Strapped: A Second Chance Mafia Romance (14 page)

1
5th December 2016

“
H
appy birthday
,” Marco calls in a singsong voice across the hallway of the apartment that we now call home. “I hope you’re ready for a full day of fun.”

I sit up in the bed, grinning to myself. It might have been two years since we fled New York, and six since Marco ruined my birthday, but he’s been doing his best to make up for it ever since. And actually that doesn’t just limit to my birthday, but to every day of the year. It’s as if he feels like he has a lot to make up for, which isn’t the case at all. He might have gotten us into that mess, but he pulled us out of it too, saving both of our asses more than once along the way.

“I can’t wait,” I reply happily, sitting up in the bed, waiting excitedly for my man to come for me.

“Me and Maya have made you a birthday breakfast.” He enters the room with a tray of food in one hand and my gorgeous baby girl in another. “She told me that you would want pancakes this morning.”

“She did, did she?” I laugh. “At three months old, she’s already talking huh?”

“Yeah... and the weird thing is, she does have a British accent – I told you that she would.”

When we left New York, and Marco realized that I was fully committed to starting a life with him, he revealed plane tickets that he’d purchased to London, where he had kept back just enough money to get us started on our new life. It was a massive shock, but a happy one – at least I could be certain that the mafia wouldn’t know where we were – but it was a hard adjustment too.

It took a while for us both to adjust to a new country, a new city, and a brand new way of life, but now this feels like home to us, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. Especially since Marco managed to get a decent job as a bouncer, working the doors of some of the most exclusive London nightclubs, and I managed to land myself a legitimate job at an advertising agency where I actually do work, I don't just photocopy – it’s like a dream come true for both of us, a dream that we didn’t even realize we had.

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. A year after we moved I finally braved phoning my parents – although I wouldn’t tell them where we were – but as soon as they learned who I was with, they hung up on me and haven’t spoken to me since. Luckily, a few days after that I discovered that I was pregnant, so that happiness distracted me from my sadness. I was about to have a new family, one of my own, and I couldn't wait for it. I knew that I would do things totally differently to them, that I would learn from their mistakes, which meant I could turn my negative experience into a positive one for my daughter.

“This is lovely,” I reply, scoffing my face happily. I’m enjoying my maternity leave a whole lot, but I’m scared that it’s going to make me lazy – especially if Marco keeps spoiling me in the way that he is. “Thank you.”

“Johnny emailed again,” he replies, totally changing the subject with that wistful look in his eyes. “He says that he’s paid Carmine off an extra hundred grand and that he’s no longer looking for us, but I’m too scared to reply in case it’s another trap.”

I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to have an opinion on this one. This is his family drama, not mine, and as long as he doesn’t bring trouble to our door I don't mind what he does. Maybe Johnny did betray him, but he clearly feels bad about it, and he’s been trying to make it up to him ever since. If it were me, I would send some kind of thanks back, but it isn’t so I don't want to force my ideas on Marco.

“Anyway, enough moping,” he snaps back into action mode all over again, leaving my head spinning. “It’s time to start getting ready, I have the most amazing day planned for you, and this time we’re actually going to do it all.”

“Don't make me get out of bed,” I groan jokingly. “I love it here and I want to stay.”

“Come on,” he insists. “We need to go.”

It takes me a while to get out of bed and dressed, but as soon as I do I feel grateful. Marco takes me and Maya out shopping, to the park for a picnic lunch, and eventually for a boat ride down the river Thames. Once all of that is over, and I’m spinning with happiness thinking that I’ve had the best day of my entire life, he lands one more surprise on me, completely blowing me out of the water.

He walks me to Big Ben – a landmark that he knows I love because it’s one of the first places I saw when we first arrived – and drops down onto one knee, completely stunning me. In fact, it takes me far longer than it should to work out why we’re here and what he’s up to.

“Liv,” he starts, and already the tears start welling up. “I have loved you since we were teenagers – you are beautiful, kind, sweet and very funny. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you even then, but external circumstances tore us apart.” I nod, gulping down the emotion that threatens to consume me. “When we reconnected, I could see that our lives had gone down very different paths, and I feared that would tear us apart for good this time, but no matter what obstacles were thrown in our path, we found a way to overcome them together.”

For a split second, I allow the memory of those obstacles to flood my mind once more. Since being here, everything has been so safe, but I never want to forget that there was a time when we were in constant, heart-racing danger. There was a moment when I accepted death, so certain I was that it was coming for me. I don't ever want to forget that, because it bonded me and Marco, it brought us to where we are today.

My parents.

The mafia.

The murders.... the endless murders.

As long as they are always there, in the forefront of my mind, then I won’t get too confident. I don't want to relax too much in case it all comes our way once more. Sure, I do believe Johnny’s words, but I can never be a hundred percent, and that’s something to keep in mind.

“We have always been meant to be together, and now we’ve even gone on to create our little princess.” I glance down at Maya, who is happily drifting in and out of sleep in her stroller. “I want to make you mine forever, to solidify what we already know will last forever. I want the world to know that I love you and that you’re mine.” He pulls out a princess cut diamond ring, which is so beautiful I actually gasp loudly at the mere sight of it. “So will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Fabbri?”

