He moves away from the counter where he leans. He stalks to the coffee machine, grabs the coffee cup, and he places it on the counter near me.
He whispers in me ear with only me able to hear him, “Be a good wife and listen. I don’t want to have to start another war to find you if you try to run from me. I’m not a good loser, Isabella. I always catch my prey.” His lips graze my neck. “I’m always watching, Mrs. Ricci.” His hot breath dances across my skin as he continues, “Take my black Amex card and buy whatever your heart desires. Buy everything in the whole city if that makes you smile. As your husband, that is one of my duties to make my wife happy among other ways to keep her happy. Many, many other ways.”
He pulls away and walks out of the room with the other man following him. I’m left standing with my body humming with excitement and my panties soaked. What the hell is happening? Why does he have this damn effect on me?
I reach for my coffee, take a sip, and it’s what I needed. Ice-cold brew with oat milk and two pumps of pumpkin, my favorite and only kind I ever get. How in the world?
I’m always watching.Echoes in my head.
I’m trying to figure out how he would know how I take my coffee when Gianna links her arm through mine and says, “Okay, new sis, let’s go and have some girl time.”
My fingers graze over a deep red fitted dress when Gianna appears next to me. “Girl, this dress would look incredibly sexy on you and you should definitely try it on.”
It’s sweet of her to say that but it’s the furthest thing from the truth. This beautiful piece of fabric would not flatter me I would be a laughingstock if I wore this dress anywhere.
“Gianna, that’s kind of you to say that. Thank you.” My eyes meet her confused ones before mine move back to the dress. “This dress is more for someone with your body type. Curves in all the right places, not like mine with a mixture of fat and curves. No one is going to want to see me in this dress.”
I move to go look at some other items in this high-end store downtown when Gianna says, “Well, I can tell you none of that bullshit you vomited out of your mouth is remotely even close.” I spin around with a confusion. She chuckles, grabs the hanger and brings it over to me. “Trust me when I say, whoever put any of those horrible things in your head need to have their mouths sewn shut. None of what you said is true.” She gestures to the fitting room to our right. “I think once you try it on, you will agree with me.”
My fingers curl around the hanger as I make my way to the changing room. I do trust her which is a strange feeling as I just met her this morning, but there was sincerity in her eyes and compassion. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person to only tell me what I want to hear either.
I undress without looking in the mirror, remove the dress from the hanger, and unzip the back before stepping into it one leg at a time. I grip the sides, shimmy it up over my hips, pull the side up and slide the tiny thin straps over my shoulders. My hands reach around the back, and I pull up the zipper with more ease than I thought. I let out a deep breath before I chicken out and put on my other clothes.
My eyes close as I turn on my heel to see myself. I count to three and then open them. I let out a gasp with my arms frozen at my sides. Holy shit! The deep red fabric against my golden skin makes me seem darker than I am. My breasts are pushed up, held in with no spillage on the sides. The dress hugs my body. Cinching my waist and, highlighting my hips, and comes down to right above my ankles. My curves are on full display, and I don’t have the need to cover myself up with embarrassment. My stomach shows some but not all the rolls. The dress hides it.
I unlock the door to show Gianna and once it’s open about a quarter of the way, she squeals with excitement like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. You, look so fucking sexy and the moment my brother sees you in this dress, every man in the tristate area has a death wish.” She says, gesturing for me to turn around.
“I mean it’s not like he hasn’t done that already by killing Ian.” I blurt out while I turn around.
She raises one shoulder. “Very true.”
“Do you have any idea why your brother wanted to marry me so badly?” I bluntly ask with this being my opportunity to possibly get some answers.
She smiles. “My brother beats to his own drum as you know most mafia men do.”
“This is crazy. You have to agree that this is crazy because I only met him one time. One!” I hold up my finger to make my point known.
“Enzo has always been the take charge kind of a person. Even when he was younger. He likes control and the need to lead. Both make him a good Don of our family. I’m sure he had his reasons, ones I have no idea what they are.” Her voice softens. “This is the world we were born into.”
I take in her words and let out a sigh because she’s not wrong on this is the life we have ever known. But I just wish she was able to give me more information to why Enzo wanted to marry me and kill Ian.
“Now, girl, your ass is snatched in this,” Gianna says as she changes the subject.
I can feel my face heat. “I don’t think I have ever felt this good in a piece of clothing in ever.” I slide my hands down the front of the dress and the moment she mentions Enzo, his deep dark eyes appear in my mind. Part of me believes her based off some things he has said in the past forty-eight hours. But the other part of me knows the truth is this is just a business transaction and nothing more. “Well, this marriage was a business deal. Never getting to make our own decisions.”
Gianna tilts her head, taking in what I just said. I can see it in her eyes that she understands what I’m saying because she, too, is a woman in this dark underworld we have been born into. There is going to come a point where she will be married off but I hope that Enzo does not do what has been done to me to her.
“Regardless of how it happened, the marriage, there is no shame wanting to feel good. To feel sexy. To feel powerful.” Her lips pull into a small smile. “You deserve it. We deserve it.” I nod agreeing with her when she pops up from the chair and states, “Now, let’s see what else this store has for other items to make my brother second guess letting me take you shopping.”
I let out a small laugh before I follow her in through the store, still wearing the dress and a certain someone, wondering around in my mind.
Gianna found many more outfits for me that included dresses, tops, pants, shoes, under garments, and so much more. I have never left a store with so many bags in one swell shopping experience. I feel a little over zealous at how much this all is costing my new husband and what he’s going to think when he sees the bill on his fifteen thousand credit card.
We are exiting the store when the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention and my back straightens. I feel as if I’m being watched. I turn my head over my shoulder to see if I see anyone or anything. There is no one there. This feels different than a few months ago when I thought I was being followed. However, this time my stomach feels it’s in my throat, my mouth is dry, my palms are sweaty, and something feels off. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Lorenzo is holding the door open to the car when he notices me swiveling my head. “Mrs. Ricci, is everything all right?” His voice laced with concern when he asks me.
