Arranged Mafia Marriage

Christian

I glance out of the window of the private jet that I boarded with the rest of the family a half-hour ago.

Cortina is a day’s drive from Palermo, but why drive when all of us can travel together in comfort?

Below me, the Swiss Alps come into view, their snow-covered peaks seeming so close, it feels like I could reach out and touch them. An illusion, really, as much as my engagement to Aurora is. Considering how fake it is, the fact that she isn’t sitting next to me now shouldn’t even bother me. I squeeze my fingers together.

Goddamit, how did she pull that on me? She actually colluded with my grandmother and found a way to keep her distance from me. Well, that ends as soon as we reach our destination. I’m going to ensure that she shares a room with me, and if anyone dares stop me, I’m going to… What? It’s not like I can pull out a gun and threaten my grandmother. Not that she’d be afraid if I did so. Likely, she’d pull out her own gun on me- Not that I know if she’s carrying one, but I wouldn’t put it past my nonna.

And Aurora? How the hell did she realize that if she formed a partnership with my nonna, she’d find a way to best me? I can’t allow that to happen. No way. She is mine, and she needs to be taught a lesson on what happens when she dares go against me.

“What are you grumbling about, little brother?” Massimo leans forward in the seat opposite me.

“I’m not grumbling,” I scowl back at him, “and mind your own business, will ya?”

“Definitely grumbling.” Seb walks over and sinks down in the seat next to me. “Ever notice how Christian always pouts when he doesn’t get his way?”

“I certainly don’t pout,” I stick out my lower lip, “and don’t you jokers have anything better to do than hover around me?”

“Nope.” Luca lowers his bulk into the seat next to Massimo, and all three men stare at me.

“What?” I glower. “What do you assholes want?”

“Knew it,” Massimo rumbles, “the man is down for the count.”

“Agreed.” Adrian walks over to take the last empty seat in between our two rows. “I’ve never seen him this harried.”

“Not even the first time he shot a man.” Seb crosses his foot over his knee. “Hell, he never even wavered. It was like he was born to do the deed.”

“Now’s not the time,” I warn Seb. “We are in polite company.”

Seb glances around at the faces of my brothers. “What polite company? I don’t see any.”

Luca laughs. “He means the women.” He stabs his thumb over his shoulder. I glance in that direction, knowing I’ll see Aurora seated next to my nonna, with Cassandra opposite them. Theresa, Xander’s friend, is seated by herself behind them. Nonna insisted that she come along as well. The woman gazes out of her window, an expression of bleakness on her features. I should go over and comfort her. If there’s anyone who understands how much it truly hurts to have lost Xander, it’s her. But what would I say when I have yet to come to terms with what happened?Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Aurora turns, and her gaze collides with mine. I glower at her, and she tilts her head. I scowl, and she curves her lips. Che cazzo! Clearly, she thinks that she can get away with this distance that she’s put between us. Little does she know, I don’t take kindly to being challenged in this fashion.

Cassandra glances up at Adrian. She rakes her gaze over his features, pausing for a few extra seconds. As if sensing her perusal, he turns to glance at her, but she looks away. Well, well, well, isn’t that interesting.

“How come she’s here with us?” I ask Massimo.

“Who?” He glances toward the women. “If you mean Cassandra, it’s because Karma was insistent that she come along with us.”

Adrian stiffens at the mention of her name, but doesn’t say anything.

“Something up between the two of you?” I turn on him. “Don’t think the tension between the two of you has gone unnoticed.”

“She’s in love with her dead husband.” Adrian rolls his shoulders. “I can fight a live man, but not sure if I can compete with a ghost from her past.”

“So, you acknowledge there’s something between the two of you?”

“Hell yeah,” he laughs, “not that I’m going to act on it.”

“Didn’t take you for a pussy,” I murmur.

Adrian’s features harden, then he chuckles. “Nice segue there, Christian. I’m not the one getting married, you are, so let’s talk about that for a second, shall we?”

