I kid you not, old school, go up in flames, blew up, gone, fucking bombed.
I’m kind of sad I wasn’t there to see the whole thing go down, just because it would have at least made life a little bit more interesting. Apparently, somebody wanted to kill all the Clan members that had come for this very special wedding.
That’s all I can think of, anyway, with all those people in one spot. It’s like terrorists attacking other terrorists. Kind of ironic. I don’t know who did it or the reasoning, as I am more than out of the loop. I’m in a need to know basis is all, and this doesn’t concern me.
Unless this event gets blown up too.
The happy couple had to get married elsewhere another time and date, and of course, the reception never happened. So, it’s kind of like a do-over.
Inside, the decor is plain. There is an open bar, though everyone’s hands are full of fancy flutes of champagne or glasses of wine rather than the good stuff. The stuff that really is there to get you drunk and make you forget. I’ve never been a fan of wine no matter the fact that I come from a heritage of wine drinkers and cultivators. I like my alcohol hard and fast, also something I don’t mention to my father.
I can already tell this whole thing is going to be a bore, and my father begins pointing out certain individuals, especially the men who are under the age of 50. At least, I hope that they are. I get the feeling that these Clan men are well preserved, regardless of age.
Kind of like the wine they’re drinking.
I try not to snort at my own internal dialogue, and I follow him, my heels clicking against the marble floors. Another pretentious thing the Clans have before them. And then he points to two men in particular. Two men that happen to look exactly alike.
“That is Isaac and his brother Luca,” My father tells me. He hasn’t made it a point to make sure I’ve been paying attention until this moment, and he looks me in the eyes. I try not to roll mine as I look back at him, knowing that this must be the family that he is gunning for me being a part of.
“They are very handsome,” I tell my father to appease him. In theory, I guess these two men kind of are. It’s hard to tell exactly how old they are, because they could be in their 30s, or they could be in their 20s. They have that young look about them, but a maturity in the way that they hold themselves. They are both in designer suits, and they both have blonde hair that is unabashedly natural and shiny. No facial hair in sight. And they are both over 6 foot tall.
If my father wasn’t pointing them out due to their status in some way, I might look their way or give a little flirt, but I know that there’s probably nothing to them that I want anything to do with considering my father’s pushing it so hard.
“Their family, their parents, have been Catholic all their lives. They are very devout followers of God. They always contribute to the church, and the Ungurs are the most trustworthy of the Clans other than the king and queen themselves. If I were to ever trust anyone with my precious creation, daughter, it would be them. Especially Isaac. He is quite the gentleman.”
Now, here we go with this shit.
Of course, it has to do with the church. Why wouldn’t it? The church has been my father’s life, beyond that one little hiccup that gave him me. Luckily, he has yet to remind me that in the past couple of months. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes up in some stupid conversation today while he’s trying to impress people with the story of his life.
Who knows, he might even try to convert somebody at this party who isn’t already a “devout” Catholic.
What I find particularly hilarious about this is the fact that the Clans are all mafia. That is something I do know.
The Romanian Mafia has no right to claim any bit of devoutness to Catholicism considering they are the most violent, ruthless beings ever seen, and the men all probably cheat on their wives considering that the marriages are arranged. And yet, my father blindly believes that because they say they are Catholic, there is something redeemable about them. I would hate to think that he believes that all the murders they commit are doing God’s work.
My father pulls me over to the Ungurs, and I catch one of them eyeing me. I’m a little taken aback as he undresses me with his eyes, which seem a little cruel compared to the other one’s.
Both of them have these piercing green eyes, but one of them seems to have clarity, maturity, and kindness as he interacts with those around him, while the one that is looking at me like that, seems like he’s the wolf ready to devour grandma.
I get the feeling that maybe there is something a little bit untoward about these people even though they are supposedly are members of the church.
My father brings me up to them, and the niceties began, introducing me to them both. As I begin to talk with Isaac especially; the one that my father would want me to be with, I feel there is something about him that my father probably doesn’t realize.
It’s just the little things. The diamonds on his cufflinks, the way he talks, the fact that his suit is more well-tailored, his very perfect pocket square, and the flowery smell he has around him as if he’s put on perfume. Even the way he holds himself, I begin to believe that Isaac may be playing for the other team and I’m not his type at all. So, the other one of them is ogling me, and Isaac has yet to notice that I have a pair of tits.
So, not only is my father trying to marry me off to someone that’s going to run a mafia Clan, but he wants to see me with someone who doesn’t even like women. So, I would be a kept woman for somebody who doesn’t even like women. And what am I supposed to do for fun?
I go to say a few words to the other brother, Luca, I believe my father called him, but he has already walked away.
Annoyed at the way my father is gushing over me, I know I have to get out of here.
When I got out of the car, I spied a café just across the street, and I feel like maybe that is my current escape. I should’ve gotten some strong coffee before I came in anyway.
“Thank you, Father, for that brilliant and touching story about my life. But I think that I need some fresh air here, and maybe some coffee from across the street, so I’ll be back in a bit. Enjoy the party.”
