Hot tears of humiliation burn my eyes as I put the itchy, lacy wedding dress on. It's old-fashioned and long since gone out of style. I never imagined my wedding day being like this. I'm sure my parents didn't either. Despite their many shortcomings, I still want to believe they wanted the best for me.
"You don't look quite as innocent as I'd thought," Vitto mutters, his eyes still drinking me in with undeniable hunger. "But I suppose it will have to do. We're going down to the chapel now. There's a priest down there waiting for us."
I pale at the thought of being married to Vitto. Somehow, I believed Adrian would miraculously find me by now and stop this, but there's no sign of my dark knight in shining armor.
I follow Vitto out of the room, grateful for the small mercy that he hasn't attempted to hurt me yet. I don't know what's going to happen in that chapel. All I can think about, stupidly, is that it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding.
If Vitto is having those same thoughts, he doesn't show them in the slightest. He ushers me to a car and handcuffs me in the backseat.
I'm utterly helpless yet again.
He begins the drive to the town about twenty minutes away.
I stare out of the backseat window feeling more trapped than ever. Soon, my life will really be over. Once he makes me say I do, there's not much anyone can do to protect me.
We arrive at the chapel twenty minutes later, and he keeps me handcuffed as he marches me into the chapel.
The gun comes out again, as does a terrified older priest. He won't meet my eyes.
I know he won't answers my pleas to help me get out of this mess, either. And I can't blame him. He's just trying to save his own life, he doesn't need to worry about me too—it's bound to end in disaster.
There's no walk down the aisle, no bouquet of flowers. It's just me, Vitto, the priest and a terrified looking woman who only speaks Italian and is acting as a witness.
"Humor me," Vitto finally speaks up. "Go walk down the aisle."
"Handcuffed?" I hiss.
"Is that a problem?" he smirks at me.
The bastard is making fun of me. He's so sick he's actually fucking enjoying torturing me like this. My hatred for this son of a bitch rises exponentially.
He ushers me to the entrance of the church.
I grit my teeth, hating every second of this. Organ music begins to play and I start walking down the aisle. My eyes are glued to Vitto, but not the way a bride's should be. I hope he knows with every step I take, just how much I fucking hate his psychotic ass.
I keep walking, telling myself to just put one foot in front of the other and take deep, calming breaths. I tell myself everything's going to be okay even though my mind and heart are both screaming at me that it won't—can't be.
I keep repeating my mantra to myself, trying to convince myself everything's going to be okay even as the world burns around me. Then, suddenly, I hear a deafening sound behind me. I turn around.
Vitto's eyes widen and he pulls out his gun. But he's too late.
Gunshots ring out and I start screaming. I throw myself on the ground in an effort not to get hurt. Feet in boots rush past me and I can hear Vitto screaming. I don't know if this is good or bad, but my heart pounds for one man only and I can already feel him here, closer than he's been for weeks...
41
Adrian
Seeing Vitto Donatti cower before me like the cowardly bastard he is will fill me with joy.
I think about all the possibilities of ending his life as we drive to the small town where he's been spotted. I can't be sure until I'm there, but a priest made contact with us, telling us a man that seemed psychotic tried to bribe him into going through with a wedding the woman clearly didn't want.
We're minutes away from the chapel, but I can already smell the change in the air.
It's not just knowing Vitto's near. I can feel Marzia is close by, too. My heart pounds in anticipation. I desperately want to see her. It's only been a few weeks but my life has changed because she's been away. Once I get my hands back on her, I vow to myself to never lose Marzia again. We belong together.
I just hope she's come to the same conclusion.
The moment the car comes to a stop, several armed guards exit with me. My father is at home - I insisted he got some rest after his tireless work finding Marzia. It's because of Father that we're on her track now. If it turns out to be my bambina indeed, I'm going to be beyond fucking grateful to him for finding her.
The men surround the church quietly and I stand in front of the doors. There's a car parked in front of the chapel.‒.something's going on in there for sure ‒ but I still can't be sure whether this is really Vitto Donatti's work.
On the men's signal, the doors to the church are broken down.
I see Vitto first. Without thinking, I shoot. Once in each shoulder, enough to compromise him but not enough to kill. I'm not done with this bastard just yet.
He screams like a wounded fucking animal. His arms won't work and his gun uselessly clatters to the floor.
My men storm the church while a woman screams and the priest pulls her away, running off.
I don't try to stop them.
My attention is focused solely on the figure dresses in white lace. I can't see through her veil, but my heart is telling me it's my bambina. I've finally found her again, and this time, I'm not letting anything break us apart.
She slowly rises up from the floor.
I approach her with steps that are slow and measured despite—the world descending into chaos around us. I motion for my men to put down their guns and gently lift the veil from her face.
And there she is, my beautiful bambina.
"Marzia," I breathe. "I finally found you."
She presses her lips against mine and my arms gratefully wrap around her waist. I lift her up, holding her body close to mine as we share the deepest kiss we've ever had. I can taste and feel the tears dripping down my woman's face as we kiss. I can also hear Vitto's enraged screaming in the background.
