Four:
Gedeon
As promised, Mateo came back with his finest red wine, four glasses, and some documents for me to sign to solidly our agreement. Shuffling next to him was a man in his late fifties, which I assumed to be his second in command. I took a seat as Timor stood next to me, examining Mateo. I knew he wanted Mateo dead as much as I did, but he knew what was at stake.
Mateo walked in as he looked at Timor and then his eyes fell to Dove for a moment as his nose flared when he noticed the jacket I had placed on her. As if she was trained to, she ducked her head down and shuffled to where Mateo was, standing behind him as he took the seat across from me. "I hope she wasn't causing trouble. I hope the scars on her body wasn't too bad that you need to cast a jacket over her."
I waved off his comment as I sat back down. I had known she was abused, but I never was going to do to do anything inappropriate to her body, as he was suggesting. Though, I wasn't going to tell him that. I didn't know what possessed me to actually lend my jacket. Perhaps it was the way I didn't want her to catch hypothermia and die before my plan was in motion. "No, it was quite alright."
"Just give it a few weeks and when it's healed, she'll be a shiny porcelain doll," he nodded in agreement and then laughed as he opened his bottle of wine. "Yes, she is the most beautiful in the Italian family that we have to offer. It was something she inherited from her mother, the only thing she got that was useful."
My eyes caught onto the way she tensed when Mateo's second in command laughed along, her eyes glancing up for just a millisecond in humiliation and shame. Casting her head downer, she allowed her hair to fall over her face, as if to hide herself from the world. Truly, the Italians were lower than rats, especially Mateo for viewing his daughter nothing less than a piece of meat.
Though I wasn't any different, except for the fact that I viewed her as a piece in my chess.
Crossing my legs, I reached for my cigar as Timor took out his lighter to lite it. A small smile crept when I realize Dove was looking at me for a moment, not that Mateo would see since she was standing behind him. I had to give it to her, she was observant in being able to see through my tell. "So, now with our second in command are here, let's discuss business."
Mateo nodded eagerly as he clasped his hands loudly together. "Yes, the hand in marriage of my daughter in exchange for manpower and alliance until a settlement with Gaggi's family. Should an internal war were to happen, you would lend me your men. This is also to make up for what happened last week."
My eyes couldn't help but sneak a small peak to see Dove's reaction to all of this. Her eyes widened for a moment as she peered up at me, the same doe eyes that were filled with innocence. It was ironic and funny to think that someone who was born into the deadliest families in New York could hold that much innocent in their eyes. I could tell she had a lot of questions in her head, but she refused to ask it.
"Have you told Gaggi's family about this yet?" I asked, despite knowing the answer. "That I would be taking their son's future fiancé as my own?"
He shook his head. "No, Robert is on a business trip and won't be back for some weeks. I will inform them when he returns, so I have enough time to plan all case scenarios."
Timor frowned as he shuffled his weight onto one side. "Do you have a contracted deal with Gaggi's family that you'll be overwriting?"
"No, my daughter was given to Robert when she was fifteen and he was twenty-three as a way to amend for the growing tension between our families," he explained. I tried to hide my disgust that she wasn't even legal of age when he just gave her away. I never met Robert, but from the stories I told, I could only imagine what Dove went through. Not that it mattered, because she was just a steppingstone in my plan.
"They've been betrothed for over how long now?" I questioned curiously. "How old is Dove?"
"She's twenty as of today, engaged for almost seven years."
I frowned at his confession. Usually, as soon as they turned eighteen, they were usually married right off the bat. "Why?"
"Our families could never find an agreement to make the marriage go through. Both our families wanted too much different things and we were working on an agreement in the meantime," he filled us in before chuckling. "Though, I have to say, it worked out for the best. To crush their families and make me capo dei capi would be the best thing that would come out of giving away my daughter. Not to mention, if I were to take over after Galileo passes, we can continue our alliance."
He looked at me eagerly for me to agree. There was no way I was going to alliance myself with the Italians. No, I wanted all of them beneath my fist and begging for mercy for what they did. I didn't give it away as I forced myself to smile. "We focus on the present now and we shall see."
"She will be a good wife, obedient and submissive," he continued, trying to get me to agree of a future alliance. It was funny how an hour ago, he was singing a different song about his daughter. "I know you and Galileo only have a business relationship, but we can actually make it something else. Make it so we're the most feared mafia group in the whole country, should you stay married to my daughter."
"I will assume that you'll tell Galileo of this exchange?" I inhaled, the taste of nicotine hitting my lungs as I ignored his nonsense. I had talked to Galileo a few times about my issues regarding the incident last week. He may not know what I will ask of the Genovese's family in order to appease my anger, but he allowed me to do whatever I thought was fair, except for killing them.
