mayor. I couldn’t have you causing a war before we spoke.”
And there it is. Confirmation that he bent the knee as a tactic, a ploy to keep me quiet.
Raphael puts his untouched drink down on the nearest table and turns to the men.
“Leave us.”
For a moment, no one moves, not even his cousin Cristian.
“Are you forgetting you surrendered to the Camarco’s? No one in this room, not even your cousin, works for you.” Trey clarifies, taking great pleasure in being above Raphael, even if it’s briefly, until Raphael shows his true intentions.
“Leave us,” I say, and every man shuffles out without having to be told again. That brings me pleasure. Trey is last to leave, facing me as he closes the door. I know what he’s thinking, but I dismiss him and pour another drink.
“You were questioning my actions tonight?” he drawls, his voice growing close behind me.
“Do you blame me? You did try to kill me. Blow me up, to be precise.”
Fire and burning bones. A small shudder runs down my spine thinking of Father Luke’s vision, and how close it was to coming true.
“Not you! I ordered Trey to be killed, but never you. I killed the messenger because he was gleeful when he said you were in the car as well.”
Sceptical is a far lesser word to describe how I feel in this moment.
“You bent the knee to shut me up. Don’t you dare deny it.”
“I bent the knee because I’ve prayed every day and every night since your death that I’d do anything if He brought you back to me. The Marocchi’s are no longer your enemy. I’ll make it official by sunrise.”
Closing the distance between us, I struggle to move, to keep space between us. He cups my cheek and looks down to my lips, causing the air to lodge in my throat.
“I am at your mercy, as well as your command.”
“How am I meant to trust you?”
A soft sigh passes through his lips as he swipes his thumb across my cheekbone.
“Hand in hand, they will rise. The Camarco’s and the Marocchi’s will stand together and deal with this new threat to our city.”
“And when we’ve dealt with this problem, what happens then?”
He smiles. “My Mila, a new day will begin, and our city will thrive.”
Why do I believe him? This man who tricked me into loving him, trusting him. The man who had me willing to follow him into a fight between two families, who’s had people closest to me killed in the most horrific ways. Yet there’s something different in his eyes when I watch him speak.
However, I’m not stupid. I step away from him, forcing myself to not jump into this truce so fast. He’s proven nothing of his vows.
“I’ll meet you at the church after morning prayer. We’ll start by introducing myself properly to DiMarco.”
“You haven’t met him before now?”
“I have, but he met the version of me I put on for the mayor. Tomorrow, he’ll meet the real me.”
He stands there, unmoving, staring at me like I’m truly a ghost.
“It’s late. You should go.”
Reaching out for my hand, he places a kiss along my knuckles.
Yanking my hand back, I step away, out of his reach.
“It’s agreed, then. We work together to bring down the DiMarco’s?” he asks.
“No. You need to assure me that your vow was genuine. You work for me, not with me.”
I expect him to throw his weight around, but the corner of his mouth quirks up.
“Of course. Until tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Raphael
Mila’s guards watch us closely as Cristian and I walk through the house and out to the car. Cristian’s sigh of relief tells me he’s glad to be leaving, but I feel like I’m leaving something behind.
A new strength washes over me, and I find I’m breathing easier again. It’s her. She’s my reason to breathe.
In the back of the car as we drive out of the Camarco estate, I order, “Spread the word through our men the truce is real and will be upheld. Mila will do the same.”
“I saw your face when she walked in tonight to the mansion. Are you finally going to admit you’re in love with her?”
Glancing over at my cousin, the one man who has stood by my side since we were boys, I finally admit, “I never stopped. I’ve been in love with her all my life and didn’t know it until I first laid eyes on her.”
“Everything we once knew is about to change. Do you think our men are