Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“No, but you can speak more Greek.”
I glare at him. “You know my Greek is awful.”
A slight smile and a shrug. “That’s very true, but the Panagos don’t need to know that until you’re wed.”
“Perico.”
“There’s also the Filos, a strong family, and the Doukas. Any of them would make a good match, and perhaps you wouldn’t hold the entire association together, but the majority of its strength? It’s within your grasp, loulou. All you have to do is marry and grab hold. This is your chance to change your life.”
I turn my back on him and grip the end of the couch, breathing in slow, measured gasps. In through my mouth, out through my nose. I smile slightly, remembering how I learned this in America from my college roommate, Adrienne Holloway. We haven’t spoken since my family died. I haven’t spoken to anyone since that horrible day. Radio silence, cut off from the world. Perico says I can’t risk letting anyone know where I am, especially not the Valverde Famiglia.
I close my eyes. I know Perico’s right—there’s no other solution. The crime lords will never accept me as their ruler, not on my own. But with a good husband? A solid Greek man, one that knows Athens, that owns land on Crete, grows weed in the foothills and sells it by the ton to the mainland? It doesn’t matter if I don’t speak English, or if I’m more American than Greek—which is true, I can’t deny it—so long as I smile and look pretty and be the perfect obedient wife. My name and my family and my money are all that are important.
I hate it. I despise it so much it breaks me. “You know what hurts the most, Perico?”
“What, loulou?” He comes over to stand beside me and puts an arm across my shoulders. I relent and lean against him, the old, steadfast Perico, my rock for years and years. When I was a girl, before I was sent to live in America at boarding school, Perico was the only person in Greece to show me kindness and I loved him with the devotion of a child desperate for any form of affection.
Back then, I was the thorn, the little problem. My brothers bullied me for being small and for being a girl, and my father despised me for being the reason my mother died. Papa would say, If my world hadn’t pushed you into this life and left me alone, I wouldn’t be so miserable, and that’s why I named you the thorn, because you are a thorn in my heart, Kacia. He reminded me of that every chance he got.
Perico was my kindness. He was my rock.
Now, I find myself resenting his desperate need to keep me alive instead of letting me live.
I tell him, “Papa wanted me to marry. He talked about it constantly, ever since I graduated from Blackwoods. He kept saying I’ve become a spoiled American girl with my liberal views and that I need a good, strong Greek man to get me back in line. I told Papa to go to hell and I’d never marry a Greek. But now it seems Papa’s forced my hand.”
Perico sighs. “I doubt your father would be happy to hear that.”
“My father wouldn’t be happy to hear anything from me.”
“Loulou.” But Perico doesn’t deny it. “Should I put out the word? Start making a list?”
I close my eyes and steady my breathing. In and out, girl, Adrienne would say. Keep it together. Don’t get all psycho on me. In and out.
“Make a list,” I whisper and a tear rolls down my cheek. Fuck, I hate this, but it’s necessary.
I used to think that if my father died and my brothers took over, then I’d finally be free. Atticus and Karanos didn’t give a damn about me and couldn’t be bothered to sell me to one of the crime lords. They would’ve ignored me at best, bugged me to visit sometimes at worst. Strangely, despite their bullying, I miss them. Karanos’s laugh. Atticus’s smirk. They were good boys, despite growing up the sons of the most powerful crime lord in Greek history.
Now I’m all alone and I’ll have to sell the only thing I have of value: myself.
“I’ll get it done by tonight, loulou.” He hugs me tightly. “I didn’t want this for you, if it’s any consolation, but you’re doing the right thing. For yourself and for the association.”
“I’m doing this for me, Perico. I don’t give a damn about the association anymore. The Sicilians took my father and brothers, and they’ll take everything else, sooner or later. Marrying might buy me some time, though.”
“That’s not true. We’re still strong. The Russians are sending over some new fighters, battle-tested men. Good mercenaries. We still have resources.”
“Weed and booze and gambling and whores. Great resources.”