I call Rizzo the next morning and give him the news. Some hours later, while I'm wondering what to say when I call Luciano, there's a knock at my office door.

'Come in." I turn away from the computer just in time to see one of the staff opening the door and stepping inside.


'Mr. Rizzo is here to see you, sir."

My stomach drops. As far as I'd been aware, the conversation was finished this morning, when we'd agreed that arrangements needed to be made for the official betrothal paperwork to be signed. The fact that Rizzo has shown up here unannounced, isn't a good sign.

'Show him in," I tell her, feeling my gut twist into knots. My apprehension doesn't lessen when Rizzo walks in, and takes a seat without so much as a greeting.


'I didn't expect to see you here." I try to keep my expression as neutral as I can, wondering if Rizzo looks so calm because he enjoys the feeling of keeping me in the dark. 'Is there something more than what we discussed this morning on the phone?"

'Yes." He leans back in his chair, frowning. 'I had a call from the Romano family after you and I spoke. I had to, of course, inform them that Rosalia had chosen otherwise. It was an—extensive discussion."


The knot in my belly tightens with apprehension. 'And? Is there a reason I should know about this conversation?"

'There will be a different choice," Rizzo says without preamble. 'Rosalia will marry Andre Romano. Before you say anything," he adds, 'I know that's not what we agreed upon. But on further reflection, it is the best choice for the Family. The Graziano family does not have enough to offer as they are, and they may be unable to maintain or even grow the current status of the Santoro family. But with the wealth and connections that Rosalia brings added to what the Romano family has already built, it can only benefit all of us."

'Except for Rosalia. Who, on the heels of her father's death, was promised a choice." I glare at Rizzo. 'You can't seriously be planning on insisting on this."

'I am." There's not a hint of hesitation in his tone. 'Guiseppe Graziano will be regretfully informed that he will not be Rosalia's choice. As soon as it can be arranged, she and Andre Romano will sign a betrothal contract. It's expected that the wedding will take place within a month afterward. At which point, of course, your duties here will be completed, and you can return to New York. As you wanted," he adds pointedly.

I grit my teeth, trying to think clearly, and not say the first angry thing that comes to my mind. 'Rosalia will argue this. You know she will. Of all the choices she was given, Andre was the one she wanted least. She wouldn't even entertain the idea of it."

'It doesn't matter." Rizzo shrugs. 'She doesn't have a choice in this, Bianchi. Her father was too lenient with her, I think. She has a place in this world, and that place is to marry who she is told and produce heirs. I had hoped you would have helped impress that fact on her, since her father was lax in doing so."

Breathe. I've rarely hated a man as much as I hate Rizzo at this moment. 'There must be some other solution. You can't possibly think that marrying Rosalia to a man she hates will cause anything other than strife—"

'The choice is made." Rizzo pauses. 'The only other possible choice is you, Angelo. If you were to announce your intention to honor her father's will, there could be no argument with that. Vincezio's desires were plain and are legally binding. Not even the Romano family can say otherwise. But you've already made your position on that plain, and otherwise—my decision is made. My word is final. And this is what I say—that Rosalia will marry Andre."

'No." The word comes out before I can stop it, my mind racing. 'No, I won't allow it."

Rizzo's iron-grey brow rises. 'You won'tallowit?"

'I'll marry her." The words feel like they'll burn my lips as I say them, but I can't stop now. It was difficult enough to imagine her as Guiseppe Graziano's bride, but this is unthinkable. 'I promised Rosalia that I would protect her. That her safety and happiness were my first priority. If this is the only way to ensure that, then that's what I'll do."

Rizzo's mouth turns down at the corners. 'You may want to think this through, Angelo—"

'I don't need to. As you said, the decision is made. My decision is made. If Andre Romano is the only other choice, then I will marry her."

I know the Romano family must be pressuring Rizzo. I know that they must be pushing him to go forward with what he'd planned before he agreed to my compromise. And I know there must be some way to keep Rosalia safe from that without backing down on everything I've stuck to, every principle that I have.

I'm hoping that I've called his bluff. But I can see from the expression on his face that's not the case.

'If you mean that, then you'll be prepared to sign the betrothal contract now." Rizzo gestures down to his briefcase next to the chair. 'Call Rosalia in, and we'll take care of the paperwork. Vincezio's will is honored, then, and the Romano family will be unable to argue."

