#1 — Chapter 7
Antonio
I could hear both my cousin and Liliana crying last night. I was tempted to barge into their rooms and show them something to really be scared about. Tomorrow is the wedding, I have no last minute jitters, no cold feet, in fact I feel nothing. This is for the sake of the Outfit and unlike some people, I know my responsibility as Capo. I need Domenico’s men, he sent me twenty of them and already four are dead. The Russians are advancing and the other night we retaliated.
The night I came home so lost out of my mind that I almost raped my fiancée was a bad night. We had gone to the warehouse where the Russians were, and slaughtered them. I lost one of my best men-a childhood friend. But that’s the business. There was so much blood, torture, and death. I spent over an hour tearing apart one of the leaders, I tore off every one of his fucking fingernails with my knife, as I pounded his face in with my fists, he provided the wonderful opportunity for me to cut his tongue out. He must’ve found out about my marriage-news travels fast. He said he saw Liliana out with Carmelo and made it a point to tell me how hot she is and how if he got his hands on her he would ‘fuck her bloody.’
After I cut his tongue out, I fed him his own dick too.
One of my men picked up my tux for me, I hang it up in my closet and stare at it. I start to picture what Liliana will look like in her white gown. She’s been fucking crying all day shouting to Arabella how much she doesn’t want to marry me. Couldn’t blame her, I can’t promise her a loving relationship, I can’t promise to be gentle with her, and I definitely can’t fucking promise she’ll be happy. The only thing I can say and mean, is that I will protect her at all costs.
There’s a knock on my door and I groan shutting my closet and sitting down in one of the chairs near my fireplace. I pour myself a drink-I’ll probably need it. “Come in,” I command.
“Hey,” Arabella enters and shuts the door behind her.
“What can I help you with?” I cross my leg, lean back, and sip my glass of bourbon. I know what she’s here for, but I’ll entertain whatever she’s conjured up in her mind.
“Is there anything you can do to call off this wedding tomorrow?”
“No,” even if there was, I wouldn’t do it. “Is she still crying over this?”
“Of course she is, she thinks her freedom ends tomorrow.”
“Her freedom? Have I once said that I was going to lock her up in this penthouse? She can go wherever she wants… as long as Carmelo is there to accompany her.”
“She wants to go to college.”
“Then she can go.”
“She wants to make a career for herself.”
“So let her.”
Arabella stutters trying to think of another reason why Liliana truly doesn’t want to marry me.
“Or is it that she doesn’t want to have to bear my touch? Why do I have a feeling if our marriage didn’t consist of sex, she’d be okay with it?”
“She’s nineteen.”
“She is nineteen. She is an adult, I had sex younger than her and I believe you did as well too. I never heard Vincenzo ever complain that you hated your time spent in bed,” I give her a pointed look. “She’s scared because she’s a virgin-”
“You’re going to be rough on her!”
I raise my voice annoyed that I was interrupted, “She’s scared because she’s a virgin and believes it will hurt, but you and I both know that after the first two times it’s very pleasurable for women. I’ve never had one dissatisfied.”
“Tony, why can’t you just-”
“You don’t tell me what to do, Arabella. She will be my wife and as my wife, I have a right to her body. You can come up with all these silly excuses but you and I both know she doesn’t want it because she’s hung up on the notion of losing her virginity by making love.”
“Can you at least try to act like you care about how she feels?”
“She will get over it.” I down the rest of my drink. “This conversation is over. Take Liliana to the spa to help her relax. I have business.” I dismiss her and head to my bathroom to rinse some cold water on my face.
These women are infuriating. I’ve never had trouble picking up girls, I lost my virginity when I turned thirteen. Being a Made Men means you have many advantages, it is the title given to you when you make your first kill. I had my first kill when I was eleven, and two years after hearing stories of men fucking women, I decided I no longer wanted to be virgin. The Made Men gave me my pick of prostitutes to take to my bed on my birthday. I took one after the other learning all kinds of things. I did it missionary the first time and didn’t last long, I was still hard so I tried doggy style, then I ate the whore out, then I fucked her from behind, fucked her in the ass, did it all.
