Page 24 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride

I’m a little surprised he isn’t telling me I have no power here. That I’ll sleep where he tells me to sleep.

“But don’t think about leaving.” Now I see the darkness in his eyes. “I won’t force myself upon you. I won’t ask you to be a mother to my child. I won’t ask you to do anything except to not fuck this up.”

My heart hammers as it’s brought home again that I’m married to the man who has permission to kill me if he deems it necessary.

"Why am I even alive?" The question bursts from me. "Why the marriage charade instead of just…" I can't finish the sentence.

He tilts his head, studying me. "Your father sits on La Corona. That's the only reason you're standing here instead of buried in the woods." He says it matter-of-factly, without malice or threat, which somehow makes it more terrifying. "This arrangement is out of respect for him. But it only goes so far. If you respect your father, you’ll adhere to the rules.”

“Daddy!” Angelica’s voice carries down the hall to the bedroom.

“Excuse me. I’m going to tuck Angelica into bed.”

The door clicks shut behind Roman, and I'm finally alone. But the tension and anxiety don’t wane.

I'm married to a Calabresi enforcer, surrounded by the very people who took my mother from me.

I pace the room. I need to breathe, to think. I can’t stay here. I have to find a way out.

I go to my bag, and digging deep, I pull out a small pouch. It has tampons, a decoy for what is really hiding here, my burner phone. I extract it, checking the door once more before powering it on.

No missed calls. No messages. Nothing from Agent Blackwood since our failed meeting three nights ago.

I want to know where he was, why he didn’t meet me, but that’s not the most pressing issue right now.

I type a quick message.

Married now. Inside Ginetti's home. Need extraction plan.

The message sends, but there's no immediate response. I chew my lower lip, anxiety building.

Where is he?

The FBI agent promised he'd help me escape if the situation became dangerous. Well, being married to my mother's potential killer certainly qualifies.

But if he killed my mother, why isn’t he killing me?

My infraction has to be greater than whatever my mother did. Unless her death was to send my father a message, but if it was, he didn’t get it.

He doesn’t believe Don Calabresi ordered my mother’s murder.

For a moment, I allow myself to consider the impossible.

What if Roman isn't what I thought?

The gentle way he handled our kiss, how he softens around Angelica, his agreement to leave me alone as long as I behave.

No. I can't afford doubt. Not now.

Agent Blackwood showed me the evidence. It’s too compelling not to believe that Don Calabresi had my mother killed. And when he wanted someone dead, Roman was the one who took care of it.

I type another message.

Why aren't you responding? I'm trapped here.

The silence from my only ally makes me feel alone in the world.

Without Blackwood's guidance, I'm adrift in a house belonging to a man who could decide my fate with a single word to his Don.