Undressed By The Mafia God novel Chapter 342

Chapter 342: This Isn’t Right

Marco stood at the foot of the sofa, both hands dragging down his face, his chest rising and falling with the effort of being a decent human being.

Val sat up and pulled her dress down. "I’m sorry....This isn’t right. I’m sorry, I — Marco, I’m sorry."

"I know." He exhaled the words more than said them. He stared at the floor for a long moment.

Then he looked at her. "Make it right."

"What...what are you—"

"You can’t marry him....You know that. Whatever you’ve been telling yourself — whatever story you’ve been rehearsing — tonight just burned it down. You know that."

"Marco—"

"You’re going to stand in front of that man and say vows? After this? You’ll look him in the eye and— And don’t." He pointed. "Don’t give me that line about loving him. I know what love looks like on your face, Val." He took one step closer. "You love me....Just me."

"Marco, I’m having Ricardo’s baby."

He shook his head, the words didn’t change anything. "I don’t care!" he shot back. "I have never cared!"

Valentina stared up at him, stunned by how fiercely he said it.

"I have..." he dragged a hand through his bald head, pacing once before turning back to her, he needed movement just to breathe. "Yes. Yes, I admit it! I should have said something. But there were reasons," he continued. "Excuses, really. I thought I was too old for you. I thought my life was too dangerous for you." He shook his head again. "I gave myself too many reasons to stay away from you."

"And I ruined it," he added. "But it doesn’t matter to me," he said, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made it hard to look away. "None of it matters. I’ll love that kid with everything I’ve got," he said. "Because I love you. I have always loved you," Marco continued, he had finally stopped fighting himself. "Long before you even started to see me as anything more than a friend."

"So please..." he added. "Please, Val... help me make it right."

Everything in her was pulling in opposite directions—loyalty, fear, love, guilt—none of it lining up neatly enough to make sense.

"I need to talk to Vee," she said finally.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No."

"Marco—"

"Just decide for yourself," he cut in. "Just this once. This once." His hands hovered at his sides, he wanted to reach for her again but was forcing himself not to. "I’ll find Ricardo," he added quickly. "Wherever he is, I’ll hunt him down and bring him to you. Val...I’m begging you."

"I can’t come back from this," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "Don’t make me."

"What are you saying really?"

"I’m saying marry me instead," he said.

"Marco..." she said slowly, breathlessly. "You... are not thinking."

"I don’t want to," he admitted. "I’ve spent the past year doing just that," he continued. "Thinking. Calculating. Staying away. Telling myself all the reasons this couldn’t happen, shouldn’t happen, wouldn’t happen. And all that thinking?" he said. "It got me here. Got us here. Trapped with this stupid gap in between us."