To prétend

"Have you finished your morning prayers yet?"

The sister asked, pulling me out of my daydream and making me look at her.

"Yes, I have."

"You seem distant, my child."

"It's just your impression, Sister." I lied. I didn't want to tell her that I was thinking about my inevitable marriage. I was tired of being told that it was God's will and that I should do it with joy.

How could God want me to marry the head of the largest mafia family in Italy? Not that anyone had told me directly, but I had always been listening and eavesdropping on conversations, especially those concerning my life.

"Come on, you need to have your breakfast and help the others clean the convent." I just nodded and followed the sister down the hallway to the refectory where the other novices were gathering to eat a mushy and unappetizing porridge.

I moved away from the sister and sat in the open space between Felicia and Nina.

"Good morning!" I smiled at both of them, alternating my gaze from one to the other.

"Three days! Are you excited?" Nina bounced with excitement next to me, and I raised my open hand to my face to shield myself from the oatmeal shower.

"Very," I said ironically, and Nina forced a smile.

"Can’t you call your father and tell him you don’t want to marry the mafia guy?" Felicia asked innocently. "In the Bible, they talk about free will and our right to choose the path we take in our lives."

I rested my elbows on the cold metal table and took a deep breath before letting my chin drop into my palm.

"I was eleven when my father gave me to that man. Do you really think he cares about this free will story?" I rolled my eyes, annoyed. There was no other choice for me but to accept my fate—at least that’s what I believed at the time.

MARCO'S POINT OF VIEW

I grabbed a stack of hundred-euro bills and slid two magazines for my automatic pistol into my pants pocket. Despite having no plans to leave the mansion that day, my father’s lessons echoed in my mind: always sleep with one eye open. Preparedness was key in a world where danger lurked in the shadows.

"Stay vigilant," he used to say. "You never know who might stab you in the back when you let your guard down." Lorenzo Bellucci, a man who always seemed to know what to do, had fallen victim to that very trap. It served as a stark reminder that I had to be even more cunning than my father.

"Here's the money," I said, handing the bills to Theo.

"Thanks." He quickly counted the cash before pocketing it.

"I'll make sure our weaponry is reinforced."

"I should thank you for taking personal responsibility for our safety."

"We can't do anything if we're dead, can we?" He smirked, a strange expression coming from him; Mateo, the youngest, usually handled the jokes.

I brushed aside the comment and pulled out my leather chair, settling into it with purpose. I snapped my fingers, drawing Theo's attention.

"Did Mateo personally inspect our shipment from Bolivia?"

"Yes." He tugged at the sleeve of his blazer and glanced at his expensive watch, a habit of his I found a bit ostentatious, though I couldn't deny my own penchant for luxury.

"He should be in port now. He’ll likely stay in Portugal until tomorrow to ensure that the cargo, arriving at dawn, is loaded onto vehicles disguised for Italy and other parts of Europe."

"Excellent."

"That port in Portugal has been vital to our operations these past few years."

"You can say that again." I feigned indifference, but I knew I had to pay attention to every detail. Ignoring nuances could lead to serious consequences.

"Are you looking forward to the wedding in a few days?"

"I have more pressing matters on my mind."

"Are you telling me you have no desire to claim what’s yours?"

"The deal's been in place for ten years, ever since I brought the girl to Rome. That's what really matters." I shrugged as I opened my laptop and accessed one of the encrypted emails I exchanged with our suppliers. As a large, covert operation, our security had to be unbreachable; we couldn't afford any police interference. Fortunately, operating outside the law gave us access to greater resources and top-notch professionals.

"Soon, you'll have an untouched virgin in your bed. Doesn’t that excite you a bit?" Theo pressed, and I shot him a look that made the atmosphere tense.

"I'd be a little interested."

"Like you've never seen a woman before, bro."

"I've seen more bodies than I can count, but these have a certain allure."

"She's just like any other girl. The problem is, she’s probably boring and full of that 'don’t touch me' religious nonsense."

"You’re the one who put her in a convent."

"Maybe not my best decision, but it was a place where she’d be safe and well cared for."

"And kept away from other men. Don’t pretend you’re not a possessive bastard like the rest of us." Theo’s tone was firm, but his eyes glinted with irony, signaling that we were having a lighthearted conversation.

"She's mine; of course, I didn’t want any vultures circling her until it was my turn." Theo laughed, and I turned my attention back to the computer screen.

I pretended not to care about Lais, but the truth was more complicated. My agreement with her father obligated me to protect her, especially after the assurances I’d given during her stay at the Vatican convent. The security there was solid, but I’d also stationed two women undercover to ensure she remained off-limits to my enemies—and those of her father, who were numerous.

Until our marriage, Lais was the weak link in our arrangement. If anything happened to her—injury or, worse, death—the alliance with the Barbosas would disintegrate. We would lose our access to the strategic port vital for our Atlantic operations, and in turn, the Barbosas would lose their protection against the Costas, a rival family vying for control in Portugal.

"She will be my wife, a Bellucci, and our pact with the Barbosas will remain unbreakable. It’s beneficial for us and even more so for them. Whether I take her virginity or not is irrelevant."

"If you want, I can take care of that for you. Judging by the last photo the nuns sent, she’s grown into quite a seductive woman." I pulled my gun from my belt and slammed it on the table, taking a few steps back.

"Don’t you have any business to attend to?"

"Yes, case closed."

"Perfect." I nodded toward the door, and my brother left the room.

I wasn’t a flexible man, especially when it came to sharing what was mine—not even with my brothers, who, along with my mother, were the most important people in my life. As the head of the Bellucci mafia, I knew I wouldn’t marry for love, but that didn’t make Lais Barbosa any less mine.

I had patiently followed her growth through photos sent by Antonella, one of the women I trusted to keep an eye on her. Theo was right; Lais had transformed from a little girl into a striking woman with alluring curves. But I had been surrounded by beautiful women over the years. I could afford to wait, as I hadn’t been chaste for the past decade and didn’t expect to be after marriage. Lais was my reward for this alliance, and I intended to view her as nothing less.