Chapter Forty-Nine

Luca

“I know you mean well,” dad says to me, then glances at my mother. “I know you have the best of intentions with Laura. I know that, and everyone can see it.”

“But?”

“Marriage is a family affair,” mom answers for him. “Her family has to be in agreement for this to work. That’s the point of all of this, son. We’re supposed to unite our families so that we may be stronger in the future. You’ll be in control of the family when your father and I pass on, and we want you to be sorted, Luca. You need to make your own connections, and marriage is a step in the right direction.”

“I don’t need connections,” I tell her, and she slaps her thighs and rolls her eyes. “This whole thing was an experiment. It wasn’t necessary. There are no rules, and no obligations. Marrying into a family with good connections was supposed to be a bonus, not a necessity.”

“Yes, Luca, but—”

“The Walshes were never on your list,” I remind her. “And they weren’t there because they don’t have the connections we need