by Prince, DD
“Athena, I’m Thomas Ferrano. Call me Tom. Please sit.” He motioned for a chair in front of his desk.
I sat. His name sounded familiar. His face sort of seemed familiar, too.
“Aren’t you lovely? You graduated high school today, I hear?
Congratulations.”
I stared at him. Words won’t form on my lips.
He narrowed his gaze at me, “No need to be rude.”
I shook my head, “I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just a bit overwhelmed. Thank you, for the congrats.”
He nodded, “Dario, get a bottle of water for Athena.” Angry hot blond guy nodded and left the room.
“So, I take it your father filled you in? Why don’t you tell me what he said to you? He used to have an unfortunate habit of leaving out important facts. Maybe he still does.”
Boy, did I know that.
Blond guy, Dario, returned with a bottle of water and handed it to me, then left the office.
“Umm thanks,” I took a sip, “I haven’t seen much of my father in years. He turned up today at my high school graduation and then told me I had to be a marker for a few days so he could get money together to clear up a gambling debt?”
Thomas Ferrano laughed, “Interesting spin.”
My heart plummeted. Spin? If that wasn’t the truth, what was?
“Isn’t that the truth?” I asked, starting to tremble.
“Not exactly. Your father owes me a rather large debt, one I’m not sure he can ever actually repay.” He looked at me expectantly.
“Why am I here, then?”
“Let’s say you’ve been drafted.” he smirked.
Huh?
“My son Tommy needs to get married. He hasn’t found Miss Perfect yet. Your father owes me a great deal. I’ve agreed to consider writing off the debt if my son decides you’re Miss Perfect.”
I started to laugh, “Am I being punk’d?”
“Excuse me?” he asked and I knew, then, that he was serious.
“I don’t understand…” The room began to slowly turn. I was white-knuckled, gripping the arms of the chair I sat in.
“Simple, really. As of now you are property of the Ferrano family.”
If my chin wasn’t touching the floor right now, it must be awfully close. Had I been transported back to the dark ages? I didn’t know what to say. I was totally and utterly gob smacked.
“So, I’ve arranged for you to be transported to Tommy’s home. There you two can get acquainted and go from there, see if this is an amicable arrangement for him.”
For him? For him?
“What?” I can’t fathom this, “No.” Don’t I have to agree to this? I don’t agree to this.
He raised his index finger and his eyes narrowed. He took on a much more menacing look, “Listen carefully. This meeting, the one between you and my son, if it doesn’t go well it won’t bode well for your father and it may not bode well for you, either. We have many options available for where you could go. I think you’d prefer ending up with my son over the alternatives. We’re a wealthy and powerful family so you could be in a much worse position, believe me. I’d advise you to cooperate. You’re in an enviable position, Athena. I’ll be seeing you soon. Tommy’s brother will drive you. Dario!”
Enviable? Was this man whacked in the head?
The door opened and Dario popped his head in.
“Take Athena to your brother. Athena, don’t be difficult. I wouldn’t advise it. It was nice to see you again. You’ve grown up to be a lovely girl. An almost dead ringer for your mother.” He gave me a big smile. My blood ran cold.
My mother? This man knew my mother? See me again? When had he seen me before? This man was scary. The brother was scary. Their thugs or whatever they were --- really scary. Was I in the middle of the fricking dark ages or what? An arranged marriage to a mafia kingpin’s son to save my father’s life? This was nuts! If I was asleep I wanted to wake up right now!
Dario led me back out to the SUV and two of the other guys got in, too. One had apparently opted out of this leg of the drive. They thought they needed muscle to get me from point A to point B, evidently. Were they afraid I’d try to run? I didn’t know what the heck I was dealing with here so no, I wasn’t about to run now before sussing things out. I didn’t want to end up dead. I didn’t want Dad to end up dead. Did Dad really sell me out like this? I mean, he was a lousy father, for sure, but did he really sell me to the mafia in exchange for payment of his old gambling debts? Not a marker. Not temporarily. Sold, like chattel. Married off. No way. He was capable of a lot but this? Surely not. This was North America and the 21st century. This kind of stuff didn’t happen.
