Chapter 4
Isabelle
I pull into the garage, park my car, and relax in my seat for a second. My body aches by the end of my shift, but I love the work. I’ve dreamed about taking over my father’s restaurant and becoming so successful that we don’t even need Famiglia’s money, but it still seems so far away. When I open my car door, I almost scream at my brother’s sudden appearance on the other side.
“What the hell, Ricky?”
His eyes jerk to the security camera I know is mounted in the corner behind me and then back to me. “Remember that thing I told you about a while back and you got really angry?”
Opening the door wider and forcing him to take a step back, I climb out and close it behind me as I stare at him confused. “What thing ?”
He runs a hand through his tousled hair. “The—you know.” My brother huffs out a breath before snapping his fingers. “The white dress with the red stain, remember? You got really mad about the red stain.”
I blink at him, trying to decipher whatever he’s telling me when he steals another quick glance at the camera. Whatever it is, he can’t tell me outright without the risk of being caught. Only he has access to the cameras since my father said the technology is too difficult to learn, but anyone in the Famiglia could ask for the footage and he’d hand it over. That tells me whatever he’s trying to say, he wants absolute proof it can’t be linked back to us trying to cover it up.
My eyebrows furrow when understanding flickers in my mind. “Are you talking about the white dress that father gave me?” Or more accurately the white dress he wants to give me away in, stained with my virginal blood.
Ricky’s shoulders slump in relief. “Yes, and remember how you told me you were working hard to get rid of that stain?”
I nod slowly, pulling the strap of my purse tighter against my body.
He sighs. “Please tell me it’s still there.”
My stomach knots and my swallow is audible.
My brother’s eyes widen. “Isabelle.”
“Why?” I ask quietly. “Does someone want the dress?”
Rickey’s throat bobs. “Yeah, Isabelle. Someone wants the dress.”
When I’m about to ask who, he grips my elbow and pulls me toward the house. The garage door slams behind us before he leads me into the laundry room and starts the dryer. I remove my arm from his hold, rubbing at the spot.
“Jesus, you probably bruised me,” I say, glaring at him.
Ricky’s frantic look stops my whining. “Please tell me you didn’t lose your virginity, Isabelle.”
“That was the plan when you told me about the thing. ” I lick my drying lips and continue, “You were supposed to tell Luca that I wasn’t a viable candidate anymore, but wished to keep it a secret from our family.”
My brother’s eyes squeeze shut. “I didn’t think you’d go through with it, then I forgot.”
“You forgot?” I hiss out in a hushed whisper.
His jaw clenches. “I forgot, Belle. It’s been a hell of a couple of weeks and didn’t think you would get chosen.”
I scrunch my nose. “Thanks.”
Ricky rolls his eyes. “It’s not because of your looks. Our family is low in the ranks. I hold the highest position because of my connection with Luca, but he’s not Underboss yet. Most arrangements are for an exchange of power.”
“And we’re not worth much,” I finish for him. I rub my arm again, the echo of pain a reflection of my building panic. “Okay, so it’s probably some lowly soldier. We’ll just explain the mistake.”
He’s silent for a moment, his skin paling to a color that does nothing to calm my rising anxiety.
“What?”
Ricky shakes his head. “It’s not some lowly soldier.”
“Who is it?”
My brother swallows, shaking his head more vehemently. “He’s gonna kill us. They’re going to think this is some game of disrespect.”
“Ricardo, you’re freaking me out.” I say, gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him close. I tap his cheek hard enough to bring his focus back to me.
“Rian O’Callaghan. Luca and he have come to a peace agreement. I never thought he would choose you, Belle.”
The name ricochets in my chest, and I have to swallow the hysterical laugh that nearly escapes my throat. There’s no way this is a coincidence. That the man I gave my virginity to, the only man I’ve slept with, chose me for an arranged marriage. He knows exactly who I am because of that damn book, and that makes me wary.
I stand straighter, righting my clothes and patting down any loose hairs. “Is he here now?”
Ricky watches me curiously. “Yeah. Why aren’t you freaking out?”
I laugh now, void of humor. “I am beyond freaking out. Is our father here?”
He shakes his head. “Luca excused him from the meeting, said that I already know everything there is to know and there’s no reason to explain further to our father.”
Nodding, I wave him to walk in front of me. “Let’s get this over with.”
* * *
Rian’s blue eyes brighten when I step into the room, his gaze wandering down my body like it did that night in the bar. I can feel every inch of his stare and realize my casual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt for work isn’t one that impresses most men.