I walk away and don’t even give my father a chance to come after me or tell me that I am being rude. I don’t really give a fuck if I’m being rude in the first place. These people, a lot of them put bullets through peoples’ heads for a living or worse, so I think me walking out to get some fresh air is not really going to cause any hurt feelings other than from my father.
I walk into the cute little café across the street, something that Rome is not lacking in; one of the best things about being here. I walk in and immediately spy what I need on the menu, though there is a line, considering the time of day.
It is lunch, and so everyone is here to get their pick me up in the middle of the day. I skim over the flavor shots I can put in my espresso, and I don’t realize that I’m being huffy and mumbling to myself until the woman in line in front of me says something.
“Been a long day already?”
“Is it that obvious?” The woman nods.
She has kind of a nondescript nice face and dark hair, but there’s also something strong about her. Like she doesn’t hold anything back at all even though she’s maybe 5 feet tall, if that, and she’s got on some spiked kitten heels even though it looks like she’s either pregnant or has recently given birth. It’s hard to tell which one. But she has that mom glow.
“Well, as long as we are stuck in line together, to be perfectly blunt, I fucking hate when life is decided for me. And that seems to be what’s happening whether I like it or not. By the way, I’m Elena.”
“I’m Ivana. That sounds like a doozy to me. I feel like I’ve possibly experienced something like that myself. I would love to hear more and maybe allow you to vent. If you’ll sit with me and my sister, that is?” She points to a table at the back where a woman who looks every bit the opposite of this one— thin, all angles, fierce, possi
bly even is openly a proud bitch— sits there looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here. Though, I can kind of feel that at the moment too.
“You know what, I could use a distraction and a reason to be away from where I’m supposed to be right now, so why not?”
“You know, you may find me strange, but I’ve always believed a bit in fate when it comes to meeting people. I feel like we meet the people we do, even the people that we pass on the streets every day, for a reason. That there is some connection waiting for us to reach out and grab it. I’m excited to see what this one brings.”
Normally things like that would sound incredibly cheesy, but part of me feels the same way about her. Maybe there is something to meeting Ivana here right now when I need someone the most to tell me what I can do to take back control of my life.
And I’m fucking determined to do just that.
Chapter Two
Luca
I have no doubt, as I see her from across the room, that she is going to be my future wife. Well, at least that is my hope.
I see Pavel, invited her here for some reason, maybe because my family is helping to fund this, and he is showing her around. But instead of showing her actually around the place or introducing her to important people, he seems to be pointing out the eligible bachelors in the Clans.
I know a little bit about this man because he is close to my parents. He is a Catholic priest, and my parents are devout Catholics as were theirs before them and so on and so forth. Technically, my brother and I are baptized, devout Catholics as well, though if someone were to see me at my worst, they would have some big fucking doubts about that, but few really know what goes on behind closed doors.
Pavel has been obsessed with becoming part of the Clans, for the sake of his daughter, for years now. He was the priest that originally married Mariana's parents, and the old man is determined that his daughter is going to marry one of us. Or rather, one of the men in line to be a Clan leader. Technically, I'm not one of those men.
Yet.
My brother, Isaac, and I are twins. Apparently, regardless of who comes first in the lineup, twins have a unique situation where the parents can decide which son is actually the heir to the Clan. So, my father, Florin Ungur, decided that as we grew up, Isaac was the one who is more levelheaded and has the sense of duty to do this job.
The thing is, what I know about the Clans is that they are ruthless. They are powerful. They don’t take any shit.
Isaac smiles and takes all kinds of shit. Let's be honest, I am no upstanding fucking citizen, and I'm okay with that. I can live with that openly without any problem. But for some reason, the guy with a nice face and the smile seems to be the one everybody wants to rule instead of the one who has no qualms putting a bullet through everybody's fucking head who gets in the way.
Isn't that the whole point of being in a mafia family? To kill or be killed? Killing to gain more power?
Nobody sees it yet, but I would be the better leader, and I intend to prove it. And somehow, Elena is going to help me do that.
I've not seen her many times in my life. Pavel has kept her under lock and key, and for good reason, it seems. Her body is like something out of a magazine. Not one of those magazines that's full of Photoshopped, fake bimbos, but the real deal. The old-time pinup girls. She has curves and legs for days, but she doesn't keep some kind of fake fucking smile on her face. In all black, she looks like she could be deadly if she wanted to. Her lips are huge and luscious, and I wonder what they would feel like all over my body. And her hair, well, let's just say there's an awful lot of it to grab onto if I want.
The only thing she doesn't have going for her is that she's not a certain someone, but that doesn’t really matter, considering that someone is a woman I will never have. Something she's made clear since childhood. So, Elena is my second choice. She is as close as I will ever get, and just maybe, maybe it will work out this time.
Maybe then I won’t have to do to her what I’ve done to several women before her.
