Malavita Read Online Free Page B

their talks. She cast a glance back at Dario, who still sat at the table, the closed look on his face speaking volumes. He longed for the same connection to Papà that she had. But no matter what she said to Dario, her words didn’t sink in. He wanted Papà to be someone he wasn’t. Papà would never respect Dario until he met Papà on his terms, not Dario’s. Papà respected strength and boldness; Dario preferred to observe and study before making a move. No matter that Dario was often right—all Papà saw was weakness and indecision. She hoped that someday Dario would learn, because Papà wasn’t about to change.
    Her father started down a row of trees, stopping every so often to inspect their fruit or run his hands over their silver-green leaves and gnarled bark. Insects whirred and birds chirped, and a breeze danced through the trees, rustling their leaves. When her father said nothing after a while, her mind wandered back to thoughts of Enrico Lucchesi. He was so much better looking than she’d remembered. He’d grown into a man, with broad shoulders and slim hips, his face taking on firmer contours, his jaw harder, his high cheekbones more prominent. He still had the same chocolate brown eyes fringed in long black lashes, eyes that made her melt. He wore his black hair shorter now, its waves a little more tamed than they had been when she’d seen him last. There’d been that moment in the hedge maze when he’d smiled at her, and his eyes had dropped to her mouth, and she could have sworn he was thinking of kissing her. If only he’d looked at her that way from the beginning—
    “Toni, be straight with me. That boy upset you.”
    She sighed. “A little, Papà. It was nothing.”
    “Tell me, dolcezza .” He rested a hand on the nape of her neck and squeezed lightly, then kissed her hair. The scent of his cigar wafted around them. It was comforting to her, that smell.
    Tears rose in her eyes, but she blinked them back. “It was a misunderstanding, that’s all.”
    “You know I hate it when you’re like this. Tell me.”
    She sighed. “It’s my nose.”
    He ran a finger down its contours, then kissed her forehead. “ Dolcezza , we’ve talked about this. It’s a good, strong nose.”
    “For a man. For a woman, it’s hideous.”
    He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.” She looked up, meeting his gaze. “You aren’t one of those women who has to rely on her looks to get by in life. You are meant to be a leader. You are meant to do more . And you’re beautiful just the way you are.”
    “You’re the only one who thinks so.” Her throat closed up and she looked away.
    He gave her a little shake. “Any man who is worthy of you will see that too. You’re not a decoration, Toni. You’re a principessa , a capa . Like Cleopatra, you were born to lead armies and rule men.”
    She bit the inside of her lip and let out a snort. “As if the ’Ndrangheta would accept me.”
    “It’s happened before. I can make it happen again. If that’s what you want.”
    “But what about the marriage?”
    He waved his cigar in the air. “For now, the marriage suits us. But that may not always be the case.”
    “ For now it suits us?”
    “This marriage may have been your idea at the start, but it’s taken on a life of its own since then. The only thing I can do now—if you don’t marry the boy—is restart the faida . But that will pit Andretti against Andretti.”
    Her pulse sped up. “Nonno Lorenzo wants this marriage?”
    “I agreed to certain terms, and he agreed to hold me to them.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “You think this is Romeo and Juliet . It’s not. This is the union of two cosche . Many families are interested in the outcome. There will be a shift in power.”
    “I still don’t see—”
    “If I am not fighting Rinaldo Lucchesi, and he is not fighting me, if we work together again, we may become stronger than some people may like.”
    “That’s a good