Luca clears his throat, gesturing me to the chair next to him as my brother guards the door. “Come sit, Isabelle. We have something to discuss.”
I move slowly, glancing at the man standing behind Rian. My stomach twists at his expressionless face. It seems like it’s carved in stone, and it’s a bit unsettling. His eyes are dark emerald, a dimmed anguished gleam in them along with his buzzed haircut making him look even more like a soldier than my brother.
Luca places his hand on my knee and I watch as Rian sits up straighter, as if he’s about to remove it. I turn to look at my brother’s oldest friend. Even though I’ve heard rumors of the horrors he and my brother have committed, I’ve always felt safe with Luca. As safe as one can feel so close to a Made Man of the Famiglia.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Luca asks, his gentle tone grating on my nerves.
I swallow to coat my dry throat, some of my confidence from earlier fading. “Ricky mentioned it.”
“Good. It should come from someone you trust. This marriage is really important to both of our families.” Luca’s smile is fake, and I can see the tense lines straining and the hidden truth in his eyes.
Rian hums. “I’m sure my future wife doesn’t appreciate being talked to like a child. She doesn’t strike me as someone lacking intelligence.”
I glare at him, hating the flutters in my chest when I meet his fiery gaze. Luca pulls back, settling in his chair with a sigh. “And here I thought we could have a civil conversation.”
“Luca,” I say, smiling at him. “Could I possibly have a moment to talk to my future husband alone?”
Luca’s brows knit together and I know refusal is on the tip of his tongue before he stands, nodding for everyone to follow him. He exits the room leaving the door open, a reminder we aren’t truly alone.
After dismissing the man standing behind him and it’s just the two of us, Rian mutters, “You never smiled at me that sweet.”
Clasping my fingers together, I look back at the irritating man. I’m not enjoying whatever game he’s trying to play and uncertainty pulses in my chest. “What are you doing?”
“What?”
I sigh, waving a hand between us. “Marriage? Is this some kind of joke? Are you using me to get back at Luca? He doesn’t care about me like that and we know I’m not what you’re looking for.”
He smirks. “Don’t assume you know what I’m looking for. After all, I really liked?—”
Shushing him, I lean forward. “What are you doing here?”
Rian’s eyes twinkle and he leans toward me as well. His scent wraps around me, a fresh and sharp reminder of the damp air after a thunderstorm. Heat courses through my body, and I tighten my muscles so I won’t rub my thighs together. “Because why would I want a virgin wife when I can have you.”
I jerk away, not prepared for his answer. “B-because that’s tradition. That’s the honor bestowed upon you as a sign of respect.” My teeth grind out the second sentence, hating every part of the belief.
He runs his tattooed fingertips along his chin before he settles back into his chair. The air surrounding us chills; any amusement is gone from his hard-edged face. I remember the man before me is not the charming one I met at the bar. His head cocks to the side, his expression darkening as he looks at me. “Tell me, Isabelle. If it wasn’t me that night… You seemed determined.”
My heart gallops in my chest, fear stealing my breath. Rian’s attentive gaze studies my face, looking for an answer to a question he didn’t have to ask.
My tongue feels heavy in my mouth. “My family doesn’t have power. We live a simple and humble life. Most men who choose to arrange their marriages have ambition for more.”
“Sounds like the ideal candidate for a man who already has it all.” The steel conviction in his voice kills any hope of talking him out of this. He doesn’t seem to care about any wealth or legacy that I could ever bring to the table.
While Ricky has risen in the ranks next to Luca, my family’s standing is so low that no one really expected me to be a virgin at twenty-one. A simple notice to Luca could have removed my eligibility. I just couldn’t risk bluffing when a check by the Famiglia physician may have revealed our lie, which is why I worked to resolve it quickly. We wouldn’t be in this position if my brother had informed him like I thought he would.
I exhale loudly, unsure how not to offend him with my next words. “I don’t want to get married.”
“To me?” he asks. My gaze tracks his thumb slowly spinning the ring on his middle finger. It isn’t necessarily him, though I’m not thrilled to potentially be tied to someone with so much power in our criminal world.
The silence between us is tense before he hums out an acknowledgement.
“You’re going to accept this marriage with grace, Isabelle. Or I’ll explain to Luca exactly how I know you’re impure. ”
My heart skips a beat, and I want to tell him I planned on telling Luca anyway, but he continues before I can say anything.
“Then I’ll tell anyone who listens how the Famiglia insults me by offering a soiled bride. And before you decide that won’t have consequences, think about your parents’ restaurant. Most of their patrons are the families under Luca’s protection, are they not? I don’t think they’ll continue to support someone who has such a dishonorable daughter. Then what will they think about Luca keeping your brother so close in his ranks? Who says he isn’t a liar like you?”
