Chapter Four #2
“Love? You think the mafia marries for love?
No, Viktor. We marry to strengthen our relationship and make more alliances.
Take, for instance, my best guard, Pedro.
His wife is the daughter of the prime minister of Colombia.
Her father and I are business partners, and according to him, he thinks we should be more than just partners but family.
So he offered me two of his daughters, but I rejected his offer.
You know I can't find anyone else like your dear mama.” He said, matter-of-factly. “So, guess what I did?”
“You let one of his daughters marry Pedro instead?” I answered, and Papa smiled with a wide grin that I'd never seen before. It felt as though he had never been prouder of me for answering one of his questions correctly.
“Excellent, my boy! Excellent! Now you're catching up.
We don't marry for love. Love kills. It's like a man thrown into an airtight room with no windows for ventilation, and then you throw tear gas inside.
The smoke is love, Viktor. It's choking, and it almost leaves you breathless.
But the door, my boy. The door is the opportunity.
So you have to wait for the right opportunity to come your way in order to walk into the right relationship.
It's all business. The love will grow on her sooner or later.”
I didn't understand the full extent of Dad's explanation.
However, Pedro's wedding was a blast, and we all had fun.
My favorite part was watching my Papa dance with Pedro's bride in the middle of the hall.
Papa never danced, but that day, he did.
He gifted Pedro, who was a fellow soldier then, a vintage Rolls-Royce, which had the backseat filled with over 2 million dollars.
I wondered what dad whispered to Pedro's ear, but after the wedding, everything began to change.
Pedro was no longer with us in New York; instead, I heard that he had some work to do at the border of Italy.
I knew that Papa wanted him to bring the trunk of cocaine they had left at the quay of the bay, which was a risky move.
It turned out to be unsuccessful. Pedro's body was found in the trunk instead, and this filled Papa with rage.
He went out and shot bullets at an oak tree in the backyard.
Weeks later, Papa recovered from Pedro's demise and made the least expected move.
He married Pedro's wife, and no one dared to question him.
If I were in his shoes, I'd have done the same thing.
It was best that she was secure with Papa rather than in jeopardy as a widow.
“Congratulations on your big day, brother.”
I froze for a second and turned to see my brother, Mikhail, standing behind me. Excitement flashed across my face, and I couldn't hide my smile.
“I didn't know you were in New York. I would've invited you myself.” I said while I held him in a brief embrace.
“Well, I happened to be around when the news of your wedding spread. I had to come. I couldn't miss my brother's wedding for anything.”
“Well said, Mikhail.”
It surprised me to see Roman and Konstantin walk into my room in their beautiful black suits.
“Don't tell me there’s more.”
“No. We're the only ones that came.” Roman uttered in retort while I stood with a smile.
“I didn't want this wedding to be a big thing. One of you could stand and represent the whole family.”
“It's no big deal, brother,” Konstantin said. “Attending the wedding is the least we could do.”
My guts told me that their attendance meant something more than love.
They wanted a meeting, I knew this each time they came together, just like old times.
Konstantin was the hard head amongst us, though calm, quiet, and deadly.
Mikhail was undeniably the spoilt brat whose sole purpose for going to the gym was to lure more women into his bedroom.
Roman, on the other hand, was a bit more mysterious than the other two.
But of the four of us, Papa liked me most.
“You're going to be the Pakhan of the Lobanov Bratva, Viktor, so man up,” Papa had said.
“Your family is your number one priority.
After that comes business. Anyone who messes with you messes with the whole of us.
So I'm here to train you on how to take over my place, just in case I'm no longer alive. You should count yourself lucky that you have your father with you. Most people learn the hard way without proper guidance, and their greed is what kills them.”
Being a leader was never new to me. Papa made me take rounds of lessons daily. I was home-schooled, alongside my brothers, and Roman seemed to be my only competition.
“If you keep getting grades like that, Roman might be my right-hand man,” Papa said, and this was the origin of my competitiveness. I couldn't let Roman get higher grades than me, nor could I let Konstantin lift bigger weights than I.
I took shooting lessons at 9 am on Sundays and 6 pm on Thursdays. I recall Papa’s voice when he said I should aim at the forehead of the lonely mannequin.
“You have only one chance to make a good shot. So aim, cock the fucking gun, and shoot.”
The bullet hit the chest instead, and Papa was pissed.
“If you don't know how to aim properly, you're dead. You, your brothers, me…the entire Bratva organisation is dead if you don't aim right. Your life depends on the aim.”
