Chapter Four
“Those things will kill you someday.” I laugh when I hear my mom’s disappointed voice. I let the smoke out of my mouth and turn to her.
My mother is a beautiful woman. The long brown hair makes her look younger than she is, the green eyes, that I inhered, are looking at her loved ones with so much love that it’s impossible not to like her, and a body that can make women jealous.
“Those ‘shits’ calm me down in situations like this, Mom.” I put out the cigarette on the edge of a sculpture in the shape of a snake, not caring if Hannibal sees.
Why the fuck he has a snake statue in a random bedroom, I have no idea.
I open my arms when I see the sad tears in my mother's eyes. I can have ten bullets in me and that won't make me give in, but seeing my mother upset is my weakness.
“What’s wrong, ma?” I try to calm her as I am hugging her.
“Are you happy?”
“What?”
“Are you happy, Everette?” I almost flinch when I hear my other name. Not many people call me that. Only Mom and Keres, that one time. “Are you truly happy with marrying Althea? You know I always wanted you and your sister to marry the ones you want.” Her voice is almost a whisper. “I know you never loved Keres, but you wanted her for a reason, and she really didn’t deserved death.”
“Mom, what are you talking about? It’s my duty as the future Boss to have a wife.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me. I can call off this wedding right now if you want. God, I’ll kill your father for putting you in an arranged marriage.”
Now she is angry. Amazing.
“Everything will be fine.” I don’t know if I’m trying to convince mom or me.
She puts her hands on my face, letting out a sign. She caresses my cheeks in a way only a mother can, and she straightens her back and walks out the room.
“Stop hiding like a coward, son. You need to face her.” Fuck, if someone would’ve called me like that, I would’ve killed them before finishing the sentence.
But I am indeed hiding from her. The last time I saw her was three years ago when she looked in her sister’s eyes and said that she hates her for leaving her alone in Italy. I honestly don’t know how I’ll react when I’ll see her again.
Disappointed because she let her sister down in the worst way possible?
Angry because she made Keres cry daily?
I need to gather myself up and be the Boss everybody thinks I’ll be.
I exit the bedroom and head toward the big hall that looks like a room in gold.
It feels so wrong that a week ago I was at Keres’s funeral and now I’m celebrating my new engagement.
It feels like I’m betraying Keres.
People bow their heads in respect when I’m walking by them, and when I arrive next to Orion he looks at me like he couldn’t care more who I am.
“We should be more careful around Hanibal.” His rough voice catches me off guard. He’s not talking that much, but when he does, he makes sure to sound like a demon.
“What are you talking about?”
“I caught him with his hand around Althea’s neck. And he was definitely not putting a necklace around it.” A weird cold shiver electrocutes my spine.
He did what?
“He touched her?” My voice is harsh. I don’t know why I feel so possessive over Althea, but I don’t like someone touching what will be mine.
“He said something in Italian too, but Althea just smirked at him like a crazy person. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen her show any kind of smile.”
The day Althea smiles, is the day I’ll die.
“Are you gossiping without me?” I hear Allan’s offended voice behind me, and then I remember something.
“Aren’t you half Italian?” I ask curious.
“I am.” He answers while drinking two margaritas.
“Do you know Italian?”
“No.” He crushes all my hopes.
“How the fuck?” Asks Orion confused. “You always say that your Italian ass is the sweetest in the world.”
“Well, I’m flattered that you think that too…” He giggles like a teenager.
Giggles.
“…but I grew up in London as you well know. My parents just wanted me to know that I’m half Italian.”
My heart almost softened at the thought of his parents.
“Find someone who knows Italian without being part of the Famiglia. Hanibal will make me a bloody groom with a smile on his face.” Just like his daughter would. Orion nods, walking outside.
He is not a party person, but I still appreciate that he came here today.
I know Orion for ten years now. We met when I was seventeen and he twenty, when we almost killed each other because we thought we were the person we both were hunting.
I don’t trust people easily, but Orion showed me loyalty since beginning. We are very much alike, but his way of killing is way darker than mine.
Looking at Allan, who is trying to jingle the two now empty glasses, I realize that the loyalty he has giving me since kids, is different.
I know Allan, and I know that he feels guilty for what happened when his parents died. Guilty that my family took an orphan into their home and made him like their second son.
Like my brother.
That’s why I chose him as my right hand. Because there is no one I trust more on this earth than Allan Carrington.
“Have you seen Althea?” I ask, trying to not sound more curious that I already am.
“Yeah, she was hiding around here. She didn’t really
change that much. Still has the same little, scared face.” I clench my palm into fists at the thought.
What did I think when I agreed to this?
I can’t marry a girl that was supposed to be like my little sister. A girl who was too immature to face her sister.
A girl who didn’t came at her sister funeral.
Did I hoped that my future wife would’ve changed a little?
Yes.
Did she?
Don’t think so.
The people’s voices stop when a pair of heels make their way into the golden room. And I just know that the Empress blessed us with her presence.
The only woman who can make men fear everything.
A line of women that made the mafia world a world full of respect. The first Empress was created when my great-grandfather was a toddler. And since then, the first-born daughter takes their place in the throne.
When the times comes and little boys become made men, they need to learn and respect the rules the first Empress put in the underworld.
