His Caged Dove -Mafia Romance (BOOK ONE)

Thirteen: Dove

Thirteen:

Dove

In less than a week, I was able to go out more than I had since I turned twenty a year ago.

It was weird, to go out with the freedom to choose what I wanted to wear to a certain degree. Anastasia had made it clear that I had to buy a dress that would compliment my body but also what Gedeon was wearing. She might as well be Jo March, the main character from Little Women and start shouting, "let us be elegant or die." She was practically clawing out who I assumed to be, the mall's manager eyes out who wanted to close up soon and not have to pay his workers extra to be here.

Oddly enough, no one tried to close but rather seemed terrified when they saw Aleksei and Anastasia waltz into the mall. They would greet them as if they were royalties of some sort which made me conclude Gedeon owned this mall or somewhere along the lines.

Aleksei seemed to have it worse, it seemed like the two hours we had been there to find the perfect dress for me had taken ten years out of his life. I was fine with every single dress I was given to try, but Anastasia would not have it. As she stated, something was missing.

"Where to next?" she giggled in excitement, thrusting another shopping bag to Aleksei. I swore she was about to buy out the whole mall at this point. "We've only explored half the mall and we still haven't found the right dress for you."

"I think the last one looked nice," Aleksei offered.

"You think all of them looked nice," she rebutted with a huff. "But no, we need the perfect dress. It's the first time the families will see her, and she needs to be drop dead, head turning gorgeous."

"Any reason why?" I asked, feeling nervous about tomorrow's ordeal. If anything, I wanted just the opposite of what she stated. Robert had events before, and I was his pretty little prop. I didn't like the way he made me dress with practically everything almost exposed. I didn't like people's eyes on me, especially those he had businesses with.

Those he thought would be beneficial to rent me out to.

"Well, for one thing, you're his wife," she said in a matter-of-fact way, holding up her index finger to tap her chin. "Not just anyone's wife, Gedeon, the don and most feared in New York State. To have you next to him would, I hope, make him look less so..."

"Destructive and dangerous looking?" he filled in the blank with a smile dangling on the corner of his lips. "I mean, that'll be a huge contrast, I would have to say."

He didn't have to say that again. I was always scared I would anger him, yet there was something about him that made my guard down when I was with him to speak what was on my mind. Maybe it was because compared to the men in my life to date, he was a miracle sent. He didn't get angry when I spoke up, even allowing me to speak without being spoken to.

"I swear, all the families would appreciate him more if he stopped glaring at everyone," she sighed, shaking her head before turning back to me with a gleam in her eyes out excitement. I had been wary of her in the beginning, but Anastasia had since been one I found to be trusting and relaxing to be around. "Anyways, I'm hungry so let's go to the food cart."

"I don't think Gedeon would like that," Aleksei warned, tsking. Yet, he didn't seem to try stopping Anastasia who only snorted in retaliation to his comment.

She craned her neck back at him, placing a firm hand on her waist. "And I don't think Gedeon would mind because he's going to have an earful when I get back to the estate of why you can't last minute tell someone like me to go to the mall and pick out two dresses. Two."