Liam takes his left hand off the wheel. “I can’t see what I’m doing so I’ll need you to help me out here.” I believe he wants to put the ring on my finger for me, so I put the box in his direction, pressing the ring up to his fingers and he takes it out, holding it for me. I slide my wedding finger in through the hole and he holds my hand. “I truly hope you like it.”
“I do. I wouldn’t have lied to you. It’s more than I deserve, honestly.”
Liam tears his eyes away from the road, looking at me sternly. “Caprice, stop saying things like what you just did. You, of all people, deserve everything good this world has to offer. You’ve experienced far too many horrors and I’ll be working as long as I can to show you how amazing life can be.”
Moments like these make me happy I chose to come here. To pretend and be some southern woman named Amber hiding under the mafia families’ nose. Hell, he probably could tell I wasn’t really from the south because my accent was atrocious, but I’m satisfied with every decision I made which led me in this direction— to him.
Sometimes when I can’t sleep I think about what might’ve happened to Alessandra and I if I had chosen to run somewhere else. At first, I didn’t think anything would go wrong. I thought I was smarter than the rest of my family, but even though Alessandra trusted me, she still has the mentality of a child and wanted out. Now she knows she was wrong in making the choice, but regardless she would’ve called Francesca and our evil sister would’ve ratted us out.
Marrying these men was the only thing that saved us. Maybe our guardian angels were watching over us. I’d like to believe so anyway.
Liam pulls into a parking space outside of a hotel. “He rented out the entire hotel for the gala tonight. We have a suite upstairs, and considering the company at the house . . . I’m sure you’d rather stay here.”
“Oh, yes. Please.”
Liam and I get out of the car and head inside to the front desk. He checks us in and we both get our keys. He hands one to me and I slide it into my clutch, slipping my hand in his as he leads the way. It’s obvious Liam has been here a few times, weaving in and out of rooms as if he knows the hotel like it’s the back of his hand.
He pushes open a door and we walk inside to a room filled with at least two hundred people. Music blasts through the speakers. Various people are on the dance floor with their dates, while others are over at the bar or buffet table.
Even though the room is distracting enough my eyes land on someone who has a pair of perilous ones, begging me to start the war we know is coming. I just happen to call that man ‘father’.
30
“I’m not in danger. I’m the danger.”
~ Unknown
Caprice
Most women would smile sweetly at their father from across the room, thrilled by merely having their presence in the room. Although, I can’t relate. At the sight of him, I feel vomit rising in my stomach as anxiousness spreads throughout my entire body. Sweat beads on my forehead and my heart picks up its pace.
Liam leads me into the center of the dance floor as Ella Henderson’s Yours comes through the sound system. “I have to confess, I’m the type of dance partner who will step on your toes,” Liam tells me with a wink, causing me to laugh.
“I’m not much better, so we’ll take it step-by-step,” I declare. Sliding my hands around his neck, I intertwine my fingers together and weave with him.
The soft piano playing in the background pairs beautifully with Ella’s voice. She tells a story of her love for her boyfriend, from the smallest moments of sharing a bed with him to wearing his coat. Though, throughout the song, you can hear the emotion behind her fear of telling him she loves him. But she continues on, explaining how she’s ready to let her feelings burst out despite how terrifying it is.
“One day I hope you share the same feelings,” Liam murmurs against my hair as I lean my head against his chest.
“Huh?” I ask, looking up at him.
“As the woman who’s singing. I genuinely do hope we fall into this deep, riveting type of love. I’m not fucking around with you when I say I want you, Caprice. I didn’t think I would at first, but you’ve grown on me.”
“Like mold on bread,” I joke, wanting to break the mood into something more humorous. Truthfully, I don’t know how to react when Liam is so open about his feelings. I haven’t experienced anything like it before, nor am I used to it. Where I come from, men are strict, specifically hiding their feelings. You have to dig, and deep at that. Here . . . men are so vocal.
“Sure, whatever you say, love.”
Pulling my head from Liam’s chest, I peek around his arm to see if I can spot my father. He’s still there with eyes on the two of us. My father is only a few inches taller than myself, with darker skin than anyone in my family. He’s hardly ever indoors, always insisting on conducting his business outside. The sun has kissed his skin many times over, causing it to be a deep caramel color.
Standing next to him is my brother Gio. Until now, I didn’t realize how similar they look. They have the same sense of style, wearing fitted suits with deep sapphire blue shirts. My father has a pair of gold glasses on since his eyesight is horrendous, whereas Gio prefers to wear contacts.
Liam suddenly shifts and looks behind him, then back to me. “Are you three having a staring competition?”
“No, of course not.” I don’t know what we’re doing. There’s not a doubt in my mind the tension in our family is thicker than ever. My actions have rippled the tides in the DiGiovanni household, but they gave me no other choice. I bet they don’t view it the same way, though. “Did you know he was going to be here?”
“No, however, I’m not surprised. Your family has always loved to make some sort of dramatic stance. It appears it's his mere presence this time. Come, let’s go get a drink before we dance with the devils.”
