The moment Elijah's hand left my skin, I instantly went cold. I thought this would all be over. He can't just remarry me to someone else if I'm already married. Is that even legal? Then again, everything they do in the mafia is illegal, and if this guy is anything like Elijah, he couldn't give a damn about what's legal and what's not.
He guides me to the limousine and I hesitantly get in, not saying a word. He rounds the car and sits next to me, tapping the driver's seat to tell him to go. As the car begins to move, he finally speaks to me.
"You look like your mother," he says, trying to lighten the mood.
Is he actually serious?
"I wouldn't know how to take that seeing as supposedly, my mother wasn't my real mother," I say blankly.
"She was beautiful. You have her face, but I'd like to think that you get your eyes from me."
I look up at him and I immediately notice his eyes as my own. It's like looking in a mirror. He wasn't lying about that one. I turn around to look in front of me and I cross my arms.
"This doesn't make sense," I say to him, shaking my head in confusion. "If you knew I was married already, why would you force me into yet another marriage? Just because I'm supposed to be your daughter?" I ask, a hint of anger in my tone.
"I did it because I don't care. Yes, Elijah Moreno is one of the most powerful mafias in this world, but I'm the first. Moreno has no choice but to bow down to me, and you know why?" he asks with an evil grin on his face.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because your life is my leverage over him. I've got to say, if it were any other man, they'd probably rather let you die, but Moreno was willing to cooperate. For his own good I suppose," he says, shrugging.
I keep my eyes in front of me, my arms remaining crossed as we sit in silence for the rest of the ride. God, I hope Elijah knows what he's doing. I mean, I don't doubt he does, but I'm hoping this won't last long. After a few minutes, we arrive in front of a huge mansion. When we get out, I notice two guards standing at the entrance of the house.
When I approach the doorstep, they nod to me. "Welcome, Ms. Barron," they greet me.
I walk past them and I walk inside, taking in the new environment. This place is huge, but it's not as big as Elijah's, at all. The kitchen is behind the staircase and the living room is to the left. The living room is huge and there's double doors leading to the kitchen in there. The staircase ascends up in a loose winding rotation, and stops at the second floor. From the bottom you can see straight up to the fourth floor. Analyzing my surroundings, I'm dragged from my thoughts when Axel places a hand on my shoulder.
"Your room is on the third floor. You will get ready for the wedding in at least an hour. Make haste with what you decide to do," he demands.
He leaves my side and I immediately feel alienated here. Men, probably at least twenty-five to thirty walk around, making looks at me, like they want to eat me alive. I rush upstairs, overwhelmed by all these people, and I search for my room. I look in every room and I immediately know that I've found it when I see a wedding dress hanging up on the wall. I walk in and I look around at the vanity sitting at the wall at the foot of my bed. A couple steps from the vanity is a huge bathroom, and on the right side of it is a walk-in closet.
This room is perfect, but the only thing missing is Elijah. I simmer in my thoughts as I lie down on the bed, and I pick up my phone. Elijah's texted my phone a billion times telling me how much he loves me and how he's going to get me back and so on. I smile at the messages before I doze off and fall asleep.
What feels like minutes later, I'm awoken by a woman softly telling me to wake up. I rise from the bed and she smiles at me.
"Are you ready?" she asks.
"For what?" I say back, looking around.
"To get ready for your wedding?" she says, narrowing her brows.
"Oh," I say in realization. "Uhm.. okay."
I get up and women pour into my room immediately. One of them start on my makeup, another start on my nails, and someone else starts on my pedicure. Another woman starts on my hair, brushing it and beginning to style it. I sit there for almost two hours, and before I know it, I'm standing in a mirror wearing yet another wedding dress.
It's the same as the first time. I look like a beautiful bride. Only this time I won't pretend to be happy because clearly, I'm not. As I look at myself, the room door opens and Axel walks in. I roll my eyes and I turn around.
"What do you want?" I ask, clearly annoyed.
"You look beautiful," he compliments.
"What do you want," I repeat, louder this time.
"Listen, I know you're upset-"
"That's an understatement," I laugh, shaking my head.
The look of anger on his face is priceless. He clenches his jaw and huffs.
"The wedding is starting in a few minutes. I hope you enjoy your life with your new husband. I'm excited to see how this unfolds," he says with a sly smirk.
What the hell does that even mean? Is he up to something? It's only now that I feel my heart sinking to my toes. I don't know what's about to happen, but I hope Elijah makes it in time.
After a few minutes of my heart pounding in my chest, we're leaving the house and I'm getting into a limo. We drive to the venue and I try to keep my composure as we get out. Me and some woman walk to these double doors and she fixes my dress and veil as I listen to shuffling shoes, signifying that everyone's now waiting for me to walk out. The woman smiles at me and asks me if I'm ready as she unlocks the doors. I have no choice but to nod my head and prepare for the worst.
