Arranged Mafia Marriage

The next course is a fragrant rice dish with vegetables and pieces of chicken that have been marinated so well, they melt in my mouth. And the dessert… Chocolate mousse, with a vanilla ice-cream that is so fresh I can taste the vanilla pods.

“I’m stuffed,” I admit when the last dish has been cleared.

JJ pushes back his chair and stands up. He comes around and holds out his arm, “May I escort you into the library for an aperitif?”

“Why not?” I rise to my feet and allow him to guide me out of the room, down the corridor, and to a room whose door is now open. I walk in and take in the floor-to-ceiling books that fill the wall opposite the fireplace. In between is a bank of windows that looks out over the grounds, and above the fireplace, is a portrait of a family.

He catches me staring at it. “My family,” he says simply as I take in the likeness of a younger JJ, a woman who is seated, and next to her, a teenaged boy who resembles both JJ and his wife.

“That’s your son.”

He nods.

“I saw him at Xander’s funeral.”

“Indeed.”

“Is he here?”

A shadow crosses JJ’s features. “He’s back in LA. He seems to prefer the US to our country.”

“Oh.” I sense something else he’s not telling me, but I am not going to ask him to explain that.

He guides me to a chair in front of the fire. “What will you drink? Coffee? A brandy maybe?”

“A brandy sounds good.”

He moves to the bar, pours out two snifters of brandy and walks over to hand one to me. He seats himself then holds up his glass, “To you, Signora.”

I raise my glass and take a sip. The taste is exquisite. “To what do I owe this wining and dining?” I fix my gaze on him.

He laughs, then contemplates his drink, “My father, rest his soul, was not a very empathetic man. Well, that’s putting it mildly. He was a complete villain.”

“Coming from you, I’d better believe it.”

He chuckles. “There was only one piece of advice he gave me which I adore, to this day.”

“Which is?”

“He told me to always keep one step ahead of the enemy. To never show him your cards, and to surprise him when he least expects it.”

“So that’s why you decided to take me from the island; so you could show my husband that you’re better than him?”

“Not just better, but faster, more lethal, more dangerous, more unpredictable, more everything…”

“Never.”

“Excuse me?” He frowns. “Would you mind repeating yourself?”

So polite. Fuck, this guy’s a joke. “I said that you couldn’t hold a candle to him.”

“Is that right?” He stares at me, then breaks into a laugh that sends shivers down my spine. This guy… he’s certifiable. He straightens, and just like, that all mirth is wiped from his face. He leans forward, his movements careful, precise, as he places his glass on the table in front of us.

“But then, you are biased.” He strokes his chin, “You would be; you are his wife.”

“Why have you brought me here?”

“You are a clever girl; haven’t you figured it out by now?”

“To hold me as ransom?”

He clicks his tongue, “How pleb would that be? No, nothing like that… I am simply going to use you as a negotiating tool to get what I need from him.”

“Like I said, a ransom.”

“A simple give and take. He has what I want, and I have something that is very precious to him. All he has to do is give me what I want, and in return, he can take what’s his.”

“Michael will never forgive you for this.”

“Not doing this to win friends.”

“He is going to kill you.”

“Love a challenge.”

“So, if you didn’t rig the car, then who did?”

“That’s something he’ll need to figure out himself, won’t he?”

“So, while we wait for him, we are simply going to sit here and shoot the breeze?”NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

“Probably, but to be fair, I don’t think we need to wait that long either.”

“You’re that sure that he’ll come for me?”

“Surely, he must be able to keep track of you wherever you are?”

I frown, “How would you know that?”

“You are important to him-probably more than anything else he owns at the moment. Of course, he’d find a way to track you even when you are not in his line of sight.”

I shake my head, “You Mafia guys.”

“Not Mafia. I’m simply the leader of an organized crime group.”

“Gosh, is that a posh way of saying you are a crook, or what?”

“Never claimed to be on the straight and narrow.”

“No one would ever mistake you for that.” I take another sip from my glass. “So, how long do you think I have to make conversation with you?”

“Surely, it’s not that much of a chore.”

I glance at him, then away, “If you want me to be honest-”

“Always.”

“I’d much rather be back on the island. But considering you took me from there, I doubt I’ll ever be going there again,” I say glumly.

He chuckles, “Now, young lady, never say never again. If there’s one word of advice, I can give you it’s that…”

“That?”

He leans forward and touches my arm, “That you never know what’s going to happen next.”

That’s when the door to the library is pushed open with such force that it slams against the wall. “You testa di cazzo!” a familiar dark voice growls, “I am going to kill you.”

Michael

I lunge inside the room, spot the man seated opposite my wife. My wife… who seems to be in good shape overall, and he has his hand on her. He has his hand on her. JJ. Has. His. HAND. On. Her. Fuck. Anger thrums at my temples. My vision tunnels. I pull out my knife and throw it at him. The asshole ducks. She screams. The sound slices through the noise in my head. I jerk my head in her direction, in time to see her features pale. She jumps to her feet, takes a step in my direction, but JJ grabs her. The next moment he has a gun in his hand that he’s pressed into her temple.