Arranged Mafia Marriage

Seb

I aim the gun at the target and fire again and again. I don’t stop until I have emptied all of the bullets. Then I lower it, pull out my earplugs, and pull the paper target toward me. All of my bullets, except one, found their mark. Huh? That’s never happened before. Not that I’m a bad shot. It’s just… I’ve never managed to hit all of them on the bullseye before.

The sound of clapping reaches me. I glance up to find Luca walking in my direction. “And I thought I was the crack shot here.”

“I missed one,” I point out.

“That’s as good as me on a bad day,” he humblebrags.

“Fuck you very much, too,” I growl.

“Everything okay, ol’ chap?” he murmurs.

“We just buried Nonna, who was shot by a rival gang’s bullet. Do you think I’m okay?” I lean forward on the balls of my feet. “Also, what’s this ‘ol’ chap’ bullshit? You’ve been spending so much time with our resident Brit, you’re beginning to sound like him.”

Massimo walks over to join us. “Were you envisioning the head of someone in particular?” He gestures to the figure on the paper target, now riddled with bullet holes.

I tear off the paper, then crumple it and toss it aside.

I head for the exit… A-a-and, here comes Adrian.

“Just the person I was missing-the man who never seems to lose his temper, no matter how messy things get.” I glower at him.

“Hey.” He holds up his hands. “What did I do?”

“Nothing, and that might be the problem.” I make sure my shoulder bumps his as I walk past him and into the adjoining bar. Rarely do I contemplate the fact I belong to the most famous family in Italy and have enough money to rival the economy of a third world country. Today, I can assure you, is not one of those days. Today, I am fucking grateful we’re rich enough to have our own bar and adjoining shooting range. Both are situated on the top floor of the building that houses Venom, the nightclub owned by our family. We spent so much time in Michael’s office above Venom, he eventually refurbished the entire floor. In addition to the shooting range and the private bar, there’s also a gym, a pool room and a sauna. All of the comforts under one roof, without having to go anywhere outside the building.

This way, we don’t have to compromise on our lifestyle. And we don’t have to come in contact with the rest of the populace. Especially important on a day when I’m liable to point my gun at whoever gets in my way. Not that I have anything against killing people… But I do prefer to take a life when there’s a real reason. Like someone who is out to get me or one of my own. Someone who has hurt her. Someone like that coglione, Fabio Costa.

I walk around the bar counter, grab a bottle of Macallan forty-year-old, and pour a healthy dose into a glass.

Adrian walks over to join me, followed by Massimo and Luca.

Adrian takes the bottle and pours whiskey into their glasses. He slides one over to Massimo as Luca picks up his own glass.

“To Nonna,” I murmur.

“To Nonna.” My brothers raise their glasses and we clink.

“Remember how all seven of us would spend most of our time here at Venom?” Luca comments.

“Michael and Christian are married. It’s natural for them to spend more time at home,” Adrian remarks. “And Xander…” He stares into his glass. “I miss Xander. And now Nonna. Damn, everything’s changing.”

“Change is good.” I drain my glass. “Change is what keeps us from losing our edge.”

“So that’s why you proposed to her, because you want change in your life?” Massimo asks.

“I proposed to her because I promised Nonna I’d get married within the month.”

“And it has nothing to do with how you’ve developed feelings for her?” Luca smirks.

“What are you talking about?”

“You pushed Elsa out of the way of a bullet and threw yourself over her to protect her, then insisted on dressing her wound and driving her home, by way of the hospital, only to appear preoccupied for the next few days… Well… Clearly, you’re developing feelings for her.”

“Anything else, Montalbano?” I ask, referring to the well-known fictional Italian detective who has achieved cult status in this country.

“You mean Sherlock, don’t you?” Luca grins.

“Cazzo, and I thought you and Axel didn’t get along,” I reply.

“We don’t.” His gaze narrows.

“And yet, that’s the second British reference you’ve made in passing today.” I place my elbow on the counter. “Is the Brit your new best friend?”

“As you well know, Axel and I are not friends.” He points his finger at me. “Don’t change the topic, fratello. We’re brothers. We have our differences, but when one of us is threatened, we stand up for each other.”