My heart aches as I stand behind these doors. I can hear my own breathing as I stand there, contemplating everything now. My heart beats loud in my ears and I feel my chest getting hotter by the second. I can physically feel my chest getting tight with fear and nervousness of the unknown waiting for me behind the doors in front of me, and the creaking that seemed nonexistent before now is loud and piercing in my ears as the doors open. A flash of white light hits me and as soon as the doors open, I freeze.
Oh my God. This can't be real. How is this even possible? Everything stops and it seems like my heart stops with everything else. I'm frozen in place and I completely forget how to breathe and even walk. The only thing that gets me moving is the lethal stare of Axel looking straight into my soul. My body forces itself to walk down the aisle, regretting each step it takes toward toward the altar. It feels like it's been at least an hour since I took my first step, and by the time I've stopped and turned toward the groom, a numb expression is spread across my face.
He smiles an evil smile at me and a look of anger blooms on my face before the officiant begins to recite her words about marriage and more. Her words muffle as I try to wrap my mind around how and why this is happening. Why him? How even. I don't know how to feel right now. Of course, I'm angry. I also feel betrayed, although I'm not the one who should feel that way. But I'm also sympathetic. I feel horrible. Now my stomach starts to form a pit. I feel like I'm gonna vomit. Worse. Like I'm gonna faint and die on the spot.
You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. My chest is getting hot and I'm starting to feel nauseous with anger right now. I just hope I don't have to even mutter the words 'I do' to this man. I'll feel terrible.
After a few minutes, she asks him the obvious questions and he says 'I do'. I reluctantly listen as she repeats those same questions she just asked a few minutes ago, and I stare into his eyes on the verge of tears. God, please don't make me do this.
My throat clogs up with nerves and I can't speak. I open my mouth to try and speak, but I can't. My eyes flick to the side and Axel is staring at me with a terrifyingly serious look on his face. I turn back and right as I begin to say the words, bodies fall from the second floor and straight down into a pile on the aisle.
The crowd gasps and scurries off, then the doors burst open and guns immediately fire. In a matter of minutes, smoke is everywhere, but no one is hurt. The smoke begins to clear and two bodies stand in the aisle. One is wearing a navy blue tux with a white dress shirt and a black tie. The other is in an emerald green color with a white dress shirt and black tie. When the smoke clears, Elijah and Cayson stand in the middle of the aisle. The man next to me walks down from the altar. Elijah sneers and I can see a look of pure anger on his face through the shades he has on.
He stands face to face with the man I was about to say 'I do' to, and he's furious. His jaw tightens and he doesn't move a muscle. His eyes flick to me and I can see his face soften, just a little, but not enough for anyone to notice.
"You've made a big mistake, Moreno," Axel says, pulling out his gun.
"You should've known it was coming, Ax."
"You already know the punishment for your insubordination."
"You're not laying a hand on her," Elijah says, looking over to Axel.
"Oh, I won't have to," he says, smiling wickedly.
Elijah looks at Cayson and in a split second, he pulls out his gun and quickly aims and pulls the trigger on Axel. A loud gunshot rings out and I hear a shout come from Axel as he holds his ear. He pulls his hand away from it and blood covers it. He furiously looks up at Cayson and all Hell breaks loose.
Guns go off and I find somewhere to take cover behind while I hear grunts and shouting coming from Elijah, Cayson and Axel. While hiding, I try my best to get this damned dress off. I eventually get it off and I'm wearing nothing but a corset, a white lace thong, and white laced stockings that connects to my thong by a thin strip of fabric, and on my right thigh is a tight white garter. I suddenly feel exposed, and I rethink taking the dress off at all, but when another gunshot rings out and I hear a body drop to the floor, I freeze, hoping that it's not Elijah or Cayson.
I hear footsteps shuffling closer and closer, and I shut my eyes tight. I feel a presence over me, and I open my eyes to see Elijah peeking behind the altar. I get up, sighing in relief, and I hug him tight, and he does the same, taking my hair down carefully as he hugs me tight. When he takes out the last pin, he lets me go and looks me over. He smirks and then smiles when his eyes connect with mine.
"You look good," he says, smiling.
"And you're bleeding. Why is your leg bleeding, Eli?"
"Come on, it's just a little bruise."
"A 'bruise'? Are you kidding? We need to stop you from bleeding," I say, looking around. My eyes land on my wedding dress and I shrug. I pick it up and I rip some of the fabric from it and I walk over to Elijah to tie it around his wound. I stand to my feet and I support him as he walks. "What about-"
"I don't give a shit about him. He's dead to me. He's lucky I don't kill him right now," he says furiously.
"Well, why don't you?" I hear a voice come.
Elijah stops in his tracks and I can see his eyes immediately go cold. He lets me go and turns around, walking as if he doesn't have a bullet lodged into his thigh. He pulls out his gun and Cayson tries to convince Elijah.
