The other is wrapped around her long ponytail as he uses it to pump his dick into the back of her throat. And damn, she’s enjoying every second of it.

  “You must be Nico. Take your time, honey, and make it good. It’s the last blow job he’ll be getting.” I slam the door and lift my skirts to walk down to the bridal suite, where I’ll wait to marry that man.

  “Genesis, wait! It’s not what you think.” Is he serious?

  I turn to face him.

  “Don’t insult me with a blatant lie. You’ll have mistresses, bastards, and whores aplenty. I’m not a fool. But you couldn’t even keep it in your pants knowing you’d have a virgin tonight?” I shake my head in disbelief.

  “That’s just it. I have to teach you what to do; it was my last chance for a while, at least, to have an experienced lover. Surely you understand. I never thought you’d be such a prude bitch.” I slap him hard.

  His eyes darken, and he pins me to the wall by my throat in an instant.

  “You’re lucky you can’t say I do with a broken jaw. I’ll let this slide, but you better learn quick that I am not a man to be fucked with.” He lets go, and I gasp.

  “Clean yourself up and smile in the church.” He walks away still fixing his pants, and it clicks in my head that there isn’t a chance in hell that I’m marrying him.

  He’d kill me the first chance he got.

  Chapter

  Three

  I find my way to the bridal suite in a daze. Everyone is celebrating, passing around the champagne flutes, and I sit in the middle of it all in a daze.

  This can not be my life. I won’t let it be.

  A knock on the door makes me jump as if someone had let off a bomb. Val answers it, and Alfie walks in with a box in his hands.

  “Ladies, may I have the room for a moment?” All my bridesmaids leave, and I sit looking at the man who raised me.

  “Chikita, you are a vision. However, I do not like the coloring on your neck.” I lift my chin and show off the bruises Nico gave me.

  “A gift from my husband to be. He disagreed with my reaction to finding his dick in my makeup artist’s mouth.” Alfie crosses himself.

  “Language, we are in the house of God.” I nod with a huff.

  “So was he. In the Father’s office, holding his bible during the act. Someone, I think, the heavenly father will forgive me for my language after that.” Alfie sits in front of me with the box in his lap.

  “Ah, I see. It will be dealt with promptly. Ans shall not occur again. This I vow.” He leans in and kisses both my cheeks lightly so as not to ruin my makeup.

  “You have your something new, and blue. Allow me to prove old and borrowed. This was my great-grandmother’s.” He opens the box and pulls out a silver hair comb with a lace veil attached.

  The pearls on the comb match my dress, and I smile at the thought of all the women who have worn it before me. Then I frown, wondering how it turned out for them.

  “Every single one was an arranged marriage that found true love. It is what I wish for you today.” I sigh and bend my head so that he can push the comb into my hair.

  “Their, perfecto.” He muses at us in the mirror.

  KNOCK KNOCK

  “Si,” he calls out.

  “Sorry to interrupt. It is time.” Val smiles at us before coming in to help with my veil and train.

  “Well, shall we?” I look at Alfie and thread my arm through his.

  He pats my hand with his as we walk out and get in line following the wedding planner’s signals.

  “Not too late. I’ll trip the old man and give you a head start.” I choke on a giggle at Val’s words.

  “Valentina,” Alfie says, but I see him hiding a smile.

  “You love us. We only need ten minutes or so.” He clicks his tongue at her antics, and I smile for the first time today.

  “Ready? I go first, and then you follow ten seconds later.” Val fixes my train and veil.

  I nod, and the doors open for her to enter the church.

  “You got this.” She says, then the doors close behind her as Alfis and I take our spots.

  “I know you will follow your heart and do the right thing. I will love and support you no matter what. Just remember, our choices are becoming very limited.” One more pat on my hand is all I get as the doors open and he steps forward, forcing me to follow.

  What the fuck was that? Did he just tell me I can say no?

