When She Falls (The Fallen, #3)(58)

My father glowers at me, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line. He’s angry. Maybe he didn’t think Rafaele would tell me the truth.

“They’re looking to send me away for life. Rafaele has an in with the DA. If the indictment comes, he will make it go away. I’ll remain the don for a maximum of five years before handing the reins over to him.”

My vision narrows, and darkness seeps in. Unbelievable. This is fucking unbelievable.

This isn’t about protecting my family.

It’s about protecting him.

Papà’s using all of us—me, Vince, our family—to save his own skin.

“You told me our family was in danger,” I whisper.

“There’s always danger. Always someone vying to take what’s ours.”

“But there is no concrete threat, is there? You made it sound like the other families have been foaming at the mouth to come after us after the Riccis. You lied.”

Papà’s gaze is hard and unapologetic. “If I’m put behind bars tomorrow, Gemma, this family won’t have anyone capable of leading them. This plan ensures that we’re not plunged into chaos. It is a good thing. Everything I do, everything I’ve done, has always been in the best interests of our clan.”

Liar.

My chest constricts. There’s not enough air in this damn room.

I feel like I’m going to burst.

Nero draws everyone’s attention by clearing his throat. “Let’s all take a breath, shall we? I can see that this is quite a surprise.”

“No shit,” Cleo spits out.

Nero shoots her a tight smile. “It’s good we’re talking about it now. This way, there won’t be any more surprises after the wedding. We’re all invested in making sure this union between the Messeros and the Garzolos is a success, and that’s why Rafe and I thought this was a good time for all of us to get on the same page.”

My fiancé studies me, his fingers steepled, his expression unreadable.

So this was his idea. Does he expect me to thank him?

Our confusing exchange at Vale’s wedding makes more sense now. He thought Papà had told me about what was happening right from the beginning.

Mamma latches onto my arm and squeezes hard enough for me to wince. It’s what she does when she wants me to keep my mouth shut.

The rest of the dinner is a blur while I try to control my emotions. I want to cry and scream and throw my plate against the wall.

Dons go to prison all the time. Grandpa did seven years before he died. He had an acting boss carrying out his orders on the outside. Papà could have done the same with Vince.

It would have been the honorable thing to do.

But Papà doesn’t have any honor. He only has selfishness and greed.

There’s a ball in my throat. I thought I was marrying Rafaele for the sake of my family.

Turns out, I just helped Papà oust Vince. There’s not a chance in hell our family would accept Rafaele as their don if we weren’t getting married.

I should tell Papà that I won’t do it. That I won’t marry Rafaele for his benefit.

I’m not a little girl anymore. I don’t care about disappointing him.

But what difference would that make? Papà will find a way to force me into the marriage anyway. He’s been using carrots up to now. If I resist, he’ll use a stick. He’ll make my life hell. He’ll drag me down the aisle himself if he has to. I know how he is.

I need to talk to Vince. Maybe we can come up with a plan together. He must be just as furious about this as I am. Until then, I need to keep my cool. There isn’t anything I can do. Not when there are so many unknowns and consequences I can’t predict.

A cord of despair wraps around my throat and squeezes.

My hands shake for the rest of dinner. I don’t touch my food. I don’t lift my eyes from the table.

It ends rather quickly. Maybe Rafaele and Nero take pity on us. I don’t say goodbye to them as we file out of the dining room. Cleo must have chugged an entire bottle of wine when she went to the bathroom because she’s barely on her feet.

I deposit her into the back seat, and she passes out on my shoulder, leaving me to spiral on my own the entire drive home. Papà turns up the music. No one speaks.

As soon as I get to my bedroom, I call Vince. There’s no answer.

I send a text.

Call me back. This is urgent.





He must be asleep. It’s the middle of the night in Europe.

It feels like there’s an atomic bomb inside my chest that’s about to burst. I’m tempted to start breaking things. The walls close in on me, and my heart races. I can’t stay in here. I need to get some air. I pick up my phone and send a text to Ras.

You up?





Yeah, what’s up?





Can you drive me somewhere right now?





Three dots flash at the bottom of the screen. I bite down on my lip.

Please say yes.

All right.





CHAPTER 19





GEMMA


I change out of my dinner outfit into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt and creep downstairs to meet Ras by the side door.

He’s already there. For a second, I don’t recognize him. I’ve never seen him this dressed down. He’s wearing a black zip-up hoodie and joggers, and the loose fit of the clothes make him look even bigger than he does in a suit.