Now, a smile on my face, the only thing I could think of was all my brothers coming to the estate to attend my wedding today.
“You should know that you mean a lot to us, but we had to come after we heard what was happening,” said Mikhail. “It's crazy to know that you're getting married to the daughter of Romano.”
Bingo! I knew they wouldn't come without a purpose. Something had to be up for them to come, and in this case, it was Emilia.
“I know what I'm doing, Mikhail,” I replied. Yet he chose to counter.
“We don't marry the collateral brother. It puts us at a higher risk than ever.”
“As I said, I know what I'm doing. It's nothing to worry about. Marrying her adds to my security as well as hers. She becomes untouchable, and this works for me. Besides, no matter what happens, she can't be used against me, which gives me more leverage.”
Silence ensued for a minute.
“Somehow, I suspected that you might pull out this stunt. Sadly, there's nothing we can do about it,” Konstantin muttered.
The footsteps got louder, and I turned to see Dimitri walk towards us, unsmiling.
In my heart, I hoped he didn't come with bad news because at this point, anything could happen.
I'd already made sure that everything was in place.
The number of invitations should match the number of seats.
In this way, I'll get to know the uninvited guests and also get to know if they're friends or foes.
“Is everything alright, Dimitri?”
“Yes, everything's fine. I came here to remind you that your wedding commences in an hour, boss.”
“We should get going then,” I said.
Dimitri turned back and walked away. Mikhail gave me a quick glance and said, “I don't know what you're really up to, but I know how much you've stood to defend us.
You're the honor of the Bratva family, Vik, and your safety is our major concern. Congratulations, brother.” He stretched out his right hand, and I shook it.
The rest did the same, and we gathered round in a big hug.
I missed this. With all the stress I had to undergo because of Senator Romano, my brother's presence brought a form of relief.
They were my blood and the only family I could trust a hundred percent.
I'd kill for them, you know. But I sure believe that it would be a waste of position to die for them when my sole job is to keep them safe.
The wedding took place in the garden of the estate, in the large space behind the fountain.
My guards were present, and I ensured that the individuals in attendance were small.
Regardless, it was as though only my boys filled the place.
Dmitri and Konstantin were my best men. They flashed their guns, which were tucked into their belts, and the priest stood for a minute as we waited for the arrival of the bride.
We stood for almost ten minutes before she came. She didn't smile or show any trace of happiness. The way she stared at me made me know that if she had possession of a gun, she'd shoot me. But I didn't mind that. All I wanted to do was take hold of her because she was my possession.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here to witness the union of Viktor Lobanov and Emilia Romano in holy matrimony,” the priest announced. “You both can say your vows before we go straight into the exchange of rings.”
His courteous gaze on me was the only cue I needed.
“I, Viktor Lobanov, vow to be your guardian and husband. I vow to protect you and provide for all your needs, no matter the cost. I vow to be loyal and true, and I vow to do right by you.”
“It's your turn, Emilia,” the priest said, yet she stood silent.
Emilia's mouth tightened, her eyes intent on mine as she said her vows.
Dimitri walked up with an open Bible, and the priest took out two diamond rings, which were placed in its center. I held Emilia's hands, and I could swear I'd never felt a softer palm before. I slid the ring onto her finger, and she mirrored my action.
The defiance I expected didn’t come. Her voice didn’t falter as she said the vows, nor did she show the tiniest sign of fear or even reluctance as she slid my ring down my finger.
It made me want to rattle her as much as it tugged at something soft in me.
“I now pronounce you, man and wife.”
The entirety of the small audience stood with a bold cheer. Hats were raised. It was all smiles and light glances.
“You've chained yourself to fire, Viktor,” Dimitri's voice came in a sharp whisper in my right ear.
“No. I've chained the fire to myself,” I corrected, a chuckle escaping my lips.
“You may kiss your bride.”
I leaned in, holding Emilia's hand, and felt the heat. Her pulse increased, and she stood looking somewhat hopeless before my lips merged with hers. They were soft and tender. Her lips tasted of mint as I claimed them with mine, my domination passing my message of ownership. She didn’t quite move her lips, but I hadn’t expected her to.
“Your father made the wrong choice. You're mine now,” I declared as I ended the kiss, which, in retrospect, was a bit more than a show of domination.
I could feel the resentment and anger in her gaze, but it wasn’t enough for me to think of going back on my decision. I had Romano’s daughter, and no one would ever dare stand in my way.
It was a done deal.