“Let’s not.” I crack my neck. “Don’t the rest of you have something more pressing to do than ride my butt?”

“Oh, but it’s so much more fun to do that,” Seb says with a wide smile. “First Michael, now you, Christian. It seems the Sovranos have finally met their match.”

“Speak for yourself.” Luca sets his jaw. “I have no plans of settling down anytime soon.”

“A-n-d there it is. Famous last words,” Seb chortles. “He who protests the most is normally the first to fall.”

“Not me.” Luca bares his teeth. “I have too many kinks to be satisfied by just one woman.”

“You guys done discussing your proclivities?” Michael looms over us. My oldest brother has always been big and brawny. While Massimo is the only one who is taller and broader, Michael holds his own when it comes to presence. He shoves a hand into the pocket of his black jeans as he trains his gaze on me. “Need to talk to you, fratellino.”

“Thought we’d done enough of that already?” I drawl. “If you’re trying to dissuade me from marrying her-”

Michael raises a hand. “Far be it from me to stand in the way of true love.” He glances over his shoulder to where Karma walks over to sit next to Cassandra. “I, more than anyone, know that even the most unorthodox of beginnings can have HEAs.”

“Did he just use the abbreviation?” Seb blinks.

“He did use the abbreviation,” Luca says in a disgusted voice.

“Go on, Chris, you need to join the band of married brothers,” Massimo drawls. “Our Don needs to discuss matters of domestic concern with you.”

Michael snorts. “If you pussies were any more jealous, I’d see green glowing from the tips of your hairs.”

“Jealous? Do I look jealous?” Massimo settles back in his chair. “I plan on taking a nap, since I have no woman to answer to, unlike the two of you.”

I glare at him. “You’re a fucking joke, you know that?”

“Speak for yourself.” Massimo yawns. He folds his massive arms over his chest and shuts his eyes.

Luca and Seb rise to their feet and wander away to the back of the cabin while speaking in low voices.

Adrian ambles over to join Antonio toward the front of the aircraft.

Michael sits down next to me. “Heard your bride-to-be decided to stay the night with Nonna?”

“And I had to arrange to have her clothes packed and brought over to the aircraft, no less.”

Michael laughs. “The two of you fight or something?”

“Or something.”

He peers into my features. “One thing you need to realize when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“First, it’s not a matter of the heart, but go on.”

Michael stares at me as if he doesn’t quite believe what I just said, then he shakes his head. “Grovel,” he mutters.

“What?” I scowl. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“If you’ve done something to get on her bad side, then the only way to fix it is to grovel.”

“First of all, I haven’t done anything to her. Period. And fuck, if I’m going to grovel.”

Michael’s gaze widens, then he throws his head back and laughs. “Good luck with that. You’re going to need it with that attitude. If I were you, I’d try to make amends for whatever it is you did.”

“Just because you’re married doesn’t make you an expert on relationships.”

“Hey, I’m not the one in the doghouse.”

“Doghouse?” I shake my head. “You’re the one left holding the cat, as far as I can tell.”

A purring sound reaches us as Karma’s cat Andy brushes against Michael’s leg. Michael bends, scoops up the animal, who’s purring only grows louder. He rubs the beast between his eyes, then scratches him under his chin, sending the cat into ecstasy.

“I’d rather be holding my wife’s pussy than sitting in the doghouse,” he quips before he rises to his feet and walks toward Karma, who holds out her arms. The cat jumps into them, and Karma snuggles the beast, which tucks itself into her chest and closes its eyes. Karma rises to her feet and follows Michael toward the rear of the plane, where they occupy seats next to each other. Bastardo.

I raise my gaze to find Aurora watching me. I hold her gaze a second longer before I crook my finger.

She sets her jaw, then shakes her head.

I glare at her, and she pales.

I jerk my chin. She glances away. Oh, you’re going to pay for your impudence, Flower, and you know it.

She turns to glance out of the window as the pilot announces that we are preparing to land.