Page 40 of Arranged

“Talk about what?” His gaze found mine as he served himself some potatoes.

I shrugged. “Things.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Okay.”

“I don’t know if you remember, but you told me something before you fell asleep,” I said. “You said that your father never let you celebrate your birthdays. Is that true?”

“It is.” He looked away. “My father never really liked me much.”

“Why?” I cocked my head at him.

“Because I always questioned him. I didn’t just blindly obey when he wanted me to.”

“Um, don’t almost all kids do that? I drove my dad crazy with questions.”

“I don’t know. My father always got mad when I asked him something. Since it was obvious from the start that with so many older brothers, I was never going to be boss, he thought that I should be able to follow his and my brothers’ orders. If I had a question, he told me to ask my nanny or my tutor and stop bothering him.”

I picked at my food, unable to look away from him.

“When I was a kid, my father taught me how to shoot. It was the first and only thing he ever taught me himself,” Luca said. “One day, he told me to shoot a dog. I asked him why. It just didn’t make any sense, and I liked the dog. He snapped at me and told me to do it. I again asked him why. The dog wasn’t a threat or dangerous. It didn’t make sense to kill him. My father had a fit of rage and he screamed at me, so I fired the gun, but I missed on purpose. The dog got scared and ran away.”

“Good for the dog,” I said.

He nodded, a smile curving his lips. “When I was supposed to start school, my father decided I should be homeschooled like my brothers, and he wanted to choose every single thing I studied. But I didn’t want to.

“The things he wanted me to learn were boring and not very useful. And it wasn’t just that. He always wanted me to do things that weren’t what I wanted. Eventually, I pissed him off enough, especially after I asked him why he killed one of his enemies when partnering up would’ve been a better choice.

“He sent me to live in a room in the basement. Usually, I’d be locked up in there. He allowed me out from time to time, but I’d upset him very quickly. It was like every word I said set him off.”

“That’s terrible.” I couldn’t imagine spending my childhood like that, and having a father who wouldn’t let me be who I was.

My father always supported everything I did, and even when I’d bugged him with questions, he’d been patient and answered all of them as best as he could.

“Why?” His eyes were trained on mine. “You keep me locked up too.”

I licked my lips. “You know why I have to keep you here.”

“Yeah, and I knew why back then too. I didn’t give my father what he wanted, and that’s why I’m here now.”

I averted my gaze, unsure what to say to that.

He was right. I was the one who’d decided to keep him prisoner. All the deal required was that I kept him for ten years.

It didn’t say where and how.

“How did you become boss?” he asked, and I raised my eyes to his. “I don’t know many women who rule a crime family.”

“I’m my father’s only child, and when he got seriously injured, I had to take over. And taking his place one day was something that I always wanted. It was my dream. As soon as I could comprehend what it was that my father was doing, I wanted to be a part of it.

“Besides, it’s a family business, and yeah, I’m the first woman in my family to be in charge, but I don’t think it matters. And I like having all the money and being able to do things people can only dream about.”

“But what about the risks? Your job isn’t completely legal. Actually, the illegal part can easily get you in trouble with the cops or killed. I get being rich, but don’t you want a normal life?”

I blinked at him. “Not really. Do you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

I stared at him for a few moments. “Okay. I guess we have different views on things.”