The past week went by way too quickly and even as I stand in this church, staring at myself in the floor-length mirror, I can barely believe it’s the same Lucia staring back at me. My makeup is done to perfection, my hair curled and pinned beautifully, and this dress… It’s a girl’s dream come true.
A delicate lace bodice adorned with intricate hand-embroidered floral patterns, accentuating my curves. Subtle beading and shimmering sequins catch every ray of light, giving the dress an otherworldly glow. A modest sweetheart neckline frames my chest, cap sleeves at my shoulders, and an A-line skirt flows seamlessly from my waistline.
Layers of feather-light tulle and soft silk, create a dreamy, cloud-like effect without looking absolutely poofy and ridiculous. The dress is completed with a long, cathedral-length veil, edged with matching lace appliqués around the border, and finishing with a veil over my head.
This is it. This is my wedding day and I feel absolutely awful.
“All done, Ma’am,” Alana, one of the women Giovanni placed in charge of helping me this week, says. “You look so beautiful!”
“Thank you, Alana,” I say and give her a taut smile, to which I notice her wavering. She looks at everyone leaving the room, then she pulls me close and leans in towards my ear.
“I’ll leave something in your closet for you tonight. It might… It might help you make things easier tonight,” she says and before I could even ask her what she’s talking about, she’s scurrying out of the bridal room.
Everything about this week felt unbelievable from the moment I arrived at the Vittori estate. The place looked like it was plucked right out of Tuscany Magazine and the inside even more so.
I am expected to be the mistress of the house, but how do I do that?
Taking a deep breath, I hold my wrist close to my nose and inhale Nonna’s perfume. It always seems to calm me down when I feel like this. But every time I do this, I am reminded of how truly alone I am, and I end up crying.
A knock on the door gets my attention, and when it opens, I see Vito poking his head through. I don’t know why the sight of him makes me so happy, but I rush to him, anyway.
“You look beautiful, Principessa,” he says after getting over the shock of my embrace. “I am guessing you’re happy to see me?”
His chuckle brings a smile to my face, and I nod. “I feel out of place and seeing a familiar face sets me at ease,” I admit as he touches my cheek. “Are the Camorra here?”
The smile slips from his face as he nods sternly. “A few of our bigger names are here to show their solidarity, yes. But the reason I’ve come to see you is to give you away in your father’s stead. If you don’t mind, that is?”
My heart leaps into my throat and I will myself not to cry when I nod. “Yes, I would like that very much!” I exclaim and he embraces me again. Then he pulls away, kisses both my cheeks, and covers my face with the veil.
“Let’s do this, Principessa. Lean on me if you need to,” he says as he holds out his arm for me and I slip mine in. That urge to run away peeks through my defenses, but I remind myself that I have nowhere to go from here.
Then I step through the door and naive Lucia falls away, replaced with the new woman she is expected to be.
The first notes of Pachelbel’s Canon in D start as we appear in the doorway and I feel all eyes on us. I focus on the beautiful melody being played through the cello and piano and get lost in the notes. The beautifully decorated church doesn’t set me at ease…not at all.
With each step I take down the aisle, it feels like I am floating in a cloud of blind trust and unexplored territory. I don’t know Giovanni well as I have only met him twice before - but I knew enough about him to understand that he was a man of power, a man people feared.
I feel his piercing icy gaze as they scan the room with calculated precision, a predator sizing up a roomful of prey. He is a man whose forefathers had built their empire from the ground up, weaving webs of deceit and bloodshed that now earned him the respect, or rather, the terror, of those in his world.
When Vito places my hand in Giovanni’s, it feels like he’s taking the last bit of my freedom with him. But who am I kidding? I was never free in the first place.
The ceremony begins with an opening prayer, followed by readings from the Holy Bible which emphasize the importance of love, commitment, and faith in marriage. I almost laugh out loud but know my place.
After the readings, we exchange our vows. These vows are supposed to be the foundation of the marital union, expressing our love and dedication to each other. Promises to love, honor, cherish, and support one another through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do us part.
But as I say my line, Giovanni leans in close and chuckles. “ ‘til death do us part? No, Micetta, that's not how it works when you're a Vittori,” he says in a low, dangerous voice that sends a ripple of fear right through me.
He smirks as he pulls away, and even as I fear him, I find him sinfully attractive. Why does the devil have to look so beautiful?
We exchange rings, a gorgeous, delicate band is slipped on my finger and it's only when Giovanni pulls my veil back, that I realize what is about to happen. Leaning in close, he draws his hand to my chin and tilts my head to face him.
“Come sei bella,” he murmurs before claiming my mouth in a kiss that sears me to the bone.