I let her down a moment later, giving myself some time to closely inspect her. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"He tried, but he didn't…" She shakes her head, her voice trembling. "How did you find me?"
"The priest."
"Don't kill him."
"I won't." I squeeze her hand. "What about Donatti?"
Everyone in the church is silent as we look at Vitto squirming on the floor, bleeding profusely from the two gunshots I've already given him. Everything depends on Marzia's decision. I don't know what happened while they were alone, but if she wants to spare this son of a bitch, I'm willing to let her.
"I don't give a shit about him," Marzia finally says while Vitto's face falls. "Kill him, torture him, do whatever the fuck you want. He's a monster."
"You fucking bitch!" Vitto calls out from the altar where he's lying on the ground surrounded by guards. "I'm going to fucking kill you for this!"
"No, you're not," I tell him calmly. "In fact, you're done killing altogether. Where's Luigi?"
"He's gone," Marzia whispers.
"That's right," Vitto mutters, looking proud of himself. "I fucking killed that bastard just like I'm going to kill you all."
"You sound really confident for someone who's about to get their brains blown out," I hiss at him. "Maybe you should reconsider the words leaving your filthy mouth, if you want to be around longer than the next few minutes."
"Fuck you!" Vitto snarls at me.
"You got any attachment left for this piece of shit?" I motion to Vitto's figure on the floor, addressing Marzia. "Or am I free to fucking end this once and for all?"
Marzia ponders her words. Whatever she sees, Vitto's a fucking goner. "He’s killed so many people…Kill him."
"What?" Vitto's eyes widen in disbelief. "No, Marzia! I love you."
"And I don't love you," she replies with a wicked smile.
I raise a gun to the man who hur
t her. "Look away," I order my bambina.
She does as I say.
Vitto's scream of anguish is cut short by the bullet I lodge in his brain.
And just like that, it's fucking over.
Marzia lets out a sigh of relief as if she's been holding it in for weeks.
I embrace her then, feeling her frail body against mine. I briefly wonder whether she's realized she's pregnant yet, reminding myself she had no idea when she left the Estate. "Promise you won't leave me again," I whisper against her silky hair. "Promise you won't run from me, bambina."
"I promise," Marzia breathes and we share another deep kiss full of emotions.
Once we pull back, I put on my stern face. I know I have to give Marzia a choice now. I've fucked around with her head enough and she deserves to be happy with our without me. "My father has told me to give you two options," I begin. "You can come with me, back to the Estate... or we can give you some money, start you over in the States."
"I have to leave?" she whispers.
"Only if you want to," I tell her. "It's up to you, bambina. I'm here to give you whatever you want and need."
"I want to stay with you."
My heart soars and as much as I want to instantly accept her answer, I know I have to make her think before I do that. It wouldn't be fair to anyone if she changed her mind weeks into this. "Are you sure? Because once you make up your mind, there's no going back."
"Of course." She looks at me with a shy expression. "I hoped you would come here and save me... I want to be with you, Adrian. Being away from you only made me realize how strong my feelings are for you."
"But you ran away," I remind her. It still stings, the pain of knowing she ran from me after everything we've been through.
"I thought your father was going to kill me."
"What?"
"I overheard you," she goes on. "You were talking in the hallway at the Estate, trying to decide when and how to get rid of me."
"You must have misunderstood, Marzia. Father doesn't want you dead."
"He did when I was last there."
"That's a thing of the past. Nicoletta is gone. Father has given us permission to marry."
"Really?" Her eyes sparkle. "Let's do it then."
"Here?" I glance at the bloodied chapel. My guards have carried out Vitto's corpse but it's still a bloodbath in here. "Are you sure, Marzia? We could have the perfect wedding, everything you've ever dreamed of."
"I don't want that," she replies vehemently. "I want to be yours."
I can't tell her no after that statement. She's already wearing a wedding dress, and I don't give a shit that it's stained with the blood of her ex-fiancé. We're doing this, and we're doing this right the fuck now.
One of my men finds the priest, convinces him we aren't going to hurt him, and brings him back to the chapel.
The man seems terrified of me, recognizing me instantly as part of the Bernardi famiglia, and doesn't argue when I present my request.
The ceremony is quick and efficient. I pull out the wedding rings Marzia gave me, the ones from her nonna and nonno.
"You kept them," she whispers as I slide her grandmother's ring on her ring finger.
"Of course I did," I smirk. "They're a little thinner. I had to have them redone to fit us."
The smile on her face is tentative but gives me so much fucking hope for the future and I can't help grinning like a fool myself.
She puts my own ring on and the priest pronounces us married. I capture Marzia's mouth in a deep kiss that makes the priest clear his throat meaningfully. Smirking, I pull back. "Ready to go back home?"
"Yes," she whispers.
We leave the chapel. Marzia and I are loaded up into a car, separated with a screen from the driver. It gives us some much needed privacy and I take advantage of it, my eyes drinking in my new wife. She's changed from the bloodied wedding dress into a shirt of mine belted like a dress, and she's staring out the window as we drive back to our Estate.