"Of course, everything that happens will have to be reported, especially one as big as an alliance with you," he chuckled as he finished pouring the wine and gently slide the glass across the table.
"Remember, this is a temporary alliance," Timor spat out, eyeing the glass suspiciously. Then he scowled with an unrelenting stare at Mateo. "I'm not drinking that."
"It's tradition to bind our families, during marriage. It's been done for decades," Mateo explained as he picked up the glass. "I assure you that it isn't poisoned, if that is your worry."
Timor goes quiet, as of waiting for my command. Without a word, I picked the wine glass up and he does the same. I watched Mateo and his second in comment pick it up as we raised it. I tried to hide my disgust behind a façade smile. "To breaking traditions with a marriage between an Italian princess with a Russian King. To hell with those who'll defy our choices. To a stronger tomorrow."
"To a stronger tomorrow," Mateo repeated with a laugh and we everyone downed the wine except for me, who left a small sip left. As everyone slammed their glasses onto the table hard, Mateo realized that I have yet to finish. Just as he was about to point it out, I beat him to it.
"Bird," I called out, and Dove immediately snapped her head up at me in bewilderment. Everyone else looked at me, trying to comprehend what was happening. Though, I knew Timor knew. I looked at Mateo as I held up the small wine left in my glass. "I mean no disrespect from your tradition, though I have to abide with mine as well. You see, my tradition is a bit similar and different from yours. We drink as well, but the wife finishes it. It's a symbol of intimacy and commitment. Our first drink or meal will be shared with our other half before the marriage is to take place and after. We won't have a wedding, due to our contract that this would be for gains rather than on out of love. That doesn't mean we can't follow with our traditions, even if it's small."
She stayed still, not knowing what she should do as her eyes flickered between Mateo who had now craned his neck to look at his daughter. With a scowl, he slammed his hand onto the table. "Do you hear what he's saying, Dove? Do it."
I didn't make eye contact with Dove as she scrambled to be next to me, tension high in the air as I poured more wine into the glass. Then, I got up from my seat and held the glass in front of her. I knew she wouldn't understand anything I said in Russian, but it was something my father had done, and everyone else before that took in their wife. An old verse only two sentences long. I didn't think I would say it to an Italian, but we all had to sacrifice something to get what we wanted.
"I vow to protect and put your needs first," I whispered in Russian, as I tipped the wine till the rim touched her lips as she took a sip. It was a lie but didn't mean I wouldn't say it for tradition sake. Back when Mother was still alive, Father loved to whisper the two sentences to her like it was a prayer. To say it back brought back memories that I didn't want. Then, I took out the small black box in my pocket as I handed the glass to Timor. Pulling out a three-carat diamond ring with small rounded diamonds on the side. It was something Anastasia, the household leading maid and sister of my bodyguard picked up for me a week ago. I didn't bother to even look at it until now.
I took her hand, ignoring as she flinched harshly at my touch, even though I knew not to put any pressure on her wounded wrapped hands. Taking out the ring, I slipped it onto her left hand before taking the glass back from Timor to finish my vow in Russian.
"God Himself won't separate us, even in death, you're forever bonded to me; as with me," I finished as I took a large gulp and then repeated the step before. Dove must be in shock since she barely was able to swallow in time by the way I angled it into her lips as the wine slowly tripped down from her chin to her neck slowly. Pulling the glass away, I set it down. "With that, you are my Russian Queen. My wife. My other half."
My caged bird.
It was a lie because she would never earn the respect of the Russian families. Those in the estate knew about it but planned to not tell the other families yet. Not until everything is dealt with. Mateo clapped happily, his voice bringing me back to reality. "All we need now is for both of you to sign the marriage certificate and we can be family. My son."
I bit my tongue hard from lashing at him for calling me his son. I could tell Timor wanted to snap by the way he clenched his fists hard next to me, his jaws tightening. The Russians hated everything about the Italians, and to be related to them, was like a bullet to their face for what they did to our families.
But for the sake of revenge, we had to play it cool. He handed me a fountain pen which I took and signed my name over the certificate after I took a seat. Then, I handed the pen to Dove who took it and I could see her trying to control her shaking. She had been betrothed so long, she probably thought she was never going to marry at this point. She may have thought she could run away from this someday, yet here she was.
Everyone watched quietly as she gingerly took her pen from my hands. The smallest electricity ran from where the tip of her hands touched mine. It was the first time she touched me first, but it was unsettling the affect it had on me. I ignored whatever it was as I watched her write in small, cursive penmanship her name.
Just like that, the bird was taken from one golden cage, and shoved into another one.
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