Blood & Marriage (Dark Mafia Romance) (11 page)

What the hell were they talking about? My head could not
make the connection between the planned murder of my husband and the affection
Santo had always shown me. He’d been so jealous, but maybe it had just been an
act, because he didn’t seem averse to the idea of me being with yet another
man.

“Yes it is. And you need to stick to doing your job,”
Federico lectured his son as if he were a little boy, and it made me angry for
Santo, but that feeling was in fierce competition with my fury over being
passed around like a sex doll.

“Christ, can’t a guy even flirt a little? It’s harmless.
She’s hot. That’s it.”

“I don’t want you anywhere near her. You need to be
Vincenzo’s most trusted man, and that means he can’t be jealous of you.”

“He’d be too dumb and blind to notice even if I was actually
fucking her behind his back,” hissed Santo, spearing his words straight through
my heart.

I was breathing too fast, too shallowly. I had trouble
catching enough air in a matter of seconds, so I slid to the floor, and only
once my back completely relaxed could I think straight again.

Santo was just using me. He didn’t care for me at all.

Was I blinded because he was so much smoother than his crude
cousin, Vincenzo?

“I warn you, Santo. Stick to the plan, and your life will be
prosperous and comfortable. And you will have all the women you want. But right
now, you have to focus. I’ve planned everything out, but you have to do as I
say.” There was an air of finality to Federico’s words, and loud footsteps told
me that at least one of them had walked away.

I wanted to call out to Santo and ask him to tell me it was all
a charade, but I knew that was not the case. When it mattered, Santo always did
as Federico wished. He would happily pass me over to Vincenzo as long as he’d
still get his piece of the pie.

An overwhelming sense of numbness settled on my chest, and I
looked at the ceiling as warm tears trailed down my temples and into my hair.

My only ally had been lying to me all along.

I should have known better than to trust any men in this
family. They were all snakes out to bite your ankles when you weren’t looking,
or swallow you whole if they were big enough.

I knew Federico Villani wasn’t the nicest of men, but now I
knew he wouldn’t hesitate one second to throw me to the wolves. I didn’t even
want to imagine Vincenzo’s hands all over me. Just thinking about it made me
want to run as far as I could.

After that evening, I made sure I wouldn’t bump into Santo
by accident. Not being around him at all left a dull ache inside me, but being
in his proximity was somehow even worse, now that I knew that he’d manipulated
me all along. I stayed in my room whenever I could, but when I absolutely
needed to be out, I made sure I was accompanied by my new female friends, which
wasn’t difficult considering it was Christmas season. We all spent most of our
time cooking, baking, and making sure everything else was delivered in time for
the festivities.

But even the scent of spices and dried fruit couldn’t make
my smile genuine when I thought of the way I’ve been played and what the
Villanis still had in store for me.

Did Vincenzo know what was to happen? Could he be in on the
murder of his own brother? He certainly didn’t act toward me as a brother-in-law
should, and just thinking about the possibility of his hands touching me made
me shudder with disgust.

I briefly considered approaching their father about this,
but why would he believe my word over that of his own?

I mulled over it for an eternity, but after a sleepless
night, I decided it was now or never. Mona was back in Calabria, so she was as
safe as she could be with Father. Despite, technically, being as free as a
bird, I didn’t have my own car here, and I always felt as if I was being watched
over.

Late on Christmas Eve, with guests in good spirits and
slightly drunk, when everyone was celebrating, so the security didn’t have to
be as tight, was the best moment to grab my chance for freedom.

My idea was vague. I gathered as much money as I could, and
I would take the first flight I could catch in Palermo. If I lived frugally for
a while, I would be fine, and within the European Union, no one could track me
by my passport. Eventually, I would find
some
kind of job… Who was I
kidding? I had no idea what would happen when I got wherever I’d be going. I
just knew anything was better than having Vincenzo touch me.

So I unpacked my presents and was very grateful for them,
like a good girl. I ate enough food not to feel too heavy, packed a lot of
cookies for the trip, and snuck out only when I was certain no one would
notice. There were far too many people in the Villani house that evening to
miss the presence of the one new addition to their family.

