SILENT VOWS

5

Three days later, we sat down to lunch with Edoardo Genovese and his brother Enzo, who was the boss of the Lucciano family and the head of the Italian Commission. Jimmy had spoken to them after the funeral, and to my astonishment, they’d agreed to consider our proposal. I hadn’t expected much to come of his idea. What incentive could the Italians possibly have to enter such an arrangement? Yet they got back to us a day later and asked for a meeting. I was still struggling to grasp the implications.

“Gentlemen,” Jimmy greeted when they joined us. “We’re honored to have you at our table. I wasn’t sure how our proposal would be received, so today is a very pleasant surprise. Edoardo, I know you’ve met my nephew, Conner, but I’m not sure Enzo has been introduced.”

I stood and shook hands with both Genovese men. “It’s a pleasure.”

Enzo nodded. “You’ve given my sister-in-law such peace by agreeing to meet with her. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you. I won’t forget what you’ve done for her. As for lunch today, we’re always pleased to sit down with honorable men such as yourselves.”

“You’re willing to meet with us,” Jimmy pointed out somewhat coyly. “But does that mean you’re actually entertaining the arrangement I’ve proposed?”

Enzo held back his response until after the server had taken our orders. We’d chosen an independent restaurant in neutral territory to ensure we were all on equal footing, but that meant being cautious about what was said near outsiders.

“We are, in fact, very interested in your proposal. We’ve done our best to keep it quiet, so you may or may not have heard, but the Sonora Cartel has recently given us trouble in the city.”

Jimmy and I exchanged a surprised glance. We’d heard nothing about the cartels advancing into the East Coast but could only imagine the chaos that might ignite.

Enzo continued. “We dealt with the gentlemen giving us the most problems, but there is no guarantee that whoever comes to power next won’t continue the charge into our city. Edoardo and I have talked it over and decided a broader network of associates could only benefit us. In addition”—his gaze locked with mine—“we want Conner to know that he has family on both sides of this table.”

Well, I’ll be damned.

I hadn’t expected that. Italians were notorious for their strict delineation between Italians and outsiders. I was illegitimate with no clue who my father was and raised among the Irish, so the last thing I had expected was for the Genoveses to call me one of their own. My birth mother wanting to meet me was entirely different from these men accepting me into the family.

“You do me a great honor,” I forced past my shock.

Enzo smiled. “Well, then. If we’re all agreed, let’s talk particulars. “I’ve spoken to the other bosses and compiled a short list of possible matches for you to consider. We only included women of respectable rank and suitable situation.” He gestured to his brother, who extracted several sheets of paper from a leather portfolio and handed them to me.

My stomach clenched as reality set in that this outlandish idea was actually moving forward. A part of me had been certain nothing would come of our lunch, so I hadn’t worried about the outcome. My gut churned as I scanned through grainy color photographs printed on standard printer paper. Next to each was a list of background and basic information. I felt like I was picking out a used car, not a bride.

Was I actually considering this? Would I bind myself to some Italian Mafia princess I’d never even met?

Jesus Christ.

I scanned each page with unseeing eyes, too busy keeping myself calm to register the faces before me until the very last page. I paused to take in the striking image of a young woman peering over her shoulder at the camera. All the women had been attractive, but something about this one captured my attention. I couldn’t say exactly why. It was an intangible quality. The piercing way she looked at the camera as though she could see right through it.

“You’ll want to take that last one out of contention,” Edoardo offered. “She never should have been in the pile.”

“She in a relationship or something?” I asked.

“No, she was in a car accident six months ago. Her mother was killed in the wreck, and Noemi’s vocal cords were damaged. She’s mute and, from what I hear, pretty traumatized. No clue why her father nominated her. She’s hardly been seen outside of her house since it happened.”

Mute. Now that was even more intriguing. The sheet listed her age at twenty, a full eight years younger than me—a sizable gap but not insurmountable.

“She scarred or have other physical damage?”

“Not that I know of,” Edoardo mused.

Just how traumatized was this girl? I wasn’t interested in taking on drama, but the prospect of a silent wife bore merit. I could lead my life as I wanted without nagging or disruption and allow her to do the same. For the first time since Jimmy had uttered the word alliance, I began to see hope.

“I want to know more,” I murmured, eyes still glued to the page.

“Is that really what you want?” Enzo asked in a wary tone.

I lay down the pages and leveled him with an even stare. “I won’t know until I meet her, but she’s a beautiful woman, and something tells me we might work well together. If her father has consented, and she’s volunteered herself, I see no problem pursuing the match.”

“Very well.” Enzo dropped his chin in a subtle bow. “I’ll have more information to you by the end of the day.”

I took my freshly filled wineglass in hand and held it aloft. “To a lasting alliance, gentlemen, and a new era of prosperity.”

And to Noemi Mancini, prepare yourself. Life as you know it is about to change.