Chapter 2 - The Lines of Engagement
The silence that followed my admission was absolute. Aleandro stood completely still, his gaze fixed on me as if he were seeing a completely different woman than the one he had dragged from the altar. The cold, calculating mafia boss seemed to vanish for a fraction of a second, replaced by a man struck by an unexpected truth.
"A virgin," he repeated quietly, the word tasting unfamiliar on his tongue. He let out a slow, sharp breath and turned away, walking back toward the fireplace. "Dario is a fool. A arrogant, short-sighted fool."
"Does it change things?" I asked, stepping forward, the heavy train of my dress rustling against the hardwood floor. "Does it change my value to you as a hostage?"
"You are not a hostage, Julia," Aleandro said without looking back. He picked up his glass and drained the rest of his drink. "If you were a hostage, I would have locked you in the basement and sent a finger to your father by now. You are a guest. A permanent one, until this matter is resolved."
"And how will it be resolved?"
"Dario will retaliate. He has to. His pride has been butchered in front of every major family in the Midwest," Aleandro explained, his tone returning to its usual businesslike calm. "He will try to hit my supply lines, or he will try to leverage your father. But your father is already under my protection. I had my men move Lenny to a safe house in Wisconsin an hour before the church doors opened."
A wave of intense relief washed over me, so strong my knees weakened. "My father is safe? You didn't leave him behind?"
"I don't leave loose ends, Julia. If Dario could reach your father, he would use him to force you back. Now, Dario has nothing but an empty church and a mountain of useless debt papers."
He turned back to face me, his expression unreadable. "There is a bedroom prepared for you on the third floor. My housekeeper, Maria, will bring you some clothes that don't involve ten yards of white silk. Get changed. Rest. Tonight, the games begin."
The bedroom was massive, decorated in soothing tones of cream and gray, with a balcony that overlooked the lake. Maria, a kind-faced woman with iron-gray hair, brought me a pair of soft silk trousers and a thick cashmere sweater. As I stripped out of the wedding dress, I felt as though I were shedding a skin that had never belonged to me. I washed the heavy makeup from my face and brushed out the tight pins in my hair until it fell naturally around my shoulders.
When I looked in the mirror, I finally recognized myself again. Julia Voss. Not a bride, not a transaction. Just me.
Dinner was served in a smaller dining room on the main floor. Aleandro was already seated, reading through a stack of paper reports. When I entered, he looked up, and for a moment, his hand paused in mid-air. His eyes moved over my casual clothes, my bare face, and the loose waves of my hair.
"Better?" he asked, his voice softer than before.
"Much better," I said, taking a seat across from him. "Thank you for the clothes. And for my father."
"Don't thank me yet. We are in the calm before the storm," he said, setting the papers aside. "Dario has already called an emergency meeting of the Commission for tomorrow night. He is going to accuse me of violating the territorial peace treaty."
"Will they support him?"
"Some will. The older generation doesn't like change, and they don't like me," Aleandro smiled, a dark, confident expression. "But the younger families know that Dario is weak. They know he relies on fear rather than respect. I am going to show them that his fear has no power."
He reached across the table, his large, scarred hand resting near mine. He didn't touch me, but the warmth radiating from him was palpable. "But to do that, Julia, I need you to play a part. Tomorrow night, I am bringing you to the Commission meeting."
I stared at him. "You want to parade me in front of them? Just like Dario did?"
"No," Aleandro said, his eyes locking onto mine with an unshakeable sincerity. "Dario wanted to show you off as a trophy he had bought. I want you to stand beside me as a woman who chose her own destiny. I want them to see that you walked away from him willingly."
"And if I say no?"
Aleandro leaned back in his chair, his hands folding over his chest. "Then you stay here, safe and hidden. I don't force women to do my bidding, Julia. That is Dario’s way. Not mine."
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I looked down at my bare ring finger, where the diamond ring had left a faint, red mark. I had spent my entire life being pushed around by the debts of men, by the expectations of a world I never asked to be part of. For the first time, a man was giving me a choice.
"I'll go," I said, looking back up at him. "Let's show them what Dario Dragna is really worth."
