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Chapter Two
Olivia
Sitting in the sunroom, I lean against the floral chaise and flip another page inThe Maidensby Alex Michaelides. It’s an enthralling story about a group therapist who becomes fixated on the group that lures in young college women. I’m not too far into the novel, but I saw it on Barnes and Noble’s most anticipated reads page, and I immediately pre-ordered it. It came to my door a couple days ago and today is the first time I’ve had a bit of time to read the story.
I’m halfway down the page when the door leading into the backyard comes flying open. It hits against the wall, and Félix heads toward me with flaring nostrils. His face is bright red, almost the same color as a tomato, and the vein in the middle of his forehead is throbbing. Fuck, I’m about to be the person who’s taking the brunt of his wrath.
I straighten up in my seat and start to close my book, but my brother rips it from my hand and throws it at the wall. “What in the hell is wrong with you?!” Félix screams in my face like a drill sergeant would to a cadet.
Clearing my throat, I give him an answer I know he doesn’t want. “There are far too many things to list, dear brother. Care to elaborate on what all of this is about?” I ask, waving my hand up and down as I assess him with my eyes.
He inhales deeply, and I watch as he clenches his jaw in even more anger. “Don’t play these types of games with me, Olivia. You aren’t Sabine, and to be honest, you can’t pull them off even if you tried. You’ve been ignoring Finn, as if it’ll make a fucking difference. You’re going to marry the man within the year and you’re what, playing childish games? Do you realize what you’re doing, or do you not care about the repercussions we could all face if this wedding doesn’t happen?” Félix shouts in my face, and I jump to my feet. I’m working on being a lot stronger and part of finding my own strength is standing up to my brother when he comes at me so harshly.
“I’m well aware. You’re the one who broke your promise, remember? So, I’ll live my life how I want to until I’m shackled down. Just . . . just leave me alone, Félix. Haven’t you done enough already?” My own anger comes pouring out of me and I can’t hold back, not one bit.
I take a step back and shake my head, furious at my brother. Even now, I can’t help but feel this way. I know he’s doing what he thought was right, but in the end, he’s doing something that shouldn’t even be happening in this day and age.
“Félix!” Madelaine’s voice rings from outside and she ends up coming inside the sunroom. Within a moment, she realizes there’s something going on between my brother and me.
“You’re lucky. Do you understand me? You’re lucky that Finn is the man you’re marrying. It could’ve been someone worse, someone foul, someone like our fucking father, but it isn’t.”
“So you admit it then? You planned on doing this all along,” I scoff, shaking my head at Félix while I try to keep my composure.
“No! Fuck,” Félix hisses and throws his hands up in the air.
“Félix, you should leave. I think Olivia and I need to have a chat woman to woman,” Madelaine pipes up. Immediately, my brother keeps his calm and nods, respecting what his future wife is asking of him. I wait until Félix leaves and heads back out through the door before I say anything to Madelaine.
“He has no right to treat me like flesh he owns.”
Madelaine sucks in a deep breath and nods. “He’s not trying to, Olivia. I know it doesn’t seem that way right now, but your brother is just trying to find the right way to make sure this goes through flawlessly. I may be new to this lifestyle and your entire mafia world . . . but I know that if this wedding doesn’t happen, we’re all in grave danger. You, me, Finn, every DeLancy.”
God. I hate that our fate is somehow my burden to bear. “I know,” I grumble. Just because people keep telling me I’m the one who has to do this, it doesn’t make it any better. I’m still going to marry a man I don’t care for in the least bit. A man I don’t love. A man who’s practically a complete stranger.
“It’s okay for you to be angry. I’d be angry, too, if I were in your shoes. But it’s a holiday and we should all put this anger and animosity at bay. It’s St. Patrick’s, and—” Madelaine is trying to be supportive, but she’s not in my shoes. She can’t understand what this is like at all.
I cut her off without any regrets. “But you’re not. You’re not in my position and you’ll never understand what it’s like! My father was horrible, Madelaine, and I thought after he died, I’d have some sort of control of my life. I thought Félix was going to give me that. Fuck, he promised me, but look where we’re at now. I’m being married off to Finn and I . . . and I’m losing the last bit of control I had.” Tears begin to well behind my eyes, so I shut them and force down my emotions as much as I can.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry for seeming insensitive to your experience. But, I should probably tell you that—”
Every word Madelaine says is suddenly unimportant as Finn’s frame fills the doorway my brother just exited a few moments ago. Immediately, this feels like some sort of trap and every bit of anger boils through my blood.
I march right up to him and stare into his deep chestnut-colored eyes. “I will speak to you when I feel like it, and not a moment before.”
Finn scoffs, sinks his hands into his trouser pockets, and smirks at me. “I’ll be back to pick you up at six tonight. You’d better be ready because we are going out, Olivia.” Finn smirks before walking away, and before I can even reply, he’s out of my sight.
Well, shit.
