Game of Vows

He is Gone

MAKARI

The minute I stepped into my office, I could feel the weight of Russo's anger, pressing down on me like a storm waiting to break. I knew he would come. It was only a matter of time.

He was an old man, but he had built an empire on ruthlessness and power. He had crafted his legacy through blood, fear and iron will. And he expected me to follow his path; no, to obey him without question. That was never going to happen. The whiskey in my glass burned as I took a sip, letting the warmth settle on my chest.

My men had already informed me that he was on his way, livid and seething with anger. He wasn’t used to being defied, least of all by me.

And yet, here we were. I had married her.

The woman who was supposed to be Luka’s bride. The woman who was meant to be a pawn in Caruso’s never-ending game of alliances and debts. I had stolen her, claimed her and shattered the carefully crafted plans of the old man.

I could only imagine the humiliation he just he must have felt when he learned that I had taken what was supposed to be his prized bargaining chip and made her mine without his consent.

Good. Let him burn in it.

The door burst open and there he was; Don Caruso Ricci. His face aged but no less commanding. The years had done little to dull his sharp gaze. I could see the controlled fury simmering in his dark eyes.

“You arrogant fool.” He spat, stepping inside. I smirked, taking another sip of my drink.

“Took you long enough.” I muttered.

“You think this is a joke? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“Yes.” I said coolly, setting my glass down. “I took what I wanted.”

“You took something that wasn’t yours to take.” His jaws tightened.

“And here we are “ I chuckled. “She’s mine now.”

“You went behind my back.”

Don Caruso’s voice was calm.... too calm. The kind of calm that was far more dangerous than rage. I exhaled and leaned backward in the sofa.

“I didn’t realize I needed your permission.”

“You were supposed to bring her to my house. To me.”

I smirked and shook my head. Five years down the line and this man did not seem to have changed ... not even a bit.

His jaw ticked. “She wasn’t supposed to be your wife. She was meant for your brother.”

A slow burn crept into my veins. That name. That ghost. “He is dead.”

“And for the first time, I thought you were going to be reasonable. I thought this was your chance at redemption and you would bring her to me and…..”

I smirked and shook my head. “Did you think I’d hand over my wife to you, like an offering? And for what? So you could use her like some kind of bargaining chip? So, you could manipulate her like you did my mother? Like you did with every woman who ever crossed your path? What redemption would I want with someone like you?”

“Watch your mouth, boy.” His expression darkened.

“Or what?” I stood up, my chair scratching against the floor as I towered over him. There was a tense silence and he stared at me. I knew him well enough to see what lay beneath… the disappointment, and most of all, the realization that he was losing control over me.

Finally, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his silver hair. “You don’t know what you have done.” He muttered, his tone shifting. “This isn’t about you. There are people who needed this alliance to happen.”

“Let them rot.” I shrugged.

“Your brother was supposed to marry her.”

“My brother is dead.”

We both knew the truth. The real truth and some things are better left buried. The perfect son. The perfect heir. The obedient polished reflection of everything Russo wanted in a son. One I didn’t possess.

Instead of playing by his rules, I made mine. I stole his move before he could make it and I made damn sure that he would never be able to use her against me.

“You think you've won? You think you are safe?” He finally said and I smirked.

“No. I think I’m just started playing.” I responded and my lips thinned into a smile.

“Do you love her enough to risk your life for her?”

I let out a low chuckle, shaking my head. Love? Oh, that was for the faint of heart. She meant nothing to me. She was in fact a liability but for father’s sake, I would gladly bear it.

“I hate you strong enough to make sure she never becomes another piece on your chessboard. I'll rather take her life than hand her over to you.”

“She will betray you.” He said over his shoulder. “She will never care about you and I know for sure, that she will destroy you.”

Why would I need her to care for or about me?

“It still doesn’t change the fact that she belongs to me now. Also, I do not need her to care about me. She just has to be mine.” I insisted.

Out of anger, my father stepped out of my office. It felt so strange to call him Father. The last time I called him father was when we were still teenagers but ever since he showed me that I was nothing to him, the word seized to proceed out of my mouth.

Latter that night, I sat in my home office, going over some business reports when I heard a soft knock at the door. One of my men entered, his face tense. I looked up, mildly irritated.

“What is it?”

“It’s her… the lady you brought in. Your wife. “

I raised an eyebrow and he hesitated before continuing. “She…. She tried to escape.”

I stilled. A slow cold rage began to simmer beneath my skin.

“Where is she now?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm.

“We caught her heading for the gate.” He responded and I rubbed my forehead before exhaling and running a finger down my face.

“Bring her to me.”

A few minutes later, the door opened and she was shoved inside. She looked furious. Defiant. Beautiful.

Her hair was slightly disheveled from the struggle, her chest rising and falling in rapid breaths.

I leaned back in my chair, studying her.

“I thought I made myself clear last afternoon. Apparently, I guess the message was not clear enough.” I picked up the table knife that was on my table. For emergencies.

“Let me go.” She clenched her jaws and a snicker escaped my lips.

“Why would I do that?” I shrugged. “After all the trouble and the money spent at our wedding? Definitely not.”

“You can’t keep me here forever.” She glared. I chuckled and walked towards hers, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She stiffened at my touch.

“You are right. “ I murmured. “I won’t keep you here forever. But I will keep you as long as I want. You make this silly moves again and I will tattoo my name all over your body… with a knife so you remember whose you are. I'll make you mine in ways you'll never forget.”

I could see fear in her eyes even though she tried to mask it and a snicker escaped my lips. Before I could say another word, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted us and one of my men brought the phone.

“What now?” I probed, quite annoyed. It was one of my men. He hesitated before speaking.

“It’s your brother.” He started. My blood ran cold. Hearing about him still pierced my heart. Perhaps, he should not have been a coward. If he was like me, then he could probably still have been alive.

“What about him?” I rubbed my forehead.

“His body is gone. We can’t find it.”