Page 46

I folded my napkin. “I’ll make one.”
“When? How?” He gestured.
“In the next chapter of my life. The one after high school. The one if I lose him.”
“God help him.”
“He’ll need more than God’s help if he plays me.”
“I take it you’ve forgiven him for what he’s done.”
I paused with my fork mid-air. “I’ve thought about that quite a lot. He was born into a dark world like I was. He was the heir, he did what was expected but disobeyed his sovrano. He didn’t kill me, Zio. He showed me mercy. How can I not do the same?”
Zio took a deep breath. “I’ll never forgive him for slaughtering our family… for almost taking you. It kills me that you feel this love for him.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. At least you’ve been well trained to take him down if he dares hurt you again.”
“Should I tell him… who we are? Who I am?”
“No. Why? The hit on you still lives.”
“What?” I croaked, trying not to choke on my pasta.
“The Castellione’s know. Since he’s come so close to us. I made a few calls to old friends. Roque trained and lived under Constantine Castellione for a year. Everyone in the old world believes Roque and his cousins were killed with Constantine in a hit. The families blamed each other. To this day they still bicker about who did it.
I gasped. “He did. He killed and faked his death…”
Zio nodded. “He’s free. Free to become anyone he wants and that is the only reason I didn’t kill him just for looking at you the way I do. Like you’re his whole world.”
My heart filled with hope. Maybe we can be normal after all and break free from the past. If Roque gives up the mob life… he’s free to be with me. We could have a normal life somewhere and leave our inherited lives behind.
“What about Chicago? I heard he was making a play there?”
“He is. But he hasn’t publicly claimed his name yet. He’s running under the name The Three Kings. No one knows the Salvatore heir lives, but us.”
“We can leverage that if it comes to it. But I hope it won’t. I just want to be a normal girl for once on the cusp of her first romance.”
And hopefully my last.
“Eat. Go out. Date. Promise me you won’t limit yourself to one man at seventeen.”
“I won’t.”
Liar.
“Don’t tell him your birthday is next month either”. I sipped my water, breaking eye contact. I already felt himself at war with his need to be a better man. But I’d barely given sex a thought until that night in the closet and now, I’ll admit I think about having it with him a lot. And that makes me totally screwed in more ways than just one.