Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Gianna
It’s decided. I will marry Nico Esposito.
“This is wonderful news,” Francesca says, clapping her hands. She stands up from the couch and gives Enzo a hug whereas I remain seated. My entire body feels numb. Married to a stranger. It was what I had been expecting for my life but it’s still surreal.
Enzo returns Francesca’s hug stiffly. “Yes. I thought on it and I agreed. It’s a good match. And Nico promised to keep Gianna safe. Anyone else who can help me do that is a win in my book. Nico will be over later today. He wants to talk with you, Gianna.”
“About what?” I murmur.
“I’m assuming he wants to propose himself. I just wanted to give you a head’s up.” He gently touches my arm. “Are you ok with this? I don’t want to make you do something you’re not ok with.”
“Of course she’s ok with it,” Francesca snaps. “She’s going to be married to Nico Esposito. He’s a good match for her. The perfect one. Gianna was meant for this.”
“I was asking Gianna.” He sets his eyes on me. “Are you ok with this?
Francesca sighs. “I already told you –,”
“I am asking my sister.”
That finally quiets Francesca. When it comes to Enzo, she has no choice but to defer to him when we all know she wishes she was the most powerful one in the room.
“I’m ok with it,” I whisper.
Enzo’s eyes tighten. “You are?”
“It’s my duty. If this match helps secure you power and helps you win this war you’re in with Marco Amato, then yes. I’ll do whatever I have to do.” And if it means I get to live away from Francesca, even the better.
The urge to throw up hits me but I push it down. I already threw up yesterday. I try not to do it every day since it’s terrible for my health. And the less I do it, the less anyone notices.
“Then it’s decided,” Francesca announces. “Gianna will marry Nico. This is a great day.”
Despite my aunt’s smile, I can’t say that I agree with her.
Nico arrives at five o’clock on the dot for dinner. I can’t help but notice how he saunters into the house like he owns it. Like he already owns me.
“Gianna,” he says in his warm voice. Nico is a handsome man. I will give him that. Things could be worse, I remind myself. “I’m so glad you agreed to a marriage with me. You won’t regret it.”
“She better not,” Enzo says, standing next to me. “Nico, you told me that you wanted to speak with Gianna. You may speak to her now.”
“I was hoping for a moment alone with her.”
Enzo looks between me and Nico, giving me the choice to agree to it or not.
“All right,” I whisper.
“What was that?” Nico asks. “You’ll need to start speaking up more, Gianna, after we’re married. It’s so hard to hear you sometimes.”
“I said yes. I’ll speak with you.”
Enzo nods his approval. “I’ll be in the dining room. You two can talk.” He gives Nico one last warning look to not try anything with me before he walks away.
Then it’s just me and Nico alone. It’s the first time I’ve ever been alone with a man who wasn’t my brother or uncle.
But since my uncle has long since passed away, it’s just Enzo now.
I was never allowed to date as a teenager.
I guess I could have tried to date after I turned eighteen but Francesca would never have allowed it so I never tried.
Her hold over me is too strong sometimes.
“So, Gianna, we’re to be married. I wanted you to understand what that means.”
“Yes?” I wring my hands together until it hurts.
“I would advise you to stop doing that,” he says, his eyes going to my hands. Instantly, I drop my hands at my sides.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s just a little rude in my opinion. I want my wife to not look like a scared little bird all the time.
And that’s another thing. You’re so quiet I can barely hear you when you speak.
You’ll need to learn to speak up after we’re married.
I don’t want to have to ask you to repeat yourself for the entirety of our marriage. ”
“I’m sorry,” I repeat, blinking the tears back from falling down my face.
“You are mine now, Gianna. And that means I will protect you. But if you ever step out on me with another man, you will not like the outcome.”
A shiver runs down my spine and I’m too scared to ask him what he means by that. Mafia men can be possessive. I know that. But surely Enzo wouldn’t marry me to someone who would hurt me. Right? Unless he doesn’t know about this side of Nico…
“You will listen to me. Obey me at all times. If I ask for a kiss, you will kiss me. Is that understood?”
“Do I not get a say?”
“What was that?” He sighs. “Speak up, Gianna. What did I just say?”
I can’t stop myself from flinching. “I asked… Do I not get a say in what I do?”
“With me? No. You will obey me. That’s what obeying me means. You will bend to my every whim. You will be mine. This is how this marriage will work. Is that understood?”
“I…” The hardness in his eyes speaks to no disagreements so I quickly nod. “Yes.” But I know in this moment that Nico is going to be a problem. Francesca has always controlled my life and now it seems Nico wants to do the same. I just want to be free.
I can’t marry this man.
I stay quiet the entire time Nico stays for dinner but the moment he leaves, I turn to Enzo and my aunt. “I can’t marry him.”
“What are you saying?” Francesca asks. “I do not understand the words coming out of your mouth right now.”
