Page 19 of Vices and Vows
“Gia is Cosa Nostra. She knows her place. Perhaps it is you that needs to curb your expectations, no? Once married, you’ll be expected to run a household and have babies. The nightmare you’ve been living will finally be over.”
“This nightmare is my life. And though it may seem meaningless to you, I’ve been happy for the most part,” I choke out, wondering if he’d still sound so calm if I puked all over his expensive suit.
“You’ve been living a life of servitude when you should have been living like royalty. But don’t worry, all that will change.”
The man has a screw loose. I’d rather be living on the streets than rich and married to Aldo. I don’t say anything, though, mostly because the shock has rendered me speechless. He must take my silence as acceptance because he smiles at me like an indulgent father, making everything feel so much worse. I need to get the hell out of this office and this life for good.
“Where is Gia?”
“She’s lying down.”
“Right, well, you can leave early. I’ll have her night guard cover you. In fact, you should probably take some time off. You need to start making sure you have everything in order. Tie up any loose ends you might have and pack up your things. Don’t worry about clothes or anything. They will all be bought new—something more befitting of your station.”
I stare at him, trying to piece together this version of the man with the one I heard stories about from twenty years ago, but I can’t. Whatever threads of humanity resided in him have frayed tothe point of snapping. I feel cheated getting this version of him, though it sounds childish to admit it.
“Yes, sir. Is there anything else?”
He pauses momentarily, watching me in that unnerving way of his. “I want to see you once a week, just you and me. I don’t have much time left, and though I understand the need for secrecy, I’m out of tomorrows.”
Something in my heart twists, but I don’t let it show. “Of course. Just let me know the time and place, and I’ll make sure there is someone to cover Gia.”
He sighs like he wanted a better response, but I have nothing left in me to give him.
“You may leave.”
I nod, then turn, pull the door open, and slip away before he can change his mind. I drive home on autopilot, my mind swarming with thoughts, each more toxic than the last. By the time I step foot in my house, I’m so full of pent-up rage I want to smash something. I strip out of my clothes and climb into the shower, turning the temperature up until it’s almost unbearable. I sink to the floor and rest my head against my knees.
I’ve never been a big crier. Seemed to me that tears were a waste of time that solved nothing. But right now, I couldn’t hold them back if I tried.
I cry until the water runs cold, but I refuse to beat myself up over it. My whole life has been flipped on its head, and whatever road I take now is going to leave me at the mercy of a madman. I guess the only choice I get to make is what type of crazy I want to risk it all for.
By the time I climb out, I’m completely drained. I dry off and crawlinto bed, determined to give my brain a slight break from it all.
I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring. I briefly contemplate throwing the thing across the room before I think better of it.
I crawl out of bed, take another shower to wake myself up, and dress for the day in my usual suit. Taking time off might not be a bad idea, but I can’t walk away without making sure I have people to cover me, especially today when the charity gala is on.
Thankfully, when I make it to the estate, the don isn’t around, but Gia is. I knock on her door and let myself in, as she’s putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She looks flawless in an off-white pantsuit with a raspberry-colored camisole underneath. Sophisticated and chic and every inch the Mafia wife.
I wince inwardly at my thoughts as my eyes drop, and I see the massive rock on her finger. What the fuck?
“Aldo and I are getting married. We’re keeping it secret right now because Daddy is worried it might bring out the crazies. But in a month, I’ll be Mrs. Aldo Lambardi. Can you believe it?” I look up at her, and she beams a huge smile at me in the mirror.
I stare back down at the ring. Are they fucking kidding me? And what are the chances they’ll expect Gia to give the ring back so that Aldo can slide it on my finger afterward?
Something about seeing it solidifies my decision to talk to Vice. But the guilt over knowing this is all a sham makes me feel physically ill. I won’t marry Aldo, no matter what happens, but I don’t want Gia to marry him either. This is all such a fucking mess. I need to keep my mouth shut, though. This whole thing relies onme keeping quiet, but seeing that smile on her face makes something in my chest crack.
“Are you sure about this?”
Be quiet,Nova.
She turns to look at me. “You’re not jealous, are you?” she asks before laughing.
“No, Gia. I just don’t want to see you get hurt, and Aldo’s reputation is brutal.” I lay it out for her, hoping I can change her mind about him so that when everything comes to light, she escapes relatively unscathed by it all.
She rolls her eyes before turning back to the mirror to touch up her makeup. “He can do what he wants to his whores. I don’t give a fuck.” She shrugs.
“Well, you should. You haven’t seen the way he’s left them. I have. They don’t deserve that.”