  My mind races and as we get closer to that son of a bitch who had me by the neck to more I know what I’m going to do.

  Alfie offers my hand to Nico, who takes it and squeezes my fingers so hard I flinch. Alfie doesn’t miss it, and neither do I when he leans into Nico and whispers in his ear.

  “She is not yours yet. Hurt her and you will answer to me.” The pressure on my fingers eased, but a mask of malice now replaces the fake smile Nico wore.

  He isn’t even pretending to be civil now.

  Shit.

  The priest starts the service, and Nico is clearly paying attention and following prompts, while I tune out everything, trying to figure out what I’m going to do.

  “Genesis?”

  My world narrows down, and I see my life flash before my eyes.

  Chapter

  Four

  Saturday evening

  “NO.”

  The Priest clears his throat and chuckles.

  “I’m sure she didn’t understand Padre. Ask her again.” My so-called future husband crushes my fingers between his hands while he smiles at me like I hung the moon.

  I know without a shadow of a doubt that if I marry him, I’ll be dead before the honeymoon is over. I can see the malice and cruelty lurking behind his eyes. I’m just a fucking payday for him.

  No thank.

  “Do you, Genesis Torelli, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” I can feel my world narrow to a pinpoint.

  A cold sweat rolls down my back, but I straighten my spine and pull my hands free from his rough grip.

  “I said no.” I pull the veil off my head and throw it on the floor.

  The crowd gasps as I lift the heavy skirt of my Italian lace dress and stomp my way back down the aisle with my cousin Valentina on my heels.

  “Are you crazy?” She hisses when I lock us in the bridal suite.

  “I can’t do it. Nico is cruel, vile, and has no regard for human life. I’d rather marry a homeless crack addict.” The pounding on the door doesn’t even phase me.

  “GENESIS!” Here we go.

  My so-called father is here to tell me yet again what an ungrateful child I am. How he sacrificed everything to give me a better life, and that I’m an embarrassment to the Santos name.

  How is beyond me since I don’t carry his last name.

  “You are not needed here. Chikita, may I come in?” I smile when I hear the smooth voice of the man who raised me.

  “Alfie, I’m sorry.” I sigh as I open the door.

  He stopped being Papa after that night. The one when I’d learned the truth.

  “I know. He was the last your age that was acceptable.” I hiccup and nod.

  I have to marry.

  As his only legal heir when Alfonso dies, I’ll be the getaway to the top, and he refuses to leave that up to chance. Unfortunately, the last generation of Mafia children was eighty percent female. My choices weren’t great with the men, either being too old, already married, or way too young.

  It left three choices.

  I just rejected the last in a church full of three hundred members of the Cosa Nostra and God. There really wasn’t a higher form of disrespect.

  “Uncle Al, how bad is it?” He sighs and sits in one of the couches.

  He grabs a bottle of champagne my bridesmaids had opened to toast me with and upends it, taking nice big swigs before throwing the now-empty bottle across the room, where it hits the wall and shatters, causing both of us to yelp.

  “Shh,” Alfie is the least violent man I’ve ever met.

  How he’s led the mafia all these years is crazy. I asked him once, and he said he learned long ago not to bring his work home.

  “Your house should be your area of peace.”

  When I pointed out that he was too soft spoken and calm for this type of work, he had chuckled and leaned in close to whisper words I’ll never forget.

  “I’ll tell you a secret, Chikita. The calm before the storm is always the most dangerous. Let them underestimate you. Then, when you strike, they’ll never suspect or see you coming.”

  It was at that moment that I knew I was more like Alfie than I gave him credit for.

  “Carmine. He’s the least revolting.” Alfie turns to look at me and smirks.

  “He’s also eighty with one foot in the grave.” I shrug.

  “Should be a short marriage then.”

  Chapter

  Five

  Sunday

  “Are you fucking serious right now! I can not believe you agreed to marry that man. He’s old enough to be your fathers’s father.” I sigh as Valentina paces my bedroom, ranting and raving about my life.

