Arranged Mafia Marriage

Michael

I look over to find my Nonna engaged in conversation with my wife. They seem to be getting along. Nonna says something and Karma chokes on her drink. I take a step forward when she places her drink on the table and composes herself. She glances at Nonna, who smiles at her. The old bat actually smiles… And it’s one of her rare genuine smiles, too. What the hell?

What are they talking about? And why do I care about it, anyway? I turn my attention back to Sebastian, “It’s time.” I jerk my chin at him, then pivot and walk out of the living room, down the corridor to my study. My father follows me and closes the door after him. I walk to the bar in the corner, pour whiskey into two glasses. My father walks over and accepts a glass from me.

We each take a sip in silence, then my father turns to me, “It’s a mistake, accepting Luca back. He’s turned on you once; he can do so again.”

“Didn’t ask for your advice, father.”

He bares his teeth, “She’s making you weak. This is what happens when you think with your dick. If you’d only killed her as you’d originally planned instead of marrying her, Xander might still be alive today; she-”

“That’s enough,” I snap.

My father’s eyebrows rise up. “Don’t raise your voice,” he growls.

“Don’t talk about my wife. Not now, not ever. Next time you do so, I’ll-”

“What, kill me?” He bares his teeth, “You’d kill your own father over a whore?”

“Shut up,” I snarl, “shut the fuck up.”

He laughs, “You’re losing your ability to think straight.”

“And you…” I tighten my grip around my whiskey glass, “are overstepping the line.”

“I am your father.” He chuckles, “I am meant to overstep the line.”

“You’re nothing to me,” I growl. “The day I consolidate my power with the rival clans, I will take over as Don, and then… You will be nothing to anyone in the Cosa Nostra.”

“I look forward to that day.”

I snort, “You expect me to believe that?”

He looks me up and down. “You may find it difficult to believe this, but I am your father, and nothing would give me more pleasure than my oldest son succeeding me.”

I place my glass on the bar counter, “If that is all-”

“Xander was a liability.”

“Excuse me?”

“He wasted all his time painting.”

“He had a gift.”

“He fucked men.”

“I am aware.”

The Don stiffens, “You knew it and you didn’t do anything about it?”

“He was entitled to do as he pleased.”

“Not when he was my son.”

“I am not going to stand for you talking shit about him,” I growl.

“He’s better off dead. At least, his funeral provides a stage for you to turn up the pressure on our rival clans. Now is the time for you to act, to take assertive action that will allow you to consolidate this hold over our rivals, to increase the influence of the Cosa Nostra, to-”

I throw up my fist and catch him in the jaw. He stumbles back, and the glass slips from his grasp and crashes to the floor. “The fuck?” he growls. “How dare you raise your hand to me?”

“I’ll do more than that.” I straighten as the door to my study flies open. Seb rushes in, followed by Massimo, Christian, Luca, and Adrian. They pause when they notice the Don bleeding from his mouth.

He levels his gaze on me. “You are making a big mistake, boy,” he murmurs, “you don’t want to make an enemy of me.”

“You became my enemy the day you raised your hand to me.”

“It was the only way to ensure you grew up to be a man.”

“I grew up, all right… To hate you. I don’t want you anywhere near my wife or my brothers.”

“They are my sons, too.”

I turn to the men. “Choose, then,” I snap, “him or me.”

They glance at each other, then Seb turns to me, “We’re with you fratellone. You’ve been more than a father to us, more a parent than the Don has ever has been.”

My father chuckles. He glances over the faces of the men, then laughs again. “You leave me no choice then.”

“Leave, father,” I jerk my chin toward the door, “you have your answer.”

“You are going to regret this, each one of you.”

Seb walks over to the door and holds it open. The Don turns and stalks over to the exit. He pauses, then turns to glare at us, “When you need help, don’t bother coming to me. When you lose everything, including that pretty new wife of yours, you remember that it was I who was behind it.”

Turning, he leaves.

The door snicks shut.

“What the fuck?” Christian explodes. “What the hell was that about?”

“He wasn’t very complimentary about Xander,” I rub my fingers across the back of my neck, “It was inevitable.”

“I mean, what did he mean by that threat?”

“That?” I raise my shoulder, “Who the fuck cares?”

“He’s not one for idle threats, brother,” Massimo cautions.

“Neither am I.” I snatch up my glass, drain it, top it up again, then walk over to take my seat behind the desk.

“Out,” I jerk my chin at the door, “it’s time to cut this bullshit short.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Ten minutes later, I lean back in my chair as I take in Nikolai and JJ. The silence stretches as none of us speak. Neither JJ nor Nikolai shuffle in their seats nor look uncomfortable. Their faces wear the same expression of patience that I assume my features reflect… At least, I hope it does. I glance between them, then consider my drink.

“Revenge,” I finally say, “is a powerful emotion. It can make or break a man. It can galvanize you to do the kinds of things you didn’t think you were capable of.”

“And you need revenge,” JJ ventures. “Hell, I would too if it were my brother who was killed in an explosion, and my wife who was hurt.”

“She was pregnant,” I growl. “My wife was pregnant.”

Silence descends, then Nikolai murmurs, “I am sorry, brother. How can we help you?”

“By helping me track down the bastards behind this.”

“I’ll spread the word… Hell, if your speech earlier hasn’t gone viral within the underground network…in a manner of speaking, that is,” JJ offers, “I’ll make sure I alert all of my sources. It’s only a matter of time before the perpetrators are found.

I jerk my chin, “And you, Nikolai?” I train my gaze on him, “What are you thinking?”

“Whoever did it was, clearly, after your life.”

“That’s no secret. He’s the Capo. Hell, they want him to step down from becoming the Don.” JJ frowns. “They were trying to finish him off before he took the position.”

“Is that all it was?” Nikolai drawls.

“What else could it be?” JJ replies.

“You tell me,” Niko holds my gaze, “you sure you’re looking in the right place, Michael?”