Arranged Mafia Marriage

Christian

“What happened is none of your business.” I arch an eyebrow at Michael.

“Considering I had to come in and save your ass, it’s very much my business,” he retorts.

“I do owe you a thanks for that,” I agree, “so…” I flip him off.

Michael’s expression doesn’t change. “If you expect me to fuck off and leave you alone, you’re mistaken.” Michael leans back in his chair.

Seb folds his arms across his chest. “You’d better start talking because we are not going anywhere.”

“Ditto,” Luca adds.

I stare at the faces of my brothers. Che facce da culo! Why can’t these stronzos leave me alone?

“We care about you,” Massimo rumbles, “about both of you.” He encompasses Aurora in his gaze.

“Do you?” She glances between them. “If that were the case, Michael here would not have threatened me earlier.”

I sit up; my shoulder protests, but I ignore it. “You threatened her?” I growl in a low voice, “You threatened my fiancee?”

“Calm down,” Michael orders. “All I did was have a heart-to-heart with the doctor, so we both know where we stand.”

Anger thuds at my temples. “That’s not cool, fratellone. I was unconscious and couldn’t come to her defense. You knew it, and yet you chose to intimidate her?”

“It’s because you were unconscious that I needed to have words with her,” Michael growls. “You’d have done the same thing if you were in my place.”

I open and shut my mouth. Cazzo, he’s right, though. If our positions had been reversed, and I had found him wounded with Karma under suspicious circumstances, I’d have interrogated Karma too.

“Porca miseria.” I grab my hair and tug on it. “What the hell do you want to know, Michael?”

“I want to know who shot you.”

“That’s my concern.”

“Not when it endangers all of us. He came after you. Next, he might turn his sights on any one of us, and you know I can’t let that happen.”

Fuck, but he’s right. I square my shoulders and ignore the drowsiness that still tugs at my conscious mind.

“I need time with my fiancee to figure out this shit,” I growl.

“We’re running out of time,” Sebastian says in a low voice. “Whoever shot you is out there roaming free. What guarantee do we have that none of us are at risk?”

“You don’t,” I glance between them, “but I was the one shot, and she did save my life. For that alone, you need to go easy on her, Michael.”

“Not if it was her fault that you were shot in the first place.”

Aurora stiffens. The threat implicit in Michael’s voice is clear for everyone to hear.

“Don’t fucking intimidate her,” I snap.

Michael raises his hands, “It’s not my place to tell you how to run your life, but when it begins to endanger the lives of my family, I can’t stay silent.”

I open my mouth to protest, but Seb intervenes. “He’s right, Christian, and you know it.”

“Fuck,” I rake my fingers through my hair. “Can you give me…us a few days to figure this out?”

“I’ll give you twenty-four hours.”

“Fuck that, I need a week, ” I shoot back.

“Forty-eight hours, and not a day more.” Michael nods.

“And you won’t interfere in our wedding?”

Michael scowls, then says, “Fine.” He jerks his chin. “And now, you’d better brace yourself for No-”

The door swings open, and Nonna sails in. She’s dressed in an impeccable silk skirt and jacket, with what looks like a mink coat thrown over her shoulders. Karma walks in behind her, followed by Theresa and Cassandra. Karma sidles over to where Michael is sitting. Michael pulls her onto his lap, and Karma cuddles into him. Adrian watches Cassandra as she walks over to Aurora. Theresa follows her. The two women flank Aurora, who shoots them a grateful glance.

It shouldn’t have to be like this. Aurora is not the traitor that Michael is making her out to be… Is she? No, she can’t be. I have to believe that. She’s hiding something. There’s no doubt about that, but whatever it is, she must have her reasons. There’s no way that she could betray me… She can’t.

Nonna walks over to stand beside me. “Christian….” her chin trembles, “nipotino mio.” She refers to me by the affectionate term for grandson before she reaches over to cup my cheek.

“Nonna,” my heart softens, “I am okay, Nonna. It was just a scratch.”

“You can’t fault me for being worried, Christiano,” she chides me. “However much you boys may grow up, you will always remain my ciccino bello. And after what happened to Sandro, you can’t blame me for being worried about you.”

