Forced to Wed the Mafia Boss

Chapter One: Soon-to-be Don

LUCA

Sitting to the right of my father, I look around the room and I can see their fear. It is in the tense way they sit… the rolling off of them in waves. The fact that I’m in this room terrifies them. My father, uncle and best friend are the only ones here that can look me in the eyes. The rest of them are afraid of my soulless gaze. They have heard the stories of the demons that dwell in the depths of my stare.

They don't want to confirm that the rumours are true. No one here knows the truth except for those within my father's inner circle. The rest are suspicious enough to have a healthy fear of what a thoughtless move would produce.

This was not the direction my life was supposed to take. As the second son, my father had wanted me to attend college and be the 'clean' face of his business. I was supposed to run the legitimate side of his business enterprise while my older brother Marco ran the less-than-legal side. But fate intervened as the universe had other plans. Now here I sat about to be crowned don of the Moretti family.

My father never wanted this life for me. I was once his sweet Luca, the baby of the family. I was the spoiled brat. But that Luca died at the age of eight when he saw his mother and big brother take their last breath. I had heard the screeching tires and the crash before I was able to process what I was seeing. At the time, I was in the vehicle behind the one transporting my mother and brother.

I had always known the type of business my father was involved in. That's why I never questioned when my father insisted on us travelling separately. My mother usually rode with my older brother Marco; I was with my older sister Abrielle and my father would usually bring up the rear.

This was how we were travelling that fateful day when everything changed. It was a hit. Supposedly, it was retribution for similar actions taken by my father the week prior. At the time, I didn't know if it was true nor had I cared. The minute the vehicle I was in stopped, I jumped out and rushed to the flipped SUV my mother and brother were trapped in. The car was smashed and they were stuck. But before I could figure out how to get them out, my father was there pulling me away screaming it was too late. It was only as the SUV blew up a few seconds later, did I understand what my father meant by 'too late'.

From that moment onwards, it was as if a switch had flipped off inside of me. All my emotions just shut off. The only thing I felt was anger and rage. So much rage, at times I felt it would suffocate me. I became everything my father did not want me to be. To these men in this room, I had become the soul reaper or as they say in my father's native tongue 'rapitore di anime'.

These men fear me so much, that you can cut the tension in this room my mere presence generates with the blade I always have strapped to my left ankle. They see a part of them in me. The only difference is my soul is blacker than their hearts. I lost all innocence when I held my sister as we watched the flames die from the SUV mama and Marco was in.

So here I sit in this room with my father Don Leonardo Moretti and the head of the Burrowes family. I know I am making him nervous. I haven't stopped staring him in his eyes since we arrived. I don't like this man. I hate the truce they have brokered, which is why I am so hostile toward the men in this room that are not my family.

My father has decided that at age fifty-eight he is ready to retire and hand over the business to me. But he is reluctant to do so with the current blood war we are in. He has been working for the last five years to turn our empire completely legit. This is the motivation behind his bright idea to call a truce with the Burrowes and to cement said truce by merging our two families. They are not merely satisfied with signing an agreement though. No, they want blood, sweat and tears. They want a f*****g arranged marriage, in this day and f*****g age.

It is believed that by forcing me and Burrowes's daughter Olivia to marry, both sides would be more reluctant to betray the other. The only reason I'm even considering this ridiculous agreement is that my sister recently started her own family and I will do everything in my power to keep them safe. I do not want her to constantly be looking over her shoulders for a surprise attack. She has been through enough.

Plus, really and truly it would not be such a hardship to wed Olivia. I close my eyes for a minute and pull up a mental picture of her. She is tall, about 5'6" with a killer body and smooth mocha skin. She has small perky breasts, a narrow waist, and wide hips with a nice juicy butt that screams grab me. Her angular face is complimented by her full lips and doe-like brown eyes. Her nose is a bit broad, but I believe it adds to her charm. Besides, she has this habit of nibbling on half of her bottom lip which drives me f*****g crazy. No, it wouldn't be a hardship to marry her if I get to f**k her every night. I would have made a move on her sooner if she wasn't the daughter of my family's sworn enemy. If I agreed to this proposal, all of that would end soon. I would be able to f**k her in all the ways I had imagined over the years. My d**k was getting hard just thinking about it.

I know I have a thing for black girls. I love their sass and because they make up about twenty-five per cent of the country's population, they are in abundance and I've had my fair share sampling all they have to offer. So I know taking Olivia to bed would be enjoyable.

