourself into this. Now you want me to get you out and the price is so high…”
“It’s just an arrangement,” he said. “Just a piece of paper. You don’t have to love him, you don’t even have to be faithful to him. I’ll cover for you when you want to see Vincent or I’ll keep Rafe so busy there are plenty of opportunities—whatever it takes. Once the merger is complete and the Marcanos see we can all work together in peace, I’ll get you away from him, I promise. I’ll give you all the money the two of you need to disappear and I’ll make sure nobody comes after you.”
Keeping her arms crossed, she shook her head from side to side as he rambled.
“Without my protection, the two of you will get caught,” he said.
“Then why won’t you just help us now?”
“Because I need this alliance,” he said. “And you need mine.”
It was true. She’d hated to admit it, but it was true. Last time, they’d tried to disappear with the help of a Capo. But with the help of a reigning mob boss…maybe they could escape for good. “You swear you’ll get us both out of town alive before Rafe and I reach our first anniversary?”
“I swear,” he said, without hesitation.
“Swear it like you took your mob oath,” she said.
“What do you want me to do, burn a saint? You have my word, Bela. I won’t leave you out to dry. This is temporary.”
“And after that,” she said, “Nobody will come after us? Ever. We’ll be completely free?”
“Free as birds,” he said.
Turning from him, she walked a couple paces so she could think. What if news about Vincent’s alliance with the feds came out before she was finished with her end of the deal? Before she agreed to anything, she wanted to make sure Vincent would survive. “There’s one more condition,” she said as she turned around.
“Name it,” he said.
“From this moment on, Vincent is untouchable,” she said. “No matter what happens, what code he breaks, he stays alive. No matter what.”
He looked concerned as he nodded. “No matter what.”
“Give me your knife,” she said, holding her hand out.
“What?”
“I know you have one,” she said. “Hand it over.”
He pulled a six inch blade from a strap around his ankle and handed it to her. Using the tip of it, she cut a small slash in her palm. It stung as the skin separated and blood festered. Then she took his hand and did the same. She had to admit slicing his hand did give her the smallest feeling of satisfaction considering everything he’d put her through in the last few days. Trey didn’t flinch; he didn’t even blink as she made the cut on his palm.
“Do you, Trey DeLuca, solemnly swear to uphold the oath you make to me?” When they had done this ritual as children, it had been full of giggles and wincing in pain and at the sight of blood. Now, standing before each other as adults, they were completely somber.
Though a hint of amusement lit his long darkened eyes, he remained serious as he said, “I swear never to betray you. I will uphold the promises I made today.”
She took his hand in hers, pressing their wounded palms together in a handshake. Together, they both finished the oath, “Sealed in blood. And if we break this vow, our blood will spill.”
~~~
A few moments later Vincent entered her room. As the door shut behind him, he rushed to pull her into his arms. It was the first time they’d seen each other since the airport, and the first time they’d held each other since their passionate, uninhibited night together. She gave herself a moment—just one, precious moment—to enjoy this embrace and memorize everything about it. The strong, safe feel of his arms around her body, the soothing scent of leather and cologne, the shudder of relief that came from his lips. Only after she’d managed to remember everything about him did she make a move to pull away.
He didn’t let her go far, just far enough so he could look down at her. “I heard what happened to Sal,” he said. “How are you holding up?”
“I can’t talk about that,” she whispered, feeling tears of grief creeping up on her again. “I can’t even let myself think about it.”
He nodded in understanding, his eyes searching hers to see if he could discern how she was doing. “I’m so sorry, Bela.”
The longer she stood there in his arms, looking into those sensitive, soulful eyes of his, the harder it was to say what needed to be said. It took every bit of self-control she possessed, but she managed to step back enough to break out of his grip. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
His expression fell and she could see his body tense, as if bracing himself for the worst. “What is it? Who’s making you do what?”
How would she explain this to him in a way he could understand? She’d made a promise to Trey—and that promise would keep Vincent alive, even if his badge was discovered. But if Trey was expected to uphold his end of the deal, then she was, too. Even if doing so meant breaking his heart. “I’m going to marry Rafe.”
He shook his head in denial. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, his tone pleading with her to listen. “Whatever they’re saying to make you do this, don’t listen to it, okay?”
