EVEN IF WE ARE CROCS APART

Ariana’s pov~

“Mateo surely you would accept the rules of this parley you have agreed to and get your hands off my daughter”  my father stated as he walked towards us.

, “We are legally married” he informed him, I watched as Mateo clenched his fist as he looked sternly at my father, his gaze heavy with hate. “You agreed to this marriage, we signed a deal, surely FATHER you remember the deal” he added.

My father’s face turned into a scowl as he shot deadly glares at Mateo and then at me, I was used to his gaze, I'd known it all my life, this unexplained hate he harboured for me.

Sometimes I wondered about what happened between these two that made it unbearable for each of them to stay in the same room.

After all my father raised him too.

“Silvio, I know this is your doing, dragging my father into this” he accused turning to Silvio, Silvio was quiet,

 “I'm going to offer you the same thing, you offered me at the train station, this time I will triple it, we can avoid this parley altogether, divorce Ariana” he offered, I turned to look at him and our eyes locked for a few seconds.

“You already know the answer to this Silvio, not going to happen, she belongs to me, and I will kill you before you lay a hand on her” he declared.

“Not if I kill you first you bastard, I know you don't give a fuck about her, she’s just one of the trinkets you have dangling in your house, don't think we all don't know about what you keep up in your attic,” 

Silvio said, I saw Mateo’s face change, his eyes turned blood red as he clenched his fist.

What was up in his attic? Wait? The sound I heard the first night…. What was that?

“I heard your fiance woke up, why aren't you with her? '' my father asked, glancing at him and then at me, waking me from my troubling thoughts.

Becky woke up? I sat quietly, my head down as I mulled over what the next few moments of my life would 

look like.

I had three options after this parley,

The first was if Silvio kills Mateo and I become his, and my child dies in 24 hours. 

The second was if Mateo kills Silvio, I go back to live with him and his fiance and live a pathetic life as his breeder.

 The third was they both die and I go back home with my father, going back to the horror I left behind.

Fear overtook me as I went over my options over and over, options I had no control over, I started to shake, I gripped the helm of my own tightly as the pain of the thought flashed through every nerve of my body continuously, tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back and looked on bravely.

The Duchess clinked her glass together before yelling “BOYS!” 

They all fell quiet and turned to her, 

“no arguing before the last dinner, you know this, this is supposed to be a happily ever story after this parley” she mentioned.

The three men acted normal for the rest of the meal, it made me wonder who this duchess was with so much power to quiet three Dons like she was picking candy for a child.

“With his head on a fucking spike” Silvio muttered under his breath.

My father didn't take his eyes away from me, he looked at me with utter disgust.

“Vincent vignette is dead, did he tell you that?” Mateo announced pointing at Silvio as he gestured to my father to inquire more.

“Excuse me what do you mean Vincent is dead, I saw him a few hours ago. Silvio is this true?” he asked hurriedly, turning to him, Silvio was hesitant before he said “he deserved it” he replied.

My father dropped his yoghurt spoon and it clanked loudly against his dessert plate.

“Silvio, do you know what you just did? You just killed the one man we all pay to make shit go away Interpol, he was our one trusted guy!” he thundered.

“I am not one of your pathetic children, lower your voice when you speak to me” he mentioned,

Hearing that, my father's veins around his head looked like it was pulsating, he sprung up immediately.

“What is wrong with you men and impulsive killing! Why didn't anyone say anything? The whole network is exposed right now! They can trace us right now!” my father cried hysterically. 

“I can assure you no government can set foot in my manor, this is neutral ground” duchess replied, passing me the bow of sauce.

“The people we have pissed off over the years don't care, you don't understand this is our inside person, and you killed him, what did he want? more money? You should have given it to him, Silvio, '' my father thundered as he banged his palm against the dining table.

I shook with terror as my father’s powerful fist tore through my ears.

“We can turn another one, those greedy bastards, everyone wants to be paid off, he said some things he shouldn't have, so I blew his brains out,” he replied.

The room fell silent, this is the man I was going to divorce my husband for?

This killing machine.

My father avoided my gaze, too ashamed and worrying about armed forces bursting through the manor anytime soon but nothing happened, still, the look of worry never left his face.

I looked up at my mate whose eyes were fixed on my body, his eyes looked like they were ready to rip the gown away from my body.

Our eyes locked, lingering for a few seconds and I averted my gaze.

Suddenly I felt this pull on my gown, something was tugging at it, I felt this was  Mateo’s handwork.

I stared back at him as I sent warning shots to him.

He didn't stop, he kept tugging at it, I started to boil from anger internally.

I saw Mateo wink at me as Silvio and my father kept going at it.

That gesture sent familiar tingles down my spine

A servant runs in looking out of breath, she stops in front of the Duchess and catches her breath.

She whispered something to the duchess and she in turn gasped in horror.

“What's going on?” I inquired,

 “ It seems there has been an issue,” she started.

The room was death silent as we waited for her to announce her news.

“It seems Ennie Got out” she started, putting her hand over her mouth.

“And who the fuck is Ennie!” Mateo questioned.

The Duchess hesitated before replying to him.

“My pet crocodile, she could be anywhere in the house so watch your six” she announced, “she’s very aggressive so be careful”

I felt the tug again, I turned to see Mateo who was distracted by a call that just came in.

I raised the tablecloth to see where my gown was stuck.

Instead, I was welcomed by the firm jaws of a crocodile holding the end of my gown.

My heart jumped out of my body as I screamed.

I watched as the crocodile clung to my lower leg as she started to climb its way up.

“Mateo! Ennie is right here!”