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“Neither. We’re still negotiating.”
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Michela.”
“Michela,” my brother says, and I dislike the sensual way he says her beautiful name. His voice tells me he likes it, and I dislike that he likes it, making me wish I’d never told him. Which is stupid. I grit my teeth.
“Is she Italian?”
“Mmhm. Michela Trentino.”
“Trentino,” he repeats. “We never did business with the Trentinos, which means we retain neutrality and power.” My brother pauses, and in my mind, I see him leaning forward in his chair as he realizes a critical detail I hadn’t mentioned. “Wait, she’s not a bird, is she?” We call people outside our Order birds.
“She is.”
“Meirde! The birds sing. It’s why they can’t be trusted. Porquoi t’as fais ça?”
“Why did I do it?” I repeat in English. “Because half of the most powerful members of New York’s Order attended the party, and some of them appeared as if they expected me to be there. Franko even summoned Stephania Trivo, whom I made a point to sit my wife next to.” The jewelry heiress’s family is one of the Order’s founding members.
“What was she doing there?”
“I think she came because he’s been feeding their sources lies that I’m with his niece.” Since the Order removes the parasites and the weak, Franko had to show he’s strong. “Everyone came to see for themselves. He knew he couldn’t get me to show up for Isabella’s party unless I thought he’d broken the rules.”
“He drew you into a trap, basically.”
“That’s right.”
“Then you retaliated by taking a wife.”
“Mmhm.”
“Tu n’aurais pas pu trouver un autre moyen?”
“I could’ve found another way, yes. But this was most convenient. Since we have a rebel family in our midst, until Franko is dealt with, the Order needs to remain in control. Marriage sends a clear message of stability.”
“And if you’re married, you’re unavailable.”
“Correct.”
“Essentially, you’ve arranged your own marriage,” Severio concludes. “What are the terms?”
“We’re still negotiating.” Michela and I agreed on a single night of her pretending she’s mine in exchange for my help recovering her car. But once I declared her my wife, the arrangement changed. She’ll soon find out what that means, whether she likes it or not. She won’t like it, but I will make it worth her while.
He pushes on. “What are the current terms?”
I tsk at him. “I said we’re negotiating.”
Silence on the other end, then: “Do you like this girl?”
“I met her last night.”
“That’s not what I asked.” When I don’t gratify him with an answer, he pushes on like a bull seeing red. “Do you have a picture of her?”
“No.”
“Is she pretty?”
“No.”