I walk alongside Liam to the bar which is packed with people. I need to give props to Desmond. He sure knows how to throw together a party. After about ten minutes, Liam and I finally have the opportunity to get our drinks. He orders me a glass of sangria and a scotch on the rocks for himself.
Liam has his arm around my shoulder and I feel him deviate from where we stand. Turning to see what’s going on, I’m blown away at the sight unfolding before my eyes. My father has his hand on his shoulder, sneering as he looks to both of us. Obviously, this is why Liam moved.
“I thought your marriage was an elaborate joke,” he states. If I know anything about my father, he’s only said this because he wants to gauge our reactions.
“The only joke was thinking you could pawn this lovely gem off to Kolosov,” Liam tells him, pulling me closer to his side. I take this moment to sip on my sangria. It’s much needed at this point. While these two men appear to be acting cordial, they aren’t whatsoever.
Father blinks, obviously taking offense. “And you went and stole my daughter, the woman who wasn’t promised to you, a forbidden love of sorts. If there was any doubt you were Desmond’s son, it’s apparent now. What’s the saying? Like father, like son?”
Liam takes my father’s insult with haste, chuckling. “I suppose you’re right. We Mackenzies can’t help but take the path our heart leads us down.” He looks down at me, beaming in a way I’ve never seen before. “While our road might not have been easy, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”
Now that was one hundred percent real. There wasn’t a spec of fakeness in those words.
I ponder what I should say but slowly realize I don’t need to say anything. What I have to do is show him, so I do. Thankfully, my heels give me a couple added inches of height and I’m quick with bringing my lips to his. I take my free hand and rub the side of his cheek, kissing him with a softness that I’ve never experienced before. Warmth spills into the middle of my stomach and I realize I’m getting the butterflies, like a schoolgirl.
It feels like the entire room grows silent and we’re the only two here. While I’ve loved in t
he past, I’ve never been in love. I’m not a naïve woman and I know I haven’t fallen in love with Liam Mackenzie. Not yet, at least. But I will say I’m slowly starting to fall for the man who threw himself on the line to not only keep me safe but Alessandra as well.
Liam gently pulls his lips from mine, whispering, “Mo chloch lómhar.” I don’t know what he said, but man if it doesn’t make these butterflies of mine even more apparent. He curves toward my father. “As you can see, my relationship with your daughter isn’t an elaborate deception.”
“You seem determined to prove your point,” my father replies with a hint of malice in his tone. He slides his hands into the pockets of his pants, eyeing my husband.
“In a sense I am, but only because I know you, Gabriele.” Again, I feel the tension grow thicker in the air.
My father smirks, chuckling before he replies. “Liam, you only know me when it comes to business. Unfortunately for you, though, this is personal.”
“Right back at you, old man. Caprice here is my wife, which means she’s a Mackenzie, but I don’t have to spell that out for you, do I?”
My father takes a step forward, pressing his chest up against Liam’s. My husband has a foot or so on my father, but I feel the intimidation technique he’s trying to use. “I’m not the one you have to worry about, Mackenzie. Surely you should know that. You wanted my daughter and now you have her. It’s on you when you regret your choice. You’re the one who made the decision to take damaged goods after all.” I shut my eyes for a split second at hearing the hatefulness spilling from his mouth. No one ever wants to hear someone in their family speaking like this about them.
My father cautiously backs up, keeping his eyes on Liam who’s currently turning blood red. “Do you honestly think you’ll be able to walk out of here after speaking about her in that way?” my husband seethes, taking a step toward him.
I put my hands around his arm in an attempt to tug him back but it’s no use. Liam is too quick for me, also a bit smart too. He distracts me by placing his glass of scotch in my free hand, stalking toward my father.
Before I even realize what's happening, my father and Liam both have guns drawn, each pointing at the other. The people surrounding us don’t notice what’s unfolding until Desmond interferes with the situation.
He extends both of his hands and places them on top of the guns, gently pushing them toward the floor. “I will remind both of you this is a charity event for unfortunate souls. Today we put all our differences aside and come together for those who need our help. We can deal with this tomorrow, but not tonight. Not when we’ve all come together to support my foundation.” I’ve never heard Desmond speak to anyone this way before. Almost as if he’s physically going to put his hands on these two and rip them apart limb from limb.
“Caprice, darling . . . will you please make sure my son doesn’t get near your father?”
I nod. “Yes, of course.”
Desmond directs his attention to my father. “As for you Gabriele, I’ll allow you to stay, however, you keep yourself busy. Maybe you’re itching to find a new mistress? I don’t see Carmella with you, and there’s not a woman on your arm tonight. Look around the room, plenty to choose from.”
Placing my wine down on a nearby table I slide my hand into Liam’s and pull him with me. We need to get away from here before things get worse.
31
“Beautiful creatures cannot be confined. Her wings will grow, she’ll find the sky.”
~ Christy Ann Martine
Liam
In all my life I have never wanted to shoot a motherfucker down than right now. What he said about Caprice infuriates me to my core. I was contemplating pulling the trigger before my father came up and interjected, attempting to diffuse the bomb. I’m sure he realizes it, but he’s only cooled off the igniter. The tension between Gabriele and I will blow up and rest assured, no one will want to be around when it happens.
