"It's not an optimal situation. They feel slighted because you are a woman."
"And a woman can't possibly kill a man, you mean?" I ask sarcastically. Enzo grimly nods.
"You need protection, Lina. Both you and Claudia need protection."
"We have you, right?"
Enzo shakes his head. "It won't be enough. You need someone who will protect you at all times; and someone that they can't cross. As much as it pains me to say... I'm stretched too thin. Between running the famiglia and our businesses, there's also an ongoing conflict with other organizations."
"We could just stay here. Hide here." I add, trying to convince him we can be safe here.
"And if they attack? Who is to say they won't attack when I'm called away to deal with something? It could happen."
"Then what can I do?" I'm trying very hard to hold back the tears. What Enzo is saying... does that mean that we'll never be safe? That we will have to always look over our shoulders? I can't have that for Claudia... even Sacre Coeur is better than that. But the convent is no longer safe now.
"Get married." Enzo drops the bomb on me. My mouth hangs open in shock. Marriage? But who... no one would have me.
"Marriage?"
"Yes. You could get married to a powerful enough man that would ensure both your safety and that of your daughter."
"But... Enzo, surely you know that no one will have me. I'm damaged goods." I drop my volume at the last words, ashamed of myself.
"Don't say that. Lina... never say that again. You are not damaged goods." He reprimands, and I turn my head, not wanting to see his reaction.
"Who will have me, Enzo?"
"Someone will. In fact, just a few days ago he came over to see me regarding an alliance. He would never say no to you." Enzo says confidently, but I can't help but be skeptical. Surely once that man realizes who I am... and that I have a daughter, he will no doubt back down.
"Who is it?" I ask. Before Enzo even tells me his name, I make a vow to myself. Whoever it is, as long as he accepts me and my daughter, I will also accept him, and do my duty as a wife.
Enzo purses his lips. "Marcello Lastra."
My eyes widen and I gasp when I hear the name.
"Sisi's brother?" Enzo nods.
"If the situation wasn't this dire, I would have never given you to him. Trust me on this, Lina. But right now, I fear he might be our only chance."
The good-looking man...
"Do you have anything against him?" I ask, almost hesitantly. Appearance wise, Marcello Lastra was handsome, maybe even too handsome.
"There's something off with him... I can't put my finger on it. He asked for your hand before, you know. I never approved of him, but father was ready to marry you off."
"What?" I'm shocked at that piece of information. "Marcello asked to marry me? When?"
"A little while before the incident." Enzo says, looking extremely uncomfortable bringing that up. "Of course, it never came to pass because of that. After, his father died and Marcello just disappeared."
"I didn't know that." I add slowly, trying to digest this. Marcello had wanted to marry me? A foreign feeling of warmth was developing in my stomach. Maybe... maybe not all is lost. Just thinking about that glimpse I'd had of him, and how much I'd liked him...
"I'll marry him." I say, maybe too fast. "For Claudia." I amend. And for me.
Enzo sighs. "I really didn't want it to come down to this. But... I'll call him. Have him come for a meeting."
A WHILE LATER, WHEN Enzo informed me that Marcello would come for a meeting tomorrow, I barely kept a straight face. I nodded, thanked him, and ran to my room.
I have to admit to myself that I'm entirely too giddy at the prospect of meeting him in the flesh... talking to him. It will be like a scene from my dreams. He'll even kiss me...
My hand goes to my lips, and I sigh. I don't want to think about what comes after kissing. Not now, when I am so happy at the idea of marrying someone—a handsome someone.
But what if he doesn't like me? The thought suddenly makes me pause. What if... Yeah, he wanted to marry me, but that was over a decade ago? I was an untouched young woman back then. Now... I come with baggage; emotional and physical. I'll just have to be extremely honest from the offset. Let him know everything about me. Then, he can decide if he wants to marry me or not. Decision made; I already feel a little lighter. I'm still worried that he will not want me, maybe because I want him so much. I know I am projecting as I don't know the guy. But my attraction to him had been so sudden and so surprising that it had left a mark on me. Then, I'd used all the information I had on him to create this ideal person who would sometimes visit me in my dreams.
I groan out loud, internally cringing at my behavior. I need to stop. Whatever happens, happens. I need to worry about my daughter, not about some man that I don't even know.
Claudia seems to like that we've left Sacre Coeur, she keeps on raving about all the things in the house she's never seen before—especially the technological stuff. When Lucca had shown her his toys, she'd been in awe. I felt bad because I'd never been able to give her something like that. But there is still time, right?
The only thing that seems to be a problem is the fact that Claudia is missing Sisi something fierce. Then the thought occurs to me. What if I can convince her brother to get her out of there too? She could live with us... if he accepts me, that is.
I don't think Sisi's ever wanted to be a nun; she certainly doesn't have an inclination for it. But she's never known anything else. Raised by nuns since birth, that's all she's ever known. I've noticed multiple times how she tries to convince herself that taking her vows is what she's meant to be doing, because deep down she doesn't dare hope that there can be anything else for her. With everything that's happened in the last week, I hope I can put in a word for her. I just can't let her waste away at Sacre Coeur.
The next morning, I head early to the kitchen for a cup of tea. My nerves are killing me. I'd like to think that everyone in my position—with danger looming over our head—would be this anxious. I settle on Valerian for my nerves. I'm at the kitchen table, enjoying the tea, when a woman saunters in, her makeup smudged all over her face, her clothes in disarray.
"And you are?" She stops in her tracks at the sight of me, her eyes narrowing. I'm about to answer, but she just goes ahead with her tirade.
"I can't believe this! He's now bringing his whores home." She plants herself in front of me and studies me from head to toe. Her lips curl in disgust. "It seems his type changed too." She tips my head with her finger.
"You got it wrong." I move out of her reach. "I'm Enzo's sister," I try to explain, although it's odd that she wouldn't recognize me. We'd met a few times in the past. "Catalina."
She frowns for a second before she laughs. "That's simply great! He's into incest now? I should have realized." She mumbles some more before stumbling out of the kitchen, throwing her shoes around on her way out.
Good Lord, how is that Enzo's wife? And where was she that she came home looking like that? When Enzo comes down, a while later, I mention what happened, but he just shakes his head.