“Yes,” I cry out, without even a second of hesitation. “Of course I will.” It doesn’t matter what brought us here anymore, we’re together, we’re happy and we have made it through more trials and tribulations than most people face in a lifetime. If anyone can make it to the bitter end, it’s us. Nothing has torn us apart yet, and I really don't think it ever will.

As he stands up to slip the ring on my finger, a group of people burst into a smattering of clapping nearby, proving that we’ve been watched. We giggle together, my face flaming in embarrassment, before Marco scoops me in for a very romantic kiss.

“I love you,” he whispers into my mouth. “Forever and always.”

“I love you too,” I reply, feeling happier than ever before. “And I’ve never been so happy.”

“Does this make up for 2010?” He asks, which causes my head to fall back with laughter.

“Yes, this makes up for it,” I nod. “Now, there is to be no more looking backwards for us. Only onwards and upwards into a much better future.”

M
y life has always been
difficult. Sure, I’ve always had anything that I’ve ever wanted – designer clothes, the latest gadgets, expensive jewelry – but there has always been the horrible element of danger there. I’ve been aware of that for a very long time, even when I was a young child, and it’s haunted me ever since.

My father is the head of the Irish Mafia, and because of that he’s in danger every single day of his life. Especially since there is a massive rivalry between his gang and the Italian Mafia. I have begged him to change his lifestyle over and over again, I have told him about the nightmares of his death that have kept me up at night, about my fears for my own life, but he always just laughs it off, telling me that I’m being silly. I have even tried speaking to my mom about it, but she’s such a passive woman that doesn’t care about anything but money, so she’s impossible to talk to. I have always been closer to my dad than my mom, because we have that much more in common. I can barely stand to talk to her most of the time, so I don’t.

No one agrees with me that this isn’t the right way to live, and I don’t think they ever will.

Because of this, I’ve had a whole bunch of life plans to escape as soon as I hit eighteen years old. I was going to leave New York, get a job somewhere in the entertainment industry (acting, singing, and dancing have always been passions of mine), and really live a brand new life. Every time things got really difficult, I would fantasize over being safe and free… it would help me get through even the worst days, like the time a gang of girls from my high school started teasing me and referring to me as ‘ghetto girl’.

It wouldn’t be forever, I always told myself that everything would change soon enough.

But that entire plan fell apart, the day before my birthday.

“What do you mean?” I ask my dad, looking up at him with serious confusion in my eyes. He cannot be saying what I think he is, can he? “Enzo Carbone?”

“I know this isn’t exactly who you thought you would end up marrying, but it’ll change everything.” He holds my hands in his and looks lovingly into my eyes, acting as if he’s being a caring father… not like he’s forcing me into a marriage with our rivals, to a guy that I don’t even know. “You’re the one who’s always telling me to lead a safer life… this would help me do that.”

“But… but…” I try desperately to think of an argument, but I come up with nothing. He’s right, I do always say that, and would I be putting my family in further danger if I refuse? Do I want that… to swan off to a new life, knowing that I’m endangering everyone else?

This really isn’t fair.

“It’ll form a peace treaty, like one that we’ve never had before, and everything will be calmer.”

“Isn’t there any other way?” I plead unhappily. “Isn’t there any other way you guys can find peace? This just feels so… final.”

My dad leans in closer to me, with a thunderous expression that’s like nothing I’ve ever seen on his face before. It actually leaves me feeling a little scared, with my heart pounding and my fingers trembling a little. I gulp down the big ball of fear that lodges itself firmly in my throat, as his next words leave his mouth in a much more threatening tone. “You
will
marry this Enzo, whether you like it or not. I need this more than you can ever imagine, and if you don’t do this, you’ll wreck everything.”

You need this more than my happiness?
I want to ask, but the frustrated tears are already pricking at my eyes, and I really don’t think that crying will do me any favors right now!

“We will be going for a meeting with them all to finalize the details tonight at 9:00 p.m., and I need you looking your best. This meeting
needs
to go smoothly, do you understand?”

I nod, with my lips tightly sealed together, agreeing to this madness because I’m too scared to speak.

“Okay,” he pulls back from me, and I let out a breath that I didn’t even realize I was holding. “I will see you later on then.”

As he stomps from the room, his terrifying aura exiting too, I race to the bathroom to be alone when the tears finally fall. I slump to the cold, tiled bathroom floor as a black cloud of hopelessness consumes me. What the hell do I do now? I really don’t want to commit my life to some horrible man that I don’t know anything about, just to stop a war between our families that doesn’t really have anything to do with us.

But I don’t want it to continue either.

The fantasy of my ‘other life’ fades away as I start to understand that if I don’t do this, not only will I be continuing the danger to other people, I will really be risking myself. My dad made it pretty obvious back then that if I don’t agree with this stupid plan, then I will be putting myself in his firing line, and theirs.

I really am alone in this one.