No, not rules.
Laws.
Never act without the Empress’s approval.
No relationships with people who are not part of the underworld, it is considered betrayal.
Kill who you want, in any way you want, only if the reason behind it is: betrayal, insulting or assaulting family members, rapists.
If the police have evidence on you, you are on your own..
Anyone who betrays the mafia or breaks the law, will
be punished by the Empress in any way she wants.
It may seem weird or funny, but when the Empress killed a child rapist in front of everybody at a party, by beheading him with an axe, people started to respect the law and incidents are gladly avoided.
“Mr. Moretti, I don’t know what to start with. Condolences to your ex-fiancé or congratulations to the new one.” I try to keep my fake smile on, but I can
feel my jaw clenching. "I'm really sorry for Keres. She was a happy girl. Too bad she disappeared so suddenly from our lives."
I narrow my eyes at her, and I just know that she is smiling under that mask of hers.
I need to choose my next words carefully, because either she knows that Keres really disappeared, either she wants to find out information.
“Too bad, indeed.” I hum.
“Are you going to lie to my face, Keaton?”
“Depends on the lie, ma’am.” I’m playing with fire right now, but I’m not risking anything.
“So, what Arius told me is not true.” I’m going to kill that motherfucker. “Are you saying that my right hand lied to me that your ex-fiancée’s body disappeared?”
“And if it’s true, would that be considered treason?”
“No, because if I were you, I wouldn’t told me either.” I try to hide my surprise, but I can’t. She will always be a mystery to me, and for everybody else.
And I can’t even be mad over Arius, because he is her most loyal soldier. But I wanted to find out the killer by myself.
The Empress will want to know every detail about my search. And even interfere.
“Congratulation on the engagement, miss Luciano. I’m amazed at what I see.” My eyes move to the figure
behind the masked woman, and I feel the air leaving my lungs.
The brownish skin that shines under the cold lights, the sinful body that would kill every race, is covered by a sleeveless black tight dress with the dirtiest crack on the left leg and a pair of long gloves. The neck area is naked and a silver collar makes her aura divine and my fantasies wilder. Honey brown hair that is tucked under a low bun with a few baby hairs that are let loose
on her cold face. Big lips that are covered in a blood red lipstick, strong cheekbones with perfect eyebrows, and long lashes that hides her eyes.
All of those things are representing Althea Seraphina Luciano.
My future heartless wife.
Her face is frozen and her eyes are ready to dissect everyone that dared to come into her home.
The brown eyes like two coffee beans, that always held an untold nightmare.
“I want to say I’m amazed by your mask but it’s the same as five years ago.” My blood almost stops at her hoarse voice. A voice full of venom and sarcasm.
"What happened to little Althea, alas, I'd say I’ll miss her, but I don't like lying." The Empress’s voice wakes me up from my state of dreaming. “I’ll leave you two love birds alone.” Her laugh is definitely sarcastic.
She is enjoying this way too much.
She leaves without saying anything else, and I stare at the girl in front of me.
Not girl, woman.
I look at her like I’ve never seen a woman before, because this Althea is not the same girl as she was almost three years ago.
“Althea.” I say her name like it’s forbidden.
“Keaton.” Even her voice changed. She looks right into my eyes as she positions herself in front of me. I can see the people looking at us with doubt.
“You look…different.” This is all I can to say, even if my mind has a lot more things to say.
“Thank you for the observation.” I try to stop the smirk that was forming at her sarcastic voice.
Damn, I’m going to enjoy her so much.
“Be careful, uccellino. You’ll be my wife in just three weeks.” And I can’t wait to make her eat her own words.
I move closer to her, and her scent invades my nose and I feel my blood stop.
Vanilla, honey…and cigarettes.
Fuck my life, I’m becoming obsessed.
I open my jacket to search in its inside pocket and I pull out a satin black box that has the ring that’ll show the world she’s mine.
“Was that a threat, Keaton? Do I need to show you how much I’ve changed?” She says as she raised her hand and let me put the black diamonds on her ring finger.
Possession takes over me as I look at her ring finger.
One more step until she’s all mine.
Althea grabs my hand and she makes me bend down until her mouth is at the level of my ear.
“And if you’re calling me uccellino one more time, I’ll bathe in your blood until it stains my skin.” My cock jumps at the beautiful thought of her covered in blood.
She seems so perfect, but I know her better.
I straighten my back and quickly wrap my left hand around her waist, feeling how her hip molds perfectly to my hand.
It’s like she was designed just for me.
She looks at me with wide eyes and I feel her stare until I dug my fingers into the delicious flesh of her hip.
“If I can have everyone’s attention, please.” I say loud and hundreds of guests are looking at the hand wrapped around Althea. I take her left hands in mine and let the diamonds shine under the chandeliers. “This marks the new role of the Italian princess. In three weeks, Althea Seraphina Luciano will become my wife and above all, your queen. If I catch one of you disrespecting her, I'm going to rip off your skin and show it all over Chicago." I speak in a low voice.
I can see my parents looking at me with shocked expressions, Orion with a content look and Allan giving me a thumb up.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Althea hisses while squeezing her hands into a fist.
“I’m claiming you, Little Fox.”