Arranged Mafia Marriage

Theresa

I had flipped him off then left without another word. I am not someone who is normally rude, but this man… I had stomped out of there and he’d had the gall to tell me to shut the door behind me. I had told him to get up and close it himself, since he’s now so strong. Only, I had spoiled the effect by slamming it so hard behind me that it had crashed against the doorframe. Small victories. I had marched all the way to my room, then slammed that door shut as well.

I grab my phone and throw myself on the bed.

I start to dial Cass’ number, then change my mind and FaceTime Aurora instead.

She picks up on the second ring.

“Hey,” she says, her voice slightly breathless, “long time since we spoke.”

“I’m not the one who’s newly married and who no longer has time for friends.”

“Aww,” she makes a face, “you know that’s not true, Theresa.”

“No,” I slump down against the pillows. “Why Christian hasn’t kidnapped you again and whisked you off to a honeymoon, I don’t know.”

“He wants to wait until all of this business with his triplet is resolved.”

“Well, he won’t have to wait too long, considering Axel is improving by leaps and bounds.”

“I still can’t get used to calling him by name,” she confesses. “I still think of him as the stranger.” She shudders. “He’s scary, and not only because he’s threatened me in the past. When I ran into him near the lodge while we were on the Christmas getaway, I swear, I thought that he was going to kill Christian. The look in his eyes-” she shakes her head, “-it was like there was no emotion in the man. It felt like I was looking at someone who’d had all his feelings stripped away, leaving someone indifferent behind. He seemed like someone who was more dead than alive.”

“Oh, he’s very alive alright,” I retort. “Trust me, I would know.”

She stares at me, “Please tell me you are not considering a relationship with him?”

“Oh, I don’t think he’s capable of a relationship. Sex, yes. Anything else, nope.”

“Why would you want to sleep with him?” She grimaces. “The man is a sociopath.”

“Believe me, I’ve been asking myself the same question.” I blow out a breath, “I am aware of what he did to you and Christian. I know what he’s capable of. But it doesn’t change the fact that he took a bullet for me.”

“Maybe he did it by mistake.”

“That’s what he claims as well,” I mutter.

“So, you’ve been spending time with him?” Aurora frowns. “Christian did mention to me that he’d asked for you to move into the same house as him, but you don’t have to stay there, Theresa.” She peers into my eyes, “Really, say the word, and I’ll insist that Christian come over and get you out of there.”

I hesitate.

“Please don’t think twice. You shouldn’t be near that man. He’ll hurt you, Theresa.”

“I know,” I chew on my lower lip. “I know he’s done things that I can’t bear to think about. I know, at some point, I am going to be done resisting him and give into him, but I can’t stop myself. I can’t, Aurora.” I survey her features. “You’d think, knowing everything I do, I’d run far away from him. But I can’t. I see glimpses of the man he really is beneath all that swagger. He’s hurting, Aurora. He’s been through a lot-” she opens her mouth and I raise my hand. “No, he hasn’t told me anything specific, but I can guess. Whatever happened to him has made him into what he is, but when he’s not being mean, I actually enjoy talking to him. He’s so intelligent, and so determined. You should see how he pushes himself every day to go through his physiotherapy exercises. It has to hurt, but he never complains. He simply throws himself into it because he’s determined to be back on his feet as soon as possible. I’ve never seen anyone so focused, so strong willed. It’s like he’s literally bending destiny to suit his needs, you know?”

She purses her lips. “It seems to me, you are quite taken in by this guy.”

“No, no,” I protest, “I am simply saying that he hasn’t let being wounded or the fact that parts of his memory are still patchy stop him. He’s just really committed to recovering from his injury.”

She merely stares at me.

“Aurora, honestly. I don’t intend to have anything to do with this man.”

“Then why don’t you leave?”

“I-” I glance away then back at her, “-I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t leave him alone, not when he’s still helpless.”

“He has bodyguards posted around the house, plus an entire team of doctors and nurses and physiotherapists-”

“-one physiotherapist, and don’t get me started about her.”

“What?” She frowns.

“Nothing, don’t mind me.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “You were saying?”

“That you need to get out of there before you are completely under his influence and can’t tell right from wrong.”

“I know what he did to you was wrong.” I hasten to add, “But he took a bullet for me. I’d be dead if it weren’t for him.”

“Is that why you are staying, because you feel beholden to him?”

