2. Emiliana

                       "... marriage"

I must be deaf. I want to be deaf and dumb and probably dead so I don't have to hear what my father is saying. Damn my rotten luck. Should have known he was going to find out about us being in Vernetti territory. I know Danillo didn't tell him. He wouldn't rat me out even though he was pretty pissed when he got back. He gave me an earful about what happens to girls who don't listen then went on to explain what would have happened to us if we'd been caught by Vernetti assholes. That was three days ago. I've spent most of the time thinking about him and what we did. My fucked up brain even managed to convince me to go back to that strip club and see if I could find him. I don't know who he is or even how he looks but I'd totally be on board if he was the guy I'm marrying. Not that old fucker Romeo.

God, I hate him.

And of course, I didn't go back.

I remember the first time I met Romeo. I was ten and the way he looked at me made me shiver. Not in a good way. He's the type of person who doesn't bother hiding what he's thinking. Even at a young age, I knew what a creep he was. His leers barely concealed. Now I'm not one to judge people easily. Growing up in the Cosa nostra opened my eyes at an early age. I know the world is not always black and white. There are shades of grey and on this side of town, lots of red. Someone wrongs us in any way, we chop off their body parts or kill them. Simply put, we're not saints. But Romeo? He gives me the creeps. I can imagine him slobbering all over my face as he tries to shove his wrinkly dick in my pussy. The vision sends a chill down my spine and goosebumps break out all over my skin. And my father wants me to marry him?

I look at the man sitting opposite me. His office is spacious. With his large desk occupying a quarter of the space. To my left, there's a coffee table surrounded by cream-colored leather seats. As kids, we weren't allowed to step foot in here. Even now that we're adults, we don't come here unless we're summoned or have to report something. I'm willing to bet my fat ass that all my father's secrets are inside these four walls. Things he doesn't want us to know or his enemy's secrets. Everything that makes the Calderones powerful. What would he do if I burn this place to the ground? I watch his mouth moving, not really hearing what he's saying.

He's been the boss for years so I know he has backups in different locations. Burning down his office will only make me feel better but it wouldn't faze him the least bit. How can I get out of this? Romeo saw us in the club and demanded to know why we were parading ourselves as his girls. Since my father didn't have any explanation to offer him, the bastard decided to ask for my hand in marriage as a show of good faith. He wanted us to prove that we weren't there to spy on him. Either that or give him one of our head's on a platter. Unreasonable, twisted, sick, asshole. He's all that and so much more.

"Emiliana, are you listening?" My father snaps, slapping the desk. I jump "Do you think this is a joke?"

"You're marrying me off to someone older than you. What's funny about that?" I throw back feeling betrayed. If Romeo wants to start a war because of something so insignificant, why can't my father just go to war? Why do I have to be sacrificed?

(Because you were stupid enough to listen to Elena)

The voice at the back of my head replies. I should feel contrite about this situation but the only thing I feel is pissed because I got caught. If I hadn't gotten caught, it would have been the best night of my life.

"Did I tell you to act like a whore?"

"Papa!"

"Get out of my office before I strangle your little neck. You're grounded and Danillo is a dead man. Don't you dare open your fucking mouth to contradict me, Emiliana" he adds before I can defend Danillo. Pushing the chair back with more force than needed, I stomp out of the office. And just to piss him off further, I bang his door close. Lazzaro, papa's bodyguard doesn't even flinch. My mother and Angelo are standing to one side but I rush past them and go straight upstairs to my room. Not wanting to talk to them. Tears prick the back of my eyes. This is all so shitty but I refuse to cry. I won't do it. Not because of that asshole. Instead, I pick up my phone from the nightstand and call Elena. She better have a solution to this or I swear to God, I'll convince my father to make her my co-wife. I won't suffer alone when she was the one who convinced me to do this in the first place.

"Oh my God, finally. Why the fuck didn't you answer your phone?"

"Did you hear?"

"Yes. Angelo told me. Is zio for real? He'll marry you off to that pervert?"

"I will die before I marry him," I say but my voice is wobbly. I can't believe my father would marry me off to Romeo of all people. Forget the fact that he's old enough to be my grandfather. Aren't they enemies? If I was in his place, I would go to war instead of agreeing to those terms so easily. I'm not delusional. I know eventually, I was going to end up in an arranged marriage because that's how women in the Mafioso end up but I didn't think it would be with an old fart. I was hoping for someone handsome. Someone I could learn to love. God, what am I going to do?

"How about he does, before he marries you?"

That makes me sit up straight, suddenly interested in what she's suggesting "What do you mean? Like, hire someone to kill him?" This is Romeo we're talking about. My father owns half of the city, he owns the other half. There's no way he's lived that long without someone trying to kill him. I'm sure he has contingency plans in place in case there's an assassination attempt in the future. An assassin wouldn't go past his security team unless he's the best. And the best people are expensive. All I have is the credit card my father gave me. How much do kidneys go for these days?

