Arranged Mafia Marriage

Axel

I am getting married. What the bloody fuck? I am getting married. How the hell had that happened? Oh, I know, it has something to do with a curvy, green-eyed sprite who’d dared to ask me to marry her in front of those…those men. Men who are my brothers, but who had abandoned me and my mother as surely as their father had. So what, if none of them knew of my existence? It’s their father who sent my mother away in exchange for assets that would further his business.

My mother had been the only daughter of the head of the Camorra, arch rivals to the Cosa Nostra. She had fallen in love with my father, despite the fact that he was married. She had moved to be with him, despite the fact that her family would never accept her back. By the time she was pregnant with me and my brothers, she had realized just how abusive he could get with her.

After my brothers and I were born, she wanted to leave my father. In response, he had negotiated with my mother’s father for her return. He had insisted that she leave the children behind, but she had refused. Finally, he had agreed to let her take one of the triplets-me-along with her.

She had left, and when her family had disowned her, she had decided to strike out on her own. No small decision for a Mafia princess who had been brought up in the lap of luxury. She had moved to London, and with no skill to support herself, she had turned to the world’s oldest profession. A cliche maybe, but my mother had been determined to survive without the help of her family. She had also been insistent that I go to a good school. She had worked herself to the bone to ensure that I had the best education available. Pun intended.

She’d made no secret about how much she despised the Cosa Nostra and the Camorra, and anything to do with the Mafia, really. It’s the one thing she’d made me promise-never to have anything to do with them. What she had neglected to mention was that she was one of them, as am I. She hadn’t told me anything about my background, or my father, or about my triplet brothers. Not until she was on her deathbed. Even then, she’d waited until the very last minute, when she had sensed her imminent death, before she’d finally told me about the circumstances surrounding my birth. Then, she had breathed her last.

I’d known it was inevitable that she would die early, the way she had been working so hard, and let’s face it, women in her profession aren’t known for their longevity. She had poured all of her hopes, her dreams, her ambitions into me, and a part of me had known that she wouldn’t survive for long. Still, no matter how much you try to anticipate it, no one is prepared for death.

My mother had been struck down by a fast-spreading cancer. She had refused treatment, something I had found out only later, for she had ensured not to tell me about it. Of course, as a teenager I was wrapped up in my own life. Still you’d think I would have spotted that my mother was suffering from cancer. But she managed to hide it well. It wasn’t until she was near the end that I realized just how sick she was. At that point, it was hard to ignore how skeletal she’d become, and I hated myself for missing it. I had held her hand, had looked into her eyes as she had passed.

When she was finally still, anger had gripped me. I had glanced into her lifeless features and a rage of the kind I had never experienced before had swept through me. She had given me everything materially possible; everything except love. She had ensured I had a good education, yet not once, had she simply spent time with me, just been with me the way a mother would be with her child. She had burdened me with her expectations, her aspirations and wishes.

What about me, what about what I wanted? Yes, it’s selfish, I know that. She had sacrificed everything for me, and yet, as I sat there, still holding her hand that was growing increasingly cold, a desolation had swept through me. She had left me without once telling me that she loved me.

I had been a reminder of her past, perhaps. I was someone through whom she thought she could vindicate herself, and I had hated her for that. And I had hated myself for thinking that way. I had been so angry with her for screwing me up in the head. I had been upset with her for not taking better care of herself. I had been frustrated that I had not been old enough to stop her, that I’d been unable to keep her from working herself to death, and…

I had hated myself for not noticing sooner. She had insisted that she was fine and I had opted to believe her. I had lived the life of a carefree youth, someone who had everything going for him, who was going to achieve all of his dreams… The kinds of dreams that she had wanted for me.

I had sworn then, I would avenge her. I would track down those who had been responsible for destroying her. I would find the man who had lied to her and caused her to get pregnant, which had led to the events that had ruined her. I would find my father and ensure that he suffered as much as she had. As much as I had.

It’s what had led me here. All of the images from my past pour through my mind, and for a second, I have complete clarity.

I remember now, how I had tracked down my father. And when he had been killed before I’d had the opportunity to avenge my mother, I had been forced to refocus my attention on my brothers.

I had already approached Christian’s now-wife Aurora in London and coerced her into helping me. When her father had taken ill and she’d returned home to become the Sovranos’ doctor, that only made it easier.

Then, Christian put himself in my crosshairs when he fixated on Aurora. I could learn more about him than anyone else because he spent the most time with her. When the two of them became separated from the rest of the family, and thus, were unprotected, I had my opportunity to strike.

And I’d had help. I straighten. On my side, I’d had an ally who was more powerful, stronger than the Cosa Nostra, and with as fierce a motive as mine to take them down.

It’s why I must go through with this sham of a marriage-something I hadn’t anticipated, but which I can use to my advantage. It’s why I will use my soon-to-be wife to get back at the Cosa Nostra.

I throw back my head and laugh. It’s perfect, actually. I couldn’t have planned this set-up better.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

I am going to leverage this marriage to my benefit…and take full advantage of the perks that come with it, too. I roll off the bed where I had flung myself down after returning from the meeting with my brothers. It’s only a short flight of steps from the study downstairs to my bedroom, but the catch-up with them and the events of the day had taken it out of me. I’m healing fast, but I’m nowhere near my former health, and while I am pushing myself to get in shape, I also know the dangers of overdoing it. So, I had forced myself to return to my room and I’d taken a nap. A bloody nap in the middle of the day… Like I’m a helpless infant, but at least, I feel refreshed. And I am going to need my strength for what I have in mind.