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Chapter 1
Aria
These have to be the most disgusting people on the face of the earth. To think that they're about to be my in-laws makes me uneasy. Though I don't know what the hell my dad was thinking. My parents have done so much for me, but they aren't the typical mafia family.
I was allowed to go to college and get a degree before I was married off, which is almost unheard of in our circles. But my dad wanted to make sure that I was smart enough to help take over anything that needed to be managed in the event that my husband or my father died. While Mom is great at hosting parties, she does not have a head for the business end, and he worries about what will happen to her. At least, that's the story I was told.
The marriage is supposed to strengthen my family. It's what mafia princesses do and what I knew would happen from day one. When they asked me to do this, it was hard to say no to my parents because I hit the jackpot with my family. They truly care about me and want me to be happy. Anything I have ever wanted, like being able to go to college, they have given me.
My dad, who I can only imagine how busy he is, has never missed an event in my life. They love me unconditionally and have tried to give me as normal of a childhood as possible within the mafia world. At the same time, they trained me to protect myself and learn how to run a family like ours. They wanted to make sure I had friends and knew what the world truly was.
"Are you even paying attention to a word I'm saying? Or are you off daydreaming again?" my fiancé Eric asks.
"This is why girls don't need to go to college. It gives them too many ideas to think and daydream about," his dad chuckles.
I don't even have to answer because they're going to carry on the conversation no matter what I say. Looking over at my dad who has a strained smile on his face, I can see that it's the kind of smile that he gives when he's upset about something or when he's severely disappointed in someone. Growing up, I've only been on the receiving end of that smile a few times, but that was enough.
This also isn't the first time my fiancé and his family have made cracks about me going to college. It’s a familiar topic that my father overindulged me and that women didn't need to be thinking for themselves, so there was no point in me going to college.
I know my parents, and they have to be second-guessing this arrangement. I can see it in their eyes. Right now, they're trying to stay calm, as blowing up would only cause war, and so would backing out of this contract.
Throughout dinner, I don't say another word. Keeping my head down, I still make it clear to my parents that I'm paying attention to everything they want.
Once the future in-laws are gone, I go straight to my dad's office, where I find both him and my mom.
"Are you really going to make me go through with this? There’s not a doubt in my mind, that this cannot be the type of person that you had envisioned for me to marry. Nor can it possibly be the type of family you really want me to marry into." I cross my arms and sit down in the chair across from my dad's desk.
"No, this is not what we wanted for you at all. But backing out of this contract now would mean war and we can't afford a war right now," my mom says gently.
"But I thought their family needed us more than we needed them. Isn’t that the whole point? They came to you wanting an alliance because they needed protection or something," I say, trying to figure out what my parents are thinking.
"That's true, and we signed a contract with them, but it seems there was a lot left out. Not fulfilling this contract would be an act of war against not just his family, but his allies as well. We need to strengthen our family. If we're not prepared, we can't afford a war. Don't get me wrong, we can easily defend ourselves if needed, but we're not in a position to start anything, either."
"This sucks," I say, trying to hold back my tears. I don’t need to stress my dad out even more. I know he hasn't been feeling well lately and we're really just trying to hold things down to prepare for my younger brother to take over the family. He's learning, but he's nowhere near ready to do this on his own.
"So you guys know how people talk and in our world, we listen when people talk. I heard something and want to make sure that I tell you. Whatever happens, I want you to know that I respect your decisions," I say. Though I’m still making one last effort to ditch the creeper that they're trying to have me marry.
"What is it honey?" Mom asks.
"I've been asking around about Eric and his family, just wanting to get to know them and prepare myself the best that I can. It’s been going around that his family killed the don of another family in town. Now he needs our protection for when that family realizes it was his family."
When my parents look at each other, I can tell they’re having an entire conversation without words. They've been married so long and are truly in love with each other they can communicate with just one look. Growing up, I had always hoped that would be the type of marriage that I would be able to find. Unfortunately, no such luck.
Instead, I’m getting married off to an entitled player who is just plain creepy. He's never going to be faithful, so I can forget about that. For all I know, it’s his mission to sleep through half of Chicago or maybe all of it. There were a half dozen better matches than this guy. Why my father settled on him, I can’t figure out. Nor do I know any of the details, but that's not something for me to ask right now.
"We've been hearing those whispers, too. Aria, you can always come home. This will always be your home and you will always have protection here," my dad says. He's staring at me like he's sending me a message that I'm not quite understanding just yet.
Giving them both a big hug, I hold them tight before heading up to my room to get ready for bed. My bedroom has always been my sanctuary, and I was able to decorate it however I wanted. It's transitioned from the princess room to the beautiful, elegant room that it is now. My father never spared any expense to make sure I was happy and comfortable. Though I get the feeling that my soon-to-be husband will not share the same opinion.
My bedroom looks over the back of our family’s estate. I have large windows where I have a reading area with the most comfortable couch. Often I’ll plop myself down and watch the activity going on in the backyard. Mostly it’s my dad's men meeting, talking, and standing guard.
As I sit here, I realize not for the first time that marrying Eric means signing my life away. It's not a choice I would make for myself. For the first time with my entire life planned out in front of me, I feel like things are not just absolutely out of control, but most definitely out of my control. It's a feeling that I hate.
Recently I read a newspaper article about some Hollywood starlet who fell from grace, flipped off the cameras and said that she was going to control her own life. She didn't care what anyone else thought and wanted to do something else. After starting some kick-ass clothing brand, she’s now working with underprivileged kids and she's happier than she ever was working in Hollywood. I wish I had those kinds of options.
My cousin lives on the estate. Her father is my dad's brother, and they grew up together. While my dad is the head of the family, her father is the second in command.
Bella is so much more than just my cousin. She is my best friend, and for the most part, the only friend I had growing up. Because she understands this life, she’s the one person I can talk to and with who I can be completely open and honest.
