Beautiful Revenge (Bound to the Mafia #5)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Aria

I ’m a Mafia princess.

People practically bow to me. They worship me. They respect me.

At least that’s what they would do if I wasn’t forced to be locked up in my house.

As a Mafia daughter, my father, Elio Romano, is paranoid something will happen to me. I am the future for him and out family. I have to marry well.

And because of that, he wants to make sure I’m a virgin. Because if I had my way, I’d already have a boyfriend. I don’t give a fuck about marriage but I do love my father and want to continue on with my family’s legacy. I take pride in my reputation.

Which is why I wouldn’t allow just any man to touch me. It would be my choice.

The problem is: it’s never my choice.

I overhear my father on the phone one night. My favorite spot to eavesdrop on him is on the stairs. For some reason, he never seems to check me here.

“What do you mean he won’t marry her?” Dad asks someone on the phone.

I sit up straighter. Someone won’t marry me?

Just a few weeks ago, a deal was struck.

I was to marry Viktor Smirnov, a high ranking Bratva man.

I was disgusted when my father told me. The Russian Mafia?

Seriously? I’d rather stab a hot poker in my eye than marry someone like that.

I deserve the best of the best. I deserve a Mafia man, like my father’s friend Dante Moretti.

I don’t have romantic feelings for Dante, who’s the head of the Italian Mafia. He’s always been like a father to me. But someone of his standing is what I want. I don’t belong in the trenches.

And if I had my way, I would make that choice.

Except, my father wants me married to some Russian who’s already married.

I strain to listen to my dad’s conversation.

“He refuses to leave his wife?” he asks the other person. I wish I knew who it was. I wish I was a part of that conversation. I hate being shut out. “If you knew this, Dante, then you never should have tried to marry him to my Aria.”

Dante. Of course. I should have figured.

It hurt me when he and my father told me they were striking up a deal to marry me to Viktor. It was a betrayal.

But now it seems I won’t have to marry Viktor. Not if he refuses to leave his current wife. Some maid he married, I guess. How na?ve and stupid can a grown man be? You never marry the help.

You never fall in love with them.

If you’re a high ranking mafia member, you marry a high ranking mafia member.

“This is going to hurt Aria’s reputation,” my father continued.

“You promised us peace with the Russians. I didn’t even want to marry her to him in the first place.

But I agreed since I knew it was a good way to gain power.

And Viktor has made a fool out of Aria. What man will want her now that she’s been rejected? ”

I flinch. I didn’t think of it that way. I’m just relieved I won’t have to marry Viktor Smirnov. I never would have let a dirty Russian touch me. Only an Italian man is worthy of my body and my brain.

“You need to make this happen, Dante.” Dad goes silent. “Make him divorce his wife then!” Silent again. “You can’t? You’re the head of the Mafia. You have an alliance with Erik Koslov. You’re seriously telling me you can’t force Viktor to do what you want?”

Erik Koslov is the head of the Russian Mafia. He made a deal with Dante years ago when Dante stole Erik’s sister-in-law, Nadia Belov, away. They’ve been trying to work together ever since.

From my little understanding, their alliance is tentative at best. It almost crumbled when some men who worked for Dante – Irish hitman brothers – kidnapped a Russian girl, Elena Romanov, and killed her father, Ivan.

Apparently, one of the brothers, Aiden, fell in love with Elena and they married.

That pissed Viktor off since he was supposed to marry Elena.

Then he got passed onto me and now he doesn’t even want to marry me? Fucker. Who wouldn’t want to marry me? I’m a great catch. Blonde, slim, witty. I’m the complete package.

“Damn you, Dante.”

My dad’s words make me raise my eyebrows. He rarely cusses and he never cusses at Dante.

“You need to find a suitable new husband for Aria. Someone high ranking. Once word gets out about all of this, her reputation will be hurt. Find a solution.” He goes silent again.

Footsteps get closer to me.

My dad.

I scramble to my feet but barely make it a step when he spots me. “Aria?”

“Dad.”

He glances down at the phone in his hand. “Were you listening?”

“Yes.” I will keep my head high and feel no shame. I have a right to know what will become of my future.

He sighs. “So then you know that you’re engagement to Viktor Smirnov is called off.”

“Why exactly?”

“Apparently, he loves his wife and wants to stay married to her. I guess she’s some Bratva girl no one knew about. Inessa Petrov. He’s not going to leave her.”

