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As Dante disappeared beneath the clouds, I realised that however much I was going to miss him, I felt so much better than I had this morning.

And I also knew my answer to his proposal was going to be a big fat yes.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Three weeks later

Evie

‘You don’t have to go through with this, Evie…’

My gaze connected with my sister’s in the dressing room mirror. Her eyes were full of the worry I’d been dealing with for three weeks, every time the subject of my marriage to Dante resurfaced—which was a lot.

‘It’s my wedding day today, Mia,’ I said, looking back at my reflection, and the stunning wedding gown I was wearing for the occasion. The elegant white satin creation had been handmade for me in Milan, after Vito had insisted Mia and I take an all-expenses paid shopping spree to buy a trousseau and prepare me for my new position as Dante’s wife in New York.

In the past week, as the preparations for the wedding on Isla Donna had gone full steam ahead, I’d been beyond excited. Mia, not so much. In fact, she was still trying to persuade me to call it all off.

I held onto my frustration, buoyed by the prospect of seeing Dante again in less than an hour. I’d hardly slept in the past three weeks without his arms around me, which had convinced me I had made the right choice. I wanted to help re-establish the bond between the two brothers but, more than that, I wanted to give my relationship with Dante a chance. I understood this marriage wasn’t built on love—or not as far as Dante was concerned. But how could my heart feel so light, or I be so excited at the prospect of seeing him again, living with him, if this wasn’t love for me?

Of course, Mia had been furious with Vito when she’d heard he had not immediately said no to Dante’s proposal. And had used every weapon in her arsenal to stop me accepting it.

I knew there had been a lot of arguments between her and her husband. Because Mia had told me about them… She’d insisted her marriage to Vito was fairly unique, because a Mafia marriage was rarely based on love or even commitment, and was generally made to secure a deal, or a family alliance.

She’d stressed I wasn’t beholden to either her or Vito, and I shouldn’t feel pressured into marrying a man who she considered to be dangerous and ruthless and not capable of love.

I sighed. She hadn’t believed me when I’d told her Dante was not just a ruthless kidnapper, that I hadn’t lost my mind by agreeing to marry him, and that I was doing it for myself as much as Vito, or Dante.

Mia had always been my fiercest protector, but I was getting increasingly annoyed with her refusal to respect my decisions about my own life.

I turned from the mirror and grasped her hands in mine. ‘Mia, you have to stop freaking out about this. I know Dante better than you do, OK…’

‘Just because you’ve slept with him doesn’t mean you know him, Evie. For God’s sake, he didn’t propose marriage to become a loving husband,’ she countered, sounding exasperated with me now. ‘He probably won’t even be faithful to you. This is a business deal for him, first and foremost, and you need to understand that…’

‘I do understand that…’ I snapped, my temper starting to bite. ‘Because you keep telling me I’m not enough to keep him interested. That he could never love me.’ I let go of her hands, the last of my patience deserting me. Her superior tone and that pitying look, as if I was too stupid to know my own mind, my own heart, made me feel like that little girl again who had never had the guts to make a decision for herself. ‘Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Why can’t you be happy for me? Why can’t you respect my decision? I want him. And he wants me. However ruthless and dangerous he is, I also know he cares about me, that he sees me, not just who I was when I was twelve.’

‘Please, Evie, don’t be angry with me…’ she said, her face ashen. ‘This isn’t about you. You’re compassionate and kind and open and generous and so full of life and hope. You’re also tenacious and strong and smart… I just don’t want to see him destroy that.’

‘Vito thinks I can handle this,’ I shot back. ‘That I can make this work.’

‘Vito shouldn’t have involved you,’ she replied wearily.

‘I was involved the minute I got kidnapped, Mia. And I had to fend for myself,’ I said, wanting her to finally see who I was now. Not that scared pre-teen who had let her do all the heavy lifting when our mum had pissed off. Or even the sheltered girl who had been too terrified to fight back when Dante had kidnapped me. But the woman I had become in the short space of time I’d been with him. ‘I’m not scared of him, Mia. I know he’s ruthless. But I trust him. He didn’t hurt me, when he could have. He protected me. He even took a bullet for me. Just like Vito did with you…’

Mia swiped away the tear on her cheek. ‘OK…’ she murmured, even though I could see she still wasn’t convinced. ‘I guess there’s nothing I can say that will change your mind.’

‘No, there isn’t,’ I said, determined to keep my own doubts on lockdown.

Yes, there would be battles ahead. Dante wasn’t an easy man. He was moody and emotionally closed off. Something I’d discovered after living with him for a week. But at least I had some inkling of why now, after I’d badgered Vito for details about his past.

Vito had finally told me that Dante had been thrown out of the Rocco family as a boy of eight and left to fend for himself with a mother who had turned to drugs and alcohol to alleviate her heartache. I also knew he’d fought his way to the top of the Malvini gang—which had to explain all the scars on his body, the marks of a life that had been a great deal tougher than mine. He was a hard person because he’d had to be. I’d been shocked to discover he was only twenty-eight, a mere eight years older than I was, because he seemed so much older than me in life experience. But I had to believe I was right and there was another man beneath that hard exterior, a man who could love me, if he was given the chance.

Mia nodded, and I felt a surge of satisfaction. Finally, my sister was going to stop trying to change my mind.

‘OK, Evie…’ She brushed unsteady hands down the beautiful purple velvet maid of honour gown we’d chosen together in Milan, even though she’d been trying to persuade me to call off the wedding in the changing room. ‘But will you promise me one thing…’

I nodded, steeling myself for another argument, but instead she grasped my fingers.

‘If you ever need my help… If things with Dante don’t turn out the way you hope… If he hurts you…’