Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
The words are a slap to my face. Over and over, the pain fills me, crushing me.
Closing my eyes, I don’t even try to be graceful. I lift my hands to cover my face as my body jerks in harsh, unladylike sobs. “How… c-c-could… he?”
But rather than comfort me, my father just throws salt into the crevice my heart has been ripped from. “Do not be like that, Alejandra. His father wanted a connection to our family. It’s a privilege.” My father sniffs a laugh. “You didn’t think he loved you, did you?”
I weep loudly, no longer able to control my emotions. Sobs are torn from my throat. My life is falling apart around me.
Miguel appears at my feet, kneeling down but looking up at me. He removes my hands from my tear-streaked face. “If there is a way out of this, I swear to you, Ana, I will find it. I swear it.”
Papa rolls his eyes at the determination in my brother’s voice. “It is marriage. Not murder. We have cause to rejoice, not mourn.”
Right now, I’d prefer murder to marriage.
I can’t seem to breathe properly. Every time I try to suck in a breath, my chest convulses as another sob is wrenched out of me.
My father looks at me with disdain before shaking his head, informing me, “Vito promises me that Dino is a good boy and he’ll treat you well. Like a princess. And you will be a princess in their family. Loved and respected by all, much like you are here. Now stop this nonsense. It’s done.” He sends a warning look to Miguel. “Nothing can be done. A deal has been made. The Castillos and the Gambinos united through marriage.” My father laughs. “We should be celebrating—” He places his fingers under my chin, lifting it to look up at him. “—not crying, gatito.” He wipes away my tears, kissing my cheek. “You will accompany me to dinner tonight. We meet with Vito and Dino.”
Immediately, Miguel bites out, “I’m coming too.”
My father looks down at his son. After a short while, he nods. “Yes. You should.”
Knowing Miguel will be there eases the tension in my body.
He won’t let anything happen to me.
He won’t.
Later that afternoon, we meet the Gambinos at one of their many restaurants.
I haven’t met them before, but I know who they are as soon as I see them. Men like my father, they have a certain air about them. Their character demands attention. They’re mesmerizing. Men want to be them, and women wish to warm their beds.
I never understood this. They never affected me the way they affected other people.
The older man stands a second before the younger man stands. They both smile over at us. A few feet away from the table, Vito holds out his arms to my father. “Eduardo.”
My father, void of expression, steps into Vito’s arms, they slap at each other’s backs in a comfortable man hug. “Vito. Thank you for having us.”
I peek up at the men. Both dressed in exquisite suits, I can’t help but notice how attractive the younger man is. Even for an older man, Vito is handsome, with smiling eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. I notice the younger man reach up, pulling at the tie around his neck, loosening it. The small gesture makes me realize I’m not alone in this situation. Dino is likely as pissed about this arrangement as I am.
Knowing this calms me somewhat.
Vito steps toward me, ushering his son forward. “This must be Alejandra.” Vito reaches out to take my limp hand, kissing the back of it. He looks to his son. “Lei è così piccola.”
Dino looks down at me, his hazel eyes dancing. He holds out his hand, waiting patiently for me to place my hand in his, unlike his father, who took the liberty on his own. Hesitantly, I place my hand in his, and his smile widens, dazzling me. “Please excuse my father. He doesn’t mean to be rude. He was merely saying that you’re so small. Petite.”
I know this. My sisters and I all have my mother’s build and coloring. Standing no taller than five feet one with thick, straight black hair worn to my waist and warm brown eyes, I realize many would consider me pretty. My mother told me that beauty was a gift and to never use my beauty to get what I want, that I must remain humble.
The closer Dino gets, the harder my stomach flutters.
He really is a beautiful man. Tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, high cheekbones, a strong chin, full lips and smiling hazel eyes. His large hand cocoons mine, his lips descend, and as they gently touch my knuckles, my stomach is sent into an uproar.
As he lets me back, he mutters, “I can see why your father hides you away. The most precious gems are usually kept locked in a safe place.”