"Emiliana!"

"What?"

"Listen to me. We don't... You know what? Phones can be tapped and I don't want anyone listening to this. I'm coming over"

"Aren't you grounded?"

"Why would I be grounded?" The line goes off. I take my phone away from my ear and stare at it. Why am I the only one paying for something we both did? (Because you got an orgasm out of it and Elena didn't?) Should I not have allowed that man to touch me? Am I being punished for that? No fucking way. This is all Romeo's fault. He saw a chance and he took it. I'd like to believe that my father would never have agreed to this marriage otherwise. That bastard is using our being in his territory as an excuse to do something he's always wanted to do. Get his hands on me. I can't even get past walking down the aisle toward him. How can papa give me away to that...that... He won't do it. There's no way he's going to...

"Emy..." Angelo enters my room with my mother on his heel "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" I snap at him and then remember our father listens to him. He has a better chance of convincing him not to do this than I do. I let the tears I've been holding back fall. They've always worked on him "Can you talk to papa? I'll do anything. If he wants me to get married, I'll do it. Just not to that bastard. Please?"

"Emy" my mother comes to sit beside me and takes me in her arms. At this point, my tears aren't fake. I can't do this. I'm turning nineteen in two weeks and I'd rather die than marry that old pervert "I'll talk to your father..."

"No you won't" I cut her off because we both know she won't do it. She's too soft and readily agrees to whatever my father says. Not once has she ever gone against him. She's my mother and I love her but that's it. I would never expect anything from her. Lord knows how many times she's let me down "I don't want papa to be mad at you too" I add so she won't feel bad. For all her faults, she's not a bad mother.

"Why the fuck were you even there Emy? What were you thinking?"

"You were there too. I saw you"

"Yeah. To discuss business..."

"Please, what kind of business is conducted in a strip club?"

"Our kind of business, Emiliana. Otherwise, I would have never stepped foot in Vernetti territory. Why are you so stupid sometimes?"

"Stop it Angelo" my mother chastises "Can't you see she's upset?"

"She should have used her brain mama. She has no one else to blame but herself"

"Get out of my room. I want to be alone" Angelo stomps out but my mother stays for a few more minutes. I could trust her and tell her that I would kill myself before I walk down the aisle but I know she'll tell my father and he will find a way to stop me. I don't actually want to die. No one ever does. People just feel so helpless that they think ending their lives is the only option they have. But if they had a choice, I'm sure everyone would choose to live. I want a choice. I'm not against my parents picking my husband. It's one of the reasons I agreed to go to an all-girls school so I could avoid falling in love. But now I'm thinking how stupid I was. How I should have just fallen for boys my age just to piss off my father. How I should have let that stranger at the club take my virginity. At least I wouldn't go a virgin as Elena put it.

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry" my mother says and I just nod. Hoping she'll leave me alone. I don't need her comforting words. I need her to march to her husband's office and tell him to start a war if that's what it'll take to stop this ridiculous wedding. But she won't so I just nod my head until she gets the message and leaves. A few minutes after she's gone the door opens again and I want to snap at the person and tell them to fuck off until I realize it's Elena.

"Fuck, were you crying? Is it that bad?"

"What do you think?" I ask my eyes shining with fresh tears. This is so unfair. Especially since she gets to go around freely while I'm grounded. Is Danillo going to be okay? My father doesn't make empty threats.

"Don't worry. I have a plan. Multiple plans. I thought of them on my way here"

"What plans?"

She closes the door and comes to sit next to me. Then in a whisper, she says "Let's kill him"

"Don't fuck with me, Elena. I'm not in the mood for jokes"

"It's not a joke" she continues her voice low "If anyone can do it, it's you. Think about it. You've got your innocent thing going for you. He'll never see it coming. You walk in there in that white virginal dress looking all innocent and resigned. Let him drop his guard. Think that you want to be his wife because you don't have a choice then you can poison him. I called Valerio and asked him to find me the deadliest poison. Untraceable too"

"Are you kidding?"

"Fuck no. After the wedding, it'll be just you two in that bedroom. Pretend that you want a drink then drop that shit into his cup. It'll look like a heart attack. He's too old for too much excitement so no one will blame you. Problem solved"

It's crazy. She's crazy. But I can see it happening. The more I think about it, the more I see how possible this is going to be. Poison should do the job. And if it doesn't, I can find something else. The point is, I have to kill that pervert on the wedding night. As Elena said, he wouldn't see it coming. I'm good at looking innocent. I will convince that bastard I'm willing to be his wife then end him.

"Wait, why would Valerio agree to help kill his boss?" That part doesn't make sense and knowing him, I don't think he'll agree to do it even if he's...

"Because he's in love with you, dumbass. Why else?"

Me? Not Elena?

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