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Prologue
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2022-12-08 21:59:47Eighteen Years Before
Venice, ItalyFrediano Giaccobbe was on his knees in front of Giotto Puglia. There was a huge gash on his forehead and blood trickled down his pale face, and there was a bullet wound on his side. He was dying and he knew it. Giotto pointed a gun at him and his finger rested on the trigger."You smell like a dead man, Frediano."He suppressed the urge to laugh. He couldn't speak, he could only shake his head and wheeze. Already his vision was blurry. There was no more pain. He could only think of his family.Vivia, his beloved wife, and his little girls, Chiara and Amalia. The thought of never seeing them again broke his heart to pieces. The realization that he would die without holding them one last time brought tears to his eyes. He recalled briefly the last conversation he had with Vivia, to keep the girls safe and leave Venice. He begged her to leave and never return. To hide somewhere Giotto would never find them. He did not know where they would go, he asked her not to tell him. It was safer that way."Don't look so smug. I will find them someday. Your family will not escape my wrath. I will cut them into tiny pieces and feed them to my dogs. I will wipe all the Giaccobbes related to you from this earth." He said this through gritted teeth. "I am a man of my word."He could only manage a small smile, and as Giotto pulled the trigger, his final thought was of his beautiful Chiara, waving at him across a valley of roses.Someday I'll see you again, my precious.
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Eighteen Years LaterSomewhere in Basilicata I take a deep breath through my nose. There's nothing like spring. The scent of flowers is in the air and I can't get enough of it. Mother loves flowers, so I grew up knowing how to care for them and loving them with all my heart."Chiara, get in here!" I hear her say. "It's time for the soap opera."I drop the watering can and I wipe my hands on my apron. Amalia is already seated on the couch popping olives in her mouth and Mother takes a seat next to her. She turns to me. "Tonight's the grand finale. We'll find out if Carlo and Flora will marry.""Of course they will," I roll my eyes. "The protagonists always end up together." Lia throws an olive at me. Lia. I’ve always called her that. "Don't ruin it for us. Just because you don't believe in love, it doesn't mean we don't.""Amalia, don't talk that way to your sister,” Mother warns. Lia and I always bicker. It's inevitable. We just have different views on everything. She rolls her eyes
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"Shut your mouth!" He tells me and reaches to pull my hair. He holds a huge chunk of it between his fist. "Or I'll blow your brains out right here." He points the gun at my neck and I have no choice but to remain quiet. I think of mother and Lia. Where are they? Who is this man? Is he a burglar? We don't have anything valuable here. My mother doesn't own a single ring. She sold her wedding ring to pay bills. We don't have anything. What could he possibly want from us? He drags me out of my room and ahead of me, I see another strange man dragging Lia. I scream her name and the man pulls harder on my hair. "Last warning, bitch." Despair overtakes me. No, this can't be happening. Who are these people? What do they want? I’ve never been sworn at before, not like this. Mother is already in the living room. She's on her knees, and a third man has a gun pointed right at her face. "No!" I shout. "Leave my mother alone!" The man taps the gun against my head, but I am beyond caring. This is
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I wake up with a head splitting migraine. I wish I could say that I don't remember a thing that happened. That I didn't see my family, my sister and my mother, killed right before my eyes. The image is so vivid, so suffocating that I could scratch my own eyes out. Sobs wrack my body and the pain on my side worsens. It won't stop. The memory keeps replaying over and over in my head. I can't believe they're gone. I can't believe they're dead. Killed by mongrels. There's a hole in my chest so big I'm surprised I'm not dead yet. How can I live with this? How can I live with the fact that they died and I lived? That my life was spared by some criminal. Lia was supposed to have lived, not me. I can't live with this. I'm not strong enough to take this.I should be dead.I think I'm in the trunk of a car, because I'm in a moving vehicle and it's very dark. Some light is seeping through, so I know it's daytime. My hands and feet are bound, so I can't move. At this point, I don't care what they
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Darkness. I open my eyes and once again I can't see a thing. There's light seeping through the holes in the trunk, and the car is still on the move. At this point, I don't know how much time has passed, or worse, where I'm even headed to. Everything feels like a hazy dream I'll never wake up from. When I think of Giotto Puglia, my blood boils, and my blood pressure spikes. I grit my teeth so hard I think I chip a tooth. That man, who does he think he is? How could he have ordered my entire family killed? At this point, I wish I was dead. I wish I hadn't been alive to live through this. They'll force me to marry that capo, the one who was there when my family was killed. As if I was nobody. I don't know how, but I'll make that man pay for what he's done to me and my family. He will not go unscathed. He ruined my life, and one day, I will ruin his. It feels like an eternity and a half has passed. The car stops occasionally, but I don't dare scream for help anymore. It's not amounting