I have never kissed a man before today and the way his mouth and tongue tease mine, I don’t even feel inexperienced. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me hard towards him and I gasp when I feel his hardness pressing up against me.
It hits me then that tonight he will expect more than this - tonight I have to give him all of me.
Giovanni pulls away with a grin and the entire church bursts with applause and cheers. The priest names us husband and wife and we go to meet our well-wishers. I don’t know anyone who is wishing us a long and happy marriage and in the rain of confetti and rice, we make our way to the door.
Our limo ride to the reception is filled with fraught, stony silence, with Giovanni making it known how little I mean to him. The venue for the reception is an ancient, yet immaculately restored villa, with carefully manicured gardens boasting vibrant flowers, perfectly arranged to create a breathtaking backdrop.
The soothing melodies of a string quarter greet us when we arrive, which echo through the sun-drenched courtyard adorned with intricate stone statues and fountains. The scent of fresh lemon and olive trees fills the air, reminding me of the yard back at the convent.
The tables are dressed in fine linens and topped with crystal glassware, silverware, and exquisite centerpieces. A sumptuous feast of traditional Italian dishes, including handmade pasta, succulent osso buco, and delicate seafood risotto, awaits us and I find that I am quite hungry.
Throughout the evening, the sounds of laughter and lively conversation fill the air, accompanied by the soft melodies of a live band. I couldn’t feel more left out of my own wedding, especially when Giovanni doesn’t even introduce me to half the people who come to greet us.
Everything today was an elaborate affair, a spectacle befitting the union of two powerful families. But the air was thick with tension as if the slightest misstep could disrupt the delicate balance of power between the Camorra and Vittori family.
I am on my third glass of wine when the piano and cello start playing something low and emotional. I recognize the melody as ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and when Giovanni gets to his feet and takes my hand, I know it's time for our first dance.
He places a hand on my lower back and leads the dance while I am once again drawn into the enigma that is Giovanni Vittori. Why does he seem so cold towards me when his gaze burns with passion as he looks into my eyes?
With each step, I can feel the rhythm of his heartbeat, a syncopated pattern that matched my own. It was at that moment I realized the enormity of our situation: I am married to a murderer, the son of a mob boss.
The song draws to a close and Giovanni leans in close, stroking his lips against mine. But before he can kiss me, a distant roar echoes through the night, and with it, an explosion of shattered glass and deafening screams.
As the smoke from the explosion began to dissipate, the aftermath of the long-anticipated mafia wedding stood as a dark, twisted monument to chaos. Entangled amongst the debris and empty stare of terror on the guests' faces, I can feel my blood boiling with rage. It was supposed to be the first day towards my path to retribution; the day I made Lucia officially mine. Instead, it had become a macabre nightmare with probably a few important, high-ranking members probably dead. Someone had planted bombs at my fucking wedding, a wedding both secured by Famiglia and Camorra alike.“Frankie! Dom!” I exclaim, calling to my brothers. I have to know if they survived!The trembling figure in my arms snaps me out of my thoughts and I see the wide eyes of Lucia staring up at me, clutching at the lapel of my tuxedo. I want to push her away from me, but instead, I push my thoughts down.I threw her to the ground and covered her with my body without thinking, protecting her with my life without a
To say I am trembling in fear is an understatement. One second I was dancing with Giovanni, my heart beating so close to his, and the next I was thrown to the ground, shielded by his body. My ears are still ringing from the explosion and the palms of my hands were tender from scraping them against the floor as I went down. Now I’m in the back of an armored SUV, sitting next to a mean-looking woman wearing a scowl similar to Giovanni’s. She’s wearing a red dress and high heels, is tall and slender, with short blonde hair and tattoos that look like feathers creeping into her neck. I hug my body and feel the ripples of fear still coursing through me. I suspected that a lot of people weren’t happy about this marriage, but I didn’t expect a hit right on our wedding day. Wouldn’t this be the highest disrespect to pay the son of a Capo dei Capi? Wait… wouldn’t this cause a war? As soon as we hit the cobblestone driveway, I know we’ve arrived at Giovanni’s estate. I don’t think I’ll ever
My heart is thudding so loud in my ears that I can barely think, and when he puts the tip of the weapon to my breastbone, I flinch and close my eyes.“Relax, I’m not about to murder my bride on our wedding night,” he says and when I hear the tearing of fabric, I open my eyes to feel the fabric of the negligee pool at my feet. “That’s for later.”Later? What does he mean that’s for later?!Cutting off the straps of my thong as well, he takes a step backward and removes his bowtie, which was already loose and hanging around his neck. As he gets to work unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes do not leave mine and even as they’re filled to the brim with anger, I can see the hunger.I was right about his body being covered in tattoos, but in this case, only his back and sides, save for one tattoo over his left pectoral, right over his heart. It is a black heart with a dagger with the words SANGUE PER SANGUE.A shiver shoots up my spine as it feels like an omen meant just for me.“On the bed, Mice