My mind is racing from everything that's happened today. Perhaps it was cruel, murdering Vitto, but I also know I've been more in touch with my emotional side today than ever before. My hand finds hers.
She squeezes my fingers, finally meeting my gaze. There are traces of tears in her eyes.
"Are you upset?" I find myself asking.
"It's taken a lot of bloodshed to get to this point," she whispers. "I'm just—glad it's all over now. It's time for some happiness after all this darkness that's been hanging over me."
I smile. "Then I have something to tell you that might cheer you up."
"What?" Her brows shoot up and she cocks her head to the side. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"
"I was going to tell you the day of the wedding. But you were gone before I got the chance. But before I explain... were you at the docks that day?" I stare at her hard, needing to hear her answer.
She seems to know what I'm talking about and merely nods. "Yes, I was there. And I will forever regret not stopping the boat."
"Why?"
"When I saw you. I knew I’d made a horrid mistake. Then Vitto and Luigi…" Her whisper fades away. "They killed that guard and my maid, Eleanora. They didn't even give them a chance. Just shot them right when we arrived at the property where they were staying."
"Eleanora's gone?"
Marzia nods.
"I'm sorry, bambina. I know how much you cared for her." I can do nothing to fix the sadness on her face.
She turns to stare out of the window while a silent tear rolls down her cheek.
"I know I can't make that better," I find myself saying. "But the news I have for you might make things a bit easier."
She smiles, turning toward me as another tear slides down her face. "What's the news?"
"Do you remember taking an ovulation test before you left?"
She nods.
"Well... it wasn't an ovulation test."
"What then?" She furrows her brows, waiting for my answer just as the truth starts dawning on her. "Oh, Dio..."
"You're pregnant," I tell her. "We're going to have a baby."
For a moment, she just sits there wordlessly, her eyes dancing over my face as if looking for confirmation that this is true.
I'm convinced she's upset, that she's going to start sobbing and hate me even more, but then the most innocent smile pulls on her lips.
"Are you serious?" she asks.
"It's only an at home test, so I can't be sure," I remind her. "But we'll see a doctor back in Palermo to confirm it."
"I'm going to have a baby," she whispers, her voice breaking over the words as her hand gently rubs her belly over the shirt she's wearing. "Your baby."
"You're going to make me the happiest man in the world," I tell her firmly. "Just don't ever run again."
42
Marzia
Arriving back at the Bernardi Estate feels different than it did before.
When I got here that first time, it was clear to all those around me I was a mafia captive, a prisoner of the Bernardi famiglia.
But not this time.
This time, I feel like a queen as Adrian helps me out of the car, holding my hand gallantly as he leads me up the stairs and into the house.
In the hall inside, there are maids, guards and some of the family already waiting. Julian is there, along with Santino, and Bruno has made an appearance, too.
When Bruno sees me, there's a smile tugging at the corners of his lips even though he won't let it spread across his face. "You worried us, running away like that," he grumbles. "Didn't you think how worried Adrian would be?"
I take a step closer to him.
"Don't pester her, Father," Adrian says. "She's been through a lot."
"Very well." Bruno's eyes rest on me for a second longer than necessary, then he finally allows himself to smile lightly. "It's good to have you back, signora Da Costa Bernardi."
I bow slightly in front of him.
Everyone lets us
pass.
This time, I don't get my own quarters. Adrian has already told everyone we've married, and we're shown directly to his rooms where the bed is sprinkled with rose petals. A large parcel awaits in front of the bed, tied up with glittery ribbon.
"What's this?" I tug on the bow, meeting Adrian's eyes curiously. "A gift?"
"Open it," he suggests.
I do as I'm told, pulling the ribbon off. Underneath, there is a multitude of treasures. My framed paintings, a huge empty canvas and expensive paints make me smile wider than ever before.
I know this is the man for me. He's gone out of his way yet again, to ensure I'll feel safe and good in the Estate. He's gone above and beyond for me to prove his true feelings, and I don't doubt him anymore. Everything that happened had to happen the way it did. Otherwise, we wouldn't be staring right here, right now.
"Thank you." I kiss Adrian's cheek.
When I try to pull away, his arms proprietorially wrap around my waist, pulling me against him. "Where do you think you're going?" he murmurs against my cheek. "I've been without you for weeks... Don't you think you should show me what I've been missing this whole time?"
"Of course," I purr. I take his hand and gently place it on my belly. We share a smile between the two of us. Besides Bruno, no one knows we're going to have a baby just yet, although I'm eager to reveal it closer to the delivery date. We have to see a doctor first, but it seems we're getting a little distracted.
Slowly, I pull Adrian's hand over my breasts.
He caresses me cheek, cupping my face and leaving a soft, gentle kiss against my lips.
I know he wants this as badly as I do, and I know his heart beats only for me. All my doubts are gone now. We belong together, and we've proved again and again, we deserve our happily ever after.
As Adrian lowers his lips to mine, I allow the lust descending over us to take over. I want nothing more than to spend eternity in this bedroom with my husband, showing him how much I love him every second of the day.
Adrian's Vengeance: A Dark Mafia Romance Page 26