Meet the characters:
Niccolo is the consigliere of a very dangerous family, Il Destino. He is devoted to his capo, Alessio Cassini, and to the men that serve them. He is used to the horrors that can befall the family but having Valentina taken and almost killed was enough to jolt him into making a change.
Valentina is rocked when she’s taken by the enemy. She’s forced to watch her friend die a horrid death and knew she was next, if not for the courageous attempt at saving her life. She’s a woman lost and can’t seem to find her way back. The only man to give her solace is Niccolo, but why would he want a bird with a broken wing?
Niccolo has given her time to settle but Valentina only seems to be getting worse. It’s time to step in and protect what’s his.
Feel the passion:
“Everyone will be watching me, searching for a chink in my armor, waiting for me to screw up. You know as well as I do that the men will be whispering about how unfortunate you are to marry me, a woman so damaged that Alessio forced you into it.” I open my mouth to interrupt, but she raises her hand. “And the women are worse. Even if I look perfect, they’ll make something up just to create some drama.” Her voice rises as her temper flares, and she’s more magnificent than ever.
“Calm down, la mia piccola tigre. We can handle it. First off, if they so much as whisper your name in anything other than a compliment, I’ll remove their tongues and have them mounted on my wall as a lesson to others to think before they speak.”
“You can’t do that,” she says with a loud gasp. “People talk. You can’t go around severing tongues on a daily basis.”
“The other option is that we ignore the whispers,” I say calmly, thinking that she wouldn’t want me to start maiming people. “What do you care what they say?”
“I’m marrying the consigliere of Il Destino. They’re going to expect me to stand by Josie and rise to the occasion. I represent you. What if I fail?” She plops herself down into a chair, looking defeated.
“You won’t. I know this because you’re a strong woman.”
“I thought I was too. But then everything changed. They broke me. I begged them to stop. I pleaded for my life, and they laughed at me.” Her voice trembles as she says, “They laughed at me. They taunted me. Rape, dismemberment, selling me into slavery. I knew I was going to die, and still I begged. We’re not supposed to plead for our lives. That shows weakness. I was weak.” Valentina finally breaks down. I raise her from the chair, take her spot, and gather her in my arms on my lap.
The torture the Red Dragons endured wasn’t enough. I need to tread cautiously with her emotional state. When her sobs finally begin to subside, I notice Julian in the doorway. I shake my head and watch him move away from the door.
“Our guests will respect our wishes. Whether this is a small or large wedding, we’ll see it through together.” She shifts on my lap and gathers herself as I say, “I’ll be right by your side. You’re not alone. I can guarantee that your family, Alessio and Josie, and my family will support you in whatever you need them to.”
“I’ll try not to let you down,” she says, taking a deep breath and collecting herself. I help her to her feet and rise with her. She wipes her tears. “Am I a mess?”
“Never,” I reply. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do it just the same: I drop my lips to hers. A soft touch, yet it’s etched in my mind forever.
Leaves you wanting more:
Under the circumstances, I’m grateful that Niccolo was never more than a few feet away from me. As the evening progressed, even Alessio relaxed, but he also didn’t let his wife too far out of his sight. I met Reno’s wife, Anna, and she is not at all what I expected. She’s so down to earth and sweet. I could see us being great friends given the opportunity. Josie speaks highly of Anna, and I can see that Anna is genuine. Marco’s wife, Gloria, is a charming woman and just who I would have imagined Marco would marry. They’ve been together over thirty years.
In our world, women marry to advance their position or their family’s status, and most of the time they have no say about to whom they’re promised. It’s been said that Marco married for love, and although he’s not outwardly demonstrative with his affections, I can see that his wife is very content to sit by his side.
From the meal to the music, the evening is moving along without a hitch. Then the crowd begins to chant, “Bacio, bacio.” Niccolo rises to his feet, bringing me along with him. He bends me back over his arm and kisses me hard and fast, forcing me to cling to his shoulders. His lips drift over mine, and I succumb to the taste of his mouth, molding my body to his. I don’t want him to stop, yet it’s over as quickly as it started. Thank goodness, Niccolo didn’t let me go and kept a solid hold on me as he guided me to the center of the dance floor for our first dance as husband and wife.
“When I Fall in Love” by Nat King Cole begins to play, and Niccolo sways in time with the music, moving me along with him.
“Thank you for making this day special, in spite of how it began,” I tell him.
Niccolo looks into my eyes and grins. “What happened this morning won’t happen again. I won’t leave you alone. Whether it’s me or one of my men, someone will be with you at all times. I don’t want you out on your own. From this moment on, it’s my job to protect you.”
“I don’t think he wanted to hurt me.”
“You’re right. He didn’t, but knowing that he was able to get to you is going to haunt me for days to come.” He places a light kiss on my forehead. “Never again.”
I think it’s prudent to agree, “Okay. I believe you.” The song ends much too quickly, but Alessio claims his dance as capo, and Niccolo dances with Josie. I get through all the traditional dances, even though my feet are about to fall off, they hurt so badly.
When Niccolo announces that we’re making our exit, a mix of apprehension and excitement runs through me. It’s our first night together, and I’m unsure of myself. I’m not stupid or naïve. I understand what happens on a wedding night. A blip of anxiety hits my belly as I recall Lixin Li and how he taunted me with the threat of rape by both him and his men. The conditions were horrible, and I was freezing all the time. I knew I was sick. I remember hearing my teeth chatter from the cold of the basement’s cement floor. I was praying I would die before they decided to follow through with their threats. I’m sure that was exactly what would have happened if Alessio and Niccolo hadn’t come for me.
Instead, I’m walking hand in hand as my new husband guides me to our car and our new home.