I combed through my memory. The name Ferrano rang bells. Was he known in the city as a mafia guy? Where had I heard his name from? I stayed somewhat up to speed on current events and his name and face was familiar but I couldn’t place it.
What might’ve been about ten minutes later the SUV was pulling up in front of another set of gates. The drive had been quiet, more sports, I figured out was soccer, on the radio, and no talking other than a “Woo” and a “Yes!” in unison from angry driver, err Dario and burly # two (number one had opted out) on what must’ve been a goal… it’d all been white noise to me due to my state of mind.
“Wait here.” Dario told me and then after getting past the gate and then he walked into the house alone. Me and the muscle sat in awkward silence.
My purse started ringing my ringtone for Ruby, Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake.
“Hand it over,” Burly #2 said gruffly and I knew he meant business.
I took my cell phone out and handed it to him.
Tommy
Dario was inside my doorway, “I come bearing gifts. I deliver your bride,” he gave a gallant bow and then snickered at me. I’d just gotten here and had known they were going to be along soon.
I rolled my eyes, “Fucking Pop.”
He laughed, leaning against the wall, “She’s a looker, bro. He did good.”
“Don’t look at my bride.” I pointed at him, a little smirk on my face. I punched his shoulder playfully, “And just you wait. I’m sure he’s lining up someone for you to marry next.”
“Since you’ll be head of the family, I think that means you get to pick, doesn’t it?”
I threw my head back and let out an evil laugh, “Oh yeah. And just you wait!”
“I’ll go get her.” He told me, grinning. He knew I’d have his back. Truth be told, he couldn’t wait for Pop to head out to pasture. Dare and I had plans for taking the family business to the next level together. We were half-brothers and five years apart but we’d grown up together and were alike in many ways. He was the only other person I’d 100% trust to have my back. I didn’t even trust my father 100%. I didn’t think he’d set out to do harm to me intentionally but I knew that we were all pawns, to a degree, and that his idea of having my back and Dario’s idea of the same would diverge.
“Put her in my bedroom and lock the door.” I said and wiggled my eyebrows. Then I walked into my office to tie up a few loose ends before the big reveal. I didn’t know much about her yet but from what I did know so far, I guessed that she wouldn’t have taken the news of today lightly. I was anticipating, even hoping for some resistance and looking fucking forward to it.
Tia
The guy with my phone gave it to Dario when he came back to the SUV.
“Let’s go.” Dario said to me.
Michael Clarke Duncan lookalike guy let me out and I had to walk around the back of the truck to meet up with Dario. I couldn’t run. The gate was shut. Would I run, though, if it wasn’t? Thomas Ferrano threatened me, pretty much saying Dad was a goner if I didn’t cooperate, and maybe me, too. But what was going to happen to me here?
I followed Dario into the big house, feeling a little shaky and a lot queasy. I couldn’t help but notice the architectural details of the place because it was the sort of house I’d always dreamt of living in. It looked
like a pretty hacienda, had an orange terra cotta roof, white parging with archways. There were loads of flowers everywhere. Climbing vines, overflowing baskets, covering the ground, everywhere.
Inside the front door was a foyer that opened to a staircase directly to my left and a long hallway under an arch to my right. This was the kind of house I’d pick. Mom and I used to talk about having a hacienda and beautiful gardens. It was her dream to live in a house like this. I shivered at the thought of my Mom, unable to fathom this.
“Follow me,” Dario led the way up the stairs, down a long hall with several closed doors to a set of double doors, and then opened them both and walked in. I followed inside.
“Bag?” He motioned.
I hesitated.
“I’ll give your bag and phone to Tommy. He’ll decide when you can have them back.”
I was trembling. I couldn’t help it. I was in a big master suite with a king sized bed, about to be left with someone who thought they had a claim on me. I was supposed to be at a party celebrating the end of my childhood and the beginning of life as an adult. An adult with choices, a future, independence.
