AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’s the fucking Don of the New York Family, and you went against his specific decree. It sends the message that you don’t recognize him as an authority figure in his own region. And by extension, neither does the Chicago Family.” He slumps his shoulders and squeezes the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “You being a capo’s sister only makes the situation a hundred times worse.”
“I... I never saw it that way, Angelo.” I bury my hands in my hair. “Jesus.”
He sighs and looks up at the ceiling. “Do you remember Enzo, Milene?”
“Catalina’s idiot cousin who died in an accident last year? What does Enzo have to do with anything?”
“He didn’t die in an accident. Ajello found out he came to New York for a weekend “mancation”—strip clubs, drinking, having a good time. Nothing to do with the Family business.Enzo’s body was delivered to Rossi the following day. It came in several bags, Milene.”
“Bags?” I gape at him.
“Yes. There were three. The note said it was easier for FedEx to handle smaller packages. It worked out to be cheaper.”
I wrap my arms around myself. “Is he going to kill me, too?”
“He has every right to, and no one would be able to do anything about it.” He looks at me. “But he’s demanded another compensation. Rossi agreed.”
“What kind of compensation?”
“A marriage.”
My head snaps up. “No,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry. You’ve brought this on yourself.”
“I am not getting married!” I yell while trying very hard to keep the tears at bay, but they come anyway, blurring my vision.
“There’s nothing I can do, sis.” Angelo gets up from the chair and walks toward me, crouching at my feet. “If it were just you, I could have arranged to get you out of the country or something. But it’s the whole Family on the line here.”
My brother’s right, there isn’t anything he could do. Saying no would mean war. People would die because of me and my stupidity. I knew the risk of coming to Ajello’s territory and decided to come anyway.
“I fucked up big time, didn’t I?” I sniff.
“Yes, you did. I’m sorry.”
“So, who am I arranged to marry?”
He grabs my hand and just watches me for a few seconds, then sighs in. “Don Ajello, Milene.”
Panic explodes inside my chest. “What? I’m not marrying a man who chops people up and mails their body parts.”
“If you don’t, Ajello may attack. And, even though theBratva will likely side with us because of Bianca, it will still be a fucking bloodbath.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Our sister’s husband is the Bratva’s enforcer. If the Russians are dragged into this, he’ll be sent to the front line. I can’t do that to Bianca.
“When?” I choke out.
“He’ll be here with the marriage officiant at noon.”
My tears flow so fast they fall like rain onto the wooden floor, each one splashing against the last.
* * *
Exactly at noon, a sharp knock sounds at the door, but I remain seated and motionless on the sofa, still wearing my work scrubs. Angelo answers it.
My brother tried to convince me to change into something more appropriate, but I told him to fuck off and die. In the three hours I’ve spent on the sofa, I’ve gone through shock and disbelief, then denial and self-pity. Now? Now, I’m royally pissed off.
Angelo opens the door, and a huge bald man in his fifties marches confidently into my apartment. I can’t suppress a shudder. It could be worse. It could be much worse. My inner monologue is still repeating the thought when the bald guy moves to the side, revealing another figure. I spring to my feet in an instant. It’s the jacket guy.