  Figures.

  “That’s called a grandfather. What are they teaching you at that college?” The one I secretly envy, she gets to attend.

  Sure, I’m in college too, but online isn’t he same. There was no way in hell that I’d be allowed to attend classes without a whole security team, though. I was not going to do that.

  “Mostly drinking, fucking, and how to make drugs.” She deadpans as she stops, placing one hand on her cocked hip.

  She stares at me as if I have answers to questions she hasn’t yet asked, so the silence stretches until her famous Italian temper flares.

  “SAY SOMETHING!” I roll my eyes at her theatrics.

  “Try asking me a question I can answer, bitch.” She drops down on my bed like she’s been pushed and wacks me in the head with my own pillow.

  “HEY!” I snatch it away before the room fills with feathers like the last pillow fight she started.

  “You called me a bitch.” She pouts, and I giggle at her.

  It’s the first real laugh I’ve had in weeks, and her face brightens up like she just won a prize.

  “It’s true,” I say once I stop shaking from the laughter.

  “Worth it. I missed that smile.” I sigh and nod, knowing she’s right.

  I missed it too.

  “Ok, up. Let’s get you out of this monstrosity.” I was still in my wedding dress, and it weighed a ton.

  She pulls me up to a standing position and starts the process of carefully unbuttoning the fifty-plus pearl buttons that line my spine.

  “I need a plan,” I mutter out loud as I watch the progress in the mirror directly in front of me.

  “An escape plan?” She looks up from her work to meet my eyes in the reflection and waggles her brows at me.

  “Exactly yes.” That makes her frown.

  “Gen, you know there’s no escape from the mafia.” The silence that fills my bedroom is deafening.

  But she’s right. You’re born into it or sold, married, or traded off to get in, but the only way out is death.

  “How about you come stay on campus with me this weekend. It’s Halloween.” My brow arches like she’s lost her mind.

  “Talk to Uncle Al. If you’re really going to marry Don Carmine, it’s the least he can do. That old man isn’t gonna remember your pussy from your ass, and you should not have to suffer through losing your virginity to a man so hopped up on Viagra he’ll properly croak the moment your bra falls off.” I tilt my head in thought.

  “That’s not a half-bad plan,” I say, lost in thought.

  “What Halloween?” I shake my head.

  “No, the Viarga. I heard he’s got a bad heart.” She gasps, and I smirk.

  “You are evil!” We laugh as the dress finally gives way for me to peel it off.

  “Christ, what a waste. That corset set is fucking gorgeous.” I sigh, knowing she’s right, but I get satisfaction when I walk over to my fireplace and rip it off, throwing it into the fire.

  “ARE YOU CRAZY! THAT WAS LAPERLA!” I shrug.

  “And a gift from my husband not to be.” She wipes the look of outrage off her face and points at my crotch.

  “In that case, burn the panties too.”

  Amen sister.

  I pull them off and throw them into the flames, then walk into my bathroom to wash off the day. Valentina sits on the edge of my tub while I shower in the walk-in, talking about how her sorority runs this massive party every year and donates the door fee to local charities.

  “Sounds like an excuse to party and get bargaining rights for your resumes.” She snorts and nods.

  “Yup, but it’s a blast and they’re the best way to socialize. Come on! It’ll be fun.” I turn off the water and grab my robe.

  The moment I see myself in the mirror, I relax.

  I look like myself again, not some uptown wannabe mobster wife from the Upper East Side. I sit at my vanity and start combing out my curls.

  “I’ll ask, but don’t get your hopes up.” She bounces up and down like a child on Christmas morning.

  “He’ll say yes. You’ll see!” I look away cause after the embarrassment I caused today, I’m lucky to be breathing.

  Asking if I can have a sleepover on a college campus without my security detail after agreeing to marry his closest mafia friend may come off as a way for me to try to run.

  I’ll need to find a compromise.