Fucking Liliana with her innocence, a near twenty year old woman and she is afraid of sex like a child. She is afraid of a natural, primal feeling, it makes me wonder if she’s ever touched herself or made herself orgasm. I sure as hell know she’s gotten aroused. It’ll hurt her first time but I won’t make it as painful as she believes and soon after she’ll be begging me for sex, she’ll be shivering in pleasure from so many orgasms.
Yes, I’ve already thought of so many ways I’m going to take her on our wedding night. She won’t even remember why she was so scared to begin with. The poor girl won’t even remember her own name when I’m through with her.
I don’t have time to sit here and think. I’m tired of thinking and looking at this fucking white room. I grab my cell phone and call Rocco.
“I’m coming in.”
“No, boss. It’s your day off, it’s your wedding tomorrow.”
“Fuck that. I need to get out of here and kill something. I’m coming on the mission with you.”
“Tony…”
“Don’t Tony me.”
“We got men on it, Angelo is leading a group of seven. I hate to admit it but he’s a damn good soldier.”
“He’s the fucking New York Capo’s son, no shit he’s good.”
“Too bad Arabella isn’t marrying him. We could use him here in Chicago for good.”
“Even if Arabella was marrying him, he’d have to go back to New York.”
“Everything is taken care of Tony. The only thing you would be doing here is paperwork and meetings. Here, why don’t we go to the club, hit the casino downstairs, and maybe throw a small bachelor party to get you unwound if you know what I mean.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
I pause and debate whether to say yes or not. I know exactly what “unwound” means, he was probably going to pay some whore to suck my dick. A good person would refuse, but I’m not a good person and I’d really like my dick sucked. “Fine. I’ll be there in two hours.” I hang up the phone and take a long shower.
***
I roll up the sleeves on my white button up and tuck the rest into my black dress pants. In the kitchen, I grab a pad of paper and write to Liliana that I’ll be gone and won’t see her until tomorrow at the altar. We still respect tradition of not seeing the bride for twenty-four hours, I’ve been avoiding her all day. It’d be easier if we still lived at her father’s crappy penthouse on the other side of town. She’s still at the spa with Arabella and I pray to God that she’s finally gotten over herself, stopped crying, and fucking relaxed instead of being so high-strung.
Rocco meets me in the lobby of the hotel/club/casino the Famiglia owns. He’s holding two drinks and hands one to me, I’m quick to down it all and just forget everything about the past few weeks and the next few weeks to come. We head down to the club first, Rocco immediately finds a girl to dance with while I’d rather watch the fresh ass shake while I sit at the bar and observe.
A redhead with piercing green eyes makes her way over to me, she barely wearing anything. Just a tight clad of leather around her waist and a matching bra that barely covers her massive breasts. She licks her lips and places her hands in my knees as she slowly makes her way up. My cock twitches and body loses all its tension-until my damn phone rings.
“Yeah?” I answer in my most pissed-off tone. It’s one of my men, there’s been an emergency. I push the red bombshell off of me and make my way to the dance floor to grab Rocco.
“We’re leaving. Duty calls.” I pull him by his collar and practically drag him out of the club.
We’re driven to the hospital where Angelo was taken to. Normally, our men are taking to the Famiglia’s doctor, but in the event of a situation where too much blood was lost, our men are told to go to the hospital.
Angelo was shot by one of the bastard Russians, scrapped one of his organs, but doctors still managed to save his life. No one dares tell me visiting hours are over, I go in to see Liliana’s brother pale and disheveled.
“Sorry boss,” he coughs.
“You look like shit.”
“Does Liliana know I’m here?”
“No.”
Angelo looks taken back and wait for me to say more, but truth is I’m not going to tell my fiancée the night before our wedding that her brother is in the hospital.