I rub the back of my neck. I hadn’t expected to hear that from Luca, but I have to admit, it’s reassuring. And much as I hate to accept it, Fabio’s a formidable enemy. If there’s anyone who could stand up to the Mafia in Italy, it’s him. The man’s corrupt, of course, but he’s been taking bribes from our rivals, the Camorra, who hold sway from the Campania region in Italy. He owes his allegiance to them, which means he’s out to get us. And this gives him a perfect excuse. What’s worse, now he knows my weakness. If he does anything to her, I’ll kill him, and that would only spark a full-fledged war, which could bring the kind of destruction that wouldn’t be good for anyone. And he’s the father of her child.

“Cazzo!” I drain my glass and slap it down on the counter and reach for the bottle.

Massimo snatches it away from me. “Talk first,” he growls. “It’s not going to help if you get so drunk you’re not thinking straight.”

“It’s a start.” I pivot and begin to pace.

“If nothing else, it will help to get it off your chest,” Adrian says in a reasonable tone.

“Do you have to be so fucking reasonable and calm about everything?” I round on him. “You’ve never been in my position, so don’t attempt to give me advice.”

His jaw tightens. “Haven’t I?” He holds out his hand and Massimo passes the bottle to him. Adrian drinks straight from the bottle and I blink. The gentlemanly Adrian, who believes in following the rules in every aspect of his life, acting out of character? Have I touched on a nerve?

“It’s Cass, isn’t it?” I prop my hands on my hips. “If you feel so much for her, why don’t you do something about it?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Why don’t you get your own house in order first? Why are you so twisted up about marrying Elsa anyway? What’s the deal there?” Adrian points at me with the bottle. “Is she in love with someone else?”

I stiffen.

“Gesu Christo.” Adrian straightens. “She is in love with someone else.”

“Cazzo,” Luca exclaims, “and you proposed to her? There’s so much other pussy out there, why do you have to go after someone who belongs to another man, you-”

I whirl around, close the distance between us, and grab his collar. “She doesn’t belong to him, you coglione.” I haul him up to his feet. “She’s divorced.”

“Watch it, I was only trying to be helpful.” Luca scowls.

“Well, don’t.” I release him and begin to pace.

“And the Cosa Nostra doesn’t believe in divorce,” Massimo points out.

“Fuck that.”

“What’s the problem, then? She’s not with her husband, so you can move in, can’t you?” Luca asks.

I shuffle my feet and glance to the side, then back at my brothers. “She has a daughter.”

“Ah,” Massimo nods, “that does complicate things.”

“Cazzo, that’s messy.” Luca takes a step back as if trying to distance himself from the situation.

“You’re telling me?”

“And you still want to marry her? Being divorced is one thing, but having a kid?” He shakes his head. “I mean, you’re probably better off without her.”

“Luca!” Massimo and Adrian say at the same time.

“What?” He raises his hands. “I’m trying to save him from making a mistake.”

“You really have no idea, do you?” I rub the back of my neck. To think, I was just like him only a few days ago, when all I’d been focused on was my role within the Cosa Nostra as Capo, and of course, getting as much pussy as I could. Until I had run into her at Venom.

“The first time we met, she dumped a pint of beer on me,” I murmur.

“What?” Massimo laughs.

“Now that’s something.” Adrian chuckles.

“Wish I’d been there, if only to see the look on your face,” Luca adds.

“So, what did you do?” Massimo leans his bulk against the bar counter.

“I drove her home.”

“Hold on. Let me get this straight. She dumped beer on you, and instead of retaliating, you dropped her back home?” Luca stares at me like I’ve grown a second head.

My neck heats. “We were at Venom; she was with Theresa. Besides, I probably deserved it.” I raise a shoulder.

“Che cazzo,” Luca chortles, “look at you being all honest and shit.”

“Hey, I’m an honest person… Mostly.”

“So, she has a child.” Adrian drums his fingers on his chest. “But that’s not what’s stopping you, is it?

Goddamn, I forgot; Adrian’s also the most insightful of all of us.

“So, what’s the real issue?” Massimo strokes his chin. “It’d have to be something serious for you to be shooting at a paper target, instead of going after a live one.”

