Chapter 117

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 117 I looked out at everyone in the audience.

I saw the shock on the faces of Roberto, Lars, and their fiancées –

The bewilderment on Adriano’s –

The Did he just DO that?! expression on Bianca’s face –

The Holy SHIT, this is gonna be GOOD! look on Lucia’s –

And the tearful smile on Alessandra’s.

Niccolo was furious – nearly frothing at the mouth.

That didn’t scare me, though.

What scared me was the cold, dispassionate frown Dario gave me –

And the look of psychopathic rage on Don Vicari’s face.

But before anyone could start shouting, I spoke loudly to drown them all out.

“I’m in love with another woman. I have been for half a year now, but I was too stupid to admit it. Her name is Caterina Martinelli.

“She’s the best woman I’ve ever met. She’s kind, and funny, and beautiful, and loyal... and brave. So brave. She risked everything for me.

“But I was a coward.

“My brother Dario gave me a chance to marry her before I came to Sicily – and like a fool, I turned him down.

“She risked her life to follow me here. I’ve been seeing her over the last two weeks.

“But I was still a fool. I let her slip through my fingers.

“I can’t do that again. Even if my family disowns me... even if I make mortal enemies today because of it... I can’t lose her. I can’t. I won’t.

“I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused. Isabella is a wonderful girl, and I’m sure – ”

I turned back to look at Isabella, and my voice faltered.

Her face was whiter than her wedding dress.

Behind her, Ludavica looked like she might faint.

Suddenly, I remembered what she’d told me two nights ago:

All those suitors my father brought around?

I said ‘no’ because they were all like my father: they hated gay people.

I knew that none of them would accept me and Ludavica.

And if they found out after I was married, they would definitely kill her, and probably me. With my father’s blessing.

SHIT.

I hadn’t just ruined Cat’s life and my own –

I might’ve fucked up Isabella’s and Ludavica’s lives, too.

If Isabella was forced to marry somebody else –

And the new guy found out about her and Ludavica and didn’t like it –

GODDAMN IT!

I had to live with the consequences of my actions –

But I couldn’t make them suffer, too.

So I did something I didn’t exactly think through.

All I remembered was Isabella saying, If I’m not a virgin, no Cosa Nostra asshole my father would approve of would ever want to marry me. And if you bailed, he’d definitely force me to marry one of them.

If I just fixed it so nobody would marry her –

Problem solved.

I turned back to Don Vicari and said, “I have a confession to make. In my anger and – and my feeling powerless in all this – I took it out on your daughter. I – two nights ago – I forced myself on her in the garden. Isabella’s not a virgin anymore – because I raped her.”

That’s when all fucking hell broke loose.

Like I said: I didn’t exactly think it through.