I made sure I wouldn’t be recognizable. Dressed in sports
clothes, with a bandana to cover my hair, and with an Adidas bag stuffed full
of my belongings, I went out into the night.

Gina’s scooter was parked in the garage and guilt ate at my
gut for pinching the keys from her purse, but some things were more important
than honesty. I could still hear people laughing and celebrating inside as I
moved quietly along the walls of the villa that no longer seemed ‘grand’ but had
become a never-ending monster of a house, ready to swallow me right back in if
I stopped moving.

It was so very peaceful in the garden that the sound of
Christmas songs, already dulled out by the walls and proximity, was like a
threat on its own. The rasp of my breath vibrated in my ears as I took step
after careful step in the shadow of the wall. Its coarse surface was my safety
net, but I still waved my hand in front of my body to make sure I wouldn’t walk
into anything. But the gate should be close at this point, along with Gina’s
Vespa. If I were lucky, no one would notice my absence until midday tomorrow,
and that gave me just enough time to flee beyond the reach of Vincenzo’s dirty
hands.

My soft sneakers made barely any sound over the garage
floor, and I didn’t dare turn on the light, heading past all the expensive
cars, straight for where I knew the scooter was.

My heart thudded when I put the key in the ignition.

A strong hand grabbed my neck as I was about to start the
scooter, and the man pulled me back against his sturdy chest. I whimpered in
panic.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Santo whispered into my
ear, and I didn’t know if I should be relieved it was him, or terrified.

My body knew better, and it started to shake as the pink
Vespa became unattainable, even though it was still so close I could touch its
smooth surface. My heart beat so fast he could’ve probably sensed it punching
against his hand, but I did my best to remain calm. What would I tell him? That
I needed a few hours away from it all?

“I—just to the beach,” I lied.

“To the beach?” His voice was like the sliver of a snake’s
tongue in my ear. “Who were you to meet at that
beach
?” His grasp
tightened slightly, but I could still breathe.

That threw me off guard so much I looked back at him.
“What?”

Santo bared his teeth. “You’re seeing someone,” he hissed,
but the underlying words were ‘someone other than me’. As if he had any right
to make demands after seeing me walk down the aisle to Seth.

“Sure, we all know how men go crazy for tracksuits,” I said,
completely baffled. The surprise relaxed me enough to actually talk, now
stutter each word out.

Santo let go of my neck, only to turn me around by my wrist
and look me up and down. “Tracksuits? Those yoga pants would turn heads. You’re
changing the subject.”

My pants were tight but they had a bit of flare at the
bottom. “I wasn’t gonna see anyone. Why are you following me? Can’t I have a
moment to myself in this place?”

“Not if you’re leaving the grounds. Where were you going?”
He pulled harder on my wrist, and I pressed my lips tightly together.

With the new knowledge I had about him, I wasn’t certain I
could trust him anymore, but whatever I’d say, he would not believe me anyway.
There was no explanation for me running off with clothes and other essentials
in my bag. Much less so on Christmas Eve.

I took two deep breaths and fought the frantic feeling
spreading all over my body as I looked into his eyes in the darkness. “I know
of your plan.”

“What
plan
?” he asked with a frown, eying my duffel
bag.

I filled my lungs through my nose, gathering all of my
courage. “You want to get rid of my husband. What did he ever do to you that
you want to murder him?”

Santo stilled, and his grip on my wrist loosened, but he
didn’t let me go. No matter how elegant he looked in his black suit with velvet
lapels, I knew he was a lethal force to be reckoned with. So far, I’d liked
that, I thought that his force was on my side, but I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I will not be murdering anyo—him.”

“Yes, you will, even if not with your own hands. And then
what? I will
not
marry Vincenzo,” I said as firmly as I could, even
though I knew my petite stature was hardly helping me to be authoritative.

“Did my father tell you all this?” Santo hissed and leaned
closer, like a menacing shadow in the darkness, but I would not be intimidated.

“You two should be more careful about where you talk.”

“I don’t like any of this either, but it is what it is. Seth
is no boss material. And you…will be a respectable widow. You will not marry
Vincenzo.”

I shook my head. “Stop lying. Just let me leave,” I said,
stepping back toward the Vespa.