“Also, because he’s Xander’s triplet.” I swallow. “Xan would have wanted me to help his triplet. He needs me.”

“He doesn’t need you.” Aurora draws in a breath. “The man is a manipulator. He knows how to use people to suit his needs. And right now, it suits him to have you at his beck and call. Once he’s back on his feet, he’ll move forward with his life and he won’t take another look at you. Not that the Sovranos will let him go anywhere. Especially, considering the fact that he did wound Christian, after all. But ultimately, he is one of them. They’ll work things out, no doubt. Bet he’ll come to some kind of an agreement with them that will compel them to set him free. And then he’ll leave. He’ll use you and discard you, Theresa.”

“Gee, thanks,” I murmur. “That’s so reassuring.”

“I am not trying to reassure you.” Her gaze intensifies. “I am trying to keep you from being hurt. Well, more hurt than whatever it is that he’s already done to you.”

“He hasn’t done anything to me.”

“Are you saying that he hasn’t made a move on you?”

“Umm.” My cheeks heat.

“That’s what I thought,” her frown deepens, “and I’ll bet you weren’t able to resist him either.”

I rub my forehead. “I don’t know… It’s just…. I…”

“You’re falling for someone who is even more of a villain than the Sovranos are.”NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

“Funny, that’s what Axel said too.”

“See,” she stabs a finger at me, “you can’t go even a few minutes without bringing up his name.”

“I was only trying to make the point that, at least, he is honest about his shortcomings.”

“He’s only saying that to try to lure you into a false sense of complacency. He’s manipulating you. He wants you to try to prove it’s not true.”

“Geez,” I scowl, “you really don’t like him.”

“Of course, I don’t. You’re not the one who was threatened by him. You weren’t there when he shot at Christian when we were on the Christmas getaway. You-”

“Okay, okay,” I cut her off, “I know he’s done some things he shouldn’t have done, but he’s really not that bad. He saved my life, remember?”

“Something he’s all but confessed was an accident,” she scoffs.

My cheeks heat. Maybe it had been a mistake calling Aurora. Clearly, she is so biased against Axel-and with good reason-that she’ll never be able to give me an objective opinion about him.

“Look,” I begin, but she cuts me off.

“You know what, Theresa? Nothing I say will dissuade you. I see that now. Just remember that I care about you. And I’ll be here for you anytime you want.”

“You mean, when I have my heart broken, you’ll be more than happy to say ‘I told you so’ and help pick up the pieces?”

“That’s not what I mean, I-”

“Oh, I have another call coming, gotta go,” I disconnect. I immediately feel terrible. Ugh, why did I have to do that? She means well, and I really do like Aurora. And I understand what she’s trying to say. It’s just… I don’t completely agree with everything she says. And she hasn’t seen Axel pushing himself to recover, or seen him get frustrated and angry when his body doesn’t obey him. She doesn’t know what it’s like to be kissed by him. I shake my head. No, no thinking about that. Separate the sex from the man. Ha, as if that’s possible. Maybe I should call her back and apologize. I reach for the phone when it rings again.

Elsa’s name pops up on the screen, and I answer the phone immediately.

“Hey,” I smile as her face appears on screen, “I am so happy to hear from you.”

Elsa laughs, “Hey, you, what are you up to?”

“Nothing much,” I roll over onto my front, “just getting ready to head down for dinner and then, I guess, I’ll just read and go to sleep.”

“That’s boring, even for you.”

“You know I much prefer to be curled up with a book boyfriend than a real one.”

“That’s only because you don’t have a real boyfriend.”

“How do you know that I don’t?”

“Well, do you?”

I hesitate.

Her gaze widens, “You hooked up with Axel, didn’t you?”

“Kind of,” I murmur.

“OMG, tell me everything.”

Let’s see, he took a bullet for me, then I watched over him as he fell into a coma. When he came out of it, he had no idea who I was and his memory was patchy because of his head wound. Oh, most likely, he’s out to get the Sovranos, who will probably never let him get away with how he threatened someone close to them. Oh, wait, he’s also a long-lost brother of the Sovranos, so it, in fact, makes him one of the Mafia, or worse.

“Well?” She scows into the screen, “Have you slept with him? I mean, you are staying with him, aren’t you?”

“I told you, I am not staying with him with him,” I rush to explain. “Just in the same house, but different rooms.”

“Yeah, right,” she snorts, “bet you’ve already paid a few visits to his room.”

My face heats.