Page 66 of The Mafia’s Girlfriend

I groaned, stomping away only to whirl back at him.

“Yes! Yes, it does.” I shoved my hair back from my to face him fully. “The Rossinis. Of all the people in the world...” I licked my lips, regretting that I had to give him this lesson now. “The Rossinis are old enemies of the Giordinos.”

He furrowed his brow. “Which implicates me”—I stabbed my finger at my chest—“me, Emmalina Giordino!” I squeezed my eyes shut, at a loss that this could’ve happened.

“What?”

“Yes. I wanted to explain. Somehow. Sometime. This happened so quickly between us and I—” I slashed my hand through the air. “I don’t know. Fuck it. There is no excuse. I should’ve told you my last name and let you know that I’m under the protection of the Giordino family. That my father is the boss of the family.”

He dragged his hand over his face. “Yes. You should’ve fucking told me. Especially when I was fighting back Marchese men for you.”

I sobbed, hanging my head low. “Yes. I’m sorry. Especially when the Marchese men were bothering me.”

He sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around me.

I leaned into his familiar, comforting heat.

“The Rossinis, Giordinos, and Marcheses. They are the three families who rule here.”

Saying this out loud drove in the horror of what I’d unknowingly done. By sleeping with Luke, I broke many loyalties. All I wanted to do was live a little. To enjoy my life before I was stuck with Antonio. I dreamed of finding some iota of love and control before the opportunities to do so were taken from me in a marriage I didn’t want.

But I never intended to achieve any of that by sleeping with Antonio’s enemy—one he didn’t even know he had. The one that no one ever knew about.

“Luke.” I reached up to put my hand on his face.

He leaned down to kiss me, fiercely, unafraid to stay with me.

He should be. “If you knew what was good for you, you’d be running. Not kissing me.”

He rolled his eyes and lifted me to kiss me harder. “Don’t tell me you’re going to give me that same shit Jimmy tried to sell. I’m not leaving you.”

Taking my hand, he led me to walk with him.

I walked, hurrying to keep up with his long strides through the rain. “You have to.”

“Why? Give me one fucking reason why I should consider it.” He glowered at me. “I love you, Emma. Nothing’s going to change my mind.”

“Because you’re dead if you don’t.” I cringed. “Oh, shit. Your mom.”

“What about her?”

“She’ll be vulnerable too. She’d be collateral damage if someone tries to take you out.”

“I’d dare them to fucking try.”

I shook my head. “Luke, this is serious.”

“I’m serious, too.”

“I’m not talking about a fight,” I said, not trying to hide the panic clawing at me inside out. “I’m talking about a hit placed on you for sleeping with me when I belong to Antonio.”

He stopped short a few houses from his apartment building. Narrowing his eyes, he turned to slowly face me. “What did you say?”

“Antonio Marchese.”

“You’re engaged to him?” He lifted my hand, seeing that I wore no ring.

“No. Yes. Not yet.”