“You’re going to get better and make it to the wedding tomorrow. She’s barely getting enough sleep as it is, I don’t need her here all night crying over you too.”
“Too?”
“Liliana doesn’t stop crying,” Rocco chimes in.
“Because she doesn’t want to marry you!”
“Too bad,” I growl and inch closer to his face. “If you weren’t Liliana’s brother, I would’ve finished you myself for talking to me in such a tone. Pull yourself together and be at the wedding tomorrow, you can tell her yourself.”
Angelo opens his mouth, probably to tell me what a selfish bastard I am, but he’s a smart man who knows he doesn’t want to die tonight.
“Rest up.” I exit and talk to one of the doctors on my payroll about his healing process. He’ll probably be walking with a cane tomorrow and will likely be in pain, but he can still attend the wedding.
Walking in the hospital entering the wing Angelo is in, is Domenico, Luca, and Valentina. I wasn’t aware anyone called them. Angelo wasn’t near a phone and he certainly wouldn’t waste a phone call of his piece of shit father, he’d call Liliana-who isn’t here, but hopefully in bed sleeping and unaware.
Someone must’ve told him, and I’ll figure out who.
“Domenico,” I approach him.
“He got fucking shot the night before his sister’s wedding.” He mutters angrily more to himself than to me.
“He’ll be at the wedding and he’ll survive.”
“He better survive, I expect him to be better protected when out with your men, or I’ll have to call them back to New York. Four of my men I sent to you are already dead, Moretti. Now my son is injured.” Is this a threat.
“Nearly twenty of my men are dead and are you forgetting my father is dead as well. The Outfit has helped out New York many times, and you asked that I take your daughter in return, give your son Arabella, and keep Angelo here until you want him back.”
Domenico bares his teeth and snarls. I won’t hesitate to stick my knife up through his jaw and into his brain, if it comes to that. Doesn’t matter if this man is Capo or my soon to be father-in-law, I won’t let anyone disrespect me in anyway. I’ve worked too hard and blackened my soul to get to this point.
“I will see you at the wedding tomorrow,” I dismiss Domenico and turn on my heels before he can reply.
I clench my fists so tight in frustration that my knuckles are white. I either need to kill a man or fuck the hell out of some whore. Too bad none of that will be happening tonight. It’s best if I go home, take a shower, relieve myself, and sleep.
***
I slick back my wet hair with my hands, the shower did nothing to alleviate the tension in my shoulders and neither did jacking off with my hand twice. I still feel on edge and debate on lighting up a cigarette to calm my nerves.
There was nothing stopping me from walking down the hall and entering Liliana’s chambers. There was nothing stopping me from tying her hands to the bedpost and licking her entire body until she comes apart. My pants tighten and I fix my erection to give myself more room. There’s this constant throbbing as if the damn thing has its own heartbeat. My mind races with dirty thoughts of how tomorrow night is going to go. She’s either going to fight like her life depends on it, or she’ll melt in my arms and give into pleasure.
I shouldn’t feel guilty, why the hell would I feel guilty about not telling Liliana about Angelo, it would just ruin her sleep…
Selfish bastard. You’re guilty because if it were your brother you’d want to know.
Frustrated with myself I storm out of my room, curse under my breath. I slam my door shut, stomp my way down the hall and bang on her door. I can hear her gasp on the other side of the door. It takes her longer than expected to answer. She’s standing looking exhausted in a silk pink nightgown, she’s not wearing a bra, fuck, her breast pointy and perky as they show through. She’s so small that she has to crane her neck to look up at my six foot four stature. Her eyes are fixated on my arms and I raise my eyebrow.
She reaches out to touch my arms, but quickly catches herself and pulls back. I realize she’s never seen my bare arms that are covered in tattoos-I got both of my sleeves when I turned eighteen and keep adding to them every so often. Most of my chest is covered too. Each design symbolizes something different.
“Your brother has been shot.”
She sucks in a breath and then looks at me carefully. “Which one?”
