Page 10 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride

To be honest, she’d probably defer to my father who always puts La Corona first.

The sacred council above all else.

Above justice for his wife.

Above his daughter's happiness or peace.

Above truth itself.

I set the photograph down, feeling defeated. My father would rather see me married to a killer than risk disrupting the precious balance of power between the families.

He's always been Don Ferraza first, family man second.

I move to my closet, yanking open the doors.

I won't be a sacrifice for La Corona's continued peace.

I won't marry a man who works for the family that murdered my mother.

I pull out an overnight bag and throw it open on the bed.

I grab handfuls of clothes and toss them inside.

I'll need cash, my passport, essentials I can carry.

I have savings they don't know about.

Three days is plenty of time to disappear.

I reach under my mattress and pull out my burner phone, the one Father doesn't know about.

I've been careful, keeping it charged but powered off, hidden in various different places around my room.

After three rings, Agent Blackwood answers. "Is something wrong? This isn't our scheduled check-in time."

I keep my voice low, eyes darting to my locked bedroom door. "They know. La Corona knows I've been talking to you."

A sharp intake of breath on the other end. "How much do they know?"

"Enough to want me dead." My voice cracks. "My father made a deal to save my life. They're marrying me off to Roman Ginetti, Marco Calabresi's enforcer."

Silence stretches out, which surprises me. I expected an immediate extraction plan.

“Agent Blackwood? Did you hear me? I need to get out. Now."

"Actually, this could work in our favor."

My stomach drops. "What?"

"Think about it, Isabella. As Ginetti's wife, you'd have unprecedented access. The inner circle of the Calabresi operation?—"

"Are you insane?" I hiss, gripping the phone tightly. "They'll be watching my every move. The first hint that I'm still talking to you and Roman will put a bullet in my head."

"We can take precautions. New protocols. Different methods of communication."

Disbelief turns to anger. "I won't marry him. He works for the people who killed my mother."

"This is the opportunity we've been waiting for," Blackwood presses. "The chance to gather concrete evidence against all four families. Think of what we could accomplish. You said yourself that you want to be free of that life. This is your chance. Your best chance."