Chapter Two
Two Weeks Later
Massimo glanced down at his cell phone and saw that his sister was calling him.
Now was not a good time, seeing as he had a rat hanging upside down.
The guy had been trying to make a deal with the local Vigo Bratva who were intent on trying to gain ground from the Russo Mafia.
He was not going to allow the Bratva any territory.
The man had already pissed himself, and he was pretty sure he might have even shit himself. Selling intel, attempting to hurt the Russo Mafia, was a fool’s game. One he intended to end.
Isabella was currently with Adelina, getting the dress fitting for the wedding, which was now two weeks away.
It had been easy to steal Adelina from Diego.
The other man had gone into hiding, although Massimo had sent him a small crate of fruit with a thank-you note attached. He was a gentleman after all.
Stepping away from the rat, he nodded toward one of his soldiers and clicked “accept” on the call. As he left the warehouse, he heard the grunt of the rat as his man hit him hard.
“What?” Massimo asked.
“Is that any way to speak to your sister?”
“I don’t have time for games. What do you want?”
He heard her sigh.
“You need to come down to the dress shop, and I mean pronto. I thought I knew cruelty but these people, I mean for real, this is just insane,” Isabella said.
“I’ve got business to attend to. Handle it.”
He was about to hang up.
“Fine.” Isabella did that, and as he was on his way back into the warehouse, his cell phone pinged.
He was going to ignore it. He knew he should ignore it. But his sister was a pain in the ass, who he loved. She was a little spoiled but not cruel. That was why he had introduced Isabella to Adelina. There was no one in his future wife’s corner. Her family was intent on making their name.
Clicking on the message, he saw there were multiple pictures.
All of them were of Adelina in ugly-ass wedding dresses.
Once again, they were determined to dress her in a tent, to hide her.
His anger erupted. He hated her family. Once the wedding was complete, this was going to be over for Adelina.
She would not have to hide anymore. Pocketing his cell phone, he stepped inside the warehouse and told the soldiers to keep the man alive until he returned.
Massimo stepped back out and made his way to his car. Climbing inside, he turned over the engine, not too patient in leaving the warehouse behind. He knew exactly where they were—a designer boutique in the center of the city. It was one all the brides of the Russo Mafia used.
Forty-five minutes later, he found a parking space and stepped out of his car. He knew he caught the attention of women nearby, but he wasn’t interested in any of them. His only focus was getting inside to find his future wife.
The moment he stepped inside the shop, a couple of women looked at each other, and then stumbled toward him. He didn’t have to ask where Adelina was, Isabella was already waiting for him. Moving toward her, she looked relieved.
“Thank God, it is just getting worse.” She grabbed his hand, and they stepped into the changing room, where he saw his wife in a dress that didn’t even look like it had sleeves. There was a band around the neck, and it seemed to flow off from around her.
“What the fuck is this?” he asked.
Adelina’s mother was red in the face, as she came over. There were a couple of other women with her, all of them looking really happy with themselves.
“You shouldn’t be here,” her mother said.
He looked to Adelina who appeared so damn ... sad. He couldn’t take it. He stepped up to Adelina, grabbed her hand, and marched her out onto the main floor. She didn’t fight him.
“Choose three of your favorites,” he said.
“Massimo?”
“Now, I don’t have a lot of time. Choose three of your favorites, and just so you know, I don’t ask twice.”
She nodded her head, and he watched as she went to three different dresses. All of them looked pretty. He was not a man who knew dresses or their quality. It was not something he cared about.
“This is not proper,” her mother said.
Massimo turned to the other woman. “You do not want to get on my bad side. You want to drown my woman in fabric, that is not happening. If you and your husband know what is good for you, you’ll back the fuck off, otherwise, you’re going to learn exactly why they call me a monster.
” He glared at her, letting her see the evil in his eyes.
He was bloodthirsty. The blood of the rat should be on his hands, yet they were fucking dry. He was not a happy man. She paled and stepped away.
With the dresses on her arm, he followed Adelina into the changing rooms, nodded at his sister, and then took a seat. The other women of Adelina’s family were no longer having fun at his wife’s expense.
He couldn’t help but wonder how many times they must have done this to her—choosing one ugly dress after another.
After all, it had become a long-standing tradition of his to open conversation with her by criticizing her outfit.
It didn’t even have to be a dress. Everything she wore was fucking ugly.
He sat down on the sofa with all the built-up tension that should be for the rat he was dealing with.
One of the things he hated more than anything was being disrupted.
However, there was no way he was going to have Adelina coming to him looking like a fucking circus tent.
Tapping his fingers on his leg, he was starting to lose his patience.
How long did it take to try on a fucking dress?
Then, the curtains opened and his sister along with Adelina stepped out, and he was blown away. He knew there was a body beneath all those awful clothes, he just didn’t realize how fucking sexy she could be.
The dress she wore was still modest. The Russo family wouldn’t accept anything less than modesty from their brides. However, this molded to her shape, and Adelina was a curvy woman. Full, flaring hips, more than enough for him to grip. Ripe tits that were more than a generous handful.
When it came to Adelina, he had always loved her spirit and her fire.
She was not afraid of him, and that had been so refreshing.
She also happened to have kind eyes. The kindest eyes he’d ever stared into.
They were beautiful, big, brown pools that called to him, bringing out his protective side, which he didn’t think he had, and Adelina was everything.
“That’s the dress,” he said.
He stood up, buttoning his jacket, because seeing her in her wedding gown had aroused him. For the first time since he had ordered his father to arrange this marriage, he was genuinely looking forward to consummating their marriage.
****
It had happened.
Adelina Salvatore.
Mrs. Adelina Salvatore.
