Page 41 of Luca

“The faster we do this, Giada, the faster you’ll be safe from your brother. I’ll call my cousin when it’s done, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

“What if he decides it’s too much trouble and wants to send me back to my brother? This shit going on with our families has been a long-standing feud, Luca. The Russians and the Monaghans never had any problems as far as I know.” She stops at the passenger door, and I open it for her before throwing my bag in the back seat and walking to the other side of the SUV.

She’s right; my cousin’s most pressing concern has always been the Cataldis. He’s never mentioned the Russians, but after Alessia was taken and he found out they were willing to help Carlo and Farina take over Boston, his tune changed pretty damn quick.

“Finn has no problems taking out two birds with one stone. Trust me,” I assure her as I start the engine.

“Am I supposed to be the stone? I already told you I won’t be used as a pawn in this bullshit. I just want to be safe from whatever Carlo has planned for me.”

“You will be, Giada. You’ll be my wife, which will make you a Monaghan through marriage. Trust me, no one is going to take you from me.”

“That’s the thing, Luca, I don’t trust you, but I’m desperate enough to go along with this.”

It’s not the answer I’d wish for, but it’s not like I can be too bothered by the fact she’s suspicious, especially when all she knows about the Monaghans has come from her father or brother.

Without saying anything further on the subject, I pull out of the garage and begin the drive to Manchester. Giada is quiet on the car ride, and the silence is stifling. I want to know what she’s thinking. Scratch that, I want her to be thinking that I’ll take care of her, that she has nothing to worry about now that we’re on the road, but I know she won’t believe me. Every man in her life has used her as a pawn in their games for more power. That’s what Carlo was going to do. Though it’s not my intention, I’m sure she feels differently. At the very least, she’s not ruling out the idea that, once again, she’s somehow going to be used.

“Not exactly how you imagined your wedding day, I’ll bet.” Jesus, that’s a stupid thing to say.

Giada lets out a chuckle that is completely devoid of humor. “The only thing I knew about my wedding day was I wasn’t going to be happy about the groom I was going to be marrying.” She looks over at me. “So, I suppose this is exactly how I imagined it.”

Fucking ouch.

I want to tell her if she’s going to be a brat about it we can call the whole thing off. But I know I won’t, and I know she won’t either. Right now, she’s angry and scared. And hurt. If lashing out makes her feel better or makes her feel like she has some control over her life, I won’t hold it against her. It’s not like I handled being told everything I’d known about my life was a lie with any sort of grace. I lashed out a hell of a lot worse than she is. Does it make the drive any more comfortable? No. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make her believe me. The only way she’ll be confident that she’s safe and no one is going to use her or lie to her again is for her to actually see it. Anyone can tell you one thing and do the exact opposite. If I want Giada to trust me, it’s going to take work and patience.

“So, is my last name going to be Bennetti or was that a lie too?”

I haven’t thought about it. I used the same last name that I’ve had my entire life. If anyone had done any digging, all they’d find was a kid with a dead father and a chip on his shoulder. It didn’t seem necessary to change everything about myself.

“My last name is Bennetti. At least that’s what I’ve always gone by, but my dad, Frank, told me that my real father’s name was Romano.”

“And my father had him killed.” This is the first time since I told her the truth about my parentage that she’s brought it up.

“He did.” My hands tighten around the steering wheel at the mention of Francesco. It’s as though now that I don’t have to pretend I don’t hate the man, it’s impossible to temper my reaction.

“Why though? Falling in love with someone doesn’t seem like that big of an offense.” I appreciate the curiosity, but damn, this is the last thing I want to talk about. I told her she could trust me though, and the first thing I do can’t be to shut the conversation down just because I’m uncomfortable.

“My father, Elio, fell in love with Maeve Monaghan’s sister. It’s no secret your father expects the utmost loyalty from his men. My father was his consigliere, and when he found out Elio was with my mother and they had a child together, he was convinced my father was betraying him and talking to the Irish.”

“So he had him killed? Why not try to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him. But from what I know of your father, he’s the shoot first, ask questions later kind of boss.”

“Can’t argue that. And Frank. How does he fit into all this?”

“He was the hit man sent to kill my parents. When he found me in my crib, he couldn’t finish what your father wanted him to. Said there was some spiritual woo-woo moment or some shit.”

“Spiritual woo-woo?” she asks, looking confused at my description.

“He explained it better. But yeah. He knew he was sent there to protect me.”

“So he just took off with you?”

“Kind of. He called your house and your mother answered. She told him to run and gave him some money.”

“Wait. My mother knew about you?”

“Yeah. Frank said she was a good woman. A devout Catholic. He needed help and knew she wouldn’t turn him away or turn him into Francesco. I don’t know. I kind of think he needed a woman who believed in God but also knew what was expected of someone in this life to tell him he was doing the right thing. That’s what she did.”

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