Arranged Mafia Marriage

Seb

After that pronouncement, I told Elsa to take her time thinking about my proposition. Clearly, she wasn’t expecting that-she paled and froze on the spot. After allowing her to grab a few things, I led her out of the apartment, and she didn’t protest. I walked her into my house and showed her the guest bedroom I’d readied for her. I even showed her the closet full of clothes I’d purchased for her, and pointed out the bedroom opposite hers, for Avery. Her eyes brightened as she realized what I was showing her. I explained my room was up the corridor, and I needed her to be dressed in the morning to accompany me to Nonna’s funeral. She nodded, and I left her with instructions to head down for dinner when she was ready.

Then, because the thought of her so close by was playing havoc with my mind, I headed down to the gym in the basement and worked out for an hour.

When I returned from my work-out, I found the house silent. My housekeeper informed me that Elsa never came down for dinner.

I headed to her room with the intention of making her eat, but found her under the covers. I’ll admit, I stood over her and watched her sleep. Her pale skin, the shadows under her eyes, and her hair strewn over the pillow called to me. I sank down to my knees and pushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. She didn’t stir. I inhaled a lungful of her scent-cherries laced with a feminine scent that is uniquely her. If I stayed any longer, I would push her legs apart, kneel between her thighs, and bury myself inside of her. Which would be okay; she agreed to be my wife, after all. But I also want to be her Dom, which means putting her pleasures before mine. Which is why I walked away from her, then proceeded to jerk off to images of her in my mind, before skipping dinner and falling asleep.

When I headed down this morning, she was already in the kitchen, whipping up breakfast. We ate in silence, then headed over to the cemetery.

Now, I watch as the coffin with Nonna is prepared to slide into the family crypt. The sun shines down, reflecting off the polished surface of the wood. Elsa stands beside me. On the other side, Massimo stands at attention, Luca on his other side. Then Adrian, Christian and Aurora, Michael and Karma, and finally, Axel and Theresa. We form a semi-circle around the casket.

Axel and Christian seemed to be getting along better, especially after Christian made that trip to London to convince Axel to return to Palermo and woo back Theresa.

The priest begins to speak and his words wash over me. I glance around at the people from the community who have gathered. An old woman about the same age as Nonna sheds tears. She’s supported by another woman, younger than her, probably her daughter. There are other old-timers, friends of Nonna who grew up with her in this city where she lived all her life.

I spot a tall, broad-shouldered man standing to the side: Nikolai Solonik. And next to him is an older man with greying temples: JJ Kane. Our one-time rivals, now partners, all of whom have turned up to pay their respects to the matriarch of the Cosa Nostra.

She should have survived that bullet; the old bat had seemed invincible. Spry enough to be independent and on her feet until the end. She had been such a staunch defender of the Mafia. In the end, it seems fitting that a bullet took her life. In a strange way, I think she would have liked that.

She led a full life. A largely happy life. Her presence was a towering force in all of our lives. And now she’s gone. A pressure pushes behind my eyes as I watch the priest shut the Bible. There’s silence for a few seconds. The wind rustles the branches overhead.

Then Michael moves forward. He picks up a rose and stands with his head bent for a few seconds, then he places it on the casket.

He steps away, and I know it’s my turn next. As the Capo, I follow after the Don on these occasions. I try to put one foot in front of the other, but my arms and legs feel too numb. Until this moment, I didn’t realize just how much her death has affected me. She was a mother to us after our own mother died when we were young. She was our protector, our defender… Some might point out that she didn’t protect us completely from our father’s wrath, but she tried her best.

And even as she was dying, all she worried about was us. She wanted to see all of her grandsons married. It was her last wish. It’s something I’ll ensure I fulfill as soon as I can. My eyes smart. I try to draw in a breath, but my lungs burn. I can’t take my gaze off of the dark doorway where my grandmother will be entombed. My arms and legs tremble, when a soft hand grips mine. Elsa twines her slim fingers with mine. She grips my palm, and warmth floods my veins. I draw in a breath, and oxygen fills my starved lungs.

“You okay?” she whispers.

I tear my gaze away from the casket and to her face. Those baby blues of hers hold mine. Her blond hair has been pulled away from her face and into a chignon. Her cheekbones stand out in her pale face. Her pink lips glisten, and I can’t stop staring at them. She’s real. She’s alive. She’s here. And she’s mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Even though she hasn’t said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to my proposition of being her Dom. No matter. It’s not like I’m going to give her a choice in the matter. I only backed off because it didn’t seem prudent to push it. That, and the fact that she already agreed to move in with me. Baby steps. After driving her home and showing her to the guest room, I decided to give her some space and time to adjust to the changes. I was patient and stayed away from her last night. But now, I feel that resolve crumbling.

