Chapter 6
Ava
“Will you tell me what he wants?”
He didn’t speak, just shook his head.
I took his outstretched hand, and he intertwined our fingers. It was too intimate, but I didn’t pull away.
He led me to a black SUV where a blonde driver sat up front, with two more SUVs following behind us. We sat side by side, our thighs nearly touching. The silence was deafening, my heart hammering in my ears.
We pulled up to the house I’d run away from years ago. There were more guards than I remembered, stationed along the perimeter. The house smelled different too—it used to reek of meat, but now there was a floral scent that made me want to yawn.
Inside, a petite blonde woman around my age passed us in the hallway. She shot Luciano a hungry look, then rolled her eyes at me.
Luciano led me to Vito’s office and knocked. His father barked for us to come in.
He greeted me with a forced smile, and I returned it with one of my own, unsure of what to call him. I never really called him anything as a child, so I settled on “Mr. Genovese,” just like my Mississippi-born mamma taught me to address my elders.
He looked the same—short, squat, with hair too dark to be natural.
“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from his massive redwood desk. I sat, clutching my purse in my lap, while Luciano took the chair next to me, his hand resting on my armrest. Oddly enough, his presence brought me a strange sense of comfort.
Vito’s eyes flicked to my fingers. “Your hands are filthy, girl. What’ve you been up to?”
I ignored his question. “Why am I here?” I asked, my voice calmer than I felt.
Vito leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. “You’ve been gone a long time, Ava. Too long. It’s time you came home.”
“This isn’t my home,” I spat.
His smile faltered, just for a second, before it returned, wider and more dangerous. “You’re wrong. This is exactly where you belong. Your mother made a deal, and now it’s your turn to honor it.”
I felt a chill crawl up my spine. “What deal?”
“She asked for my protection after your father died. For my help. And in return, she promised me herself—and you for collateral.” he paused before lying, as if he has to make himself. “When she ran, the debt for that favor became yours.”
I stiffened
He’d said 'collateral' like I wasn’t a person. Like my momma had the right to trade me off before I was even grown.
His voice was too calm and casual for me when every one of his words was hitting me like a punch to the gut.
I couldn’t even blame Momma because you do what you have to when you’re drowning. She was just trying to survive the only way she knew how.
“The families need some diversity—new times and all that. And your father’s name still holds some sway over certain communities.” He smiled, too pleased with himself. “You’ll marry Luciano. Give him a few kids.”
It took a moment for what he was telling me to really register. When it did, I shot up from my seat. Panic roared inside me, but before I could fully stand, Luciano’s heavy hand pressed on my shoulder, gently pushing me back down.
“Sit,” he whispered.
That single word and the look in his eyes chilled my blood.
I jerked away from his touch, sinking back into the chair, my heart racing. Vito continued as if everything was normal.
“Your wedding is tomorrow,” he said.
The room was spinning at that point, but I refused to let them see me waver.
I clenched my jaw and forced my spine straight, gripping the edges of the chair to anchor myself. Because if I let go, I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t crumble to the ground.