AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We help many people. We might make our money from things a little on the illegal side, but we use that money to help those suffering in our communities. You’ll see. We’re not all bad. But, like anything powerful, some bad things come along with the good things we must do.”
I want her to know how I really feel. Kneeling in front of her, I take her hands in mine and run my finger over the wedding ring I placed on her finger only hours ago. “I might not have cared for you at first, but I began to care for you. And then, along the way, I fell for you, Isabella. Last night, things started one way and ended another. I began by fucking you, and then I ended up making love to you.”
Her eyes begin to glisten, and she finally smiles. “I remember that clearly now. I felt the shift between us. Had I known the kind of man I was with, I wouldn’t have let myself do any of that. Marrying a monster has never been a dream of mine.”
Angry that she won’t stop thinking of me in that dark light, I rise to tower over her, giving her an idea of the power I have over her. “I am your husband, and you will not refer to me as a monster again.” As angry as I am right now, and knowing it’s better for her if I walk away, I leave her alone.
Chapter 10
Isabella
He left me alone. After all I’ve been through today, he just walked away and left me locked in a room by myself.
Angry, I get off the bed to investigate my surroundings. I find a small bathroom with a sink and wash my face to get rid of all the salty tears I’ve cried.
Still in front of the sink, I dare to look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes focus on the white wedding dress with blood splatter all over the front. “This is what a Mafia queen looks like.”
“It’s not always this bad,” comes a feminine voice from behind me.
Spinning around, I see one of the women from the wedding and recall at once who she is. “You’re his mother. Of course you’d think that way.”
She holds up a clean dress. “I brought you something to change into.” Jerking her head toward the shower, she adds, “I’ll wait while you shower and get changed. Take your time, dear.”
A shower might do me good, so I follow her advice and take a long, hot shower to rid myself of the horrors of the day. My stepbrother’s blood stained my dress, but there is dried blood on my skin as well. It mingles with the water, running off my body in pink rivulets.
Leaning my forehead against the tile wall, I try to slow my breathing. I can’t even think right now. This has to be a terrible nightmare. I can’t have married a monster. I can’t have come from a monster. I can’t be in this situation.
I get out of the shower, dress, and run a comb through my wet hair. After finishing in the bathroom, I find my mother-in-law still in the bedroom sipping a glass of red wine.
She nods and fills another glass for me. “Come sit at this little table with me, dear. We should get to know one another.”
With a shrug, I sit down and take the glass from her. After all, I don’t have anything else to do. “Hi, I’m Isabella,” I say, “the daughter of a Mafia boss—something I just found out when my Mafia boss husband informed me my entire life has been a lie.” Holding up the glass, I add, “So, here’s to being the queen behind the king of all that’s evil in this world.”
She laughs, takes a drink, and says, “He’s not as evil as you make him out to be. Many people love my son. His generosity has earned him the respect of many people. Yes, he has had to do some things that might be considered evil, but he did them for the right reasons. You married a good man, Isabella.”
“Have I?” I ask and take a long drink of wine. I’m not so sure I should believe this woman. “You’re his mother. I think you have to believe he’s not a bad guy.”
“I know my son.” Reaching over the table, she places her hand on top of mine. “He wants a happy marriage with you. I know that if that’s what he wants, then he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re happy. So, what are you going to do to make sure he’s happy?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I say, “I guess I could kill a bunch of kittens for him or something horrifying like that. Is that the kind of thing he would like?”
She scowls, and I can see that she doesn’t see the humor in my words. “You know you’re being a bitch, right?”
Apparently, she likes to get right to the point. “Is that something he’d like? Me being a bitch?”
“Not at all. He has liked you so far. This new side you’re showing isn’t as appealing, I’m afraid.” She bites her wine-stained lower lip, hums to herself, then adds, “You’ve been through a lot, but maybe you can try to snap yourself out of this funk you’re in.”
I don’t understand these people at all. “I’m sorry. Am I supposed to take in stride the fact that my life is being turned upside down, my world is being shattered, and I just found out that I’m the spawn of a monster and a saint? Is this something all Mafia people deal with on the regular?” After downing the rest of my wine, I slam the glass down on the table. “Hit me again, Mrs. Vietti. I would like to become drunk.”
She sighs and eyes me as she refills my glass. “Okay, you get to be upset by what you’ve found out. But you don’t have to take it out on Carlo. After all, he’s not responsible for you being born. And he didn’t have to marry you. He could’ve had any woman he wanted—literally, any woman in the world—but he picked you, Isabella. And he married you to keep you safe from whatever your father wants you for. You should be thanking him, not calling him a monster.”
“Why didn’t he pick another woman? Why me? I don’t get it.”
“You’re of pure blood.” She taps her long, perfectly manicured nail on the table to emphasize her point. “Sure, there are others of pure blood too, but you needed protection. When he heard that John’s life had been threatened, he rushed to marry you so that he could declare an act of war if you were harmed by anyone. That’s pretty fucking romantic if you ask me.”
I have to wonder if this woman knows anything about real romance. “But he didn’t really do all that for me. He did it for himself.”
“How so?” she asks with a smirk, leaning her elbows on the table.