I move toward her, and her gaze widens. She shakes her head, tilts her head toward my grandmother’s open grave, then back at me.

Cazzo! What’s wrong with me? I shake my head to clear it, then pull away from her. I pick up a rose and walk toward the casket. Rest in peace, Nonna. I’ll see you on the other side.

Two hours later, we’re gathered in the drawing room of Nonna’s home. Even though the rest of us called it the living room, she preferred drawing room, so… I guess I feel like it’s one small thing I can do for her. The rest of the mourners, including Nikolai Solonik and JJ Kane, left after sharing their condolences with us.

Cass, Michael and Karma’s housekeeper, who’s really more like family, walks into the room, her usually neat hair loose and disheveled. She rubs her palms down the dress of her skirt, then heads straight for the bar.

Adrian follows her. He walks around the bar, reaches for the bottle of wine, but she shakes her head.

“Whiskey.” She points to the half-full bottle on the counter.

He raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he pours her a healthy measure. She snatches up the glass, tosses it back, coughs a little, then points to the bottle. “More, please.”

He frowns. “I won’t have you getting drunk.”

“Oh, please,” she scoffs, “stop trying to control me.”

When he doesn’t move, she reaches for the bottle but he holds it out of her reach. “You’ve had enough.”

Her entire body stiffens. She opens her mouth, no doubt to chew him out, when Michael walks over to stand next to her.

“How’s Gino?” he asks, referring to Nonna’s butler who’d been with her since she married into the Sovranos.

She draws in a breath, seems to gather herself, then turns to him. “He’s fine. Maybe too fine. He’s been silent since she passed. No tears. No outbursts. He refused to come to the funeral, and said he’d prefer staying in to cook the snacks for the wake.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “He also says that he wants to return to his home in the village in the countryside. He feels his work here is done.”

“Understandable. He can stay here as long as he wants. If and when he chooses to return, I’ll make sure all of the arrangements are taken care of. Either way, he will be taken care of.”

She nods. “Thank you, Don. I’ll let him know.” She turns to leave, and Adrian walks around the bar and toward her.

“I’ll come with you.”

She scowls at him. “I don’t need you with me.”

In answer, he brushes past her and heads for the door. Her scowl deepens. She looks like she is about to protest, then thinks better of it and follows him out.

“What’s up with those two?” Massimo murmurs next to me.

“Clearly, there’s some serious chemistry there, though neither of them seems to have acted on it,” I muse.

“You’d think he’d just fuck her and be done with it,” Luca scoffs.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“Cass is part of the family. He can’t just fuck her and be done with it.” Massimo scowls at him.

“Well, then he needs to stay away.” Luca raises a shoulder. “Although, the way things are going… What, with first Michael, then Christian and Axel, and now Seb is next in line to get married… If I were him, I’d stay the hell away from her.”

“You do realize it was Nonna’s wish that we get married as soon as possible, don’t you?”

“I loved Nonna, and would love to fulfill her wishes, but marriage?” He shakes his head, “No thanks. Not for me. Not for a long time, if ever.”

Massimo gives him the side-eye. “You do realize, it’s those who claim they’ll never get married who end up tying the knot first.”

“Not me.” Luca takes a step back, as if the very thought is repulsive to him. “I’m getting another whiskey. What about you, Seb?”

I shake my head, and he heads for the bar.

I turn to watch Elsa speaking with Karma. She grips Karma’s shoulder, and the two of them embrace. Theresa, Axel’s wife joins them, and the three speak in hushed voices. On the other side of the room, Christian and Aurora are talking intently, their heads bent, their arms around each other.

I turn to glance back at Elsa, and this time, she glances in my direction. Our gazes hold, and she seems to falter in the middle of her conversation with Karma. Karma glances between us, then bends and says something to Elsa whose cheeks heat. Karma walks past her and toward us. She slips into Michael’s side, and he wraps his arm around her and pulls her even closer.

Christian glances in our direction, then walks toward us, leading Aurora.

Elsa swallows. Then, as if hearing my unspoken command, she walks in my direction. She reaches my side, and I take her hand in mine.

I look around the group and realize all of my brothers, and their spouses, are here.

