Filed to story: Bound by Honor (Aria & Luca) Drama Story
Aria didn’t say anything, which was a sign in itself. She usually always tried to defend Luca.
“Are you and Luca still fighting?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it fighting. We’re basically ignoring each other. He’s angry at me for keeping you and Romero a secret from him, and I’m mad at him for making you marry Brasci.”
“He isn’t making me, Aria. Father is. Luca’s acting like a Capo should. I’m not his responsibility but the Famiglia is.”
“Good God, Romero has really rubbed off on you. Please tell me you don’t really believe what you just said,” Gianna said.
“I won’t have you all risk everything for me.”
Gianna touched her forehead in exasperation. “We want to risk it for you. But you have to let us.”
Even if I said ‘yes’ now, what could they do? Both Luca and Matteo wouldn’t help us, not when they were surrounded by Outfit soldiers. This would be suicide. And Romero? He would do it without hesitation and get himself killed. Father’s words flash in my mind again. No, I had to go through with this. It was the only option.
Someone knocked and a moment later Maria poked her head in. She was one of my bridesmaids, even though we still weren’t talking much. “You need to come out now.”
She disappeared before I had time to say something.
“I can’t believe Father is married to her,” Gianna said. “I don’t like her but I still feel sorry for her. Father is a bastard.”
I barely listened. My vision was turning gray. Fear filled my bloodstream, made me want to bolt. But I held my head high and lowered my veil over my face. “We should go now.”
“Lily,” Aria began but I didn’t give her the time to finish whatever she wanted to say. I hurried toward the door and opened it, startled to find Father right in front of it. I hadn’t expected him to wait for me here. I knew he’d lead me to the altar but fathers usually waited in the ante-room. Maybe he’d worried I’d run off in the last minute.
“There you are. Hurry,” he said. He slanted a hard look at Gianna when she and Aria walked by but didn’t say anything. He held out his arm for me. An image of him with Maria popped into my head and I wanted to throw up. I put my hand on his forearm and let him lead me toward the main part of the church, even though every fiber of my being wanted to get away from him. Inside the church music was already playing. Before we entered, Father leaned down to me. “You better convince Benito you’re a virgin or he’ll beat you to death, and if he doesn’t I will.” He didn’t wait for my reply. We went through the double doors and every pair of eyes turned toward us.
My feet felt like lead as I walked toward the altar. Benito waited for me at the end of it, a proud grin on his face, as if he could finally present his catch to everyone. Despite the risk, my eyes searched the crowd until they settled on Romero. He leaned against the wall on the right, an unreadable expression on his face. I tried to catch his gaze, even though it would have made this walk even harder but Romero didn’t even glance my way. He was completely focused on Aria, playing the part as her bodyguard.
I returned my attention to the front, hoping no one had noticed the detour my gaze had taken.
In the spot where my mother should have been was Maria, hunched shoulders, pale skin, sad eyes; maybe she thought nobody was looking because this was the first time she hadn’t put on a brave face. This was a taste of what I would look like soon enough. I peered up at Father. He on the other hand seemed rejuvenated, as if the marriage to a barely twenty-year old had allowed him to drop a few of his own years. Didn’t he miss Mother at all? She should have been at his side for my wedding. My eyes sought Romero again. I couldn’t seem to stop. And Romero should have been the one waiting at the altar for me. We reached the end of the aisle and Father handed me over to Benito. Old-man fingers curled around my hand, sweaty and too firm. Father lifted my veil and for a moment I was worried my disgust and unhappiness were plain as day but from the look on Benito’s face, he didn’t seem to notice or care. I didn’t listen to the priest as he started his sermon. It took everything I had to stop myself from peering over my shoulder, seeking out Romero one more time.
While the priest and the gathered guests waited for my ‘I do’, I considered saying ‘no’ for a brief moment. This was my last chance, the last exit before I was forever stuck on a highway to unhappiness, or at least until I figured out a way to get rid of my husband. Was I even capable of something like that? I couldn’t even smash a fly when it bothered me.
Just say ‘no’. I wondered how people would react if I refused to marry Benito?
Benito would be furious, and so would Father. But my sisters and Romero, they would understand, would probably fight everyone else to protect me. Benito cleared his throat beside me and I realized how long I’d been saying nothing. I quickly said what everyone expected even when the words tasted like acid. “Yes, I do.”
“You may kiss the bride.”
Benito grasped my waist. I stiffened but I didn’t push him away. His rough lips pressed against mine. I could taste cigars. I pulled my head away and turned to our guests with a forced smile. Benito shot me a disapproving look but I ignored him. If he knew how much restraint it had taken not to shove him away, he wouldn’t be mad at me for ending our kiss a bit too soon.
Taking my hand, he steered me down the aisle. My eyes darted toward Romero but he was gone. I searched the entire church, not finding him. He probably hated me now that he’d seen me kiss Benito and didn’t want anything to do with me. Would I ever see him again?
Romero
I should have never come to Chicago. Watching Lily stride down the aisle toward Benito, I felt like someone was squashing my heart under a boot. I wanted nothing more than to stick my knife into Benito’s eye very slowly, see the light leave him, hear his last labored breath. I wanted to skin him alive, wanted to give him more pain than any man had ever endured.
I forced my eyes away from Lily and focused on Aria as I was supposed to do. She looked back at me and gave me an understanding smile. I didn’t react. I shut off my emotions like I’d learned to do in the first few years after my initiation when seeing people get killed or tortured still bothered me.
“You may kiss the bride.”
My eyes shot toward the front of the church where Benito fucking
Brasci had put his hands on Lily’s waist and was practically dragging her toward his body. I saw red. I wanted to kill him. I pushed away from the wall, turned around and walked out of the church. I didn’t run like I wanted. I moved slowly, as if nothing was wrong. Fuck, what a fucking lie. Everything was wrong. The woman that was supposed to be mine had just married some old bastard.
I headed straight toward our rental car. I’d wait there until it was time to drive to Brasci’s mansion for the feast.
***
Luca hardly left my fucking side at the wedding party. He probably worried I was going to lose my shit on everyone. He wasn’t wrong. Every time I glanced toward Lily and Benito, something snapped in my brain. I couldn’t stop imagining pulling my gun and putting a bullet in Benito’s head, and then one in Scuderi’s head for good measure. If I was lucky, they wouldn’t stop me quick enough.
Aria came toward me after dinner. I wasn’t sure if I could take her pity, but I wasn’t going to send her away. She was only trying to be kind. “You don’t have to stay, you know? Luca is here for my protection. This must be hard for you. Why don’t you go ahead and find yourself a hotel? I’m sure you don’t want to spend the night under the same roof with Benito.”
Tonight. So far I’d managed not to think about the wedding night too much. “No. I’m fine. I can handle this.”
Aria hesitated as if she wanted to say more but then she headed back to Luca.
When the party drew to an end, I could feel myself getting more and more agitated. And then what I’d been dreading happened. Benito and Lily rose from their chairs to head to the master bedroom for their first night together. A crowd followed them, cheering and making suggestions of what should happen tonight. My pulse quickened and my fingers longed to reach beneath my vest.
I trailed after them, though I knew it was the last thing I should do. I had always prided myself on my control but I could feel it trickling through my fingers.