Married to the mafia boss Series

Angelo

I don’t know how long I was unconscious for. I wake up in the middle of a new day, sore, weak, and worried.

I’m at one of our warehouses, our private doctor in one of the rooms with me accessing my wounds and changing one of my bandages. I was hit in my shoulder and back. Doc tells me I was lucky the bullets went clean through.

“You have someone here to see you,” the doctor says.

I perk up thinking it’s Anastasia, hissing through the burning pain in my muscles as I try to stand up. My sister comes running through the door wrapping her arms around me.

“When we heard I was so worried I made Antonio take me to come see you. Are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” I grumble. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.”

Liliana looks hurt from my words. “I-I was worried. I still am worried about you. Angelo, you haven’t been the same since…”

“Since I went deaf,” I finish for her.

“Yes,” she grips my forearm. “Please don’t shut me out.”

I look over her shoulder to see Antinio, arms crossed, leaning against the threshold, and giving me his famous Capo scowl. I know I’m on his bad side for how I’ve been treating Liliana, but now is not the best time for them to be here. Not with Anastasia at my house. I was able to give last minute orders, tell my driver to take her home, have one of my oldest and trustworthy men take her home, and have Isabella get her settled in.

“How long are you staying?”

“Well, I’ve been trying to tell you some good news. I thought I could stay a few days.”

“Where?”

“Where?” Antonio repeats aggressively. He pushes himself off the threshold and walks toward me. “We are staying at your house because my sister hasn’t seen you in nearly two years and whenever you come to Chicago you stay with us. Well, now we’re here in Boston, we are family, and we’re staying with you.”

I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Anastasia. Hell, I don’t know how I’m going to explain to Liliana who she is.

“Come on,” Liliana wraps her arm around my waist. “The doctor said you’re good to go home. Antonio has a car waiting.”

My leg bounces with anxiety the entire way home. Antonio gives me a death glare as Liliana talks to me in her bubbly tone. She talks about Viola and how she’s being watched by Arabella and Carmelo right now. I almost wish she had brought Viola, all I’ve seen is pictures of her these past two years and my goddaughter is growing fast.

My palms sweat as we enter the elevator and as we go up floor by floor I try to think of excuses and lies to tell. I try to remember the name I told Carlo at the restaurant.

Carlo, last I saw of him he was on the ground bleeding out. I hope to God he made it out okay. This reminds me that I have even more business to attend to as Don. My men are going to be angry. This is the third attack from the Bratva and we need to retaliate. Their version of retaliating is hurting Anastasia and I will never lay a finger on her. I refuse to.

Entering my apartment I tip-toe around looking around to see if Anastasia is anywhere to be found. Then, my stomach drops when I see her rushing down the stairs. She runs into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me tight. I’m rendered breathless for a moment as she squeezes all the air out of my lungs.

She pulls back, tears brimming her eyes. “I was so worried about you!” She is still in her pajamas, but she looks as though she got no sleep last night. Her hair is messy, face pale, eyes red with dark bags underneath them.

“I’m okay,” I sign and give her a small smile.

“Angelo?” Liliana calls from behind me.

Anastasia looks over my shoulder and begins to shy away. “What’s going on? Who are they?”

Liliana stands next to me, face to face with Anastasia. She tilts her head. “Who are you?”

Anastasia looks to me worried and confused. I almost forgot she can’t read lips.

“Liliana, this is Analia,” I scratch the back of my neck. The hurt look on Liliana’s face is all I need to know that Antonio is going to cut my balls off tonight.

Liliana reaches out and grabs Anastasia’s left hand inspecting the engagement ring. “Mom’s ring,” she says softly. “Angelo… why didn’t you tell me?”

I’m speechless. My mouth open like an idiot. I’m trying to find the right words to say to my sister. I want to apologize but even my apology would be a lie because my engagement to ‘Analia’ is a lie.

“What’s going on?” Anastasia quickly signs. Her eyes flicker between me and my sister.

“This is my sister and her husband. I had no idea they were coming. She thinks your my fiancée. Please, trust me and just go with it.”

Trust me. That is the third time I’ve asked such a foolish thing of her. How can she trust me after everything? Yet, I’ll never forget last night when I asked her why she didn’t go to her father. She had every chance to walk toward the Bratva and away from my hold. She could have been free from me but she looked at me last night with big concerning eyes and worried about me. Cried for me.