“As you all know, Nonna didn’t want to have a wake; she wanted to be directly buried. Much as she sought the limelight in life, in death, she wanted to be allowed to leave with little fanfare. Still, it feels wrong not to say a few words to celebrate her life.” Michael glances down at his drink, then back at us. “Some people leave a void so big, it will never be filled. Nonna was one of those people.” He takes a deep breath, then leans forward on the balls of his feet. “When I was a child, she was the biggest influence on me, more than our father-thank god-or our mother, who was too gentle. When I hesitated to take my place as Don after killing our father, she’s the one who told me not to question my birthright. She was reluctant to step in when our father physically beat us and our mother, and she always regretted that she didn’t act earlier. She told me not to think twice, but to follow my instincts. That future generations would thank me.”

He draws in a breath and Karma touches his shoulder in empathy. He smiles down at her, his expression brightening.

“She’s the one who told me I’d be a fool not to recognize what a rare find my wife was. That, although I may have started our relationship on the wrong footing-which is putting it mildly-” a titter runs through the assembled crowd, “it was never too late to fix things. She warned me I’d be a fool if I didn’t find a way to keep her happy.”

His lips kick up.

“Believe me, I followed her advice and I’ve never regretted it. I credit my return to the human race to my wife, and in no small measure, to my grandmother, as well.”

He glances down into his glass, then raises his head. “In losing her, I’ve lost a piece of myself.” His voice wavers, ever so slightly. “As Don of the Cosa Nostra, there aren’t many people I can go to for advice. She was one of them.”

“You do know you can discuss things with us, don’t you? As your second in command, I’m here to be your sounding board.” I lean forward on the balls of my feet.

“I appreciate that.” A ghost of a smile curves his lips.

“She will be missed.” I shift my weight from foot to foot. “She was not only our grandmother, but also our protector. There was a certain strength to her that I’ve never seen in anyone else, and probably never will see again. We owe our lives to her.”

“She never put up with my mule-headedness. She never took shit from me.” Luca rubs the back of his neck. “That woman knew how to put me in my place.”

We all laugh.

“Amen to that.” Massimo widens his stance. “Not that she didn’t have her faults. She never could understand Xander’s need to explore his sexuality-something he mentioned to me in passing-even as she encouraged his need to pursue his muse. I think she was the only one who understood how important it was for our brother to follow his creative calling. Something he was eternally grateful to her for. As for me?” He rolls his shoulders. “She always told me to use my strength wisely. There are two types of men: those who abuse, and those who protect. Our father was among the first; she insisted I strive to be the second.”

“I only knew her briefly.” Axel brings his whiskey glass to his lips and takes a sip. “I admit, I was very angry with her for not pushing our father to do the right thing by me and my mother. But I’m glad I forgave her and made my peace with her.”

“She appreciated it.” Michael tilts his head. “She also wanted us to make amends with the Camorra. They are, after all, your family.”

“They are no family of mine. They may have taken my mother in when she needed help, but they didn’t treat her right. It’s why she decided to leave and make her own way.” Axel frowns.

“No doubt, it’s something we need to discuss moving forward,” Michael acknowledges. He raises his glass, and says loudly, “To Nonna, see you on the other side.”

“To Nonna.”

All of us raise our glasses.

Michael takes a sip of his whiskey. “Since we’re all gathered here in Nonna’s home today, and we all heard a certain promise someone made to her…” He turns to me. “Something you want to tell us Seb?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I say slowly.

“Don’t pull that on me,” he replies in a mild voice.

O-k-a-y.

He glances at Elsa, then at me. Of course, nothing gets past my oldest brother. He didn’t become the Don without reason.

“I had hoped to get a little more time before sharing with the famiglia, but now that you mention it,” I widen my stance, “perhaps it’s time to share my announcement.”

Next to me, Elsa stiffens. “What are you doing?” she whisper-screams.

“Nonna’s last words to me were that she wanted to see me married within the next month. Even in death, it seems, she can’t stop herself from manipulating my life.” I chuckle.

Smiles break out on everyone’s faces.

Elsa begins to pull away from me, but I wrap my arm around her waist, and pull her into my side. Karma’s gaze widens as she glances between us.

“I have asked Elsa to be my wife,” I declare.

Karma gasps.

Theresa breaks into a smile.

Luca stares at me aghast, while Michael’s lips twist into a smile.

Aurora’s forehead creases and she narrows her gaze on Elsa. “And what was your answer, Elsa?”

She shuffles her feet. The silence in the room grows.

“Yes, I’d like to know that, too.” Karma turns to her.

Theresa’s brow furrows; she watches Elsa with an anxious look on her face.

Everyone’s attention is directed toward Elsa, who doesn’t reply. The tension radiates off of her.

I release her and turn to face her. I raise an eyebrow. “So, are you planning to tell them what your answer was?”