King of The Bronx: A mafia romance, page 11
“Are you inviting anyone?” I asked him. He mentioned his mom once, and I wonder if he’d invite her.
“My mom and sister are meeting us down there.” He handed over my plane ticket. When I looked down, I had to double check to make sure I read it right.
“Italy?”
“My mom said she’s always imagined me getting married there.”
I guess Italy is as good a place as any to get married. “I’ve never been.”
“It’s beautiful. I think you’ll like it.” Butterflies started to form in my stomach. Even though this was under very strange circumstances, I couldn’t hide that I was filled with both excitement and nerves. What would his mom think of me? Why did I care? His mom couldn’t be happy that he was marrying a woman she hadn’t even gotten the chance to meet yet.
“Is your mom going to hate me?”
“No, she’ll love you. She will just be happy I’m getting married.”
“Does she know—”
“No. And you’re not going to tell her.” He leveled me with a glare.
I looked away from him, out the window, and watched the planes land. I couldn’t believe I was on my way to Italy to get married to Enzo. Even though I hated him right now for taking me prisoner and, now, forcing me to be his wife, there were worse men I could spend the rest of my life with. Working at the brothel, I’ve been surrounded by men who didn’t have respect for anything or anyone. Enzo was far from the worst. He was getting married in Italy to please his mom—that must count for something.
“Come on,” he said, bringing me out of my thoughts. The plane had started to board. He carried my small carry-on bag to our seat and placed it in the overhang. We were seated in first class. At least that’s what I assumed since the seats looked more spread out than I imagined and the people already seated had glasses of champagne in their hands.
“Can I sit by the window?” I asked him. He nodded and I slid into the seat. My stomach clenched a moment when I realized how far away from the ground the plane was, and we weren’t even in the sky yet.
“Nervous?” he whispered into my ear. Goosebumps rose over my body as I nodded my head.
“Have you ever been on a plane?” he asked.
“No, plane tickets are expensive.” I looked around at the area we were seated in. I had a ton of room to stretch out, and there was a TV to one side of me. There was also a short plastic wall that gave us some privacy from the rest of the passengers. Enzo got into the seat next to me and pulled out his phone. The flight attendant stood at the front of the aircraft and started to go over the safety features as I felt the plane move. I looked out the window and saw we were slowly rolling toward the runway. The flight attendant finished her speech, and we started to gain speed. My stomach twisted, and I gripped the side of the seat. Enzo reached over and, to my surprise, grabbed one of my hands and squeezed.
“Taking off is the worst part. Once we’re in the sky, it levels out.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the plane lift off the ground.
“Can we get a couple glasses of champagne?” Enzo said to someone. A moment later, a glass was placed in my hand. I opened my eyes to look down at the champagne.
“It will help you to relax.”
I nodded and drank it all down in one go. He handed me another one, and I managed to smile at him.
Once we were in the sky, I started to relax a little bit. I was able to look out the window and see all the clouds and houses below them.
“You will love Italy. It’s beautiful,” Enzo said.
“You’ve been before?” I asked.
He nodded. “A few times.”
I imagined Enzo would blend in perfectly in a place like Italy.
“Sleep. We have a long time before we land.”
I snuggled down in the seat and let my eyes close.
*****
Light coming through the small window woke me up. I squinted out the window and turned in the seat to see Enzo typing away on his phone.
“Did you sleep at all?” I said as I sat up.
“You slept long enough for both of us. We’ll be landing soon.”
The seatbelt light came on, and the pilot came over the speaker, letting us know we were descending.
“Is your mom there already?” I asked Enzo.
“No, she’ll be here tonight.”
The time zone change was already throwing me off. It was still bright and sunny in Italy. The landing wasn’t as bad as take-off, but Enzo still interlocked his fingers with mine when I’d gripped the chair. It was a small gesture, but it was the most affection I’d seen out of him in a while. If I was honest, the feeling of his hand against mine made me want to run my hand over his chest. I missed the feeling of his body against me, but I reminded myself that I was being taken prisoner right now. He was forcing me to marry him and fly to another country when I should be finding a way to protect my girls. The scent of his cologne filled my nose as he got up and grabbed my bag from the overhang.
“You didn’t pack anything?” I asked, realizing for the first time that he hadn’t brought a bag.
“No, everything I need is at the house.”
“House?” I asked.
He winked at me. “You’ll see.”
We got off the plane and walked through the airport. When we got outside, it was like the air felt lighter. I noticed everyone moved slower too. There weren’t many people rushing around to catch their plane. I could tell already that I was going to like Italy. A cab was already waiting for us at the curb. Once inside, I looked out the window as the beautiful city passed us by. The architecture was amazing. Great detail and work were put into every single building. The churches were gigantic and took up the entire block. People walked and biked along the cobblestone streets. We drove through the city until we were far away from the beautiful buildings and people. My view from the window changed to miles of flowers and grass, the greenest grass I’d ever seen. Living in New York, the closer thing to grass I saw was in Central Park, and it was dying by this time of year.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Enzo whispered in my ear. His deep voice was a straight shot to my core. Just looking at the scenery and feeling his breath on my neck instantly calmed me. I was safe here…with him.