This was not that. This was something else. This something else was bad. Very bad. He nodded politely, reached over to the bedside table and picked up a cordless phone and then left with it. I let out a big breath, as if I’d been holding it in for hours. I had to keep my cool somehow. If I had a freak out, there was no telling what would happen to me. If I kept my cool, I could suss everything out and then decide what to do.
I surveyed the room. It was nice, luxurious, even. Soft dove gray walls, big dark wood furniture, lots of leather, exposed beam ceilings with ceiling fans. The room was decorated in gray and black. It didn’t really match the hacienda theme outside and I wouldn’t say it was my taste, really, but it was nice. There was a big difference from this room to the kind of room I was used to. The small room I’d shared with Bethany with our two twin loft beds with desks underneath and drawers for stairs was small but we’d made it our own. Here was a room I was expected to share with a man. I cringed, looking at the bed, fearing what I’d be expected to do. I knew nothing about this Tommy. All I knew was that I was in a pickle of a situation and I didn’t know how I’d get myself out.
Rose, Cal, and everyone must’ve been worried about me right now. Or had my Dad made up an excuse? They’d probably report me missing if they didn’t hear from me in a few hours. They knew how stoked I was about this party. Rose had made me my favorite artichoke and spinach dip as well as mozzarella sticks plus a plethora of appetizers that the other girls had requested. There was a huge cake for us, two thirds vanilla and a third chocolate because me and Mia preferred vanilla and Beth preferred chocolate. Cal had suggested three separate cakes or cupcakes with icing slathered all over to hold them all together but we were all so close we wanted the same cake. Rose had said she had our photos put on in icing. I never saw my cake. A tear slid down my cheek. Then I heard the doorknob turn and I dashed it away and held the others back. I put my lips together and stood still, back straight, took a deep breath, and waited.
Tommy
When I opened the door and saw her standing there, I wanted to capture the moment in time. It went from her being stoic, trying to hide her fear, standing tall and rigid in a gorgeous clingy black dress, high heels, her hair up in a sophisticated style, to the flash of recognition that led to her forehead crinkling and her eyes staring at me accusingly.
I stepped in, closed the door behind myself, and I stood there, waiting for her to say something.
Tia
Oh my God. OH MY GOD!! The hottie from the ice cream parlor. I couldn’t believe this! I’d told my friends about him and how gorgeous he was to the point that the subject had been banned because they’d gotten sick of my going on and on about him. I’d fricking dreamt about him, about him and his cherry stem-tying tongue. And here he was. This was him!
He’s tall. Like really tall, six foot three, six foot four, maybe. Caramel brown kind of curly, kind of messy-on-purpose hair, chiseled face, light brown, sort of whiskey-colored, eyes. He resembles his father. His mouth? Drool-worthy. He had a bit of a five o’clock shadow just like the other day. He was standing in a suit, a black suit with a dark blue dress shirt and no tie. That suit fit him very well. He looked like a million dollars. Five million dollars. He had to be close to ten years older than me. He has to be the sexiest fricking man I’ve ever laid eyes on. Ever. But What.The.Fuck?
If this were ancient times or whenever arranged marriages were common and I’d been brought up to know that I’d someday have an arranged marriage I’d have been thrilled at what was standing in front of me. Obviously, I’d been betrothed to a wealthy gorgeous man. It could be worse. A lot worse. But this wasn’t ancient times. I’m not thrilled. I’m freaked right the heck out. Not only are my choices being taken away and not only am I under threat but this is a fricking mafia family. What the heck?
“Athena,” he said, a little smirk on his face. That meeting at the ice cream parlor was so obviously no accident.
I stood there, still in shock.
“Tommy Ferrano,” he said, “Nice to officially meet you.” He extended a hand.
I snickered and folded my arms. He gave me a little smile and pulled his hand back without reacting, then proceeded to circle me. Circle me! Fear prickled my scalp because I suddenly felt like prey, like a piece of meat. That’s exactly how he circled me.
