Game of Vows

BLUEBELL My phone rang at exactly midnight. “Luka is dead.” I sat at my vanity, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The wedding dress hanging behind me felt like a cage. It was heavy with expectations I never asked or cared for. Tomorrow, I would become Bluebell Ricci. A wife to a mafia I had met just once. I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hello?” A sharp breath followed and then.... “Luka Ricci is dead.” The voice whispered. “Your fiancé is dead!” “He was murdered.” The voice added and then, ended the call. The words hit me like a bullet and the room spun. The wedding ... The alliance. Freedom... I felt nothing or maybe I didn’t know what to feel. I didn’t know if to be excited or upset or disappointed. The words didn’t make sense. Couldn’t make sense. Luka Ricci, the man I was supposed to marry tomorrow. He belonged to one of the most dangerous mafia families in the country. “And if you want to live, you need to listen carefully.....” Could this possibly mean freedom? A sharp knock at the door snapped me back to reality. “Open up, Blue.” My father’s cold voice came. My hands shook as I unlocked the door. Father stood there. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room; shoulders tense as if expecting danger to pounce on us any minute. “Luka is dead.” He whispered, glancing over his shoulders. “We don’t have much time. You have to leave immediately.” “What? Why?” A strange chill settled in my bones. Father constantly glanced over his shoulder as if someone was watching us and then ran a hand down his face, suddenly looking older, more exhausted than I had ever seen him. “Luka’s death does not change anything. The Riccis will demand compensation. If you stay here, they will use you in ways I can’t protect you from.” “What did you do, Father? Did you kill him?” I held him back, my heart racing. If he did, then this would be more terrible and even more dangerous. The Giuliani’s were dangerous. Three years ago, Father had taken a loan from Don Ricci; the head of the Ricci clan, to pay Mother’s hospital bills. Needless to say, Mother died. Father could not pay the debt and the Don insisted I get married to his son, to offset the bills else he would kill Father and Rosabell, my little sister. I chose the former as I could not afford to lose my father or my sister. “Listen to me. Do exactly as I say. No questions. Just go.” His voice cracked on the last word and he let go of me. “I have a friend. Someone powerful. He can help you disappear.” My stomach twisted. “And what about you? If they cannot find me, what about you? What about Rosabell? They will come for you both. I cannot leave. I am ready for whatever they have to bring. I cannot afford to lose you both.” Father took my hands, his grip quite firm but trembling. “I will take care of myself. Also, I have made arrangements for both you and Rosa. He will take care of you both and they will never find you. I will take care of myself. Bluebell, please. This is our only chance. If any of you dies, I won’t be able to survive it.” The decision was hard. More difficult than I could have ever imagined but I had to protect Rosa. She was just a young girl in her college years. She didn’t have to be dragged into all of this. “Okay.” I swallowed hard and nodded. Relief flashed across Father’s face as he muttered. “Hurry. I have spoken to him and he will be here soon.” I turned towards my closet, my hands moving on instinct as I grabbed some clothes and stuffed them into a small bag before proceeding to the living room. And then—a knock. Loud. Sudden. I froze and father’s face paled as we stared at each other. “Hide.” He whispered. His hand instinctively reached for the small gun he kept in the drawer but his fingers were shaking too much to hold it steady. How had the gun even gotten in my room? Without thinking, I dashed behind the heavy curtains, pressing myself against the wall. Then came another knock. Harder. More insistent. Father stepped out but I knew I couldn’t let him go alone hence I tiptoed right after him. His fingers trembled as he reached for the handle. BOOM! A c***k of thunder split through the sky at the exact moment the door burst open. Father stumbled back; his footing lost as he fell hard onto the floor. A figure suddenly stepped inside. Tall and cladded in a black tuxedo. His presence sucked oxygen from the room but that wasn’t what made my heart drop. It was his face. I knew that face. Everyone knew that face. Luka Ricci. The man who was.... dead. My body refused to move and my mind screamed that this wasn’t happening. My lips parted in a silence gasp, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress but then... he didn’t look the same anymore. His eyes..... He used to have amber eyes but this.... this were a dark, chilling green. A colder gaze. Or is it contact? His aura was darker and more dangerous. “Why do you both look like you just saw a ghost?” He snickered and then, settled comfortably in one of our sofas. With a terrifying calm, he continued. “I am Makari Ricci, Luka’s twin and..... Bluebell’s new fiancé. Wife to be would be more appropriate, considering our wedding is in few hours, right?” He quizzed. A sharp silence fell over the room. No, this couldn’t be happening. Luka never had a twin. Not one anyone knew of. Suddenly, his eyes landed on me, pinning me in place before he stood up and proceeded towards me. “You were promised to my brother.” He started. “And a Ricci always claims what’s his.” “You.... you can’t be serious.” I managed to speak with a trembling voice. “I do not know who you are. Luka is dead. I do not have to marry you in his stead. That... that wasn’t ... that..” “You were promised... to a Ricci. Now., let me make something clear to you, Bell. “His lips curled into something dark. “You were never marrying Luka. You were...” He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. “You were always meant to be mine.” He chuckled and took a few steps away from me before reaching for the door. “I just thought to make thing clear. Our wedding is in a few hours and I do not like to be kept waiting. And if you try to run.... I will hunt you down myself.” The room collapsed around me and .... my heart stopped.