Married to the mafia boss Series

Arabella

I don’t look back.

I can’t give in to what my heart wants the most because it isn’t about me. Since the day I was born my life has never been mine. My life belongs to the mafia and as a Moretti, I will do as I’m told because I am told it will benefit the family. I will do this for Lazzaro and I will do this for Nonno.

Entering Nonno’s room I know it will be the last time. His face is pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Every breath he takes he’s wheezing and coughing. He doesn’t look good.

“I’m here, Nonno,” I hold his hand.

“You know… about… Stella,” he takes deep shuddering breaths in between words.

“Yes. You must have really loved her.”

“It’s not fair,” he shakes his head, “My people fought me on marrying her. No one accepted her, but I didn’t care. I loved her, she was my star. My bright star-Stella. I would’ve gone through a hundred wars to make her mine,” he starts to hack. “You deserve to be happy.”

“I am happy, Nonno,” I reassure him.

“With him.”

“Who?”

“Whoever it is your heart belongs to.”

“My heart will belong to Gaetano.”

“Marry to be happy. Marry someone you love,” his hand goes slack in mine.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Nonno?” My heart skips a beat.

His eyes shut and the wheezing stops. “Nonno! Nonno, please wake up! Please!” I cry on top of his unmoving chest. “Please,” I sob.

I must’ve made too much noise because someone bursts through the door and pulls me off of my grandfather’s dead body.

The man holds me against his chest and the smell of him is all too familiar “He’s gone,” Gaetano comforts me.

I hate that he’s the one to comfort me, but he’s the only one in the moment and I desperately need someone. He rocks us back and forth and gently lulls me to stop crying. He mutters ‘it’s okay,’ repeatedly and it’s so easy to see him as a human rather than a monster.

A few other men enter the room and flock to my grandfather’s bed to make sure he’s really gone. They pronounce him dead at six forty-three at night and put the bed sheet over his face. I was just starting to get to know him, he was opening up. He was my grandfather and now he’s gone.

Lazzaro places his hand on my back and I move from hugging Gaetano to seeking comfort with my brother. “Come on, they are going to read the will downstairs,” he abruptly pulls me out of our hug.

I wrap my arms around myself as Gaetano places his hand on my back and gently escorts me downstairs to the main living room. Distant relatives are sobbing at the news and the mafiosi look solemn as they comfort their wives and friends. One thing is for sure they are all at the edge of their seats anxious to hear the will.

Nearly all the high ranked mafiosi had suspicion that Lazzaro would take over, many had hoped Lazzaro would be Consigliere and Gaetano would take over as Don.

The will states that the villa will be passed down in the Moretti family and Lazzaro will control the fortune. Last but not least, Lazzaro will be named the next Don.

Some of the mafiosi are outraged by this and stand to argue. Many of them shout that they don’t want an American to take over or that they think Lazzaro is spineless and has no business being leader.

“He didn’t grow up in La Cosa Nostra, he doesn’t deserve to be our Don!” One shouts.

“It should be Gaetano, out of all of us he can carry out an order and do what needs to be done. His family has been a part of La Cosa Nostra forever.” Another declares.

“Men, please calm down,” Gaetano holds his hands up. “I think now is the perfect time to announce that I am marrying Lazzaro’s sister, Arabella. Most of you didn’t know because the wedding invitations were just sent out to immediate family. We want it small and intimate. It was supposed to be in a week but seeing this tragedy… I’m deeply saddened our Don and her grandfather can’t make it to our wedding. I think Arabella and I both agree we want to get married as soon as possible. We want to have the wedding tomorrow. This will join the Cobuzzi’s and the Moretti’s. Lazzaro will be my brother-in-law and as part of my family, he deserves the respect as our new Don.”

The mafiosi men cheer. That is how quickly this man can manipulate minds. He is quick to earn respect from his men and his words seems to mean more than anyone else’s. Whatever Carmelo said about Lazzaro earning his place-it’ll never happen without Gaetano’s influence.

A wedding tomorrow. Hell, I wasn’t even ready for it in a week and I’m certainly not ready to say, ‘I do,’ tomorrow. Not when I’m still grieving over the loss of my grandfather. The funeral will be the day after tomorrow and I know that being his wife and attending his funeral, I won’t get the proper goodbye. The second he puts that ring on me, I am bound to him and will be forced to live by his misogynistic ways.

I want to attend his funeral without thinking of a wedding. This is all happening too fast and I can slowly feel myself pulling back. I’m scared, anxious, and uncertain. My vision starts to fade to black and before I know it, I’m falling.