Page 67 of Sinful Hearts

21

Holy fucking shit.

Literally every New York Italian mobster who haunts people’s dreams is here.

The private dining room is quiet with no music, and all talk stopped at our arrival.

Before the wedding, Dasha and I researched the Lombardis, which led us into learning more about the other crime families that run New York, including the Marchettis and Cavallaros.

Scanning the crowd, I recognize faces from all three families.

I’m in a damn Mafia summit.

In our research, we learned that not too long ago, the Lombardis were at war with the Marchettis and Cavallaros. It all started when Vinny, Antonio’s older brother, kidnapped his ex-girlfriend. Cristian Marchetti murdered him for it.

Cristian, also known as Monster Marchetti, is the boss of the Marchetti Mafia family. If there’s one man to fear in this world, it’s him. He’s the cruelest mobster in the country.

In retaliation for Vinny’s murder, Vincent Lombardi—Antonio’s father—planned to kill Cristian’s son, Benny. The plan went wrong, and they shot Benny’s wife, Neomi, instead.

That’s what brought Severino Cavallaro, boss of the Cavallaro mob family and Neomi’s father, into the war. No one dare touch his daughter and get away with it.

It also didn’t help that after Vincent’s death, Antonio kidnapped Gigi, Cristian’s daughter.

Yes, my brother contracted me to marry into a family that makes even the Bratva seem functional.

Everyone expected Cristian to torture and murder Antonio when he found him, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen. Behind closed doors, Gigi and Antonio had history. Antonio saw hiskidnappingmore as protection for Gigi during a civil war within the Lombardi family.

Gigi told Cristian to accept her relationship with Antonio or lose his daughter.

It took time and convincing because Monster Marchetti doesn’t give up easily.

But eventually, he chose Gigi and even walked her down the aisle at their wedding.

Mercy like that is rare in our world.

No Morozova man would’ve done it.

I flinch when Emilio shuts the door behind us, snapping me back into the reality of where I am. I peer back at the group of men, counting eight of them. Some faces are unfriendly, some uninterested, and others look ready to murder at any second.

Goose bumps spread over my skin like armor as I stand there.

Aleksy wants me to kill Emilio and then what?

Face the wrath of these crazies?

I think the absolute fuck not. They’d slaughter me in two seconds.

He’d better have a good escape plan before I play executioner.

My gaze coasts from the men to across the room. Clusters of birthday balloons are spread around the room, and a birthday banner hangs along the wall. The wallpaper is a deep maroon. I shut my eyes, my imagination getting the best of me.

It’s to mask the color of blood, isn’t it?

I shake my head, my attention shifting to the group of women seated at the end of the long dining table, a white tablecloth draped over it. All of them are staring straight at me.

A short, dark-haired girl stands and settles her wineglass on the table.

I immediately recognize her. Gigi Marchetti-Lombardi—a.k.a. New York’s Mafia princess.