“He wants to control me. Please, brother. I can’t marry him.”
Enzo frowns before sighing. “I want you to be happy, Gianna. Of course I do. But you already agreed to this. I already gave Nico my word for your hand in marriage. I’ve never gotten the sense that he was bad. Are you just nervous? Is that it?”
“Would you stop this wedding from happening if I asked?”
“Of course,” he says without hesitation.
“But Nico will be offended. It could hurt us even more. I’m not someone who can go back on my word.
It’s not a good look for me as a mafia boss.
It will make my men not trust me. So I am asking you this, Gianna.
Are you telling me you don’t want to marry him?
Because I will tell Nico that you can’t marry him but you have to be sure. ”
I’m the one who hesitates. Francesca is glaring at me with confusion. Of course she wouldn’t understand why I don’t want to marry Nico.
But… Enzo makes a good point. He can’t go back on his word without consequences and he already told Nico yes.
Because I agreed to it.
Maybe a marriage to Nico won’t be so bad. He’s a little controlling but that doesn’t make him a monster.
“I’ll marry him,” I say with a duck of my chin.
“Good,” Francesca says. “That’s settled. I thought we could go wedding dress shopping this weekend.” She pats my arm and it takes everything inside of me to not flinch. “You made the right decision.”
If I did do that, then why does it feel like the wrong one?
Kira, my brother’s wife, tries calling me but I ignore her. If I talk to her, I’ll confess my true feelings about not wanting to marry Nico and she’ll tell my brother and then everything will go badly. So it’s better I keep my mouth shut. It’s better I just do what others tell me and do my duty.
It’s better, it’s better, it’s better, I repeat in my head like a mantra. Francesca and I are in a bridal shop, looking through dresses. She’s babbling on about which dress will look best on me and I can only nod in agreement even if I don’t agree. Francesca will always get her way in the end.
“She’ll try that on,” Francesca says to the sales woman, pointing at a beautiful dress on a mannequin in the center of the store.
“That’s are most expensive dress,” the sales woman says.
“Yes. So it’s perfect.”
“Of course.” The sales woman leaves to go get the dress.
“It will look great on you,” Francesca tells me.
While the dress is stunning – a draped skirt and a sleeveless sweetheart neckline – I’m not sure it’s my kind of dress.
I’ve always preferred modesty where I could hide myself away.
But this is the sort of dress that causes everyone to look at you and that’s the last thing I want.
“You’re so pretty,” Francesca says, pushing my brown hair over my shoulder. “You should show off your looks more. It’s wasted on you at the moment.”
“I’m sorry,” I say with a duck of my chin.
“I always know what’s best for you, Gianna.”
The sales woman comes out the dress and we go into the changing room. At least this gives me a moment to breathe away from my aunt.
Once I’m in the dress, I’m startled by how beautiful I look. I’ve always been told by the people in my life that I’m pretty but with my aunt’s constant criticisms, sometimes it’s hard to remember that fact.
The dress fits perfectly without any modifications. Like it was made for me.
I leave the changing room to show Francesca the dress. It’s then that I notice everyone else in the store looking at me.
“That dress looks amazing on you,” a different sales woman says to me.
“I have to agree,” another woman adds. They don’t think I’m some freak. They all like the way I look.
For just a moment, it instills confidence in me.
That is until the front doors burst open and a man in a ski mask enters, holding a gun.
“Everyone down!” he shouts.
All the women in the shop drop to their stomachs, including me. The dress will wrinkle but right now that is the last thing I should be worried about.
The man comes right over to me without any hesitation. He nudges my back with his foot. “You. Get up.”
I stare at the ground, unable to move.
With a sigh, he grabs my arms and hauls me to my feet.
“Let her go!” Francesca screams, running at the man but he points his gun at her head.
“I will kill you. Don’t move.”
Francesca immediately goes still.
The man tugs on my arm and I force my legs to move as we leave the store. He pushes me into a simple black car that blends in with every other car on the street. I don’t make a sound, even as I wince from the pain of my body hitting the back seat.
He’s eerily calm as he gets into the car and drives us away from the bridal shop. Francesca runs outside but she won’t catch me in time. I just have to hope that the police will find me. Or my brother will.
I don’t say a word as my kidnapper drives. We eventually end up at a large mansion that is so big, it’s almost hard to believe it’s that big.
My kidnapper doesn’t say a word to me as he forces me out of the car and up to the house. It’s only after we’re inside that he lets me go.
A different man stands before me. One I know of but have never met before. Marco Amato. I only know him from the pictures Enzo showed me.
He’s the one who’s at war with my brother.
“Good. You brought her.” His eyes sweep me over. “And already in a wedding dress. How perfect. Do you know who I am, Gianna?”
“Marco A-Amato,” I stutter.
“Yes. And do you know why you’re here?”
I shake my head as my body shivers.
“You’re going to help me destroy your brother. And you’re going to do that by marrying me.”