"Elijah, it's not worth it," he says.
"You know I have to do this. He knew what he was getting into in the first place, he just doesn't have anything to lose, that's why it was so easy for him to do this," Elijah says, breathing harshly.
"What are you gonna tell Aunt Rosa?"
"She'll know that her son died a backstabbing son of a bitch and that he doesn't deserve pity or mercy. She knows what needs to happen." Elijah keeps his eyes fixed on Luis who has a look of terror on his face. Elijah laughs in his face. "Don't give me that fucking look. You knew this would happen. But, before I kill you I want to know why. Why did you do it?" he asks. Luis remains quiet and says nothing.
After a few seconds when he doesn't reply, Elijah begins to yell, making me jump. "If you don't start explaining yourself in two fucking seconds I will shoot a fucking hole through your goddamn skull!" he yells. He jacks him up and holds his gun to his chin. "Get fucking talking."
"He promised to give me everything I wanted," he says.
"And what the hell might that be?"
"To get rid of you and have everything for myself," he says, making Elijah's face contort. "Y'know, I've hated you since we were kids. My cousin's mom kills herself and then his dad dies, now my mom wants to step up and be a parent to someone who she didn't even give birth to. She wasn't even my mom anymore. Every single year, I've grown to hate you more and more. You got everything. She poured all her love and affection into you and left me nothing. Then when you came of age ten years ago, you sat on your high fucking horse and left us nothing. Left me nothing, and I was supposed to be your brother," he explains.
"Nobody can take my place. Sorry," Cayson teases.
"And you," Luis says, redirecting the subject. "God, you are just like your dad, believe it or not. You think the world revolves around you and that thing you call a dick. Did you know your dad actually had an affair with my mom before yours killed herself? Yeah, she was depressed going through her postpartum stage, but that affair was the cherry on top. That's why poor Aunt Diana killed herself, and her killing herself is why Mom didn't hesitate to take you both in when eventually both your parents were gone because she's always lived with that guilt of sleeping with your daddy," he says.
Elijah's face has gone cold. He's frozen. He loosens his grip on Luis and looks at him in disbelief.
"No," he says, backing up and smiling uncertainly. "No, you're lying. Rosa wouldn't do that, I know my aunt better than that," Elijah says, tears building in his eyes.
I feel terrible. And it's only because I know he knows that it's true. He just can't accept it. Just as if things couldn't get worse, The double doors at the entrance of the building burst open.
"Luis? Luis, what's going.... on?" I hear a voice come.
Rosa looks around and her eyes land on Elijah, then to Luis, then to me, and then on Cayson.
"What's going on here? Is everyone alright? Have you boys been fighting again, because I-"
"Please stop talking, Auntie," Elijah says.
She looks to him and her face contorts. "Elijah, what-"
"Is it true? What he said?" Elijah asks, turning to her with tears in his eyes.
This is the first time I've ever seen him cry.
Rosa sighs and rolls her eyes. "Whatever he said, he's probably only trying to hurt your feelings, Elijah, now you two stop arguing, and-"
"I must not have been clear on what I mean," he says, walking up to her to look her in the eyes. "Did Mom kill herself because you fucked her over by fucking my dad, and is that why you took me and Cayson in, yes or no?" he asks, fighting back tears.
She looks as if she's seen a ghost. All the color in her face has drained and tears build in her eyes. Tears of guilt and fear. Based off of that alone, Elijah smiles and laughs to distract himself.
"So it's true then?" he says.
"Elijah, you have to understand that it was a mistake. You know I love you," she says, crying.
"Don't say that to me. Don't fucking say that shit to me!" he yells, pacing around. "You don't get to say that to me anymore. Luis has what's coming to him, and you know what has to happen to him."
"He didn't mean anything by it, Elijah. Please, you can't take him from me," Rosa begs.
I'm starting to feel bad for her. I feel horrible. As a new mother, I can understand where she's coming from. Being with Maverick, I understand that the pain of losing a child would be devastating and if it ever happened to me, I'd lose my mind.
Cayson walks over to Rosa and grabs her and Elijah begins to beat Luis to the ground. When he's down, he continues beating him and after a minute or so, he pulls out his gun and mumbles something to him before pulling the trigger. Rosa lets out the most terrifying wail that only a special kind of person would know. It's a sound that isn't so distinctive that you automatically know it, but it's one you know is coming from a deep place, and it's the sound of a mother in grieving over the loss of her son.
Rosa's sobs consume the room and Elijah gets up, emotionless, and wipes blood from his lips. He takes off his tux coat and shirt and give his shirt to me so I can cover up. I take off my heels and Elijah takes them and picks me up so I'm not walking barefoot to the car.
He doesn't say anything for a while, and still didn't, even when we got home.
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sorry this took so long guys. how do we feel about this? i know it doesn't make sense, but it will later.
lovely reading!