Chapter 8 #2
“It’s necessary,” I say. “For your protection. No one will lay a hand on you when you’re my wife.”
Bella
Wife.
My mind has gone completely blank. Someone is talking, but I can’t hear them over the ringing in my ears.
I know it’s common for the big mafia families to sell off their daughters and even sons in marriages to cement alliances, but I never thought it would happen to me.
“I don’t want to marry anyone,” I repeat. My brain is shorting out.
It doesn’t help that every time I stare up at Kaiser’s beautiful face, I lose my train of thought.
“I understand, Bella,” my father says. “I know it’s not what you wanted, but it’s for the best. This will be good for everyone. Kaiser has assured me you can continue to go to school. You will both live here and…” He keeps talking, but I can’t hear him.
This is nuts. Absolutely bananapants. I’m not going to think about what a marriage to my stalker will be like. I refuse!
I lean forward so I can stare at my father, trying to read between the lines.
Why the hell is he going along with this?
His gaze is intent on mine, his expression worried, almost pleading. I’ve never seen him like this. He rarely shows his emotions. He’s usually so calm and in control, but now he seems resigned to our fate. Something about this situation has shaken him.
But we have so many ways to fight back! It would be better if I had my backpack; I carry a salve that looks like hand cream but can eat through metal. I came close to using it on Radley in the poison garden. But I’m not the only one armed; there are at least ten weapons within Papa’s reach.
At any point, either of us can say a catchphrase that will rain a poison mist down on these guys. It wouldn’t be pretty–Papa would have to run for an exit or shelter to keep from being badly burned, but he could do it.
I don’t understand why he doesn’t do it. It’s a last-ditch effort, but…
I open my mouth and start the first half of the code sentence that will activate the system. “Shoshonna Bosco—”
“Belladonna. No,” my father interrupts. His face flushes, like he’s losing his temper. “Now is not the time.” He’s trying to communicate that this is important.
Maybe he has plans to use our defenses later?
“Invoking your mother’s name will not change things,” he says. Does he mean that he disabled the system?
Did he know this was coming? Why didn’t he warn me?
I’m close to hyperventilating. Adrenaline dumps into my bloodstream, getting me ready to run.
Except I can’t run. My new fiancé has his large, warm hand on the back of my neck, and he won’t let me get away.
What did Honey say about Fraternitas? They’re ruthless when they destroy their enemies.
And right now, Papa and I are their enemies. That’s why he looks so worried. He knows they’re formidable opponents, and they’ve found our weak spots. Papa will do anything to protect me. Same for me. Physically, we can’t overpower these guys.
“The contract is complete,” the man in the gray suit says. He takes the papers from Kaiser and spreads them out before me, showing the signature page. The wax seal. I hate how everyone’s treating this like a business deal when it’s my life.
I narrow my eyes at him. He’s still standing in the light, so I can’t see his face, and I know he did that on purpose. I can see that he’s dressed like a CEO, too, ready for the boardroom. You could put him on stage at any shareholder meeting and no one would bat an eye.
But he’s not the one behind the desk, the man in the devil’s mask is. I get the sense that he’s the leader, but I can’t be sure. Ugh, I can’t get a read on these guys, and I have to so I can fight them.
And then there’s Kaiser, huge and touching me like he owns me.
I guess in the eyes of everyone here, he does.
“We will uphold our side of the bargain,” Mr. Gray Suit says. “The marriage will bind us to you forever.”
“And you to us,” the man in the devil mask says.
I shake my head, silently refuting all of this. I need to focus on growing my supervillain skills so I can destroy the Vesuvios. I have things to do, people to kill.
This is a complication I don’t need.
Kaiser’s hand is still a heavy weight on my neck. I would shake him off, but it feels nice. An anchor in the storm that’s currently wrecking my life.
Except… he is the storm.
“There will be protections in place for you,” Papa says.
Against a fiancé who’s over six feet tall and built like a tank? If he wanted to harm me, he could break me over his knee and not break a sweat. WTF, Dad?!
But I don’t say that. I don’t say anything. I’m still processing. I need to figure out how to get out of this.
Now Mr. Devil Mask is saying something about a new, stronger alliance.
Blah blah blah.
I can’t believe this is happening. I refuse to believe this is happening. I have to figure out how to get me and my dad out of this.
Eventually, they wind things up. They’re taking Papa back to New Rome while I’m to remain here with Kaiser.
“We’ll talk again soon. When things settle down,” Papa says. “It’ll all be okay.”
“Okay,” I say, so this conversation will be over. Sending my father off with two masked men from Fraternitas seems like a bad idea, but I don’t know how to stop it. My father seems resigned to his role of being a hostage and perfectly willing to sacrifice me, too.
What if Fraternitas doesn’t let me see him again? Will he ever explain why he did this to me?
I watch him leave with his captors, still in a daze. I guess, if things go well, I’ll see him again at the wedding.
What the hell just happened to my life?
“He’ll be safe with them,” Kaiser says. I must look worried, so I smooth my features out.
I can’t believe I’m alone in my house with him. I can’t even look at his big, dumb, gorgeous face right now. He’s so hot. I don’t want to be attracted to him, but my ovaries don’t understand he’s the enemy.
What am I going to do? I don’t want to get married to the Un-Incredible Hulk.
I turn to him. “I don’t care about that contract. We are not getting married.”