and whom I belonged to was never far; the shadow stared me in the eye at every reflection.
All Lucious Leone Fausti, in looks, in blood, down to the marrow of bone.
The Fausti famiglia were royalty in Italy, the name well known all throughout Europe. Even in America the name was infamous, synonymous with the romantic notion of the Mafia.
Mafia was a simple term for what they stood for. For who they were.
Machiavelli. Medici. Italy’s Southern Octopus, the long-reaching Sicilian Mafia. Along those same lines but combined. The Faustis were one of the world’s largest and most complex criminal enterprises in history.
They owned castles, a king and his queen as the foundation, the influence trickling down into nobles, knights, and serfs. They were a living monarchy, a breathing hierarchy, a camouflaged giant that had been alive for decades.
Fear and respect were two of the most powerful forces behind the influence. The men were gentlemen to the core with a rigid sense of right and wrong, according to their own decree: Our word is as good as our blood. La mia parola è buona quanto il mio sangue.
The dictum still reigns, is still believed in. As well as honor. Retribution comes in return for less than honorable actions.
It’s personal or it’s not. If personal, there were no qualms in stealing the heart from a man’s chest while it still had a beat. This was their signature. La loro cosa.
They didn't condone the abuse of women either. On the contrary, the Fausti men honored their wives as much as their word. Highly valued. Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
If a Fausti man claimed a woman, that woman belonged to him, end of story.
Respect, fear, or both seemed to be in the eye of the beholder, depending on the opinion, depending on how they earned it. Fear or respect were the only two choices given in regards to who they were and what a family of that magnitude could do.
I had escaped their reach by a technicality at seven years old. Or so I assumed.
Luca Fausti’s actions were less than honorable. Killing an innocent woman and her child was not considered honorable actions in the eyes of his father. Therefore, whatever claim the family had on me had been dissolved.
None of this had been confirmed, and I suspected there was more to it than that. Luca’s marriage was one of the many issues on the table. But I had been offered, through Luca, a substantial amount of money.
Bribe money.
I refused to touch it, knowing what it would lead to. Power. Control. His hand over mine, locking me in place. He wasn’t a man accustomed to asking. The fact that I hadn’t given in to him was a testament to my own nature. His.
“You’re not going to tell her.” Mitch shook his head. “We’ll be having this same conversation at your wedding. She has a right to know. That’s a big thing, Fausti. That’s not a family, that’s a lifestyle choice.”
It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t let them get close to her.
Besides, Luca wouldn’t. We had an understanding.
My word is as good as my blood. Eight words that drew an invisible line that couldn’t be crossed. If he went back on his word, his blood would have to be spilled—by me. It also went deeper. It meant shame upon the man. There’s no honor in that.
Sixty seconds. Time’s up. I took a step forward. Mitch stepped in front of me again.
“Forget her mother. Forget Luca. You’re going to break her, man. You are going to break. Beyond repair. Hell, maybe you already have. You can’t go a few minutes without thinking of her. An entire day without seeing her makes you mad in the head. The world isn’t safe when she’s too far from you. So. What?”
He turned toward the door and then turned around to face me again. “You’re going to give her a ring and send her into the world? With what? A fucking reminder?”
I took another step forward. He lifted his arms in surrender, the bags falling to the ground, and stood to the side.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Scarlett
Eleven words that I never foretold using in the same sentence: Brando Fausti is my date for my parents’ annual Christmas party.
To be honest, the truth had me in a tizzy. Tonight, our relationship would be public knowledge. In one way, it thrilled me. In another, the crowd had me on edge.