Page 44 of Savage Proposal

Amalia rolled her eyes. “Thatwas delusional on her part,” she said. “The Gallos have about as much sway over the Vitalis as I do over the weather. No one has more power than the Vitali family; it’s been like that since before I was born.”

“So, why did Lorenzo even agree to let her come in the first place? If he has so much power?”

She gave me a patient look and sipped at her wine. “Men like Lorenzo stay in power by giving in to the small things every now and then. The Gallo family was upset, and by Lorenzo agreeing to have Gia come here, he made them happy. He secured his line of power.” She took another, much longer, drink, emptying the glass. She grabbed the bottle and poured another one. “I wish he would have thought everything through before he sent her home, though.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What could happen to her?”

“Hopefully, Don Gallo secures another match for her quickly.”

My stomach started to roll sickeningly, and I swallowed hard. I pictured Gia, spread out on the guest room bed, weeping like someone she loved had died. “She’s so young. What’s the rush?”

“Women of the Cosa Nostra marry young. I had just passed my twenty-first birthday when I married Elio, and the little old biddies at the church were whispering about it.”

That’s insane. But I kept that comment to myself; Amalia didn’t need me criticizing her marriage. “What if Gia’s father can’t find her a husband?” Something told me that allowing her to date and find a boy her own age wasn’t an option.

Amalia looked grim. “She’ll end up married one way or another, Isabella. Not getting married isn’t a path for women like her and me.”

“So, she’d end up with someone who’s what? Older?”

“Most likely. If you think Lorenzo can be unreasonable, try some of the men who are in their sixties. The men who are on their second or third or fourth wife.” She drained her second glass of wine. “The men whose wives have mysteriously disappeared, and we’re not allowed to ask about anymore.”

Just like Sienna. My nausea was getting worse. “There’s nothing to be done about it?”

Amalia shook her head. “Even if Lorenzo could, he wouldn’t.”

“Why?”

Amalia gave me that patient look again. “We all have our roles to play, Isabella. Even you.”

Yeah, broodmare. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. “If Lorenzo were to have a daughter.” I swallowed hard. “Would he treat her like that? Like a thing to be traded for the best deal?”

She didn’t like that, I could tell, but Amalia didn’t argue with me. “It’s what he knows.”

I shut my eyes and let out a breath, slowly. It was the only thing keeping me from throwing up. I wanted out. Ineededto get out.No sane person could exist in this kind of life; there was too much moral gray area and ambiguity and shrugging things off.

But the idea of using a baby as my ticket out was too much. I slapped my hand over my mouth and took off for the powder room nearest the kitchen. I barely reached it before my stomach twisted itself inside out. I gagged until there was nothing left, and then I washed my mouth out in the sink.

“Lorenzo is a dangerous man, but he’s hardly the only one in the Cosa Nostra,” Amalia said, standing in the doorway, staring at me. Her eyes were a little glassy now; her mouth a little looser than it normally would be. “At least he doesn’t beat women for fun.”

I bent over and sipped at the running tap again, swirling the water around my mouth before spitting it back out into the sink. “There’s nothing we can do for Gia?”

Amalia shook her head. “Pity her.”

CHAPTER 27

Lorenzo

“Put this on.”

Isabella looked up from her book—borrowed from Amalia this time, I was sure—and stared at the hanger that I was holding aloft. The dress on it was red, and I knew that it would cling to all of her delectable curves. It was one of my favorites from Sienna’s wardrobe. I wanted to see it on Isabella more than anything.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, although her tone was cautious. “Why am I putting it on?”

“I need to go to the casino tonight. I haven’t put in as much face-time there as I need to.”

She raised her eyebrow. “What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re coming with me.” Ever since I made the decision to make an appearance at the casino, I had been thinking about taking Isabella with me. I had never seen her dressed up, and the lizard part of my brain wanted to see her luscious hips hugged in red. “Go change. We’ll leave in an hour.” Isabella took thehanger from me and trailed out of the room, glancing back over her shoulder at me as if I was going to change my mind.

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