She couldn’t help but pinch herself as she twirled the engagement and wedding bands on her finger.
This had been a huge shock. Just over a month ago, she had known death was guaranteed.
Marrying Diego Bruno would have been the end of her.
She hadn’t told Massimo to stop it. She had resigned herself to her fate.
Learning that she was betrothed to marry Massimo had been a huge surprise.
“Congratulations,” Isabella said, coming toward her.
Throughout the last few weeks, she had come to rejoice in the friendship she finally had with Massimo’s sister.
“Thank you,” she said.
Even though she was married, it didn’t take the fear out of what was expected of her. With Diego, she had intended to just slowly wilt away and die. Now, she was worried Massimo would regret joining with her.
She already heard the whispers of the Ferri family hitting above their rank.
It was embarrassing. She saw the glares from other women.
Even before her engagement to Massimo, she hadn’t exactly been the belle of the ball.
Now, it would seem, she was even less so.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at her glass of water.
The wedding had gone by without a hitch.
No one had dared question if they should be joined or not.
“You looked terrified,” Isabella said.
“It’s not that, I’m just, you know, nervous, and let’s face it, a lot of women cannot stand me being here.” She shrugged. “There’s not a lot I can do about that.”
She took a sip of water, hoping to find something to distract herself.
Isabella let out a tut and stepped closer to her. “Ignore them. Trust me, they’re all a bunch of fucking bitches anyway. I’m glad you’re the one marrying Massimo.”
“You are?”
“Hell, yeah. Personally, I think you’re awesome. I can’t believe they were going to send you off to Diego. You and I both know that was a death sentence.”
Adelina looked toward her parents, and she had a sneaking suspicion they hoped for that.
Diego was a wealthy man with influence. If he killed her, he would have probably compensated her family.
They were always seeking to better themselves, in any way they could.
So long as it wasn’t too much hard work.
Isabella reached out. “Stop, okay? Today is your wedding day, and there is no way my brother was going to sit by and let you be hurt like that.”
Suddenly, Isabella hugged her, and that concern took Adelina by surprise.
It had been a long time since she had been comforted by anyone.
Her parents didn’t show any affection toward her.
In fact, many years ago, she recalled when she was about eight or nine, she had been playing in the yard, had fallen and cut her knee on a rock.
She had gone running in crying to her mother.
Her mother had told her to stop being such a fat baby and to leave her alone.
Her dad had put her over his knees and smacked her ass until she had something real to cry about.
After that, she had gone to her room and realized no one wanted to hug her.
She put a hand on Isabella’s back, and she couldn’t help but tense up. This was new for her.
“It’s time for me to take my bride for a stroll onto the dance floor,” Massimo said, coming to take her hand. He took the water from her grip and gave it to Isabella. The lights in the room dimmed, so that only the dance floor was aglow.
“How are you?” he asked, drawing her into his arms.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking. What did my sister say? Do I need to go and take her allowance away?” Massimo asked.
She looked into her husband’s handsome face. He was a good-looking man. One of the sexiest men in the Russo Mafia.
“Not at all. I’m not used to ... physical affection,” she said. “Isabella took me by surprise.”
There was a slight pause as Massimo stopped. “Physical affection. You’re telling me your parents didn’t hug you or tell you everything was going to be okay?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Your parents are pieces of shit, you know that, right?”
She smiled.
In Massimo’s arms, she was able to start relaxing. “Yes, I know.”
“You’re safe now. They can’t hurt you.”
She nodded her head. The hand at her waist was sending shock waves of feeling through her body.
It felt so good. She took a deep breath and tried to focus, but wherever Massimo touched set her on fire.
Maybe she was coming down with the flu. That had to be it, surely.
Only, it didn’t feel like the flu. She was perfectly fine.
They danced the first song, then more couples entered the dance floor, and Massimo held her. Time seemed to go nowhere, and it wasn’t long before he had moved her to the side.
“I’ll go and get us a drink.”
She nodded her head. She ran her hands along the waist of her dress, feeling her side where he’d been touching just moments ago.
“Well, well, well, if it’s not the little thief.”
She had been so lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t heard anyone approach.
Looking up, she saw Lily-Mae stepping toward her.
Lily-Mae Ricardo was one of the most beautiful daughters in the Russo Mafia family.
She was considered the ultimate catch, and there had been a few times Massimo and Lily-Mae’s names had been mentioned together.
“I’m not a thief.”
Lily-Mae burst out laughing. “You’re a fool if you think this marriage is going to last, because I can promise you, it isn’t.
Massimo will take one look at your fat ass and realize what he is missing.
He’ll have nothing but mistresses, and the moment you disappoint him, he’ll find a way to get rid of you.
People like you do not marry people like Massimo.
” With that, and a final glare, Lily-Mae left.
Adelina took a deep breath. She was right. People like Massimo didn’t date people like her. The makeup artist and hairstylist had been able to make her look like a pretty bride, but that was all she was ever going to be. Pretty.
It didn’t matter how many diets she went on, the weight never fell off.
She had even gone through a period of time attempting to starve herself in an effort to lose weight.
That hadn’t worked. She had decided to be comfortable in her own skin, yet that didn’t feel like it was working now either.
She was mousy, plain, and bland. Massimo was a good-looking, sexy man. He shouldn’t be with someone like her.
“Here you go,” Massimo said.
She looked up to see a glass held out toward her. “Thank you.” She took a sip and pulled the glass away from her. “This is wine. I’m only allowed water.”
“Babe, your parents are not the ones in control now. I am.”
And with that, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Did Massimo find her repulsive? Was he just being a gentleman? None of that made sense, seeing as he was a monster. He never showed weakness to anyone. She doubted he was about to start now.