It is soon made perfectly clear which one of us Pavel is gunning for. I look at his face as he talks with Isaac; it is like one of the proud father, like they are already best buddies, family forever. It makes me sick for so many reasons.
I give Elena one last look, seeing that she is just as bored and annoyed as I am with all this, and with a bit of a quiet scoff, I walk away.
For now.
I go get another flute of champagne and watch from afar to see what might go down. I’m a little shocked when Elena straight up walks away. She looks none too happy, and it makes my curiosity get the better of me. So, I rejoin the conversation and come in on one I did not expect to be happening at a party like this.
We're supposed to be celebrating the union of Phillipe Sala and his new wife, Carla, considering the lack of a celebration last time since their wedding got bombed.
Something that I found both entertaining and intriguing, looking into who did it. Carla, Phillipe, and their families have been tightlipped about the whole thing, only truly talking about the details of it with Mariana and Ion himself. But, my sources tell me that this was a direct hit on all the Clan members in attendance; an attack by someone who used to be a member. And no one has been caught or reprimanded yet.
So, enemy number one is still lurking around out there, and I wonder if they're going to show their ugly mug here or not. At least it would lighten up the party.
"I know this may seem very forward, son, but you and your family have always been upstanding members of society, along with my daughter getting older, I think it's time we finally have the conversation. I'm not invited to many Clan functions, and I'm so glad to be sure to get to talk to you, may I be so bold?"
Isaac gives his award-winning smile, the kind that’s so white it makes your eyes hurt if you look directly at it. It's also fake as hell. "Father Pavel, you know you can always be open with me the way that we have been open with you all these years."
"That is good to hear, son, because I come here in hopes that I could start a contract with you before somebody else does. I know as the recently named Clan leader your hand in marriage is in high demand. But I was hoping being a man of faith and me being a friend of the family that I could trust you to protect and care for my dear Elena. She has grown beautiful, perhaps a little stubborn, but would make a great wife and partner for you. What do you say to a contract? I am sure we could get one of the Clans lawyers to draw it up today if you're interested?"
This is ridiculous. He's got to be fucking kidding me. Even the priest should clearly be able to see that Isaac is not the one to marry Elena for so many reasons. The first being he is way too boring for a woman that looks like that, but also because he has nothing to give a woman at all. Nor would he want to give anything to a woman, if you know what I mean.
Isaac doesn’t even want anything he has right now. Not that any of the Clan members do, but they take it up the ass anyway. But the sick thing here is that I actually want it. He knows that I want it. I have a claim, considering I’m his twin. He could just hand it all over to me, give up and go live a normal life and do whatever he wants in his bedroom without all the rules looming over him. Instead, he pretends not to want this and yet still sticks to all the rules. It makes no fucking sense.
"I do not want to upstage the festivities here right now, but if we give it about an hour or so, I would be happy to come to an agreement with you. I think that it is a great offer, and a daughter of the church is someone exactly like I would see myself marrying. I find it flattering that you even considered me, Father Pavel."
Pavel reaches out and clasps one of Isaac's hands between his, a broad grin on his face and constantly muttering thanks before walking away to the rest of the party.
The moment Pavel is out of the way, I get right up into my brother’s face, and I don't fucking care who sees.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me. You're not even attracted to women, Isaac, so why the hell did you accep
t the old man’s idea for a contract to marry Elena? You know that Pavel is going to find out eventually that you’re gay as fuck."
Isaac grits his teeth, his eyes glaring down at me as he pulls me a bit away from the rest of the party. See, the thing about Isaac is he is usually pretty kind and tolerant, but he has a temper when it comes to a shitshow like this, shit like me.
"You need to shut the fuck up about that here. You know what would happen if everybody found out that I was gay. I would lose the Clan; we would be the laughing stock of all of it. So what if I'm not attracted to women? It's not like I'll be the first to marry for something other than love. It's what we all do. Feel lucky that you get a different choice."
"See, but that's what I'm fucking talking about, brother. You don’t even want this role. You don’t want anything to do with this now, but you're going along with it? You could just give it all to me. I'll happily marry Elena. I have no problem with fucking women, and it isn’t about love or anything else, though I would think that over time she might be able to love me. It's a personal thing. Go live your life and give me the one I want. Everybody can be happy here."
"See, brother," he says, condescendingly patting me on the shoulder. How can twins be so different from each other? "This is what makes us so different. It is always what has been different about us. And the reason our father chose me, though I do wish sometimes that had been different. But it's too late now. Selfishness does not come above duty, no matter what. It's not just about us being happy, it's about what's best for the Clans, for our families, for everybody around us. We're like princes; we don't get the life that we want. We get the life that is chosen for us. We can find little moments of happiness to share, but that's all we get. I have accepted that from day one, and maybe it's time for you to accept that too."
That is about the worst shit he could've said to me. If we weren't in public, I could easily see myself strangling him to death right here and not thinking anything of it. Because selfishness is a means to an end. A good end, in my book. I might just have to do it if he doesn't buck up.
Heretic: The Clans Book Ten Page 2