morte di un fiore; book one

↳ introducing dimitri & alexandra

POV: ALEXANDRA GUILIANI

'i cant believe you're getting married in three days,' i said, my feet propped up beside marcella's on the coffee table. if mom saw she would strangle us.

'me either,' my sister said quietly, i could tell she was nervous. at nineteen, she was already older than many other girls in our world when they entered marriage. my sister had been promised to dante, a handsome underboss that was recently promoted by our father. 

'although i'm excited, its unfair that you're leaving me right after dad just got back from new jersey, i want more time with everyone together.' i lean my head on my sisters shoulder, and she sighs. growing up, marcella has always been less interested in marriage than me; despite being matched with dante since she was fourteen. my dad, marcelo guiliani, has yet to find me a respectable match, and with my age already climbing it seems as if he will never find me someone to marry. frustration soon clouds my judgement, 

'when do you think dad will find me a match.' i complain, marcellas solemn face turning into a soft smile. 

'because no one is good enough for you alexandra, you're too high maintenance.' i frown at marcella's comment, and storm up from my spot on the couch.

'thats not a real answer...' i puff out in frustration, waiting for marcellas response. when she doesn't say anything i start to make my way to dad's office, 'fine i'll ask him myself.'

my father, marcelo guiliani, is a man to be feared. he is the capo of the chicago outfit, one of the biggest crime families on the east coast. the other crime families fear my fathers wrath, but to marcella and i he is just our father. 'is something the matter, you look upset.' dad says as i stomp into his office.

'i just want to know why i haven't been matched with anyone and marcella has had a match since she was fourteen.' my tone is bratty and whiny, i mentally cringe as my voice sounds like a two year old about to throw a tantrum. if anyone were to speak to my father the way i do they would have been dead yesterday. the sheltered life my sister and i grew up in definitely had an impact as to how privileged we both were.

'il mio fiore, we aren't ready for you to leave us just yet.' i huff and cross my arms over my chest.

'don't be like that, cherish the years you have at home, you have your entire life to be married.' 

'didn't you marry mom when she was seventeen?' my dad frowns, and looks down at the paperwork on his desk. 

'i was seventeen as well. all of our underbosses are either too old for you or they are much younger, i will wait until your older to match you up with someone so they aren't marrying a child.' he answers me, still occupied with the papers on his table. 

'what! the youngest underboss that is older than me is fabiano, he's 27! can't you marry me to someone from another crime family?' i can feel tears creeping up from under my tear ducts, and dad doesn't answer me.

'please dad, please?' finally, my dad takes his eyes off of his paper work quickly, 'no mob family is as powerful as the outfit, you will not live anywhere else other than chicago do you hear me.' i can tell my dad is starting to get angry as he raises his voice, so i nod in compliance. 

'i- how was new jersey?' my tone is quiet, trying to change the subject so my father doesn't get any angrier than he already is.

'these aren't questions a woman should be asking, definitely not something a wife should be asking.' 

'fine.' i bite out, swiftly storming out of my dad's office. 

'you should pick out a dress for marcella's wedd-' i slam the door before he can finish his sentence.

POV: DIMITRI GENOVESE

'are you ready? we've got a wedding to crash,' i said, grinning. excitement sizzled under my skin, an emotion i haven't felt since the death of vincenzo and gianina. 

lorenzo sighed, checking his gun and shoving it back into his holster. 'as ready as i'll ever be for this insanity.' 

'i think you mean genius, marcelo guiliani wont know whats fucking coming.' 

lorenzo is unamused but agrees, 'i cant lie, it will take every fiber of my being not to rip marcelo to shreds.'

'we will get him, my plan will bring him to us eventually. i want him to suffer first.'

'i don't like the eventually part. i have a feeling this plan has more to do than just punishing marcelo guiliani.' i leaned back against the car seat and respond to lorenzo's comment.

' and what would that be?' my mouth pulled into a dark smile

lorenzo met my gaze, 'about you getting your hands on marcelo's daughter for whatever insane reason.' 

'you know exactly why i want her.'

lorenzo leaned back into his own seat, his expression tightening, 'i don't think you even know exactly why you want her. but i do know that girl will pay for something she wasn't responsible for.' 

lorenzo had always been the most realistic and rational out of the three of us brothers. following vincenzo's death and our sister gianina's sudden suicide there was only one man who had been at fault for the destruction of our family. 

'she's part of our world. he led her toward a pack of wolves. its his mistake, and she will be torn apart because of it.'

lorenzo shook his head. 'fuck, dimitri. you're crazy.'

the car lulls into a peaceful silence, a silence similar to the calm before a storm. after a few minutes we pull up to the fancy venue where marcella guiliani's wedding is taking place. obviously no one from the genovese crime family is invited –that fucking guiliani bastard killed our capo in cold blood– but i do notice a few people from the famiglia new york crime family. 

my eyes sought out the middle-aged guy behind the wheel of a bentley limousine parked in the driveway of the hotel. A fucking flower arrangement on the hood. white flowers. i wanted to squash them under my boots. 'they're making it too easy figuring out the car of the bride," i said with a laugh.

"because they don't expect an attack. it's never been done before. funerals and weddings are sacred." lorenzo responds to my comment, but i decide to ignore it. lorenzo pulls up next to the bride's limousine, putting the suv in park. 

i grab lorenzos shoulder and he snaps his head towards me, 'we are genovese's. we have our own set of rules, our own idea of honor; thats something that marcelo guiliani just doesn't fucking get.' 

i pause for a second and chuckle, 'think they will finally realize that today.'