“She’s deaf?” Liliana raises her eyebrows. “How did you two meet? I don’t understand.”

“Angelo,” Antonio speaks up. “You know the Mafia doesn’t approve of outsiders. Your men are already having trouble trusting you, this won’t help at all.”

“Antonio,” Lily frowns.

“No,” he holds up his hand. “You need to break this union off.”

I feel something touch my arms. I look down to see Anastasia, so small, wrapping her tiny hand around my arm. Half of her body hiding behind mine. It’s almost as if she’s scared and taking comfort in me.

I know how she feels, not being able to understand what’s going on. The language barrier severed. She’s standing here in silence as we argue and doesn’t have a single clue what’s being said. I turn and let her know, “Everything will be okay.”

Lily saves me by saying, “We don’t have to talk about this right now. We’re guests and we are hungry so why don’t we have lunch?” She looks between Antonio and I. “Yes?”

“Okay,” Antonio says completely whipped by my sister.

“I’ll show you all to your room.” I urge them to follow me. I take Anastasia’s hand taking her upstairs and my sister and Antonio follow close behind. I give them the spare room at the end of the hall and let when get settled while I drag Anastasia into my bedroom.

“I’m so sorry. I had no idea they were coming,” I apologize.

She shakes her head and stands nearly inches away from me. Her fingers go up to the first button of my dirty not-so-white button up still stained with blood from the night prior. She undies the first button, then the second, and all the way down until my shirt is open. My heart rate picks up in anticipation.

What is she doing?

She stares at my chest, the innocent look on her face almost makes me hard. I have to fight the urge so I don’t scare her away. But fuck that look in her eyes and the way she bites at her bottom lip.

Anastasia pushes my shirt off my body and that’s when I realize she wants to see my wounds. She skims her cold, soft fingertips along my skin giving my goosebumps. She gently touches the white bandage on my shoulder before walking around me to see the one on my back.

I look over my shoulder at her, my muscles straining as her tender touch makes the rest of my body feel alive.

“Does it hurt? What did the doctor say?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

She looks down at her feet but I don’t away her to shy away from me. I use my thumb and index finger to grab her chin tilting her head up until her eyes lock with mine.

“I don’t know why but I was so worried.”

I bring my lips to forehead and leave a kiss there. I linger for a moment too long before pulling back. Not wanting to see a response from her, I quickly make my way to the bathroom to clean up and change out of my clothes.

Not even cold water on my face can calm myself. My lips tingling from the feel of her skin. My groin throbbing with intense need. My stomach in knots. Heart racing.

I take out my hearing aids and leave them on the counter. I don’t need a lecture from my sister or Antonio. I’m not in the mood to hear what they have to say-especially not about Anastasia.

Or Analia as they know her.

I change into a clean pair of gray dress pants and a navy button-up. I run my hands through my long blond hair as two strands fall in front of my face. My hair has always been golden blond and cut short to my scalp but over the course of the past three years my hair has turned into a dirty blond.

My usual electric blue eyes, which have always been a fan favorite with women, seem to look more dull, grayer. I look older and exhausted, these years being Don have seemingly sucked the life out of me.

Anastasia is waiting for me on the edge of my bed. She picks at her fingernails and only when I step in front of her does she notice me. She springs up, worry still in her expression. I hold out my hand hoping she’ll take it, and she does.

Making our way downstairs toward the dining room, Liliana and Antonio are already sitting together talking amongst themselves. I try my hardest to read their lips but I’m too far away.

Isabella is in the kitchen making arancini-one of my favorites dishes.

“No doubt my sister and brother in law will be talking about you. I know you can’t read lips or understand them so I’ll try and translate. Everything will be okay. Trust me.”

She nods her head.

We walk through the threshold and take our seats across from Liliana and Antonio. They quickly stop talking and my sister forces a polite smile at my ‘fiancée.’

My attention is on Anastasia who seems nervous, scared even, as she keeps her eyes glued to her lap. She’s still picking at her fingernails and I place my hand over hers. Her eyes meet mine and with a simple look I reassure her that I won’t let anything happen to her.