I wake up and stretch, hyper-aware of the soft body laying at my side. Opening my eyes, I see Lucia still asleep and laying on her back with one leg over mine, her bare pussy still exposed. One hand is over her full, gorgeous chest while the other is splayed above her head.She must have fallen asleep while still covered in my cum and her blood, and I don’t know why, but that doesn’t sit right with me. Actually, it pisses me off at what I’ve done.When I came back to the room, I had every intention of sleeping and not touching her after what we discovered. Especially since I was so angry about the entire thing. Dom is alive, just shaken up, and no one died at the scene except for the server pouring wine.But seeing her in that little white negligee had me thinking with my fucking cock. Why did my enemy’s daughter have to look so fucking beautiful?I get up from the bed and walk over to the bathroom, but something on her nightstand gets my attention - a pill. When I pick it up, I notic
When I finish in the shower, I hear the bedroom door closing and know Giovanni has left for the day. Careful of hurting myself, I dry off and wrap the towel around my body before walking to the closet.The bloodstained blankets catch my eye and I push down the shame threatening to strangle me. I don’t ever want a repeat of last night… I’d rather die.My mind is a mess. From what happened last night, to the rough way Giovanni took me and now finding out his father was killed last night, presumably by my missing father. I don’t know what is going to happen now, and I don’t want to find out.I catch my naked reflection in the mirror and my eyes widen when I see blue dots on my thighs, right where Giovanni held me. There are three similar-looking dots on my cheek when he had his hand over my mouth. I swallow hard while trying to keep my emotions down, then I walk to my clothing rack.I am not going to cry; I will not give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he truly terrifies me.Aft
I should be mourning my father and am expecting family to arrive any minute now. But Lucia standing up to me, nearly raising her voice, showing me her claws…Cristo, if that didn’t get me hard as a fucking rock.Now I’m sitting in my office, watching that door and pretending I’m not thinking about spreading her wide on this desk. Shit, I need to get this woman out of my head, now is not the time to be thinking with my dick.There’s a knock on my office door and I tell whoever it is to enter, knowing it’s Lucia. I brace my elbows on the desk in front of me and watch her walk inside. She’s wearing a black dress that hugs her sinful curves well, and those heels only make her legs look sexier. I didn’t manage to fuck that innocence out of her, though and somehow it pulls me in even more.I swivel in my chair and unbutton my suit jacket before leaning back and patting my hand on my lap. “Over here, Micetta,” I say, watching as her eyes widen. “Sit down.”Her cheeks take on a gorgeous tint
My heart is beating so loud as I rush out of Giovanni’s office that I didn’t even notice someone coming around the corner. Plowing right into them, I yelp and nearly lose my balance, only for them to grab me by the waist and pull me to my feet.“I’m guessing you’ve just come from my brother’s office,” a female voice sounds and my eyes shoot open. “Would explain why you’re in a rush to get away from here.”I take a step backward and take in the woman in front of me. Wow, she’s beautiful; even more so in the light. There’s a confidence about her that I wish I could have. Then again, she knew who she was all her life and I’m only just learning.“Uhm, yes. I’ve just come from Giovanni’s office,” I say, clasping my hands in front of me. “If you’ll excuse me-”“Wait, Lucia,” she calls my name as I walk past her and I immediately freeze up. Wait, she knows my name?Tentatively, I turn around to face her and watch as she crosses her arms over her chest. Wow, she exudes the type of confidence
The air is thick with tension as I walk into my club knowing I’m about to deliver some news that will fuck up an alliance. I’ve gathered with my brothers and three cousins for an urgent meeting. The dimly lit room, filled with the smoky haze of cigars, served as the backdrop for this critical discussion. Last night while at one of my clubs, I received damning information about a fucking traitor within the family, and it's time to address the situation.It’s my father’s funeral tomorrow; this needs to be sorted out right fucking now.My three cousins, Alessio, Allesandro, and Anthony, are my capos. They’re brothers and oversee Brooklyn. My brother Frankie is my Underboss and Dom is my consigliere. They know I’ve taken over as the boss in our family and they’re one hundred percent behind me. It’s been a week since my father died and although I have been accepted as the Capo dei Capi, I know a few people still think the title was handed to me.As if I didn’t bathe in blood to get here.