“Gorgeous.”
After a long drive, we pulled up to a stunning house. It looked to be at least two stories with a red roof and stucco siding. It definitely matched the rest of the landscape. Enzo got out first and paid the cab driver before opening my door. I followed after him into the home. The tall double wooden doors opened into a grand foyer. The inside of the house was luxurious, completely opposite of his apartment in the city. The walls were painted a dark beige and exposed wood beams complimented the high ceilings. There was also a feeling of warmness to the home despite its size.
“I’ll show you to your room.”
Lost for words, I simply followed behind him up a staircase. The room he showed me was decorated very feminine with a light pink comforter and sheer white curtains that allowed the sunlight to come through. I loved the brightness that the sun brought in. I walked toward the arched window and opened it to let the fresh air in. The breeze blew through my hair, and I took a long, deep breath. It was like after living so many years in the dark streets of New York, I was finally at peace here.
Enzo stood in the middle of the room with his hands in his pockets. “My room is next door. You’re welcome anywhere in the house or on the property, but don’t go too far—”
“There’s a pool?” I asked, catching the sigh of water from the corner of my eye.
He smiled.
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.” I don’t even remember the last time I swam. I think it might have been when I lived with Toby’s family as a kid. They had a lake house that we went to once.
“I’ll get one for you.” He turned to walk out of the room.
“Thank you,” I said, stopping him in his tracks. I shouldn’t be thanking him. I should be mad at him, but I couldn’t help but feel grateful to be able to see the beauty of Italy. I never would have been outside the country if it weren't for him.
He nodded and walked out of the room. Once he left, I took a shower in my en suite bathroom. There were a couple big windows in there that faced the vast land that the house sat on. I opened those windows too. My body craved fresh air that wasn’t filled with the stench of trash or the sound of homeless people arguing on the sidewalk. After my shower, I changed into some comfortable clothes. I walked out of the room to explore the house and ran into Cal in the hallway. He held a shopping bag out.
“Thank you.”
He grunted in response.
“Do you ever talk?” I ask. Cal was the only one of Enzo’s men that I knew by name. He guarded the apartment door sometimes when Enzo was gone, and he usually brought me the shit I needed.
Cal shrugged. “If needed.”
I looked inside to find a bathing suit and a couple outfits. A genuine smile tugged at my lips, and I turned away from Cal to head back to my room. I put the bathing suit on under my clothes before emerging again. The door to Enzo’s room was shut, and I wondered if he was finally sleeping. It seemed like he was always on the go. I rarely saw him relax. Walking past his door, I came across another room. The door was ajar, so I pushed it so it creaked open. It was an office, similar to the one Enzo had in his apartment. I walked back out, went down the staircase, and took a left. I found a huge kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, as well as a dining room that could fit at least thirty people. I felt like a princess living in a castle, but Enzo was no Prince Charming, and I had to remind myself that I was being forced to marry him.
Chapter Eighteen
Enzo
Looking out the window of my room, I watched as Raven peeled off her clothes to reveal the black bikini underneath. My dick hardened as I ran my eyes from her long legs up to her chest. I was going to have to thank Cal later for picking out the swimsuit. It left little to the imagination. I imagined wrapping my arms around her perfectly curved waist. This woman was going to be my wife, so I had the rest of my life to admire her body. Even though I was marrying her so she’d have Cosa Nostra’s protection, I couldn’t deny that I liked the idea of being fused to her for the rest of our lives. I wanted a claim on the woman who so desperately didn’t want to be claimed. She sat at the edge of the pool, letting her legs dangle in the water. Fuck, I wanted to join her, but she probably needed some space. I had just flown her across the country to marry me. I let out a sigh and walked away from the window, my dick fully at attention. I was going to have to jack off in the shower later.
I never imagined getting married, but to my mom’s delight, that’s exactly what I was doing. After I took care of her brothel, I wondered if she would go back to running it, and if she would want to live with me or if it would be like this little thing between us never happened. Even if that’s how we ended up, living two separate lives, I’ll be happy that she at least enjoyed Italy as much as she already has. She wasn’t the easiest person to read, but I’d picked up on that. A knock sounded on my door. I answered it to see Cal standing on the other side.
“Your mom’s plane should be landing in four hours.”
“Thanks.”
“You need anything else, Boss?” Cal asked.
“I’m good. Just keep an eye on Raven, will ya?”
“Absolutely.”
I closed the door. Four hours was just enough time to get some sleep. My body was begging me to rest, and I usually ignored it, but today, I decided to give in. I stripped off my clothes and got into the soft bed.
*****
I woke in a panic, searching for something…I’m not sure what, but my eyes scanned the blankets. That’s when I realized the room was pitch black. I rubbed a hand over my face. Shit.