That knot tightens in my throat now instead of my gut, like a noose. There's no way out of this, and I think of what I'm signing myself up for—a lifetime of celibacy, if I intend to give Rosalia what she desires…a faithful husband. It's the only way to both keep her out of the Romano family's hands, and keep my own promise to myself not to touch her. Not to take advantage of her. Not to corrupt her.

I'll deal with that later. Rizzo is looking at me expectantly. Those things can be worked out. Rosalia and I can come to some arrangement, or—

'Angelo."

'Yes. I'll call her in." I reach for my phone numbly to send her a message to come to the office, knowing that it will catch her off guard. She should have more warning than this, but I know Rizzo won't care. He wants this handled, one way or another. If I stall, he'll take it as a sign I'm not serious and leave. Then Rosalia will belong to Andre Romano, and that's something I can't live with.

I can see the confusion on her face when she steps into the office and sees Rizzo there. She's wearing a pretty chiffon sundress in a bright yellow color, the ruffles dipping between her breasts, and my mouth goes dry just looking at her.

'Is something wrong?" she asks, and I have no idea how to answer that question. Rizzo speaks up before I can.

'Angelo has agreed to marry you, my dear," he says, and I see the instantaneous shock in her eyes, the way her mouth drops slightly open. 'So I have the betrothal contract here, for you both to sign."

'What?" Rosalia stares at me. 'What are you talking about? I—"

'The Romano family has managed to supersede your choice of Guiseppe as your husband," I tell her quietly. 'They have convinced Don Rizzo that Andre is the only rational choice for you, for the good of the Family. Which means it won't matter that you have decided on someone else."

Her face goes pale. I see all the blood drain out of it, her thoughts clearly racing to catch up. 'So how are you going to—I don't understand—"

'Your father named me as the one he chose for you in his will," I tell her gently. 'So if I agree, no one can argue with that. It's binding. It's me or Andre. Those are the only two options now, according to Don Rizzo."

He nods. 'You may state your opinion if you wish," he says calmly. 'Angelo has made his plain."

There's a flicker of mutiny in Rosalia's eyes—I can tell she doesn't appreciate being told that she's being allowed to have an opinion. But she bites it back, which I find impressive, especially considering how difficult it is right now even for me to bite back what I want to say.

'I choose Angelo," she says calmly, tipping her chin up. 'If he is a choice, then I want him. I've felt that way since the will was read."

It's impossible to tell, even for me, if Rizzo is pleased or displeased by this turn of events. He opens the briefcase, taking out the papers. Rosalia holds out her hand, silently, and he ignores her. I see the flush of red on her cheekbones, the instant anger in her eyes at being dismissed.

'Let Rosalia read the contract," I tell him flatly. 'She should know what it is that she's signing."

Rizzo makes an unpleasant face, but he hands the contract over. I can see Rosalia's fingers trembling as she flips through it, reading each page. Her lips are pressed together, and I can't tell if she's happy or not. Is she disappointed that it's not Guiseppe now? Is she disappointed that it's me?

For fuck's sake, I shouldn'twanther to prefer me. I've done all I can to keep her from wanting me. But now, the thought that I might disappoint her feels like almost too much to bear.

'Should I sign it now?" she asks, glancing at my desk as if looking for a pen. I think I hear a flicker of tentative anticipation in her voice.

Rizzo holds out his hand for the contract. 'Come here, and you will both sign it. It will need to be witnessed by a priest as well—we can go to the church this evening. This should all be handled as soon as possible."

I nod. Once the Romano family is aware of what's happened, they'll be quick to want proof that all has been done as it should be, or else they'll make an argument for the betrothal being null, and Rosalia married to Andre instead. If my goal is to keep that from happening—and it is—then we'll need to make sure all loose ends are tied up sooner rather than later.

Rosalia's hands are still shaking as she signs her name, what might have been pretty script otherwise turning into something slanted across the line. Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand in mine, and I hear her soft, surprised intake of breath.

When I look up, she's looking right at me with those soft blue eyes, and I see a flicker of hope in them. She catches her lip between her teeth, and for a moment, Rizzo fades away, and it's just the two of us standing there at my desk, her soft, warm hand caught in mine, and the promise of something new between us.

