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Mancini slowly tilts his head toward Enzo and looks between the two of us before settling his eyes on me. Raising a brow, I encourage him to answer the question.
He lets out a long breath before speaking again. “The reason I wasn’t able to meet the other night is because I met up with a woman I fell in love with over twenty years ago.” He pauses, the frown on his face lengthening. “And I was informed yesterday that she disappeared.”
“Excuse me?” Not exactly what I was expecting to hear. What the hell has he gotten himself into?
Releasing a long, drawn-out breath, Mancini stretches his neck from side to side, the joints cracking. I rest my elbows on my desk and clasp my hands together as I wait, eager to hear what he has to say.
“Before my marriage to Elena was arranged by our fathers, I fell in love with a woman. She wasn’t from our world. She was innocent. Pure. Undeserving of the dark lives we lead, but that didn’t keep me from falling in love with her.”
Mancini stares at my desk, and a slight smile forms on his face while he speaks about her, giving him a sort of boyish charm.
“I ended things with her upon the announcement of Elena’s and my engagement,” he says, the smile falling off his face. “I knew if our fathers found out about her, they would have her killed.”
Releasing a shaky breath, he continues. “She tried reaching out to me a few times, but I cut off ties with her completely. I didn’t want to risk anything happening to her because of my own selfishness of wanting to see her again. I did, however, send one of my men.” He nods to Fausto.
“One of my most trustworthy men. One I knew wasn’t under my father’s thumb or the influence of the Silvestris. I bought her a condo where she lived for a couple of years so I knew exactly where to send him.”
He speaks of the Silvestris as if he doesn’t like them, but that doesn’t make sense. They’ve been in business together for over two decades. Why would he do that if he didn’t want the alliance?
Mancini shifts as he glances down, switching which leg is crossed over the other. Once he brings his gaze back up to mine, the slight glisten in his eyes doesn’t go unnoticed. He must’ve truly cared about this woman. Enough to get choked up, which is not what I was expecting.
“I told him to tell her whatever he needed to, to get her to move. I didn’t care what it was, I just needed her to get out of New York City. . . and she did. I had Fausto keep tabs on her condo in case she ever decided to come back. Twenty-threeyears later, she’s made her appearance again.” He pauses, and his Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows hard. “And I made the mistake of meeting up with her.”
So, he blames himself for her disappearance.
“There are things you don’t know, Matteo. Things I don’t have time to explain. Things Ican’texplain. But I need you to do something I know you’d never expect to have to do. Something men in our worlddon’tdo easily.”
“Spit it out, Mancini.” I’m growing impatient, especially when whatever he has to say affects me.
“I need you to trust me.”
Enzo bursts out laughing as my glare hardens on Mancini. “Well, he wasn’t wrong when he prefacedthatstatement,” he mutters before silencing himself again.
“Upon learning about Char’s disappearance, I did some research. I know she has a daughter. Atwenty-two-year-olddaughter named Luxtyn Stockwell.”
I shrug. “Could be a coincidence.”
“I doubt that. The timing lines up perfectly. Char wasn’t with anyone else while she was with me.”
Smirking, I say, “Maybe you weren’t cutting it for her, Mancini.”
“The girl is mine, DiMaggio, and I need you to protect her.” His hands form fists on the arm rests.
“Oh, hell, here we go,” Enzo grumbles.
“The contract says?—”
“Oh, fuck the contract,” Enzo belts out before turning his attention to me and lowering his voice. “This is a damn joke, Teo. We can figure something else out. We don’t need Mancini.”
There is no other choice. I have to marry a Mancini. Everything we’ve actively worked toward since I took over after ourparents’ murders is finally coming to fruition.Thiswill not deter me.
Mancini’s forehead creases as he fidgets with his fingers.
I peer into his sunken-in dark eyes, as if he’s had no sleep in days. He really believes what he’s saying is true, but why does she need protection, and why does he need it from me?
“I’m going to need physical evidence that this girl you speak of is yours.”
“Teo,” Enzo warns, as if that’ll deter me from doing what I need to do for our family.