“Trey’s promised to keep us safe,” she said, and he began to shake his head again. “He’s made you untouchable. He’s going to get us out of here before the year is over—”
“No, Bela. No! This is the same thing we’ve been telling ourselves for months,” he said. “It’s always we’ll leave ‘be
fore my family finds me’ or ‘after Sal’s gone’. It never works out and this won’t either, so let’s just go. Please.” He held his hand out for hers. “Come with me.”
She looked longingly at his outstretched palm, yearning to place her own in it. “If I do, my brother dies. He’s the only family I have left.”
He looked at her, his eyes full of denial and heartache. There was clarity in them, too, though. He knew her decision had been made, and he knew she wasn’t going to change it.
“The only way people will forgive him for killing dad is if he makes the merger happen. Once they get used to working together, we’re free and we don’t ever have to worry about any of this again.”
“This cycle never ends, Bela,” he said. “It’ll never end.”
“I trusted you all of these months.” Stepping closer to him, she reached out and touched her palm to the side of his face. “Now trust me. Trust I’m doing this for us.”
17
Holy Matrimony
Bela’s hands trembled as Rafe slid the ring onto her finger. The platinum wedding band would show the world that he owned her now. And it would show his brother, too, she thought with a heavy heart.
Everything was so beautiful—from the bouquets of flowers adorning the cathedral walls to the ribbons decorating the pews, to the stunning bunch of white roses in her hands. Yet somehow, the wedding felt so impersonal. So official—businesslike.
That’s exactly what it is. A business deal and nothing more, she reminded herself as she lifted her gaze to meet Rafe’s. With his lips spread in a grin of triumph and victory, he couldn’t have looked more arrogant if he’d tried.
Vincent wasn’t at the wedding. She wasn’t surprised when she didn’t spot his face in the crowded church. Why would he want to watch her marry his brother, anyway? She didn’t blame him for not showing, but she couldn’t help but wonder about him. In the back of her mind, the recurring worry kept popping up. Where is Vincent? What’s he doing?
She walked into the church Isabella DeLuca and left it Mrs. Isabella Marcano. As Rafe led her down the decorated sidewalk to where the limousine waited, the cheering sounds of the now united families were a distant echo. Rafe held the door open for her, and she took a moment to wipe a tear from her eye as she slid across the leather seat.
Soon, they were both shut in the backseat. Once the car started rolling, Rafe looked over at her with that grin. “Smile, princess,” he said. “You’re everybody’s hero now.”
~~~
After the wedding, Trey returned to the mansion to find Mandi packing her belongings. He froze in the doorway, looking at that tattered suitcase as she tossed clothes into it.
“What’s going on?” he asked dumbly. It was pretty obvious what was happening here, but he needed to hear her say the words.
“Need me to spell it out for you?” Keeping her back to him, she stuffed another armful of clothes into the suitcase.
“I mean…why?” Finally, he made himself move forward. He grabbed her wrist to stop her from packing. “Mandi, why?”
“Why? You really have to ask me that?” Turning to him, her eyes were wild with anger. “I was willing to overlook what you did to your dad, because, let’s face it, everybody knew he was a monster. But now…with what you’ve done to Bela…”
The way she studied him, as if he suddenly looked like a stranger and she was struggling to find a part she recognized, turned his body cold. Even with all of the justification he’d been doing lately, he’d always known what he’d done to Bela was wrong. He’d just been hoping nobody else saw it that way.
“She’s just a girl, Trey. An eighteen-year-old girl. And all she wanted was to be with Vincent, and now you’ve made sure that can never happen.”
“But it can,” he insisted. “We have a plan—”
“I don’t give a damn what your plan is,” she said. “I don’t care if you needed to unite the families to keep your crew or not. The point is: you chose work over your own flesh and blood.”
“Mandi, listen…”
“No, you listen,” she said. “She’s your sister. You’re supposed to protect her and instead you broke her heart. And you didn’t think twice about it!”
“I’m going to get her out,” he insisted, his voice shaky from the emotions festering inside him. “I just needed time…power. Power I couldn’t get unless she married Rafe. Don’t you understand? I did what I had to do.”
“Who are you kidding, Trey?” she asked. “Power is all you’ve ever cared about. Well, congratulations. You finally got everything you’ve ever wanted. You’re the reigning mob boss of the DeLuca familia. But you lost me along the way.”