“So, I’m told you’re missing a party right now, one that’s important to you,” he said, meeting my eyes with his and stopping directly in front of me. Close to me. Too close. In my personal space, really.
I nodded slightly, feeling my skin heat up under his appraisal. Damn, he was tall, broad, and authoritative. I felt like I was at a huge disadvantage. I was, of course I was; I was standing here in his space. Not just his space, his fricking bedroom.
“Come; I’ll drive you.”
He stepped back and opened the door and then with a sweep of his hand, he motioned for me to go on ahead of him. Confused, I walked ahead of him. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw my purse on a table beside a big brass bowl that had multiple sets of keys in it. He grabbed a set of keys and passed me my purse. He reached into his front pants pocket and pulled out my phone and passed it to me, his finger brushing my hand as he did. He gave me a little smile. His eyes were sparkling with what looked like mischief. I swallowed hard.
Once outside, he hit a button on his keychain and one of four garage doors opened. He put his hand on the small of my back and led me toward it. I flinched at the contact but let him lead me there. Then he opened the passenger door to a black convertible sports car for me and closed it after I was in then then got into the driver’s seat and proceeded to back out of the garage, turning around and then driving forward down the driveway, through the now opened gate.
Talk about uncomfortable! He was so nonchalant and I knew this wasn’t a situation that called for nonchalance. The brother had locked me up, took my phone, treated me like a prisoner. The father had threatened me. I’d been surrounded by burly goons up until now. But Ice Cream Parlor Hottie, err Tommy, was being the exact opposite. Even still, I was more uncomfortable than even before because this was him. This was the guy who’s going to decide my fate. And he was going to mess with my head; I knew it. He’d already come in to my work and flirted with me, which was obviously no coincidence, and now he was here, with all the power, and dropping me off at my house with my phone, like it was nothing, like it was no big deal.
I just sat there, frozen, with my hands in my lap, absorbing the fact that suddenly the control over my own life had been snatched away from me. He was inches away from me, of course, and I could smell his cologne, which smelled leathery and spicy, a bit musky. He smelled good, not like the guys I knew who practically bathed in Axe. This man wore just a little cologne or aftershave or whatever and just enough. He had this presence, this masculinity and authority I couldn’t put my fi
nger on. I had no idea what to say, where to even start. So I just sat there.
Around fifteen minutes later we were in front of Rose and Cal’s. He finally broke the silence, “Say nothing about any of this to the Crenshaws or anyone else,” he said, leaning over close, uncomfortably close, looking in my eyes, “I’ll pick you up here in 3 hours. And so you know, Tia, obedience is rewarded. Defiance is punished. Remember that.” He winked at me and flashed his watch at me so I’d see what time it was.
I’m sure I must’ve looked at him like he’d lost his mind. I didn’t know what to say so I got out of the car, feeling like something slowly crawled up my spine. I felt his eyes on me, watching me, until I entered the house. I looked back before entering and the way he was staring at me made my blood run cold. Gorgeous or not, he was obviously a very dangerous man and I had no frame of reference for this situation. I needed to think. How could I get a chance to think, though? I had three hours in a house that was a bustle of activity; people everywhere. Kids that live here, graduating kids, their family members, Rose, Cal, the grandparents. I heard my name being shouted. It was Ruby. I couldn’t tell any of them what was going on with me, no way.
“Where were you?!” She cried out, running to me, her dark ringlets bouncing. Rose was behind her, looking expectantly and cautiously at me.
“I’m sorry, I…” I didn’t know how to finish; I almost started to cry.
Rose rushed over and threw her arms around me, “It’s okay darling, come; let’s get something to eat.” She directed me to the dining room table, which was covered with dishes of food, people swarming it. She just probably assumed my father had disappointed me. She didn’t push for answers. God, but I loved this family. I didn’t know what to say. I had no idea what awaited me in three hours’ time but I knew one thing for sure --- I was afraid.
Mia bounded over to us, “Did you find your hottie and take off on us for a romp?” She and Bethany laughed but Ruby was eyeing me suspiciously. If they only knew.