My wife slid her hand into mine and walked me across to the other side of the room. She probably thinks it’s a safe distance away from her father, but I’ll be the first to tell her it isn’t.
“Liam,” she mews in a soft tone, her worry evident.
“Yeah?”
“What did you call me earlier?” she asks, and I have to think about what she’s referring to. Although, nothing comes to mind. “You said something, but it wasn’t English.”
Immediately she forces a smile from me. “I called you my precious stone.”
“Stone, like a rock?” Caprice looks offended, squinting her eyes while she scrunches up her nose.
“In a way, yes. You’re steady, never wavering in your opinion. You’re sturdy and strong, not weak and fragile . . . and sometimes I wonder if you’re really a goddess. I watch the way you look out onto the grounds of our home in awe.”
“Shoot, I figured I was gonna be pissed and now you’ve just made my stomach flip upside down.”
Chuckling, I bring her into my arms yet again. We’re interrupted by my father stepping up to the podium in the center of the room, thanking everyone for coming out to support our cause. My father started a charity a few years ago which benefits the homeless as well as orphans, specifically those located here in Ireland.
He genuinely wants to help those who need it, however, he uses this gala as a front to meet with other mafia leaders. When we walked in earlier, I spotted Mariana and Ion Petran off in the distance. They’re the heads of the Romanian Mafia.
We take our seats and are served dinner while my father goes over the major triumphs of the organization, revealing we’ve helped thousands of homeless individuals and orphans this year. He handed the podium off to the face of the Mackenzie Movement, Keelan.
She continues to share statistics, picking up where my father left off, while we enjoy our meal. They even made it better than last year by having some of the kids who the foundation has helped come up and speak about what the charity has done for them. A few former homeless individuals wanted to speak as well, stating how the foundation helped them move into a community housing area, giving them the ability to look better, had volunteers help look over their resumes and got them back on the right track.
I look over to the table beside us and see Luca sitting with his arm around Alessandra. They appear to be a doting young couple, but I can see Alessandra is a bit rigid with him. She seems to be a dreamer in my opinion and fuck me for thinking this but Luca needs that. He needs a woman to pull him out of this shitshow we call reality and take him into the imagination. I’m still pissed at him and my father, however, I do think Luca deserves happiness, even if he is a real ass right now.
Caprice is sitting beside me, in my view as I have my gaze focused on her sister and my cousin. For a second, I see something I haven’t from her— pure happiness. Her eyes are sparkling at the podium as Keelan speaks, wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever witnessed. If I’m not mistaken, she has a passion for helping people. “You seem to be very interested in the Mackenzie Movement,” I state, keeping my attention focused on her now.
She nods. “I’m a fan of anything trying to help those who need it most. Honestly, I had no idea your family was in the charity business. It’s beautiful.”
“You made a mistake there,” I inform her, watching as she cocks a brow.
“I did?” she asks, confused about what it was.
“Yes. Our family, dear.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I’m still getting used to it.”
“It’s fine. You know, this brings up a good conversation for us. I can’t imagine you’ll want to work in the pub forever. Seems to me like you may want to work at the Mackenzie Movement. Would you like me to arrange a meeting with my father in a couple of weeks once things get more normal for you around here?”
She doesn’t even need to say a word because her smile confirms my idea was a good one. “Yes, I’d love to help in any way I can.”
With her answer, I lean back in my chair, sip on the new glass of scotc
h one of the waiters brought me, and listen to the success of the foundation. An hour or so passes before their presentation ends and we’re free to do whatever we want. A live band plays up where Keelan and my father were speaking, bringing a lovely atmosphere to the room . . . but I still see Gabriele here, which further pisses me off.
“Liam, why don’t we get out of here?”
“And go where?”
“Anywhere,” Caprice says, taking my hand. What the hell. A little spontaneity won’t hurt. Caprice leads me through the lobby and we walk out onto the street. She screeches like an excited young girl and darts across the street, not even waiting for the crosswalk signal to tell us its safe. She’s sure to give me a heart attack at some point.
The place she’s run off to? Only a bakery.
32
“Her little hands stole my heart, her little feet ran away with it.”
~ Paper Heart Family
Liam
I think about yelling across the street that the bakery is closing any minute now, considering it’s almost nine in the evening. But I’m proven wrong when I see their sign is flashing in the window, stating they’re open.
Huffing, I chuckle and make my way behind her, silently wondering how the hell she managed to run this fast in heels. She holds the door open while she waits for me to get into the doorway of the bakery and we walk in together.
“Hi. Afraid to tell you this, folks, but we’re closing in just a couple of minutes,” the woman behind the counter states as she puts a bowl up on the shelf.
“I knew it,” I mutter under my breath, getting a whack in the arm from Caprice.
“Do you know what you want, or should I give you a minute? Unfortunately, it’s all I can spare. My wee little one is homesick and needs his mum to get home in a jiffy.”
Forbidden Love: Book 1 in the Mackenzie Series (Leave Me Breathless World) Page 12