I blow out a breath.

“What is it?” Luca shuffles his feet. “You’re making me nervous, fratello; why don’t you just spit out what’s on your mind?”

“Is it the husband?” Massimo drawls.

“Ex-husband, and can you guys back off or what?”

“It is the husband. The ex, I mean,” Massimo adds when I bare my teeth at him. “Want me to off him?”

“If it were that easy, wouldn’t he have done it already?” Adrian retorts.

“Don’t all of you try to put words in my mouth all at once,” I say dryly.

“Well, come on then fratello.” Luca rolls his shoulders. “Just tell us, will you?”

Fuck this. “He’s Fabio Costa,” I say through gritted teeth.

Silence.

Luca’s gaze widens. “The Police Commissioner?”

“Bingo.”

Massimo rocks back on his heels. “You don’t pick your adversaries lightly, do you?”

I fold my arms across my chest. “What do you guys think?”

“I think we should use this opportunity to clean house, once and for all,” Luca retorts.

“Porca miseria, are you even thinking straight?” I narrow my gaze on him. “Do you have any idea what the repercussions could be for killing him?”

“So, the cops get pissed off. Too bad.” He raises a shoulder. “We can handle them.”

“And the Camorra,” Massimo says slowly. “You’re aware he’s affiliated with our biggest rivals-”

Luca doubles down, as usual. “It’s time we taught them a lesson. Those stronzi have been infringing on our territory for a while now. It’s time we show them who’s stronger.”

“Do you have any idea what you’re talking about? Perhaps we could take on the Camorra on their own, or the cops on their own. But together?” I shake my head. “And while we do control a part of the police force, it would put us in a difficult situation even to contemplate going against both of them at the same time.”

“Not if we had help,” Adrian points out.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Bratva and the Kane Company; they’re our allies.”

“Joint ownership of a single company does not make them allies,” I snap.

“Whoever represents us on the board of the company could sway them to work with us on something as strategic as this. Perhaps just the fact that we have them in our corner might be deterrent enough to stop the Camorra or the pigs from trying anything.”

Michael recently stepped down from the board of Trinity Enterprises, the company in which we have joint ownership with the Bratva and the Kane Company. He left it up to the four of us to decide who will represent the Cosa Nostra in his place.

“Hold on.” Luca props his hands on his hips. “Is this conversation headed the way I think it is? If so, the answer is no.”

Massimo scowls. “Luca, come on. Surely you can see it would benefit all of us for Seb to join the board. He could use the position to strike a deal with the Bratva and the Kane Company, which would help him with his predicament, and with ours.”

“So that’s it? We’ve decided he gets the seat on the board?” Luca’s jaw hardens.

“I have no interest in being on the board. You know my ultimate aim is to set up my own media company. It’s what I’ve been working toward for a while now.”

“So, leave the seat on the board to me,” Luca retorts.

“You’re an enforcer. Are you really interested in boardroom maneuvers related to a company which deals with cryptocurrency trading?”

“Whether fighting on the streets or in the boardroom, how different can it be, eh?” He widens his stance. “Besides, this is my chance to increase the scope of what I do and learn something new. I can’t be stuck as an enforcer forever.”

“That’s true,” I move toward him, “and I think you’re right thinking of growing your skillset. I think you’d be a natural in the boardroom, actually. It’s just right now, I really need this position. If it means I can get in with the Bratva and the Kane Company, and work out a plan with them, perhaps I stand a chance at putting this stronzo Costa in his place, without disturbing the balance of power too much.”

Luca’s jaw tics. “Fuck.” He drags his fingers through his hair. “Porca puttana!” He drains his glass then throws it at the opposite wall, where it shatters. The shards crash to the floor. He shakes his head as if to clear it, then jerks his chin. “Fine, but you owe me.”

“Grazie, fratello, you have no idea what this means to me.” I grip his shoulder but he shakes it off.

“Just because I agreed to this, doesn’t mean I’m happy,” he warns.

“I’m aware, and I’ll make it up to you.”

“We’ll see,” he says in a grudging tone.

Before I can respond, there’s a knock on the door.