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“Cecilio Bonardi must be crazy agreeing to marry off his daughter to you,” added my other brother, Camillo, who was sitting behind us. He shook his head. “I mean, you’re hardly ideal son-in-law material.”
I chuckled. “I’m going to enjoy this. I like nothing more than seeing other people afraid of me, and I’m sure that the young girl chosen will not disappoint in that regard.” I knew she was eight years younger than me, but she was of age and that was all that mattered.
I looked at the large Bonardi mansion and its spacious grounds. “Judging by this, Cecilio Bonardi has done well for himself."
Over the years, the families running the Società had become very wealthy. They had started out in L.A. by controlling the port and the drug trade before extending their influence into various other enterprises.
Today was the official engagement party and the signing of the engagement contract between our organizations. The Italian Mafia was a traditional institution, and our families still followed the custom of signing an engagement contract.
At twenty-seven years of age, I was the eldest of my siblings. I had been initiated at the age of twelve, and from that day I had become a Made Man, a man who was part of the Mafia. Now I was Capo of the Fratellanza.
Alessio was my Consigliere, my second-in-command, while Camillo managed the enforcement side of our business. Our two youngest siblings, Danio and Debora, had stayed home in Chicago today.
“I still don’t fully trust the bastards. Are all the security details in place?” I asked Alessio.
“It’s all under control. I’ve made detailed plans regarding protection for today.”
It was unlikely that they would try anything, but we all knew that you could never be sure of anything in our world.
We got out of our black SUV, and Alessio and Camillo followed me up the front steps of the Bonardi mansion.
“Marchiano,” greeted Emanuel Santino, holding out his hand to shake mine. We all reluctantly shook hands, eyeballing each other and not trusting each other one bit. “Let’s go through to the drawing room.”
As we entered the drawing room, I winced inwardly at the sight that greeted me.
Fuck, it was straight out of the old country.
This room was obviously kept for special occasions, where guests were entertained and family photographs taken to be sent back to the relations in Italy, the décor screaming that the inhabitants of this house had ‘made it’ out here in the Land of Stars and Stripes.
The furniture was heavy and carved, the chairs having ridiculous over-the-top scrolls on their arms and legs. Anything that wasn’t covered in gaudy crimson fabric was coated instead with glitzy gold paint. There was more gold in the excessive mirrors and sconces adorning the walls, the latter covered in burgundy flocked wallpaper.
There was even a green, white, and red Italian flag in the corner of the room, among various Italian ‘heirlooms.’
It was the height of tackiness and a travesty of Italian style. I sighed, hoping that my wife-to-be did not take after her mother in the style stakes.
Gabriel Santino and Jacob Bonardi were waiting for us inside the room. Gabriel was now twenty-six years old and would inherit the position of Società Capo upon his father’s death. However, everyone knew that Gabriel was already heavily involved in managing their affairs, and it was predicted that he would be a ruthless and effective leader.
After drinks and small talk, Jacob was dispatched by his father to fetch his sister, Juliana.
Emanuel looked at me. “It is a shame that my own daughter is not old enough yet to marry. However, I am sure that you will not be disappointed with the girl we have to offer to you.”
At that moment the door quietly opened, and everyone turned to look at the girl entering. I had been told that she was nineteen years old. She walked with a straight back and her head held high; however, her stiff posture gave away the fear she felt. Good, I wanted a wife who would fear me and obey me.
She hesitated, unsure where to go, before walking carefully toward her father and stopping at his side.
She was indeed a beauty. I guessed that she was around five foot five, yet even in her heels she would only just reach my chin. She was slender but with curves in all the right places, her figure shown off in an ivory dress which was in striking contrast to her silky dark hair.
The ivory dress had probably been her parents’ idea to emphasize her purity, although I preferred to think of her as the lamb chosen to be sacrificed at the altar of the Fratellanza.
Despite her attractive body, it was her eyes I was drawn to. Their startling blue gaze briefly looked at me before quickly darting away.
The innocence in those big blue pools attracted me like a bee to honey—I couldn’t wait to be the one to take her and ruin her.
Although she avoided looking at me, I had no qualms at letting my eyes run over my bride-to-be. Today we would be signing the engagement contract, and I wanted to see what I would be getting. Her innocent cheeks flushed with heat as she felt my assessing stare upon her, and I knew I would make them blush even more on our wedding night.
I saw Gabriel Santino steal a glance at her. I detected a flicker of something in his eyes—I wasn’t sure what it was, and it took me a few moments to realize it was a flash of attraction.
My shoulders tensed. Of course I had heard that the Società had originally discussed a possible engagement between Juliana and Gabriel, but that was history now as far as everyone was concerned. They better stay away from each other, I thought, and he better keep his hands off her—because she was mine now.