Except—

No matter how this turns out, I'll disappoint her. There's no way for this to go how she's hoping, and for me to still stay true to what I think is right.

Rosalia stays very quiet until Rizzo takes his leave, taking a copy of the contract with him. She sinks into the other chair, her face paler now, her gaze resting on me.

'So what now?" she asks softly. 'You were so insistent that you wouldn't marry me, and now we've ended up here anyway, all because Rizzo went over your head. So that's it? You just gave in?"

I sit down slowly, that knot of apprehension returning at the thought of what I'm going to say to her. 'Not exactly," I tell her slowly. 'I've agreed to marry you so that Andre Romano cannot. I know how you feel about that, and frankly, I feel just as strongly that it's not a good match—not for you, and not for your family's legacy. Since it's been made clear to me that it's the only way I can protect you, Iamgoing to marry you. But it will be a marriage of convenience, Rosalia."

Her mouth drops open a little as she stares at me. 'You can't mean what I think you do—"

'We will have a chaste marriage." I can see the disappointment in her eyes from the moment I say it, but I keep going, knowing this all needs to be said. 'I will not touch you. We will sleep in separate bedrooms, and—"

'And what?" Rosalia looks at me, her tone laced with burgeoning resentment. 'So I'm going tostaya virgin? I'll be married, but nothing else will change?"

'Would you rather lose your virginity to Andre Romano?" I feel my frustration rising quickly. 'Would that be preferable?"

Rosalia presses her lips together in that stubborn line that I'm getting to know all too well. 'The marriage won't be valid unless we sleep together."

'Blood on the sheets can be faked." I look at her evenly. 'If you'd made friends with the other mafia daughters, I'm sure you would have met more than one who slipped up with a man before she was married and had to fake her virginity. Rizzo won't question me, so long as I have something to show him."He'd never believe that I optednotto fuck my eighteen-year-old virgin bride, anyway.No one would.

'And heirs?" Rosalia raises a sarcastic eyebrow, clearly looking for any way that she can to poke holes in my plan. 'They're going to be expected. Who will inherit after you? People will have questions if I don't get pregnant."

It takes everything in me not to react to the thought of her pregnant, soft and round and sweet, and of what I would do to get her that way. Of all the nights I'd spend fucking her to achieve that, filling her—

I swallowed hard, feeling my cock twitch against my fly, swelling eagerly at the thought. 'We'll say we're infertile. As for inheritance, your father adopted me for exactly that reason. We can do the same." I lean back in my chair, feeling suddenly very tired. 'I've made up my mind, Rosalia. I've been swayed to marry you by circumstances beyond my control, but that doesn't mean I can't still stick to the principles that I had when I agreed to take you on as my ward. I came here to protect you, not fuck you."

Rosalia flinches visibly at the bluntness. 'So I'm always going to be a virgin? You're going to be celibate? How is that fair? You'renevergoing to sleep with me, not even when you think I'm ‘old enough'?" She stares at me. 'That's insane, Angelo. To expect ofeitherof us."

'We can discuss how to manage the issue of celibacy later." I force down the thought of her with another man, the idea ofanyoneother than me taking her virginity, especially with her being my wife. The thought makes me incandescent with a quick-burning rage, but she's right, of course. It'snotfair to either of us. But the alternative—

'The circumstances that made me uncomfortable before haven't changed, Rosalia. You will always be half my age. You are technically, by law, my stepsister. And—"

'This is ridiculous." Rosalia shakes her head. 'YouknowI don't want a celibate marriage or an unfaithful husband. Or don't you remember the lessons I asked you to give me for just that reason? And now—"

'The contract is signed, Rosalia. The decision is made. Or would you have rather been Andre's wife?"

Her face is pale, her cheekbones tinged with red high at the tops. 'That's not fair," she whispers. 'You know it's not fair. You should have told me this was how you felt before I signed it—"

'Would your decision have changed?" I look at her, wondering what I would do if she said yes. If she said her mind would have been changed, that she would rather go to Andre Romano's bed than the kind of marriage I'm offering her.

The look she gives me nearly cracks my heart in two. 'You know the answer to that," she says softly. 'But at least I would have known everything before I signed."

She gets up then, pushing herself out of the chair without looking at me as she strides to the door. And I feel sure, as I see the light glance off her skin as she steps out of the room, that there are tears on her cheeks.