  A knock on my door stops whatever Val was saying as she stands and answers it for me. Around here, doors don’t lock, and a knock never goes unanswered.

  It’s a curiosity that you’d never get back.

  “Chikita, I have wonderful news.” He’s been at me, and my eyebrows go up, hiding behind my bangs.

  “Yes?” I ask worriedly.

  “Do not look so glum. Carmine has accepted the proposal and has granted you leave to finish your studies before marrying.” My heart skips.

  I glance at Valentine, and her face mirrors my own shock.

  “Truthfully?” That would mean six more months of freedom since I’m set to graduate in the spring.

  “Yes. He believes in proper education, and since you will not be expected to sire him an heir, he wants his wife to be college-educated.” Wait, what was that last part?

  “No heir?” He shakes his head.

  “Carmine is very progressive. He will leave his side of the family to his nephew, and you, my dear, will be able to live life how you see fit.” He grins at me and cups my cheeks in his palms.

  “I don’t know what to say.” It was the truth.

  “He only asks that you stay loyal until his passing. However, he felt it best that you sow your oats before the wedding.” Alfie winks at me and then turns away, leaving me sitting with my mouth open in shock.

  The door clicks closed, and ten seconds later, Val shrieks.

  “DID YOUR NEW FINANCE GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO GET LAID?” I wave my arms at her.

  “Will you hush! Fuck, why are you so loud!” I throw my pillow at her, and I regret the error instantly.

  Feathers fly all over the room as we wack each other like we’re six again. When we’re both too tired to stand, we collapse on the floor in front of the fireplace to catch our breath.

  “Lucky. Bitch.” Val says between gasping breaths.

  I manage a nod but nothing else.

  It’s more than I could have wished for, and you know what they say about wishes.

  Chapter

  Six

  Monday

  The surprises keep on coming.

  It’s early morning, and my maid informs me that I’ll be moved to the dorms with my cousin Val. If it’s supposed to be a punishment, then I’ll try not to feel as excited as I am.

  To live as an actual adult without constant supervision is a dream come true.

  I don’t trust it until my head of security briefs me on the new changes to my details now that I’ll be living on campus. When I go in search of Alfie to ask why the sudden changes have occurred, I come face-to-face with Marco instead.

  “He’s in a meeting all day and flying to Italy tonight. He’ll be back on Thursday. You’re expected for dinner.” I grind my teeth at his tone, but quickly nod once and leave before I say anything that will make them revoke my access to the free world.

  I grab my purse and head for my car, but it’s gone.

  “It’s down for maintenance, ma’am. It’ll be delivered and parked for you later today. If you’ll allow me to drive you?” Alfie’s personal chauffeur opens the door to his Bentley and waits for me to get in.

  “Thank you,” I say politely as I sit and place my bag on the seat next to me.

  It’s an almost two-hour drive to our upstate New York compound, and I enjoy the Autumn scenery as I’m driven into the city. It’s lunch time by the time we get to campus.

  “You’re things have been delivered to Ms. Valentine’s room. If you require anything else, you have my number.” He comes around and opens the door for me.

  “I’m actually staying at the Sigma Phi sorority house?” I thought that part was definitely a joke of some kind.

  “The house has been upgraded to Mr. Torelli’s standards.” I sigh and nod at him as I step out of the car into the midday sun.

  Of course it has.

  “GEN!!!” I cringe as I hear my name screamed across the quad.

  “Uncle Al hooked us up! Come see.” Valentine grabs my hand and drags me away from the only man with the answers I need, but I guess I’ll need to ask them later, since her grip is punishing, and if I try to pull away, I may lose skin.

  “Easy up, will you!” I hiss as I stumble to keep up with her.

  “Shouldn’t you be in class?” I ask as we reach the sorority house, and she opens the front door.

  “It’s Monday, no classes for me today. Rest day.” Well, that was smart, I guess.

  For us, non-campus students, online classes were held all day on Mondays.

 

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