“Dante could just kill the girl.”

He blinks. “Are you being serious or sarcastic right now?”

I huff and roll my eyes. “I’m sarcastic, Dad. But… seriously though, why can’t Dante just kill her? Then Viktor would be free to marry me.”

“I thought you weren’t happy about getting married to Viktor.”

“I’m not. But I don’t like being slighted.”

“Aria, Dante isn’t going to murder an innocent woman.”

I shrug. “Why not? The Dante I remember from my childhood wouldn’t have hesitated to get the job done.” But ever since he married Nadia and made peace with Erik, he’s gone soft.

“Inessa is an innocent woman and it would only upset Viktor. He would never make peace with Dante then. Apparently, Viktor has agreed to make peace with them as long as he can remain married to his wife. Erik agreed even though Dante wasn’t happy about it.”

“So Dante is Erik’s little lapdog now? Erik calls all the shots?” I shudder at the thought. A Russian in control of an Italian? It’s disgusting.

“It appears so. You’re engagement to Viktor is called off. But don’t worry. Dante and I will find someone even better for you. An even higher ranking Mafia man. Won’t that make you happy?”

It would but I still want the ability to choose the man I marry. Is that so much to ask?

Arranged marriages are common in my world. So common that marrying for love is seen as the strange thing to do.

I’ve known my duty all my life.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t chafe under it. I want to marry a handsome man with prestige and money and status.

I just want to choose him myself.

“Find me someone good,” I snap. “I won’t marry a man who disrespects me.” I flip my hair over my shoulder and storm upstairs.

My dad doesn’t say a word. He never does. When it comes to me, he gives in so easily.

The tea function is set inside the restaurant at The Plaza hotel.

Tons of Mafia women are in attendance. Older women who are already married and some younger women like myself who are looking for husbands.

I aspire to be like these older women. Married to wealthy men.

Some are widows with the freedom to spend their husband’s money and do as they wish.

“Aria,” Janet calls out, motioning me over. She’s a forty-something woman who always brags about how wonderful her husband is. I think she’s full of shit. No one’s husband is that amazing.

Though, I know mine will be one day.

“Hello, ladies,” I say to the group. Janet is seated next to Clara, a young widow, who’s seated next to Isabella, a sixty-year-old stern woman.

“Sit, sit,” Janet says, motioning to the seat next to her.

Once I do, the gossip begins. “So, Aria, we all heard about your failed engagement to Viktor Smirnov. What happened there? Because I would be embarrassed if I was rejected like that. You see, my husband is just an amazing man. He gives to charities and helps children in need. He would never hurt me like that.”

I stare at Janet for a long moment. She’s a fake bitch but I would never say that to her face.

I have manners after all. “Viktor and I met once to discuss a potential marriage agreement. But nothing was set in stone. He didn’t reject me.

Besides, I’m glad to not have to marry a Russian.

I mean, can you imagine? Only an Italian for me.

Or maybe some Englishman. I could see myself married to a British man. Maybe the British royalty.”

Clara chitters. It grates on my nerves. “Don’t be delusional, Aria. You could never marry into royalty.”

“Why not?”

Her eyes go wide and her cheeks flush. Clearly, she didn’t expect me to challenge her. “Because… I mean… you know.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re… you. Everyone knows you have a mouth on you. An attitude that’s hard to ignore. No British prince would want that.”

“Were you ever taught, Clara, that if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all?”

“You asked,” she grumbles, slinking into her seat.

“I say go for the stars,” Isabella says. “But be reasonable. Your father will find you a good match, I’m sure. I know a few single Mafia men who would make good husbands. Are you interested?”

“Of course, Isabella.” I force a fake smile onto my face. The truth is: I couldn’t give a damn about what Isabella has to say. She is way past her prime. All the men she knows are old and stuffy. I want a young, handsome man to sweep me off my feet.

That’s what I, Aria Romano, deserve.

After listening to the women drone on and on for hours, I return back home only to find that Dante is there.

He’s seated at the kitchen table across from my father.

Now that I’m eighteen, I can admit that Dante is a handsome man. I used to have a schoolgirl crush on him when I was younger but that’s passed now. He’s a married man and nothing will ever happen between us. I know he sees me as a daughter figure and always will.

That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate his handsome looks. Nadia is lucky to be married to the head of the Mafia (and she’s a Russian herself). The world is just unfair.

“What are you doing here?” I ask in a sharper tone than I intend.