BLOODY MAFIA #1: Connected by Honor

PROLOGUE

My fingers shook like leaves in the breeze as I raised them, myheartbeat quick. Luca's strong hand was firm and steady as hetook mine and slipped the ring onto my finger. 

White gold with twenty small diamonds. 

What was meant as a sign of love and devotion for other couples wasnothing but a testament of his ownership on me. A daily reminder of thegolden cage I'd be trapped in for the rest of my life. Until death do us partwasn't an empty promise. There was no way out of this union for me. I was Luca'suntil the bitter end. 

The last few words of the oath that men swore when theywere inducted into the bloody mafia could just as well have been the closing of mywedding vow:"I enter alive and I will have to get out dead." 

I should have run when I still had the chance. Now, as hundreds offaces from the Chicago and New York Familias stared back at us, Running away wasno longer an option. Nor was divorce. Death was the only acceptable end to amarriage in our world. 

Even if I still managed to escape Luca's watchful eyesand that of his henchmen, my breach of our agreement would mean war.Nothing my father could say would prevent Luca's Familia from exercisingrevenge.My feelings didn't matter, never had. I'd been growing up in a worldwhere no choices were given, especially to women. 

This wedding wasn't about love or trust or choice. It was about dutyand honor, about doing what was expected.A bond to ensure peace. 

I wasn't an idiot. I knew what else this was about: money and power.Both were dwindling since the Russian Mob 'The Bratva', the TaiwaneseTriad, and other crime organizations had been trying to expand theirinfluence into our territories. The Italian Familias across the US needed to laytheir differences to rest and work together to beat down their enemies. 

I should behonored to marry the oldest son of the New York Familia. That's what myfather and every other male relative had tried to tell me since my betrothal toLuca. I knew that, and it wasn't as if I hadn't had time to prepare for thisexact moment, and yet fear corseted my body in a relentless grip.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest said.I raised my head. Every pair of eyes in the pavilion scrutinized me,waiting for a flicker of weakness. Father would be furious if I let my terrorshow, and Luca's Familia would use it against us. But I had grown up in aworld where a perfect mask was the only protection afforded to women andhad no trouble forcing my face into a placid expression. Nobody would knowhow much I wanted to escape. 

Nobody but Luca. I couldn't hide from him,no matter how much I tried. My body wouldn't stop shaking. As my gaze metLuca's cold gray eyes, I could tell that he knew. How often had he instilledfear in others? Recognizing it was probably second nature to him. 

He bent down to my height. There wasno sign of hesitation, fear or doubt on his face. My lips trembled against hismouth as his eyes bored into me. Their message was clear: You are mine.

3 YEAR AGO

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Hope you all like the Prologue, Aria and Luca are imaginary characters, I'll give their physical description in chapters till then Add this Story in your Reading List and WELCOME TO WORLD OF BLOODY MAFIA.