“Mandi, you can’t just leave,” he said as he followed her out into the hallway. “What about the baby?”
Yanking her arm from his once again, she whirled around to face him. “I’m saving her from you!”
Standing in the hallway, he was stunned silent. Shocked. A strange feeling of joy settled over him, even in the midst of this heartache. “Her?”
There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, but the anger still remained in them as well. “That’s right. You’re going to have a baby girl. And I’d rather die than let you treat her the way you just treated Bela.”
“Mandi, don’t do this. Don’t leave like this.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked. “Are you going to lock me up like a prisoner again? Should I have planned some dramatic nighttime escape?”
Right now, he wasn’t going to do anything. Mandi was angry and scared, that was why she was doing this. It didn’t mean she didn’t love him, that they wouldn’t work things out. All it meant was that he’d crossed a line this time and she wanted him to know it. So he said nothing, did nothing as she walked away from him.
As the emptiness of the house settled over him, he realized everybody he loved was gone. His father was buried in the backyard. Bela was on a plane to Italy with the man he’d forced her to marry. And Mandi was getting into a cab in the driveway.
She was right, he thought as he made his way across the mansion to his father’s old office. He’d finally gotten everything he’d always wanted. Why did it feel like such a hollow victory?
Epilogue
Vincent wasn’t sure why he’d thought getting drunk at the Strip Dive would help him take his mind off of Bela’s wedding. All the alcohol did was make his mood even more grim. Not even the half-naked women on the stage made him feel better.
Nothing would help, he knew that. A look at his watch told him the wedding was over by now. Bela was officially off the market and no longer his. Officially a Marcano.
That thought caused him to lift the glass of scotch to his lips once again. The only thing that dulled his heartache was his newborn hatred for Trey. It burned inside him like hellfire, eternal and everlasting. Everything that had gone wrong was his fault. Trey was the one who’d killed Sal and rendered Vincent’s entire investigation null and void. Trey was the one who’d sold his own sister into virtual slavery to keep the keys to the DeLuca dynasty. Trey was now the enemy.
In the haze of the bar dimly lit with neon lights, he saw a familiar figure coming toward him. Nik slid into the booth across from Vincent.
“Drowning your sorrows?” Nik asked.
Vincent shrugged in response. In the back of his mind, he wondered why Nik bothered to talk to him. He never had before.
As if sensing this question, Nik added, “I figured if there was a guy who hates Trey more than me, it’d be you.”
Hate was an understatement. Right now, he was disgusted with Trey’s actions. Appalled. Revolted.
He’d expected their fathers to hold Bela to the arranged marriage, but once he’d gotten wind that Trey had killed his dad and took his place in the family business, he thought all their suffering was over. Surely, Trey would allow them the freedom they needed to be together. Surely, Trey would let his sister off the wedding hook. That’s what he’d thought, at least. He’d driv
en straight to Bela’s with this amazing feeling of relief. He’d even waited anxiously downstairs for half an hour. And when he finally did get to see Bela…
“The look on your face says it all,” Nik said with a snicker.
“What do you want?” Vincent asked in a gruff voice. Right now, he needed to be left alone to ‘drown his sorrows.’ “Did you come here to twist the knife?”
“No,” Nik said, still grinning. “I want to shove that knife in Trey’s back.”
Vincent froze with his glass poised at his lips, unsure of what he’d heard. It sounded like…
“And I thought you might want to join me.”
He took a slow drink while this information settled in. So Nik was the one trying to get Trey killed. Of course, he thought. Nik was the underboss and was supposed to have been the next in line for Sal’s job, if it hadn’t been for Trey’s little show of power. And Nik had probably known all along that he couldn’t hold a candle to Trey’s success, so the next logical solution was to take him out. Why hadn’t he seen it sooner?
A new plan began to form in his mind. One that would ensure he could escape with Bela for good. Leaning in, he gave Nik a wink. “Count me in.”
COMING SOON!
About the Author
Jasmine Denton has trouble confining herself to one genre, so she writes books that often include (but aren't limited to) fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, paranormal romance, contemporary romance and most recently, mafia romance.
Visit her official website for more information or to find her on your fave social media sites: www.jasminedenton.co.nr
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Code of Silence: Cosa Nostra #2 Page 8