“I am truly fine, Nonna.” I take her hand in my mine. “See, still alive and almost ready to be discharged from the hospital.”

“Oh, no, you are not going anywhere,” Aurora jumps in, “not unless I confirm that you are ready to leave.”

“Is that right?” I arch an eyebrow in her direction.

“You are on my turf, Mister.” She firms her jaw. “And my word is law here.”

Massimo chortles, Seb coughs, and Luca looks amused, while Michael and Adrian content themselves with smirks.

“What?” I scowl at the men. “Are you all taking her side on this?”

“Don’t involve us in your domestic matters,” Seb murmurs.

“It’s good to know that there’s someone taking care of you.” Nonna shoots Aurora an approving glance.

“Nonna, I am completely okay.”

“You don’t look completely okay,” she retorts.

“But I want to spend Christmas with all of you,” I protest.

“That’s why you got lost in the snowstorm and decided to hole up in the lodge, hmm?” She smirks. Gesu Cristo, my grandmother really is a force of nature.

My neck heats. Shit, why does Nonna have this uncanny ability to reduce me to feeling like I’m still only six?

“That was a quirk of fate,” I murmur.

“Was it now?” She arches an eyebrow.

“We Sovranos are powerful, but we don’t control nature, Nonnina.”

She laughs, then glances between me and Aurora. “It’s understandable that you wanted to spend time with your beautiful fiancee, but since you two were missing for a few nights, I guess I can assume that the deed is done-”

“Nonna,” both Aurora and I burst out at the same time.

“Not that I expected the two of you to keep your hands off of each other before the wedding. Or maybe I did.” She raises a shoulder. “Old woman that I am, after all, guess my expectations were unreasonable.”

“Come on, Nonna, that’s not fair,” I murmur.

She blows out a breath. “You’re right.” She tilts her head. “In fact, I’m willing to forgive the two of you for your misdemeanor.”

“Misdemeanor?” I exchange glances with Aurora. “Is that what it’s called?”

She nods. “And I know how you can make it up to me.”

“Umm… Do I want to hear this?”

She glances from me to Aurora, then back at me. Her eyes gleam. Uh-oh, I’m not sure I want to hear this right now.

The silence stretches, then Aurora finally speaks up. “What is it Nonna?” she asks in a soft voice. “How can we make it up to you?”

“By moving up the date of the wedding.”

“What?” Aurora bursts out. “Now you want to move up the date of the wedding?”

“Exactly that. I thought it would be good to wait for a few weeks, but given everything that has happened, I’m convinced that it’s best not to delay things anymore.”

“But…” Aurora protests, “Nonna…”

“I know, a dress, but you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I don’t?” Aurora blinks.

“I’ve been busy working on a dress for you and for your maids-of-honor,” Karma pipes up.

“Ah … but I am not sure-”

“I am.” Nonna turns to me, “and I am sure Christian, here, will only be too willing to oblige me?”

“I hate to tell you, I told you so but… ” I smirk, “I told you so.”

Nonna frowns at me, and I cough. “I mean, of course, Nonna, I’ll be only too pleased to oblige you.”

“Don’t look so pleased.” She sniffs. “If you hadn’t meandered off and indulged in actions of the horizontal nature, we wouldn’t have had to do this.”NôvelDrama.Org content.

“Gesu Cristo, Nonna.” I strive for an appropriately shocked expression. “You are embarrassing all of us.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” Nonna arches an eyebrow, “and neither is Michael.” She turns to Michael, “Are you embarrassed, Michael?”

Michael coughs. “Me, embarrassed by you? Of course, not. Nonna, you could never say or do anything to make me uncomfortable.”

“Are you embarrassed, Sebastian? Luca? Massimo? Adrian?”

The men shake their heads. None of them even try to hide their smiles.

Traitors. The lot of them. I scowl around at the men, then turn to glare at Michael. His smile widens.

“In fact,” Michael drawls, “I propose we should have the wedding as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” Seb pipes up.

“Totally,” Adrian adds his voice.

“Assolutamente.” Luca smirks.

“Now, that is what I call a capital idea.” Massimo nods his head sagely.

“It’s settled then?” Nonna rises to her feet. “Christian and Aurora are getting married in two days.”