Married to the mafia boss Series

Angelo

I miss her so much that I am in physical pain.

Antonio doesn’t leave my side but all I want is to be alone. “You did what you had to,” Antonio says for the fourth time since we got back.

I want to remind him that I didn’t do anything, it was all his fault Vasiliev struck a deal. His fault my Anastasia has left my life. But it’s my fault she hates me.

For the first time in a long time, the incessant ringing in my ears is trying me crazy. It feels as though it is getting louder by the second. The high pitch ring never ending, unrelenting, and making me so close to losing my shit.

The first thing I do is head toward the kitchen grabbing my alcohol. This time I will drink until I pass out. I won’t be able to sleep tonight otherwise, not while I’m thinking of her. Not while I’ll spend the night alone in my bedroom for the first time since she’s come into my life.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I can see Antonio in my peripheral-judging me. “You didn’t want me drunk for the switch, well it’s done and I want to get drunk.”

To my surprise he sits with me and pours himself a drink. “You’re just like Rocco.”

I lean back in my seat. “How’s that?”

“He’s second born. He understands the responsibility of being a Don but he’s never wanted it. He never envied me for taking over after my father died. I think if something happened to me and he had to take over, he wouldn’t transition well.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“And you don’t think I transitioned well.”

“No,” he says simply. “And I don’t think your incident helped. I thought maybe you’d get back to being like your old self when you got your cochlear implant. I think it made you worse.”

I shrug, silently agreeing with him. “I never envied Luca either. I always hated how stiff he always was. Hated how apathetic he became and power hungry. I never wanted to turn into him or my father. With this job, I fear it’s inevitable.”

I remember Anastasia’s words to me earlier.

All Mafia men are the same. You’re no better than your father.

Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am just like him. If my father or Luca kidnapped Anastasia the only difference is they would’ve given her physical pain. I gave her emotional pain. We fell in love and she wanted to stay and I watched-I pushed her out of my life and into the arms of her father. I remember her words again, stories of her childhood. It wasn’t much better than mine. Our father’s both horrible and I’ve pushed her back to a life that she called a prison. Because even though you kidnapped me, I was more free with you than I ever would have been with him.

Is she locked in his tower? Is she waiting for her prince to save her?

I’m no prince. I’m the villain in this story. I might as well have been the one to lock her up myself.

“Look,” Antonio sighs and downs his first glass. “It’s not easy, especially if you weren’t groomed to take over like I was, like Luca was. I told Liliana I’d be here for you. What I did was to protect you. We aren’t like normal people. We follow strict rules and there is no scenario where you and that girl could’ve had a life together. They would’ve killed you and her.”

I gulp another shot of whiskey, my throat burning. I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make it any less painful. I pour myself another glass-drinking until I’m numb. “Liliana worries too much about me.”

“She has good reason to,” he gives me a pointed look. “Your the only family she has left. She’s told me many stories of you, Angelo. You’ve protected her all her life. You loved her and cared for her. She looks up to you and all you’ve been doing is pushing her away.”

Great. Now he’s making me feel like even more of an asshole than I already do.

“Do you think I could take that vacation you were talking about?” I ask quietly.

“I think Liliana would like you in Chicago for the holidays. Your men are happy with what you have accomplished. Boston is yours to rule, Angelo.”

Many men would kill to become Don, to have the power that I have. But I don’t want to rule Boston. “I miss Viola.”

Antonio gives me a half smile. “I’m sure she misses you, too.”

***

Anastasia

My father’s mansion is large and lonely. Ever since my mother died the house has lost its charm and personal touch.

In my own new section of the house, it seems all my clothes and belongings have been moved over. In the main bedroom there are men’s stuff, men’s deodorant on the dresser, a pile of dirty men’s clothing in the corner.

I turn around to see Maxim standing in the threshold watching me. It’s not that he’s ugly, he’s quite handsome, but he’s unfeeling-sociopathic almost. You have to cold and merciless to become my father’s second. I’ve heard rumors that he killed his first man at nine years old.

“We will be married next month. I have been ordered to sleep in this room with you. As your husband, I will protect you with my life.”

I blink, shocked. “You know sign language? I never thought you knew it. And I don’t want us sleeping in the same room. I don’t care what my father ordered you to do. We will be married, but I will never like or love you.”

Now it’s his turn to blink. He doesn’t blink because he’s shocked at what I said, he’s blinking out of confusion. He doesn’t really know sign language. It probably took him a month just to learn what he said to me.

“You have no idea what I’m saying do you?” He doesn’t answer. “Great,” I sigh.

I go to walk out of the room but he grabs my arm stopping me. “I have been ordered to sleep in this room with you,” he repeats.

“Is that all you’re going to say for our whole marriage?” I roll my eyes. He moves past me and locks the door with a key that he puts in his pocket after. You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s locking me in?

I grab the doorknob hoping there’s some way to open it but the only way is a key. “Open the door!” I demand.

Of course he doesn’t understand-nor does he even try as he goes to the en suite bathroom and shuts the door. I want to scream and pull my hair. I am truly living a nightmare.

On the dresser is a phone, my phone, I pick it up half hoping that somehow Angelo has messaged me. Instead I see a plethora of messages from Svetlana and Tatiana. Most of them recent.

Svetlana: We heard you’re coming home. We’ve missed you! Text us when you get home. We’d like to see you.

Tatiana: Yes! We miss and love you Ana. We’re so sorry you had to go through what you did. We are here for you! We can even go to that foreign movie theater with the subtitles that you like!

Now they want to go, I think as I scoff. I set my phone back down. Svetlana and Tatiana are the last two people I want to see. But maybe if I carefully plan and have a pinch of luck, I can plot my escape.

Anastasia: I would love to go to the movies.

Svetlana: You’re home! Omg! Are you okay?

Tatiana: What happened you have to tell us everything.

But I don’t want to tell them anything. I especially don’t want to tell them that instead of being locked away and tortured like a prisoner of the Mafia, I found comfort and understanding in a friend. I found indescribable love. They’d never understand.

They’ve always been protective of me in an annoying, they-think-I-can’t-take-care-of-myself way. If I play my cards right, I might be able to find a way to sneak away for good.

Maxim exits the bathroom a towel around his waist, skin wet from the shower he took looking for a change of clothes. There is no way I’m going to spend the rest of my life being Mrs. Maxim and bending to his wicked will.

It’s nearly six in the morning and I’m exhausted from being up all day. The racing thoughts in my mind keep me awake and even though I said I wouldn’t, I can’t stop thinking of Angelo.

Does he miss me as much as I miss him?

I crawl into bed and scoot as close as I can the edge as Maxim crawls in behind me. This is what it’s going to be like every day. He tries to wrap his arms around me but I push him away. I’m so enraged that end up taking the small couch.

Being in Angelo’s room I felt safe, being here I feel suffocated. I feel like a captive in a place that should be home. I don’t feel protected at all. In fact, I feel scared.

I hug my pillow to my chest and pray that sleep will take me soon. My anxiety levels are high, I feel lost and overwhelmed and my body wants to go to the only comfort it knows-Angelo.