My Mafia Marriage

12

Natalia's POV

After finding out Enzo's true intentions with me, I went to his bar. No, I didn't come here to drink my sorrows away. Instead, I came here to gather my thoughts in a place where I feel safe. This was my favorite job, and the memories I have with this place are going to be hard to part with. Plus, I know the people here and the security will always protect me from whatever threat comes my way.

Sitting at the bar, I glance down at my hands as I settle them on the counter, debating how to feel and think about the crisis. I denied a drink from the bartender, knowing that'll only cloud my mind and make it impossible for me to process the issue at hand. Foolishly, as I gather my thoughts, it's hard for me to accept Enzo would use me as bait, but his silence spoke a thousand words.

He is heartless, and the fact that I believed otherwise was careless of me. My mind took his, somewhat kind actions and ran with them, creating a version of him in my head he isn't.

Instead, he is a merciless mafia boss, and he will continue to be one whether I marry him or not. He will never care for me and love me as a husband should. The fake version of him I'm attracted to in my mind is myself over-romanticizing his actions, making me believe he's someone he isn't.

All I will ever be to him is another woman who can get him the position he wants in life. He knew what this deal would do to whomever he chose, and I was the unlucky one to be chosen to have a miserable life with an unloving husband, all for his benefit. He never cared what being by his side would do to me, and it was ludicrous to think otherwise.

Tears filled my eyes at my thoughts, discovering that the truth is a hard pill for me to swallow. Enzo acting differently around me was his way to drag me in, and he did just that. He knew I'd overanalyze his actions and create this fantasy in my mind, making me fall for the version of him he wanted me to believe was real and caring.

Now I'm stuck with these feelings, which, once again, the man my heart picked doesn't deserve. All these feelings are doing is leading me to heartbreak, and he could care less because he can become the official mafia boss now that I signed my life away. He can live the life he wants while I fall into depression once again, dealing with a man who doesn't care about me. Another man has used me in my life, and accepting the reality of it is something I never want to do because I expected more from him.

Holding back my pitiful tears, I press my eyes shut, wanting to focus on something other than Enzo and my broken heart for once. It doesn't take long for my mind to wander to Dave, causing me to regret my impulsive thought change.

Dave's name alone makes my stomach churn in disgust. The idea of being anywhere near that man is becoming my new nightmare, creating a fear inside me like no other. I don't know what he looks like, meaning I'm in a constant paranoia of him being around me. He could be in the bar with me, and I wouldn't know, scaring me in ways Mike and Brett haven't. The fear of the unknown and the suspense of waiting for him to make a move is terrifying.

Consequently, the worst part of this newfound fear is that I'm stuck in this savage world. I agreed to the deal, and Enzo's enemies already view me as their target. Even if he lets me go, and we break the deal, those people would still come after me. He has trapped me in his life, and now I can't leave his side even if I wanted to. I'm reliant on him and his protection as he sinisterly wanted.

Someone clearing their throat snapped me out of my misery, compelling me to turn my head towards them. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion as I see a tall man staring at me with his arms crossed over his suit-clad chest. The man has medium-length graying hair, pale skin, thin pink lips flipped up in a lopsided smile, and large glasses resting halfway down his wide nose. His suit barely fits his body, baggy in some places and too tight in others. Lifting my sculpted brow at the man, I stare into his green eyes that hold darkness in them, making the hairs on the back of my neck raise.