I grabbed my phone off the bedside table to check the time. It was nine o’clock. I’d slept the entire day. I quickly got into the shower and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before leaving the room. The sound of laughter echoed off the walls and floated to my floor. What the hell? I followed the sound to the dining room table where my mom and Raven were seated at the table. Raven’s hair was piled on top of her head like she’d thrown it up after her swim. She was dressed in one of my T-shirts and pajama pants. Had she packed one of my shirts in her carry-on bag?
“Oh, look who’s up,” my mom teased. She was also dressed for bed, with a cup of steaming tea warming her hands. I bent down and kissed her cheek.
“How was your flight?” I asked.
She waved me off. “It was fine. I was just catching your fiancée up on all your embarrassing stories.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great.”
My mom has probably been waiting for this opportunity my whole life. She stood up from the table and placed her cup in the sink.
“I’m heading off to bed.” She wrapped me in a tight hug, then squeezed Raven’s shoulder. “You are going to make a beautiful bride.” She said before leaving us in the kitchen.
I sat down in the chair my mom had vacated. Raven and I were close enough to touch, and I wanted to run my hand over her soft skin to feel the goosebumps that would rise with my touch, but she had to be the one to reach out, to beg for me to touch her.
“Your mom is nice.”
I shrugged. “She’s been wanting me to get married for a long time. I think she’d almost given up hope.”
“Doesn’t she find this a little odd? That I just came out of nowhere?”
“My mom was married to a made man for many years. She has learned not to ask questions.”
Raven raised her eyebrow at me. “Is that what you think I’m going to do once we’re married? Not ask questions?”
I smiled. Raven could never be the typical mob wife. “No. You are already a part of this world. I can’t stop you from asking about my businesses.”
She looked down at the table. “Why are we getting married?”
“For your protection.”
“I know, but why do you care so much? You could have just killed me. Or let me figure out everything on my own. Why are you helping me?” She lifted her eyes up to stare into mine.
“I don’t know.” I tried to think of an explanation. I wouldn’t do this for anyone else, but I felt something for Raven that I’ve never felt for anyone else. I wanted to be her savior for some reason. That first night I saw her at the underground, I just wanted to get her on her back, but as time went on, it grew into something stronger. Any other woman in her situation would jump at the opportunity for me to help her, but Raven was fighting me every step of the way. Maybe it was because I wanted to show her that she could trust me. “I can’t walk away knowing that no one has ever taken care of you.”
Her lip twitched like she wanted to smile. I didn’t feel good about forcing her into a marriage, but I needed to protect her. No one had ever fought for her or even helped her. I wanted to be that person for her. The person she could lean on when life got too heavy.
“I should probably get some sleep,” she said.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
She got up from the chair, but before walking away, she bent down and pressed her plump lips to mine. The kiss was soft but heated. Too soon, she pulled away and I heard the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs.
I sat at the table for a minute in the silence. It was evening in New York, and I didn’t have anything urgent to get to. The quiet and stillness was uncomfortable. I was never still. I always had something to do, someone to talk to, business to handle. I paced the kitchen for a while before opening the fridge and pulling out leftover pasta that my mom and Raven must’ve made for dinner. After eating, my body started to feel tired again despite all the hours I’d slept, but I didn’t want to go back to my room alone. I climbed the stairs and slowly opened Raven’s bedroom door. The creaking sound it made must have woken her up, but she didn’t stir. The only light in the room came through the window from the moon. I walked across the floor and got under the covers. The bed dipped with my weight, but she still didn’t move. She might turn around and tell me to get out, but I was hoping she wouldn’t. After a minute of no movement from her, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her soft body to my hard chest. I waited until her breathing evened out before allowing myself to close my eyes and fall asleep too.
Chapter Nineteen
Raven
His arms wrapped tightly around me. I vaguely remembered him coming into the bedroom last night. I couldn’t help relaxing into his embrace. It felt so right, but everything surrounding us was so wrong. In a matter of hours, Enzo would be my husband. This all felt like a dream…or a nightmare. I wasn’t sure which one yet. I’m unsure about everything, except the man lying next to me. There was one consistency in all of this, and that was him. He didn’t have an ulterior motive other than to help me for reasons I still didn’t understand. I’d pushed him away time and time again, but he never wavered. Maybe it was time to start trusting him. It was easier said than done, but he’d done nothing to earn my distrust. He didn’t have to put his neck on the line to save my girls, but he did it anyways. It would have been easy for him to walk away as if he’d never met me, but he didn’t. A pressure against my back brought me back to the present.
Is that…? Oh yeah, it’s definitely his hard dick digging into my ass cheek. He didn’t move, but he had to be awake. I had two options: get out of bed like nothing had happened or provoke the beast. His arms tightened around me, and my decision was made. I ground my ass against his hard cock. It had been too long since I’d been underneath him and every inch of my body craved his touch. The slight roughness of his five-o’clock shadow tickled my neck as he moved his mouth to my ear and nibbled on it. No words needed to be spoken between us. He moved his hand between my legs and rubbed circles over the pajama bottoms. I couldn’t help moving my hips to get more contact. Wetness gathered between my thighs, and as if reading my mind, he slipped his hand underneath the pants and into my panties.