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I wake up with a start. The room is much lighter than before, so it's safe to assume it's daytime. I note that the door is still closed and that is a small comfort. But anyone could have walked in while I was sleeping. I didn't wake up once. I couldn't sense anything, I was out like a light. This thought haunts my peace of mind, so I brush it aside for now. I don't know what to do, so I start by washing my face. The t-shirt I wore yesterday is crumpled, so I change it to a darker one. I sit back down on the bed and stare at the closed door. Now that I got the chance to rest, I can think more clearly. I don't want to go back out there, but what choice do I have? I can't stay in here forever. Eventually, this haven I've created for myself will crumble to pieces, and I'll have to face whatever awaits me behind that door. I think of that Enzo and how I'm supposed to marry him. It makes me sick. How can I marry that man? He's a criminal, a killer. My first task will be to prevent that f
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Fabio.I can't believe he would betray us. He was always like a brother to us, a son to my mother. He would eat with us. He's been in our home. He was family, but he didn't hesitate to give us away to that band of criminals.I think of that terrible day and suddenly, his behavior makes sense. He was tense. That tool he borrowed. He didn't even want to come inside. He never even gave us a warning. How could he have so little consideration for us? It makes me so angry that I could spontaneously combust.Aurelio's pleasure in telling me this was palpable. He couldn't conceal it. He watched me crumble to pieces and then glue those pieces back together. His confession destroyed me and he knew it would. They set a perfect trap for us, we had no way of escaping. With Fabio's help, they got all the inside information that they needed. Fabio knew all of us inside out. Every negative emotion I felt before multiplied. Doubled. Tripled. Quadrupled. I turn on my side and stare at the door and thin
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The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Epilogue
I put my favorite pearl earrings on. What I love most about them? They go well with everything. I bought them when I visited Paris. I fell in love with the pair as soon as I set my eyes on them. They reminded me of a pair my mother had but never wore. They sat at the bottom of her jewellery box, but sometimes I'd catch her staring at them. I never gave it a second thought; I never thought that they were valuable. Where would she even get the money to buy a real pair of pearl and diamond earrings? Now, I figured that they were probably gifted to her by my father. So much has happened since I left Italy. I settled down in Lisbon, until I decided I could no longer stay. It was a beautiful city, and I loved the food more than anything. But there was something missing, and that was something Lisbon had in common with every city I traveled to. They were marvelous in all aspects, but they just didn't feel like home. That all changed when I met Eric.He was an American living in Vienna. We
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I glance at the time on my phone. It's almost time for me to embark. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I can't believe I'm finally doing this. The last couple of weeks have been absolutely horrible for me, with everything that happened the night Enzo died.He was dead before the paramedics arrived. If they'd been even a minute later, he wouldn't have been able to make it. They reanimated him with a defibrillator. I watched in shock as his body lurched. It was the worst ten seconds of my entire life. I couldn't go with him to the hospital. I had to explain to the authorities why there were three dead bodies in my front yard. I went with the obvious explanation; I didn't know who they were. I said Enzo was my boyfriend, and we were going to spend a few days here, but when they showed up, he had no choice but to shoot them. I never fired my gun, only he did. I remember these officers. They'd stop by sometimes for coffee and cake whenever they were in the neighborhood. I went to
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Eighty-Four
She fires the first shot. I realize that this is the second time in a matter of hours that someone has tried to kill me. Only, something isn't right. She isn't looking at me, in fact it's almost as if I'm not even here. She's staring at the person behind me, Enzo, and I realize that her gun is pointed at him.She's trying to kill Enzo. But why? No, that's a stupid question. It isn't hard to imagine why. The way I feel about him is the same way she must be feeling, only ten times worse because she knew about what he did all along, and I didn't. I fell in love with him before that, and my love for him cushioned the blow of his betrayal. "No, stop!" I exclaim. She isn't listening to me. She fires another shot, and he falls to the ground. For a breathless second, I thing that maybe she hit him, that he's going to bleed to death on this patio. But he wasn't shot, he's fumbling with his own weapon. Her gun is poised, she's ready to fire another shot. Each step she takes brings her close
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Eighty-Three
