Page 136 of The Mafia King's Reign
"It's complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it for me." She steps in front of me, forcing me to meet her eyes. "Tell me what you're going to do."
I see the fear there, but also something fiercer. She's not backing down. She never backs down.
"Look," she says, her voice steadying. "Can I make you a deal? If you let my father go, I will stay. I won't question anything that you do. I will be a good wife. I will do everything you ask. But you have to let him leave."
My chest aches. "I'm sorry. I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because your father is a traitor."
The word hangs between us, heavy and damning.
"Was your father a good man?" She asks quietly.
"He was… Giovanni Vitale.” I take a step closer. “He was… a mafia Don. A King. He was good at what he was. To me… he was magnificent. Do you? He was probably a monster. So, good is subjective, wouldn’t you say?”
“No. There’s good, there’s bad, and then there’s evil.”
“Which of these do you think your father is?” I ask her.
“Which was yours?” She retorts. “Which one… Salvatore, are you?”
I don’t answer her because the truth is, I don’t know which one I am.
She takes both of my hands, standing so close she has to look up to meet my gaze.
"Salvatore, you say you love me. How can you love me if you take away such a major part of who I am?" Her voice breaks. "Please. Promise me you won't hurt my dad."
The words tear at something deep inside me. I want to give her what she's asking for. I want to be the man she needs me to be.
But I can't make promises I might not be able to keep.
"I'm sorry," my voice softens. "I can't make that promise."
“You can’t, or you won’t? You can’t just keep taking people’s lives, Salvatore, that’s not something you get to decide. You are not God.”
“But I am King. Your King, Valentina, and as my queen,” I start but she interrupts.
"No, not as your queen! If you don't let my father go, I will not marry you!"
"You don't have a choice,” I say my voice much too loud and with too much authority for Valentina. I lower my voice and close the space that she has made between us. I softly lift her chine to meet my gaze once again, “You will be my wife, Valentina. Even if I have to carry you to that fucking altar."
“Well, that’s what you’re going to have to do!”
She closes her eyes, and tears roll down her face. "I thought we could have something real. That maybe you were more than a monster."
The word hits like a blade between my ribs.
"You thought wrong."
She reaches up and shoves my hand from her chin and quickly starts walking away without another word.
“Where are you going?” I ask softer but she ignores me.
“Valentina?” I call after her, but she slams the door louder than I’d ever heard my door slam before, and then she’s gone. I walk to the door and open it, trying to figure out what the fuck to do, and I hear then the distant slam of her bedroom door.
