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Luka
“Icannotbelieve I am going to live in Alboreville, in the damn Volante house.”
Arturo swung, catching my left jaw. “You are not focusing, focus.”
I shook my head and closed my eyes. “This is useless. My head isn't in it.”
I walked over and sat down on the bench, taking a sip of water.
Arturo sat next to me. “We can use this to our advantage. Some of our leads go straight through Alboreville. Maybe you can get information that has been eluding us this far.”
I sighed and nodded. “Yeah maybe.” I sat up, unwrapping my hands. Thinking back to her noticing I was a fighter. “I will say one thing. Alora is probably a virgin too. You know how these assholes are about keeping their daughters pure.”
“It’s kinda sick really. This arranged marriage bullshit.”
I nodded. Mom was from the Cattaneo outfit and had been forced to marry Stefano. The worst day of her life. Usually, it was women married off to men set to take over their outfits. To bring peace between families, or smooth out deals gone wrong. But no, I was the younger brother being pimped out to an outfit with no male heir. “This whole thing is bullshit. I belong here. Not slated to take over the Volante Family. I honestly can't believe Stefano agreed to this.”
“Me either. He has to have some ulterior motive. Something he has planned that we’re not seeing.”
“I can see more why Gabriele agreed, he needs a male to take over. But why not just find a guy from his outfit to marry his daughter?”
“I don’t know. There has to be a reason. That and this Wrath guy. He killed two more of our men this week, and two of Valentino’s men. They say he wears all black, even a black face mask. You can't see anything on him to identify him. By the time you see him, it's too late. Apparently, he’s a ninja or something. Doesn’t make a sound.”
“We need to find him and take him out before he does more damage.”
“Agreed.” Arturo put a hand on my shoulder. “We better head back and get ready to leave. You are getting married tomorrow.”
I leaned into the wall, knocking the back of my head against it. “Yeah.”
I walked back to the house, up to my room. I looked around at the boxes and suitcases ready to leave in a few hours. I showered and got dressed. Glancing around my room, boxes and suitcases were gone. I always hated this house, hated this room where dad would take out his anger with a belt if I stepped out of line an inch.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I heard mom's voice.
I smiled, walking over and pulling her into a hug. “Hey, mom.”
She cupped my face in her hands. “My sweet boy. Come.” She sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. “You know it was an arranged marriage between your father and me?”
I nodded. “Yes, mom I know. That had to be hard for you.”
She smiled and grabbed my hands. “Yes, it was. Did you know that Alora’s mother and I were friends?”
That was a surprise to me. I looked at her in shock. “No, I didn't know that.”
She laughed. “She was so much fun to be around. She just lit up a room when she walked in. And the boys, oh the boys loved her. Your father was in love with her as was Gabriele, Maximo and Marco too.” She shook her head. “They were all so close back then—we all were. But after Gabriele made some deal arranging for Sofia to be his wife, between you and me, she always had a thing for Marco, your grandpa Enzo and my dad arranged for your father and me to marry.
“Mom, why are you telling me all this?”
She grabbed my hand and patted it in hers. Tears filled her eyes. “I want you to make me a promise.”
I wiped her cheek. “Anything mom. Don’t cry.”
“I want you to be good to Alora, and try, really try to learn to love her.”
“Mom, you can't ask me to do that.”
“You do this for me. You at least try! You grew up in this world, so you know how it is. But it is harder growing up in this life as a woman. There are things expected of you, things that aren't easy to live up to. And if you get out of line, the men in this world are cruel.”
“Mom, I am not a cruel man like Stefano.”
