Matteo stood up excitedly. “If that’s the case, I am hungry.”
Romeo shoved him as they walked out the door. “When are younothungry?”
“During—”
Thankfully, Romeo covered our brother’s mouth before he could say anything that would embarrass Luna and Giulia. The women followed them out, and I was about to get up, too, when Massimo stopped me.
I stayed where I was and waited for everyone to leave.
Massimo didn’t say anything for a moment. “What is this that Matteo is saying about you and Valentino’s sister?”
“Matteo needs to learn to keep his mouth shut,” I grumbled.
Massimo shot me a look. “It’s important that I know everything going on with you guys.”
“Why? I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need to report everything I do to you, do I?”
He let out a small sigh. “I’m not talking to you as yourcapo dei capi.I’m talking to you as your brother.”
“You can say that, but we both know you can’t separate the two.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” he conceded. “Which is why it is even more important that I know these things. Especially if you’re starting something with Joseph Gambino’s daughter. We know he’s a traitor. We know he’s not satisfied with being forced to hand over the reins to Valentino. But the rest of our men don’t see that. Most see him as one of our father’s most loyal men. Someone who worked hard his whole life to help build the De Luca empire. You fooling around with his daughter?—”
“It’s not fooling around. Don’t say it like that,” I said without thinking.
Massimo blinked in surprise. Then, “I can set up an arranged marriage between you two.”
I shook my head. “Not now. Not when we’re looking into her father. I don’t want her to think I’m only with her to get closer to Gambino.”
“That’s ridiculous. She wouldn’t think that.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t willing to risk it, not when she had made her feelings for me clear from the very beginning, and I hadn’t realized I had any for her until now. “I don’t want to blindside Valentino with this. And I don’t want people to speculate about her. You know how dangerous a tarnished reputation can be for the women in our circle.”
“But is it something I have to worry about?” Massimo asked quietly.
I shook my head. “No.”
We were careful. And I wouldn’t let anything that could hurt Isa touch her.
“Aldo Valachi came to me a few days ago,” Massimo said. I didn’t ask him why. “He wanted to arrange a marriage for his second daughter with you.”
I leaned back against the chair. “And what did you say?”
“I said I had to think about it and discuss it with you.”
“Bet he liked that.”
Massimo shot me a look. “He was expecting me to say yes because why wouldn’t I? It makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
I had never given Chiara Valachi any indication that I would be on board with the arrangement. I barely noticed the girl most of the time, and when I did notice her, it was in connection with her father.
I stood up. “Tell him no.”
“I figured that,” Massimo responded dryly.
And I was done with the conversation. The last thing I wanted to do was discuss my feelings for Isa with my brother, no matter how close we were.
