Page 47 of Lucian

Dante huffed. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Yes it is.”

Lucian shook his head, sadness creeping into his usually calm demeanor. His next words were spoken swiftly and in Italian, effectively ending the conversation when he finished.

Oddly, Jordyn knew they were talking about her and the situation Lucian had taken her from, and was now dealing with because of doing so. It was awkward enough that she was standing right there to hear it, and nobody seemed to mind. She didn’t like the thought of him being at odds with his family, especially his father, over her.

“Come on.” Lucian tugged on Jordyn’s hand, drawing her from her thoughts.

It was only then Jordyn noticed Dante was escorting Cecelia into the church’s front entrance.

“I’m sorry,” Jordyn said, keeping Lucian at her side instead of following behind with the others.

“Don’t be. And don’t concern yourself with our nonsense.”

“But it’s about me,” she argued.

Lucian smirked. “Trust me, sweetheart, this is about more than just you. This is years of things piled up on us brothers. It’s just not being ignored anymore. It’s being shoved in everyone’s faces, now.”

Jordyn tried to remember some of things he had explained regarding his family, the structure, and the mafia business it revolved around. A lot of their personal lives intertwined with the rules and expectations of the Cosa Nostra lifestyle. If she’d understood his explanations correctly, Lucian wasn’t at the spot he was supposed to be, given he was the eldest child.

“Aren’t you the oldest son?” she asked quietly.

Lucian nodded. “But, Dante is Antony’s firstborn biological son. Things would be different if my father hadn’t died, maybe. Then again, I was his mistress’s child. If his wife had given him children, they would have been given more control than me.”

“What did you mean that it’s different for him?”

“Dante?” When she nodded, Lucian sighed. “He has to marry Italian, or at the very least, she has to have strong Sicilian ties in her bloodline. A girl our father approves of entirely, preferably from a family similar to ours. It certainly doesn’t have to be because he loves her, but because it’s required for him to take over. Dante’s time is running out to find someone who suits him because he wants her, not because she was picked for him, and he knows it.”

“Like your biological father,” Jordyn said.

“Yeah and that ended terribly for both sides.”

“What happens if times runs out?”

Lucian glanced away, clearly bothered by the question. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I think it does, and you don’t want to tell me because it matters. What happens, Lucian?”

“The Commission makes the final decisions regarding bosses. The Commission itself is something best explained on another day, but regardless, it helps that the Marcello family dominates the board, essentially.”

“And?” Jordyn pressed.

“If Dante doesn’t suit their requirements, they’ll pick the next best choice. They prefer to keep it in the family. It couldn’t be Gio. He’s too young and much too unstable. He doesn’t want to be boss, anyway. I don’t want it, either, frankly.”

The unsaid but was as clear as day.

“But you’re the next best choice.”

“Yes,” Lucian admitted.

“And I’m not acceptable,” Jordyn whispered. “We’re not even … It’s not like we’re skipping off to get married, Lucian. This shouldn’t be a big deal.”

“I don’t think you understand, sweetheart. Bringing you here, being seen with me and my family, this is as good as going public in our world. Now, they have expectations. And I’m fine with it.”

Jordyn didn’t like the sound of that. “What if I’m not?”

“Does it bother you?” he asked.