Liliana is leaned over the table and snapping her fingers directly in front of my face. “Can you not hear me?” I read her lips.

“I took out my hearing aids,” I shrug.

“Why?” Antinio looks unamused.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Because I want to.”

Liliana sighs. “Angelo, you got the surgery so you could hear.”

“Maybe I just wanted a little silence,” I look down at my food and take a bite.

My best attempt to ignore my sister is ruined when I feel her hand wrap around my arm as she tries to pull me out of my seat.

“What the hell, Lily?” I growl as she drags me into the living room and up the stairs.

Once we are in my bedroom she shuts the door and blocks the doorway. Her arms are crossed and she looks pissed off.

“Where is your hearing aid?” She taps her foot impatiently.

I rub my forehead, a headache already forming. I didn’t feel like fighting with her. I walk into the bathroom where I left it and put it in.

“I feel like I don’t even know you anymore,” she tears up.

I sit down on the edge of my bed and take a deep breath. “That’s because you don’t, Liliana.”

“If you need help we can get you help.”

I laugh. “Help? Yeah that’s all I need is for my men to think I’m crazy.”

“And what is this with your new fiancée? Angelo, who is she?”

“One of my men introduced me to his cousin. He told me she was deaf, we met, hit it off, and now we’re engaged.”

“How long has this been going on? Why didn’t you tell me.”

The only response I have is to shrug my shoulders.

“Is she pregnant? Because we could-”

“God, Liliana. No, she’s not pregnant.”

“Then help me understand.”

“Understand what? That I have the right to marry whomever I want? Fuck this. I don’t care that I’m Don and that I have to find a bride that’ll help relations. I want to marry who I want to marry!”

“You know we’ve been having trouble in New Orleans and we could use-”

“Fuck that,” I cut her off.

Liliana clenches her fists and starts pacing. “Your men won’t allow it. They will see you as reckless and impulsive. You’re already on thin ice as Antonio tells me.”

“No shit,” I roll my eyes. “You don’t think I know my men don’t accept me? They want me to be like Father or Luca and I will never turn into them.”

Her shoulders slump in defeat. She slowly walks over to sit beside me. “I know,” she says softly. “But you need to prove to your men that you are responsible and capable, marry this girl isn’t the way.”

“This is such bull-” That’s when I realize I’m fighting with my sister about being engaged to a girl who I’m not really engaged to.

“You can still see her or fuck her or whatever it is you two are doing-it’s none of my business-until we find you a suitable bride.”

“Okay,” I say plainly.

“I’m sorry,” she rubs my back. “She seems like a nice girl, but we’re Ricci’s and we always knew our lives were never going to be our own.”

Not true, I think. Luca and Liliana’s lives were never going to be their own. Luca was always going to be Father’s replacement and Liliana was always going to be married off to the best suitor. I, the middle child, the second born boy, was the spare. No one cared what I did as long as I was apart of the Mafia, Father didn’t care what I’d do with my life. As long as I didn’t disappoint him.

But she’s right in a way.

The Mafia owns us.

“We used to be so close,” she whispers.

“I know,” once again guilt makes my stomach twist.

“I’m pregnant.”

Her words momentarily shock me speechless. I didn’t know her and Antonio were trying. I didn’t even know she wanted another. It shows how much I really don’t know what’s going on in my sisters life anymore. I was always her big brother, her protector. Now, I don’t even know who I am. Only that I’m forced to live a life I want nothing to do with.

“How far along are you?”

“Almost four months.”

I haven’t even realized that she has a small bump growing. In my defense the sweater she’s wearing is oversized.

“Do you know the gender?”

“They will be able to tell in a few weeks.”

“Wow…” I trail off, “Lily. This is great. Congratulations.” Wrapping my arms around her I give her a big hug. Her hair smells like lavender and it gives me a nostalgic feeling of a time when we were children. A time when I was much happier and no worries or responsibilities. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve wanted to tell you for so long but you kept ignoring my phone calls. I was more worried than anything. Angelo, I’m scared at who you are becoming. You know all I want is for you to be happy.”

I shake my head. “This life is not meant to be happy.” Standing from the bed I make my way to the door. I look over my shoulder to see Liliana wiping her tears. “Come on, our food is getting cold.”