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Matteo snatched it out of the air with an i Outfit ladies out there that want to further the bond between our fa his eyebrows

Cheering and laughter sounded fro theame for her I didn’t want Matteo’s eyes on her, I didn’t even want her nae As was tradition he had to pick an unmarried woman to dance with

Luca stepped close toaround my waist in casual possessiveness I flinched at the unexpected contact and Luca’s body becaid

Matteo extended his hand toward Lily who looked close to exploding frohtened I kneas a joke right now Nobody took a fourteen-year-old girl seriously

As Luca and I waltzed over the dance floor, I kept an eye on Lily and Matteo His hand was high on her back, his expression teasing He didn’t look like a man who’d set his eyes on his future wife

“If my brother married your sister, you’d have family in New York,” Luca said

“I won’t let hih when it ca my sister but not when it was about me?

“It’s not Lily he wants”

My eyes flew to Gianna who stood with her arms wrapped around her chest, eyes like a hawk as they followed us Father wouldn’t give away another of his daughters to New York If he wanted to strengthen the position of our fao Outfit, he needed to h faan and the dance floor was once again flooded with guests

Luca started dancing with my mother and I used the moment to slip away I needed a few round and hurried to the edge of the garden where grass met the bay before I walked down the few steps that led to the dock where a yacht was lying in wait Tobeach stretched out The ocean was black under the night sky and the breeze tugged at my dress and ripped strands froh heels and ju my eyes, I listened to the sound of the waves The wooden boards creaked and I tensed before glancing overGianna She shook off her own shoes and joinedan arm around me

“Too,” she whispered

I sed hard “I’m scared”

“Of tonight?”

“Yes,” I ad alone with Luca in a city I don’t know, surrounded by people I know even less, people whoout he’s thewithout you and Lily and Fabiano”

“We will coht” Gianna’s voice turned hard “He can’t force you”

I let out a choked laugh Soer than me These were the moments that reminded me “He can He will”

“Then you’ll fight hiot”

“Gianna,” I said in a whisper “Luca is going to be Capo dei Capi He’s a born fighter He’ll laugh at ry and then he’ll really want to hurt ive hiood to me, try to make him love me”