I can't bring myself to walk inside just yet. The last time I was here, I was dragged out by Enzo himself. He's standing by the entrance and is watching me as if he knows what I'm thinking. I'm too deflated to be angry, all I can do is look around. My mother's garden is destroyed. Weeds and birds got to it. There are still some flowers I recognize here and there. My hands are itching to fix them, to restore this garden, but I know that that won't ever happen. It won't be the same without her. She spent years and so much effort on this small piece of land, but that has all gone to waste. I settle my eyes on the front door again. Enzo has the keys with him. I don't ask him how he has them. It doesn't matter at this point. He probably got them from one of his men, after they finished the job. "Aren't you going to come in?" he asks me. I shake my head. "Why did you bring me here?" "This is your home," he says. "I thought you'd want to spend the night here instead of some motel."He
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Eighty-Two
I look at Enzo.He's breathing heavily. His eyes search my face and body to make sure I'm safe, that no bullet hit me. We both look at Gustavo, who's lying on the ground. Dead. I place my hand over my mouth. I can't believe that has happened. I can't believe that he was going to kill me, after everything we've been through. This night has turned out to be a nightmare. An absolute nightmare."We need to go," he says to me, as if he didn't just kill his own brother. I'm being unfair, I know that. He was going to kill one of us, and all Enzo did was try to keep us both safe.But he's dead.Enzo lifts me off the ground when I refuse to move. He shoves me inside the vehicle and slams the door in my face. I stare at Gustavo’s body through the window, at the pool of blood around his torso. I'm seeing it, but I can't quite believe my eyes. He gets inside the driver's seat and starts the car.We speed away from the bloody scene. I wonder briefly if anyone will ever find these people. This cab
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Eighty-One
Gustavo is furious.I don't think I've ever seen him like this. I barely recognize him. Why is he holding that gun? And why does it seem like Enzo expected this? I feel like an outsider once again. I have no idea of what's happening right now.He says, "Come with me, Chiara. You," he points at Enzo with the gun. "You stay the hell away from her."Enzo stands up. "You don't tell her what to do. And who do you think you're talking to?" Gustavo ignores him. He turns to me. His brow is furrowed and his lips are in a snarl. For the first time since I met him, I'm afraid of him. I've never seen him like this. He says, "Come, Chiara. You have no business being here with him. I'm going to take you back home, someplace safe." I don't like his tone at all. He's been using it on me for some time now. I'm not a child, yet he keeps treating me like one. "You didn't keep her safe to begin with," Enzo interjects. "You can't keep her safe. She would've been killed tonight, if it weren't for me."En
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Eighty
Flavia finally stands and faces him. "What are you—" He pulls out his gun and shoots her right there. I gasp and watch as her body falls with a thud. I look at him, he's looking at me. I can't believe that this has happened. Flavia de Luca is dead? He just shot her. Right in front of me. A few more men enter the room. I only recognize Vito amongst them. Enzo tucks his gun back in his coat and says, "Untie her. Make sure you don't hurt her. One yelp and you'll meet your maker." He doesn't look at me as he gives those orders which I'm partly thankful for. I'm shocked that he's here, but I push that to the back of my mind. For now. They cut at the ropes and tape, a little too carefully, and I'm freed. Finally. I sit up and my head spins. When I open my eyes, Enzo is no longer in the room. Vito is helping me to my feet. Someone shoves a bottle of water at me. I fumble with the lid, but I manage to open it. "Easy, miss," one of them says. "Take slow sips."I do as I'm told, because my
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Seventy-Nine
They tied me down with ropes, like an animal awaiting slaughter.I knew that this would happen, yet I don't regret my decision. I wasn't going to give up without trying, even if that attempt got me here. I'm so thirsty it's like I swallowed a mouthful of sand. With all the dust here, maybe I have. I just need a sip of water, but I guess there isn't any point in wasting water on a dead person. How long will I have to wait? Not being able to move is torturous. I don't know at this point if I should hope for the best or just give up. I've been here for a long time, if anyone had to find me, they would've already. I'm at the mercy of Flora and her brother, and once again this is all Enzo’s fault. It's getting darker because the room is pitch black at this point. Maybe one of them will light this kerosene lamp. My head is starting to hurt, either from dehydration or this stressful situation. I need to sleep, but at the same time, I can't close my eyes while I'm surrounded by people who m
The Mafioso’s Forced Bride Chapter Seventy-Eight
I'm filled to the brim with a feeling of utter despair. I try to move my hands and feet, but they've been bound with rope and duct tape. I'm in a dark, cramped space. Moving car? Again?I’m overwhelmed with the strong sense of deja vu. This cannot be happening to me. I thought I was finally free. I wasn’t expecting something this absurd to happen to me. What am I going to do? How will I escape? Is this punishment for not caring about Russo’s death as I should or the price I'm paying for getting involved with Enzo? Caio is going to use me to get to him, to hurt him. He doesn't know how he's wasting his time. Enzo won't care about that. All he wanted was revenge, and now that he has it, he doesn't need anything else. He won’t care about me. He won’t sacrifices his new wins and achievements because of me. Let them have me. He disposed of me along ago. He won’t care now, that I know. How long have I been here? What I can't believe is that after everything I've been through, I'm back to