"Do you think you and Olivia will make a good match?" Don Anthony Burrowes asked, bringing me back to the matter at hand.

"Does it matter? I was under the impression our union was the only way this truce could go forward, regardless of whether or not we like each other and can make this marriage work".

"Be that as it may, I would have your word that you will treat my daughter kindly and with respect. I won't have you ill-treating her out of misguided revenge for something she had nothing to do with. Only last week was she told about this world. Understandably it has come as a shock to her."

I snort in disgust at Anthony but I won't disrespect my father in front of these men. He is still the don. Visions of putting a bullet straight through his forehead make the grin grow wider on my face. He narrows his eyes at me as if he is contemplating calling the truce off. It is apparent he loves his daughter. That is good to know. I file the information away for future reference.

My soul may be black, but I am not a monster. I do not harm women and children. However, it is not my place to reassure him. I am fine with him thinking I may do his daughter harm.

My father clears his throat to my left.

"Don Burrowes, I assure you, we both want the same thing: an end to the bloodshed. It is time we put the past behind us and move forward as a united front."

Uncle Bernardo raps his knuckles on the oak table in front of us.

"Here! Here!"

It is obvious everyone is tired of the constant fighting and killing. Seeing as how both sides are operating out of the small third-world country of Guyana, it is understandable.

My grandfather in the late 1960s moved his business from Italy to Guyana in South America because it was more economical to do so. At the time, Grandpa Matteo was having a hard time controlling the Polizia Stradale in his native country. Guyana had only two short years prior gained its independence from Britain and was looking for foreign investors to boost the country's economy. Fast forward to fifty years, and we find the Morretti family controlling from the government to the politicians to the judges and police. No one scratches their ass without our say-so. If it were not for the Burrowes, our power would be absolute.

"I agree Don Moretti. However, I hope your son - the soon-to-be the don of both our empires feels the same," Don Burrowes said while pointedly looking at me.

Done with the back and forth, I look Don Burrowes in his eyes.

"I will play my part. You need not worry. Now let's discuss the particulars of the merger."

With that, our meeting got underway.

******

When the meeting ended, both sides were satisfied. Once Olivia was willing to cooperate as her father indicated she would, there was going to be a smooth transition of power.

"Dad, do you really think this will work?" I asked my father and former don.

The Burrowes are native Guyanese. We are transplants. But both families have made names for themselves in the underworld. It had been a given that one day we would bring the two families together. It was no wonder someone had worked hard to place a wedge between us. Now was a great time to consider our options. The Moretti and Burrowes families both flourished under Don Leonardo Moretti and Don Anthony Burrowes.

The two had become ruthless not by choice but by force. Many wanted to take their place and had made a number of attempts. It was only recently we uncovered it was a third force pulling the strings on the outside to pit us against each other. We believe the unknown element was working behind the scenes to orchestrate our downfall by causing us to destroy each other. This merger was an attempt to provide a united front against a common but yet-to-be-identified enemy. Despite, the vast resources, we weren't any closer to discovering the identity of the third party. Whoever they were, they were smart and had mad money at their disposal.

What we did know for sure, was that they didn't want the families to merge.

"I believe it is our best option. Figlio, your union will force their hand and they are bound to make a mistake. When they do, you will be ready for them," my father reassured.

"Yes, but I am five years older than Olivia. And, she was only recently made aware of this life. What if she cracks under the pressure?" I said gruffly.

"That is exactly why you are a good match for her. You are mature and can be a guiding influence for her. She is a Burrowes. She will adapt."

Raking my hands through my hair in frustration, I signed. "God, I hope you are right. I don't have time to babysit some spoiled princess. I will be too busy with the merger and establishing my dominance."

"This will work. She is the light to your dark."

Pacing the window, my dad looked out at the landscape.

"Luca, you know this is not the life I wanted for you. Everything you have seen and done eats away at your soul. One of my greatest regrets is not being able to protect my family. But we are so close to legitimizing our businesses, and rooting out the latest threat. Once that is done, you can focus on making a life with Olivia and I can retire in peace."

Hearing the turmoil and regret in his voice, I walk up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder. I cannot remember the last time I touched my father. The last time we embraced. This life has taken so much from us and I have a feeling this will get worse before it gets better. I just hope my blushing bride can handle it.