“That was your plan?” The bastard actually laughed. “You’re
not going anywhere.”

Anger rose in my chest, and I hit him with my bag as hard as
I could. “Or what? What are you going to do? Lock me up?” I asked, but tears
were already welling up in my eyes. I felt so completely hopeless knowing that
no matter how hard I resisted, my flight was done the moment he’d spotted me.

“Baby…you’re already locked up,” he said, but didn’t smile
this time. “This is not a game. What if someone else found you here?”

“Stop calling me that! You’re just playing with me like
everybody else,” I choked out, wiping my tears off with the sleeve of my
hoodie. I dropped the bag, along with all the hope I’d gathered throughout the last
few days.

But he didn’t seem to listen and grabbed my arms. “Lucrezia,
you haven’t called Seth about this, have you?”

I sniffed, cringing away from him. “Someone should tell him.
If he wants to be abroad so much, why don’t you let him?”

“Because his father chose him. I’d rather Dino had never
brought him back here, but he did. As long as Seth lives, he could come back
and gather support. Lucrezia, this business is nothing you should even
know
about. Do you understand? If you warn Seth about these plans, someone will find
out and make you pay. And the last thing I want is to see you in more danger.”

“How would they find out? I want him gone as much as
everyone, only I don’t think we need to be so extreme.”

Santo gave me a stern look. “Your phone’s bugged. Why do you
think I never gave you my number? It’s too risky.”

I froze, and every single hair on my body bristled. Did this
mean someone has been listening to my private conversations with friends and
Mona? Lightheaded, I leaned against the wall and rubbed my face. The sinking
feeling inside me was only growing heavier.

“I know. It’s not optimal.” Santo groaned and ran his
fingers through his hair.

“This is mad. I don’t understand. Why don’t you people leave
me be? I agreed to marry Seth—not that pig Vincenzo.”

Santo tensed. “Has he done something to you?”

I clenched my hands into fists. “He’s just being a lecher. I
don’t want him anywhere near me. He can’t control himself around women, and you
think he’d be so amazing in a position of power?”

“You have no idea what you are talking about. I will sort
something out. In the meanwhile, you need to stay put and smile, unless you
want a war between the Villanis and the Brunis.”

“Sort something out? Of course, you’d be happy for me to
stay here and wait for you. All that sneaking around must be so exciting.
Vincenzo is too dumb to notice anything,” I said bitterly, looking away from
him. If he had been willing to share me with Seth, then why not with Vincenzo?
If he thought I’d be up for that, he had another thing coming.

“I have my duties. I can’t just do whatever I want. Now…go
back to the house,” he said sternly and took a step back. “I will take your bag
so you don’t look suspicious.”

“I will not be your...paramour,” I said, scowling at the
end. Was that the word that fit the situation? Or was he
my
paramour,
because I was married? “I’m not gonna marry him. I’ll never marry him, so you
can forget it already. It’s not gonna happen.” How dare he talk to me as if I
was a little kid who could be pushed around?

“Fine! Then so be it. This can be your lover instead.” He
pulled a palm-sized box with a ribbon out of his pocket and pushed it at me.
“Merry Christmas,” he said through gritted teeth and snatched my bag from the
floor.

“And what is this?” I hissed, refusing to take in the
context of his words. I completely lost hope for leaving tonight, and anger was
fizzling within me at a rapid pace.

“You can check it out in private,” he growled and walked off
with my bag.

I frantically opened the box to find what I, at first,
thought was a large silver pen, but then it hit me when I thought back to his
words. I pushed the tiny button on the side, and the thing started vibrating in
the box.

My cheeks went aflame.

There I stood with a vibrator in my hand in the middle of the
quiet garage. All alone on Christmas Eve. I closed the box and shook my head. I
couldn’t believe his audacity. Lying to my face and then presenting me with a
sex toy, even though we only had sex once.

I’d only had sex a total of two times, so what was I to do
with a vibrator? This was so inappropriate, especially that I already told him
we shouldn’t have be doing this. Of course, he ignored me. I bet he’d hoped
being married to Vincenzo would make me feel so hopeless I’d give in even
easier.

Well, that would not happen.