Page 134 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
“If you’re feeling guilty, don’t,” I say. “You stayed on the sidelines for years to keep me safe. You’ve done everything for me, Dem. Now, I want to see you become don.”
I mean it with all my heart. My brother deserves to win this war, and if there’s anything I can do to help him, I have to consider it.
Smoothing my palms over my jeans, I meet his gaze. “Tell me a bit more about Matteo.”
Dem clenches his jaw and then pulls open a drawer and takes a folio out of it. He hands it to me. “Here’s his file.”
I open it, and the first thing I see is Matteo’s photo. He’s younger than Giorgio, looks like he might be in his mid-twenties. Handsome in a forgettable kind of way. There’s nothing about his face that stands out. Nothing that makes anything inside of me stir.
There isn’t even a hint of what I feel when I look at Giorgio.
God, why am I thinking about him?
Giorgio knew about this. He knew my brother had a marriage proposal for me, and he made peace with it by all accounts.
He chose revenge over me.
Now, I need to make my own peace with everything too. There may never be another man who makes me feel like Giorgio does. What we had was special—a lightning strike to the heart. But I can’t expect lightning to strike twice.
The backs of my eyes prickle as I turn to the next page—Matteo’s biography. I scan it, forgetting what I read as soon as I get to the next word. It doesn’t matter what’s written there.
“What do you think of him?” I ask my brother.
“By all accounts, he seems like a fair and reasonable man. I had Ras talk to just about everyone who’s ever dealt with him, and no one raised any red flags. There’s nothing in his past that suggests he would mistreat you. And if he ever did, I would cut off his balls and stuff them down his throat.”
I snap my gaze off the page. “Jesus.”
Dem shrugs. “It’s the truth. And you don’t need to decide right away. I know it’s a lot to think about.”
Vale’s words from yesterday come back to me. I could have a role to play in my brother’s empire if I’m brave enough to take it.
Is that what I want?
My brother isn’t a businessman, no matter how well he plays that role.
Dem is a criminal. And so was my father. And my mother. My grandparents. Most of my extended family as far back as anyone can remember.
On Ibiza, I thought I could be something else, but doing that would mean leaving Dem behind.
I don’t want to leave my brother. Whoever he is, he’s my only family, and I love him.
And if Dem’s taught me anything, it’s that love is sacrifice. He’s made many sacrifices for me without a single complaint. Without ever making me feel like a burden.
It’s my turn to do the same now.
I close the folder and put it down on his desk. Our eyes meet.
“I’ll marry Matteo.”
CHAPTER34
MARTINA
I leavemy brother’s office in a trance.
Dem told me he’ll give it a few days before he tells the Grassis. I could tell my quick response caught him off guard. He’s afraid I’ll change my mind, but I know I won’t.
It’s done.