Bile rises in my throat, my skin prickles, and I have the urge to scratch it so deep I’ll bleed. My eyes water with hot tears. “It was my choice. My family?—”
“—is responsible for you. And that they let you run wild, allow you to spread your legs like a whore won’t be overlooked,” he interrupts sternly. The blue in his eyes has turned into an icy resolve.
I wipe at the tears streaming down my cheeks. “This is blackmail. It would ruin my family. You would ruin me if I don’t marry you?”
“Would you truly be ruined?”
Gritting my teeth, I barely contain my anger. “Yes.”
His eyebrows raise. “Then you shouldn’t have run. I do enjoy the chase.”
When I don’t answer, a smirk curls on his lips and he pulls at his jacket. “What’s your choice, Isabelle? Ruined or not, you’ll be my wife.”
* * *
My brother and I stare at each other with bleak expressions as our father chats with Luca and Rian. I don't think he expected me to agree, but I’m no more capable of refusing a direct order from Luca than he is. I hate that I feel disappointed for both of us.
We’re stuck with our choices now, and the selfish part of me realizes that he holds some responsibility for this. That if he hadn’t become friends with Luca, I doubt we would have been on his radar. I wouldn’t have ended up in that fucking bar that fateful night.
His eyebrows furrow as if he can feel my blame and he glances away, shifting on his feet and looking over at the man standing next to Rian. The man was already watching us, and I turn away from them both, knowing they’re about to do that weird manly stare off men do. It reminds me of peacocks, and it’s nowhere near as scary as they think it is.
Fingers brush my cheek, and I flinch before tilting my head to face Rian. He watches me for a second before he nods toward the door. “We set the wedding for a month from now.”
My attention snaps to my father and Luca. He’d come home just as Rian was about to leave, probably too anxious not to be involved.
“That soon? So we’re not doing an engagement party?” I ask.
Rian sighs, tugging at the cuffs of his shirt before shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants. “No. We’re not.”
I can feel his irritation that I addressed the question to them and not him, so I glance back at him. “It’s tradition.”
“I’m aware. And I’ve already agreed to the bloody sheets, so I wish to do away with the frivolous fucking parties.”
Luca moves closer to us. “We’ll announce it to the Famiglia this evening. Peace is our priority and why we wish for you to marry as quickly as possible.”
My father stands next to me, squeezing my shoulder in comfort. “Everything will work out, Isabelle. We’re so honored.”
Honored, right. This is all for the good of the Famiglia, and my parents are none the wiser that it’s about a whole lot more than that.
My brother scoffs before coughing, trying to cover his displeasure, and it pulls a small smile from me.
Rian watches me, amused, before standing straighter. His eyes track over Luca and then to my brother and back to me. “I have things to take care of before the wedding. I won’t have much time to spend with you.”
“Perhaps just a dinner beforehand. My wife would love to meet you,” my father says.
“Rian’s too busy, Papa. It’s okay. Mama can meet him at the wedding,” I suggest, giving Rian a saccharine smile.
He takes the bait before he stands taller. “No, we’re about to become family after all. I can make time. I’ll reach out.” He grabs the hand I’d put on my father’s arm and kisses the back of it before I can even let out a gasp. “See you soon, Belle .”
I pull out of his hold, grinding my teeth at the reminder of the night I’d given him my nickname. Leaving my father and Luca to discuss any remaining details, I head up to my room and I don’t know how much time passes until my mama is knocking softly on my door.
She opens the door and comes to sit next to me on my bed. “So my baby is engaged?”
I swallow the emotion building in my throat. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Lying down so we’re facing each other, her gaze wanders over my face. “You know if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. Your father and brother are caught up in the pride of the Famiglia, but they don’t know what it’s like to be a woman.”
“And Luca does? He won’t allow us to back out.”
My mother shrugs. “He also doesn’t know what it's like to deal with a mother on a path to protect her children.”
I sigh. “It’s okay, Mama. He doesn’t seem like a bad man, and it will bring honor to us and the Famiglia.”
“I only care about you and your happiness.”
Giving her a bitter smile, I turn onto my back. “Little late for that, and it’s okay. I’ll try to make the most of it.”
“You may find love.”
I grimace. “Love, Mama? I wouldn’t go that far.”
She reaches over and brushes the hair away from my face. “Have an open mind, Isabelle. He may surprise you.”
Her words settle in my heart, and I roll to lie closer, really needing a hug from her. “Maybe.”