“Angelo.”
“What? Is he okay?” Her eyes bug out and she looks around the room as if to grab something a jacket or something and rush out of the penthouse.
“He’s okay. Would you like to see him?”
“It’s four in the morning. Are visitors even allowed? It’s late, we both have to be up early, aren’t you tired? We aren’t supposed to be seeing each other right now.” She babbles on.
“Stop. If you want to see your brother, I’ll take you.”
She takes a deep breath and nods her head, “Thank you. I-I have to get dressed.”
“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
Returning back to my room, I throw on a pair of fresh dress pants, and a long sleeve button up. I don’t go anywhere not looking my best. I haven’t owned a pair of jean since I was a teenager.
It doesn’t take me long to get ready, and to my surprise it didn’t take Liliana long either. I usher her to the elevator and we take it down, my car was called and we get in the backseat while I tell my driver to take us to the hospital.
I’m relieved that when arrive at the hospital her parents and eldest brother are gone. One of the nurses-who I fucked once upon a time ago-sneaks us into Angelo’s room. He’s in a deep sleep while Liliana rushes to his side and frantically grabs his hand.
“Oh Angelo,” she starts to cry and I groan. Here she goes again. “He’s truly going to be okay?”
“Yes. He’s just tired. Let him rest, he should be able to still make the wedding tomorrow.”
“I didn’t even think about that. I feel so terrible,” she rests her head on his chest. “How’d this happen?”
I shrug. “Bratva,” is the only answer I’ll give her.
Angelo’s eye creep open and he smiles once he sees his freckle faced sister. Her sandy blonde hair dangles over him as she gets close to face and cries out. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“You’re here,” Angelo looks at her confused and then his eyes meet mine.
“I’m here, Antonio took me. He woke me up to tell me you’ve been shot. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something terrible like-oh I can’t even think of it. Are you in pain?”
“Docs got me on a lot of pain meds. I’m okay. I can’t wait to see how beautiful you’re going to look tomorrow.”
“No, we should postpone the wedd-”
Before I can open my mouth to argue, Angelo shakes his head. “No, you’re walking down the aisle tomorrow and it’ll be a wonderful celebration. Antonio… he’s a good man for bringing you here,” let me just roll my eyes, “He’ll treat you right, I’m sure of it. There’s no need to be scared, Butterfly.”
“But-”
“No buts,” Angelo wipes his sister’s tears away. “You’ve seen me, I’m healthy and alive. I know it’ll be hard for you to get back to sleep, but you need to rest for your big day tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to leave you!” Liliana shakes her head.
“Sleep,” I walk over to the chair. “I’ll stay here and watch over you.”
Liliana nods her head and climbs into bed. Angelo moves to put his arm around his sister cuddling her to his side.
When her breathing is rhythmic and I’m certain she’s asleep I start to close my eyes.
“Thank you,” Angelo whispers. “Liliana is… all she’s had in life was me. Whenever she was scared or sad as a little girl, I was the one to take care of her. She means the world to me and I hope you don’t break her heart.”
“Your sister should not let her heart get too attached to me then,” I say through gritted teeth. Nothing pissed me off more than idiots making idle threats or telling me what to do. “She’ll be safe under my care.”
“I know she’ll be safe, I just want to know she’ll be safe from you.”
“Is this the thanks I get for bringing your little sister to visit you? You’ll lucky that she won’t wake up to see you on your deathbed,” I clench my fist. “Because one more word out of your mouth and I’m going to put you there. I’ve been generous tonight in the spirit of my wedding, don’t push me too far or else they’ll be a funeral.”
Angelo clenches his jaw. I watch his hand rub his sisters back and he closes his eyes to rest.
Me, there’s no way in hell I’m going to sleep. Not to mention I don’t trust anyone enough to let my guard down in this shithole of a hospital. Anyone can walk in and kill us. I sit in the chair and watch the door, my weapons hidden on my body and just a maneuver away to get to them.