MAFIA POSSESSION ( Completed)

WE MEET AGAIN

Unless it had to do with lucid details of murders— things women had no business knowing— my family usually didn’t mind telling me things. We were all part of the Familia, after all. We all inadvertently had blood on our hands. I carried the sins of the Cosa Nostra just as much as any Made-Man did, because I chose to live the life rather than die.

That was the only way to escape, death, and I chose to live.

What worried me the most were the whispers, because no matter how much my father prohibited it—the walls still had ears. But the worst part was how painfully obvious it was that Sophia, my best cousin and best friend, knew more than she was letting on and she wasn’t spilling any of it.

She was keeping secrets. So the seed of distrust was planted and a wedge had begun to slowly tear us apart. The last few months had been so hard that the urge to escape was at its strongest. Going months without so much as even a word from Armando was worse than finding out you were the future bride of a notorious crime lord that had been at war with your family for years. 

I mean, how bloodcurdling was that?

Anthony Romero was already in New York City, he had arrived earlier than anticipated to conduct business meetings with my father. I had yet to see him but he had been all over the gossip blogs with shots of him visiting the hottest night clubs in the big apple tainting my life as always.

Anthony never down played his playboy role, not even for the fact that he was here to take me on a date.  He never missed a fucking beat.

But it was the ugly truth and I had grown to accept it. Anthony wasn’t an ugly person, he was gorgeous with killer blue eyes and a hot body— but he had the ugliest character known to mankind. He had humiliated me a number of times and tried to lesson my worth.

He had made sure that the one person who I loved and loved me back was eliminated from the equation altogether— Alex.

For a time I had thought it was for the best, but these last few months with Armando gone, my ache for Alex had developed terribly. I’d catch myself watching him from a distance at school, yet he was oblivious to me. He never even looked my way.

Like I was invisible. 

Lately, the only person who was truly ever on my side was Eliza. But she didn’t pull very many strings. She was kept in a darker shadow than I – and was always under my mother’s ever-lasting scrutiny. Being under my mother’s scrutiny and surviving was no easy task.

Last year, the woman had obsessed over my attire for my first date with Romero and had gotten her way. This year she had been so determined to do the Mother Teresa thing again, but luckily, along with my looks, I also got a bit of smarts and I managed to call in a favor. I called the devil himself.

He was the last person I wanted to call but there had been no other options available. Plus, it’d all be worth it to see the look on Anthony’s face when he saw his little 16 year old bride to be.

I was still determined to make him see that I was more than just a kid. That I was more than just a means to an end.  Anthony could be an asshole all day if he wanted to…but he would soon find out that two could play that game.  Despite his treacherous behavior there was no denying that my soul felt drawn to him, like it needed to know the real man behind all the crimes.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror I admired the sexy dress that clung to my body. This was even more revealing than the outfit I’d worn to the concert back in March. That particular dress had shown a ton of leg, but this one…well, this one accentuated every single curve of my body.  It showed leg and exposed the curves of my breasts. It would force Anthony to accept the fact that I was growing up.

I mean, I had breasts now. And the plan was to use them along with every other weapon that I had at my disposal.

“Isabella?” My father’s voice sounded through the door as he knocked. My father never barged into my room like everyone else in the house did. He was probably too afraid to find me naked, but I was thankful for the boundaries of respect he had set long ago.

I knew what he wanted, Anthony was probably already outside the house. I hadn’t gone downstairs into the living room to await him patiently and no-one had come upstairs to get me till just now. Last year Armando had been at my side, this year, I felt alone.

I grabbed my engagement ring that set in my jewelry box. I only ever wore it on my birthday, for Anthony’s sake. The moment it was on, I went to the door and opened it. “Hey, I’m ready.” I gave him a sheepish grin.

Viktor’s eyes drank me in and a look of disapproval flashed in within them. “This is the dress Anthony sent?” He sounded offended.  My father didn’t like to think his little girl could ever be a woman. Which irked me, why then had he sold me out to expand his empire?

I nodded, innocently. “Yes, it arrived yesterday. He has exquisite taste.” My voice was too sweet, like honey. Had my father known it was me who picked it out, I’d get a lashing for sure.

My father grunted not bothering to mask his anger.  But he didn’t say anything else— instead, he moved to the side so I could walk past him and followed me down the stairs into the living room. Sophia wasn’t here. Though I figured she wouldn’t be. She was more and more shady every day.

But there stood both my sister and mother, both looking dressed to impress.

Lucas and Allesandro were there too, standing quietly in a corner. My father’s personal guard was already by the door and opened it swiftly when a knock sounded. In moments Anthony stood in the living room, just like he had done the year before. Except this year, I didn’t recognize the three men who stood at his heel. Seemed like his kin was M.I.A. too.

I wasn’t prepared for my reaction.