2. Stranger Danger

LUCIANO

  The large living room was as silent as a graveyard. Even the sound of a pin drop could be heard. The only sound that echoed throughout the intricate designed walls of the living room were the ones made by my shoes as I walked into the expensively furnished sitting room of my uncle, Luca.

  There him, my mother and two of my other relatives were seated like a panel of judges, their eyes stationed at my approaching profile.

  "Buon pomeriggio, è bello vedervi tutti" I greeted in Italian.

They all nodded their heads at me.

Ofcourse I greeted with my tongue in cheek, I was not pleased to see any of them especially not after the reports I got back yesterday concerning my would be wife--Jade.

"So I am guessing you know why we called you?" My uncle Tommaso began. He was the oldest among them all, my late father's elder brother.

And he was the mouthpiece of the group.

"I do. I am also wondering why plans for my marriage have not yet begun" I spoke underneath my breath.

"Luciano please do not make a fuss. You know the situation of things at hand. La sposa non sembra accettare." My mother retorted back.

"The bride should not even be given a choice to accept or not!" I frothed on the inside, the mere thought of all this getting me so livid.

"The Petersons are trying to play us. They had all the years to get their daughter ready for this and they chose not to. I want my bride and I do not care how you all plan to get her but just do not make me do it my way!" I threatened with such a menacing tone that shook the air around us.

"Your father was this hotheaded when he was alive. I can see where you got it from" my uncle Giovanni teased me, trying to create a lighthearted joke out of the situation.

"I promised father on his deathbed that I would do this and I have my mind made up on getting married to Jade. My patience is withering away mother"

"Luciano you will get your bride. The Petersons owe that to us. They are indebted to us remember. Nobody dares double cross the Greco family and walks  away scot free" uncle Luca walked up to me and clamped his hands on my shoulder.

  I shrugged off his hands. Bloody liar. I know if he had the chance, he would have installed his own son Matteo, my power thirsty cousin as the capo dei capi.

"Luciano why would you shrug your uncle's hands away? I never trained you to be disrespectful. He is your uncle show him some respect" mother chided.

"And I am the capo dei capi of this mafia! I should be the one demanding respect from all of you and not the other way around!" I growled, my knuckles balling up.

"Respect is earned and not forced boy" Luca gritted his words with an impertinent scowl sitting on his face.

"Well mine is forced dear uncle. Bring me my bride, or else I will handle things my own way. And you know my way involves a lot more violence." I gave a wicked smirk before walking away from them.

  I need to go somewhere away from these people, somewhere I could think straight.

* * * * * *

JADE

   I threw stones into the little pond that shimmered under the glistening sun with my eyes having a faraway look in them.

  The breeze howled in my ears, carrying strands of my hair across my face and blocking my sight.

I still can not believe all what happened in just a day. I stumbled upon the message that I was going to be married off to a fucking stranger.

I do not even know who he is, what job he is doing, his background and lifestyle. The only people I know closest to my stranger husband is his mother and murderous looking uncle.

Like what the actual fuck!

I atleast expected father to brief me concerning the entire ruckus that was created yesterday and offer words of apology but he instead stood his ground and maintained that I would get married to Mrs Gabriela's son whether I approved of it or not.

I am still in shock. What had come over my parents? My parents were always advocates of 'follow your heart and marry out of love' but this turn of events totally goes against all their principles.

The more I thought about it, the more enraged I grew.

"Oh fuck!" I threw multiple stones in the pond, watching them hit the waters and splash.

"Why me goddamit!? I do not want to get married!" I was forced to cry out, throwing more stones into the pond.

"Stop throwing stones like a lunatic before you hurt the fishes" I heard a peculiar deep gravel male tone speak from behind.

Quickly pivoting, my gaze landed on a tall young man who ambled towards my direction with such an air of authority like he owned even the air I breathed.

I accessed his features. He wore a black joggers and a hoodie to top it off. His face was symmetrically pleasing to observe though. He had a well defined nose, strong jawline, his clear blue eyes felt so hypnotising to stare into, his eyebrows were beautifully groomed and its lashes were long and thick, his cheekbones were high and his long black hairs were groomed to match his look.

Still his utterances were already pissing me off.

"I am sorry do I know you?" I hissed before facing my attention back at the pond.

"No and you do not need to. You might end up hurting the fishes with the way you were throwing the stones like a mad woman" he came to sit some metres away from me.

"Wow two insults from a total stranger. You know it is rude to call someone you do not even know and just met for the first time a lunatic and also a mad woman" I shot back at him.

I heard a deep chuckle escape his lips.

"Well you were behaving like one. If you were behaving calm then I would not call you a lunatic"

He was really getting on my nerves.

"What is your deal man!?" I bolted up, marching towards him.

"If I were you, I would not speak to me in that tone" he slowly stood up, his height towering above mine. Still I was not intimated by his tall physique.

"Oh because you are who? The president's son? A monarch?" I scoffed, crossing my arms across my chest.

"I am way more powerful" he gave me a malicious grin before sitting back on the bare grassy floor.

"I do not have time for this" I muttered underneath my breath going over to sit back at my spot.

"Why are you so angry anyways. What is bugging you?" He asked.

"And why should I tell you about my problems? You are a stranger.  Stranger  danger" I responded back.

"And yet I have not killed you yet. You are right though, I could be a murderer, a robber, a hardened criminal or even a serial killer looking for my next victim"

His words gave me frightful chills but I masked it up. "Well I could also be a serial killer too. Who knows?"

"I like you already" he let out a guffaw, throwing his head back.

What is so funny?

"What a wonderful reassuring statement" I sarcastically uttered before rolling my eyes at him.

"Fine let me tell you my problems then maybe you will tell me yours" he said after his boisterous laughter had drowned down.

"I want to get married but my bride does not want to get married to me. What is your issue?"

My jaws dropped and my eyes widened.  We had similar issues. "Are you serious? We are like two sides of a coin. I do not want to get married but my parents are forcing me to" I divulged.

"Why doesn't your bride want to marry you?" I added.

"I do not know. She is just proving to be very difficult. Like you" he smirked.

"I will take that as a compliment. Maybe you should be more romantic towards her and loving"

"Hmm. I never really thought of that. That might work and soften her heart towards me. Maybe. I presume. What about you. Why are your parents forcing you to get married?" He asked.

"Like you I also have no clue. I guess we are more similar than we know" I sighed.

"I guess so too. What is your name?" He enquired.

"Why should I tell you my name? You might use it to track me down and kill me" I raised him a brow.

"I promise not to kill you" he sniggered.

"You do not need to know my name handsome stranger" I laughed before standing up and dusting off the dirt from my trousers.

"You think I am handsome?" he seemed flattered.

"Do not flatter yourself too much" I replied before retreating my steps towards my car.

We share such similar problems.

Probably he could be the strange man my parents wanted me to marry.

I laughed at the thought. Never in a million years.