I sigh deeply, feeling incredibly sorry for myself, before forcing myself into an upright position. If I’m really going to go through with this, then maybe I should go and decide what I want to wear. If I don’t follow dad’s strict instructions, then I could end up in serious trouble.

I trudge up the stairs of our beautiful, oversized house, and I wander into my large, luxurious bedroom where my walk-in wardrobe lies. I know that I have a lot, but it all feels empty, especially now that my life isn’t my own.

* * *

I
n the end
, I decide on a tight red, knee-length dress that hugs my curves perfectly and nude high heels that make me stand much taller. I have kohl on my eyes, and red lipstick which highlights my mouth in the way that I normally do when I’m heading for a night out on the town with my friends. My straight jet black hair hangs down my back loosely, which I hope is okay too. I could have tied it up in a chignon, which would have looked more glamorous, but it makes me look older and I want everyone to be aware of how young I am when they’re forcing me into this marriage.

“Sophia?” My father bellows up the stairs. “Come on, I don’t want to be late!”

I tiptoe down the stairs, still hoping that something is going to crop up to change all of this. Maybe my mom will man up for once and put a stop to this, or my dad will turn around and tell me that this is all some sort of horrible prank.

But nope, nothing happens.

As I get to the bottom of my house, my dad flicks his eyes judgmentally all over me, before turning and walking outside, obviously deciding that I look okay. I sigh deeply, trying desperately to accept my fate, before following him out into the cool, fresh air.

The limo speeds through the city, right across to where the Carbone clan meet. All the while I can feel my dad’s eyes upon me, but I refuse to make eye contact with him. I understand the benefits of peace, but I still don’t get how he can just pawn me off so quickly, as if I mean nothing to him.

It hurts… there’s no denying that it really does hurt to be so dispensable.

As we pull up to a shady-looking building, I feel like I’m falling apart. My day started off so normal, so average, but it’s turned out the craziest thing that I’ve ever experienced. Now I’m standing outside, waiting to speak to the Italian Mafia about my fiancé. It barely makes any sense at all.

“Come on,” my dad roughly pulls on my arm. “Let’s get this over with.”

My heart pounds painfully against my rib cage, my mouth runs completely dry, and my entire body is shaking, but I do what is commanded of me anyway.

As we step inside, a whole range of eyes fix upon me, making me feel more scrutinized than I ever have before. My face heats up under the stress of it all, and I have to focus my eyes on the floor. I want to look up, to see my future husband in the flesh, but I’m too terrified to do so.

Just hold it together,
I tell myself.
Don’t let them see you fall apart.

“Is this the sexy little piece that Enzo’s getting his hands on?” Someone finally drawls, making me feel sick to my stomach. How can they talk about me like that with my dad standing right there? But it only takes one glance at him to see that he doesn’t care.

“Yeah, he isn’t doing bad. Hey chick, spin around, let us see that ass of yours!”

Those words are enough to have me glaring at them all in disgust. These men are crude and crass, and I
really
don’t want to have to end up living with one of them for the rest of my life…

“What do you want, dad?” I spin around as a guy enters the room and my heart leaps into my mouth at the sight of him. I don’t know how I know, but I just do. This is the man I’m going to have to marry, this is Enzo Carbone.

Oh my God.

He’s surprisingly good looking considering. He’s tall, muscular, with deep Italian skin and eyes that, under normal circumstances I would think are to die for.

But this isn’t a normal circumstance. This is a truly horrible circumstance.

“I want you to meet Patrick and Sophia Murphy,” his father, Umberto, indicates in our direction and as Enzo turns to face us, his expression totally changes to one of curiosity.

“Charmed to meet you, I’m sure,” Enzo says with sarcasm lacing his tone. Then he steps closer and he takes my hand to kiss it. “Especially you.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me, and I really struggle to keep my crazy emotions inside.

“I’m so glad that you like them,” Umberto smirks, looking very smug. “Because you’re going to marry Sophia.”

What? He didn’t know?!

“What are you talking about?” Enzo laughs a little nastily. “You must be joking.” His face doesn’t look totally pleased, which I can understand, but there’s a sting there too. I’m not that bad, am I? I know the principle of it is very annoying, but I don’t think I’m the worst option in the world...

“Of course I’m serious,” his dad continues. “Now can you please wait outside so I can discuss the details of this arrangement with Mr. Murphy?”

“You’re going to plan my wedding behind my back?” He asks, before muttering the word ‘unbelievable’ under his breath.

“You too,” my dad nudges me toward where Enzo is going, and I shoot him a panicked look. I can’t go anywhere with this man, but he just nods at me and sends me on my way.

As I step out of the door, I find myself almost in tears over the whole thing, but Enzo looks unfazed. I don’t expect that we’re going to talk to one another, so I stand next to him (but not too close) with my eyes fixed directly in front of me.

But it seems like Enzo has other ideas.

He moves closer to me, until his arm is touching mine. He’s invading my personal space, and my entire body is buzzing with anticipation. I don’t know what he’s going to do, and that terrifies and excites me in equal measures.

“So, it looks like you’re going to be mine,” he almost warns, and I turn to look at him. “What do you think about that?”

How the hell am I going to answer that question?