Page 87 of Mafia Don's Twisted Proposal
There he is.
I catch a glimpse of dark hair and that familiar smirk before a group of people walking by blocks my view. I take a step in hisdirection, my pulse quickening, but by the time they’ve moved out of the way, he’s gone.
Damn it.
But even just that fleeting glimpse has sent a rush of heat and excitement through me. Maybe I should be annoyed that he’s not really giving me space if he’s following me around, but I can’t find it in me to be bothered.
Based on what he’s told me about his obsession with me, I have a feeling he’s giving me as much space as he can stand.
I’m smiling as I follow Elena into the next stall, this one selling hand-carved wooden figures. There’s even an old man sitting at a table whittling a small block of wood into a bear, his wrinkled hands strong and nimble as he works.
“Your work is amazing,” I tell him in Spanish, though I’m rusty as hell. My family speaks both languages, and we’ve mostly been communicating in English since I’m out of practice.
But I understand him well enough when he thanks me for the compliment and tells me to choose one of the figures on display to have for free. I try to protest, but I’m not sure he understands as I stumble over my words.
He says something about my mother, but I don’t catch the rest because he speaks so quickly.
If I’m going to stay in Mexico for any length of time, I’m going to have to brush up on my Spanish.
“It’s okay,” Elena says with a smile. “Emilio is an old family friend. He knew your mother, and says you look just like her. He wants to give you a figurine.”
I smile and thank him as I pick up a carved wooden doe that fits in the palm of my hand. I tuck it into the canvas bag hanging on my arm, my throat tight with unexpected emotion.
“I know I look similar to my mother,” I say, shielding my eyes from the sun with one hand. It’s hot here, but so different from Vegas.
Humidity hangs in the air, making sweat coat my skin. “But how did he know for sure I was her daughter?”
Elena gestures to the booths around us. “Everyone knows the long-lost daughter of Miguel Cardenas has returned.”
“Everyone?”
“Our family is a big deal in this town. In all of Mexico, really. We have friends and enemies everywhere. People need to know that you’re one of us, under the protection of your father and brothers.”
This sounds a lot like life with Lorenzo. I’m starting to realize that my life has changed in a permanent way. I’m a part of two crime families now—the Cardenas and the Andrettis. My birth family and my husband’s family.
My brothers and Lorenzo have always known this life, but it’s new to me.
“How do you deal with all of this?” I ask Elena as we stroll past a couple of booths, heading toward my other sister-in-law who’s chatting animatedly with a woman selling jewelry. “Being part of this family is so different from the life I lived before. I never used to think about whether I was safe in public or whether enemies would show up at the door. You all live behind a huge, guarded wall.”
“It’s a little strange, I know.” Elena’s eyes shift to my brother, who’s approaching us. “But our men do everything possible to protect us. If that means I homeschool my children and live in a secure place, those are sacrifices I’m willing to make. It’s worth it for love. For happiness.”
I’m quiet for a while after that, thinking about Lorenzo and how I accepted the risks and restrictions that came with being his wife because I cared about him. When he told me I wasn’t safe on my own anymore, I didn’t even resent him for putting me in that situation.
Maybe I’ve been willing to make sacrifices too, even if I didn’t realize it before.
Maybe love is worth it.
Maybe it’s worth forgiving him and taking a leap of faith. If I believe him when he says he genuinely cares about me, we could both find the kind of happiness that Elena and Gael have.
But I’m not sure I’m ready to believe that yet. I can’t get over the feeling of betrayal that worked its way into my heart when I learned about his original intentions for our marriage.
He says his feelings changed. He says he cares about me and wants to be with me. The way he watches me makes those words feel true, but there’s something undefined holding me back.
I need something to make me believe his feelings are real. The problem is, I don’t know what I’m waiting for.
I’ve been so lost in thought that I’ve fallen behind as my family moves further through the market. They aren’t too far ahead and haven’t even noticed that I’m not with them yet.
Even the two guards they brought along haven’t noticed my absence. They’re both distracted by a couple of tattooed men arguing at a food stand nearby, shouting and shoving each other. The guards tense and move into position between my family and the fight.
