Page 14 of Forced to Marry into a Mafia Family
“Good girl,” he said in a somewhat sultry voice in my ear. I froze when he used the tip of his tongue to lick my earlobe and then nibbled the spot with his teeth. Without so much as another word, he walked away to meet his father and brother. Ciara got up and disappeared, also without saying she was leaving. My cheeks grew warm as I unconsciously touched my ear that was just in his mouth.
“I promise you, Phillipe is harmless,” Victoria said, smiling over at me.
“Harmless like a fucking pitbull,” Sofia muttered loud enough for me to hear. Just as I was about to say something, the cutest toddler came running into the dining room.
“Rocki, my Rocki. Come here, my love,” Sofia said, getting to her feet so she could go greet her son. She bent and scooped him lovingly in her arms. She whispered something in his ear, which made him smile and nod enthusiastically.
Walking up to me, Sofia introduced me to her son. “Say hello to Rocki, he’s autistic, his words are very limited.” Hearing this made me think about my sister Chanel, and a paralyzing sadness took over me. I wondered what Lewis told her? She’s probably wanting to know where I’d disappeared. Smiling at Rocki, I got to my feet to properly greet the child.
He was absolutely gorgeous; he had a head of curly jet-black hair, long eyelashes that batted in front of a pair of brown eyes with a hint of grey. He could be his mother’s twin if he were born a girl.
“Well, aren’t you handsome. Hello Rocki, I’m Dior. How old is he?” I asked, lightly touching his chubby cheek with the tip of my index finger. He gave the shiest smile before he buried his face in his mother’s chest, hiding away from me.
“He’s one year old. He’s not used to strangers, I’m sorry,” Sofia apologized while running her fingers through her son’s hair.
“Oh no, that’s quite all right. I actually have an autistic sister. So I get it,” I explained. Sofia suddenly gave a strange look and stepped back.
“Um, I-I should get going,” Sofia seemed very uncomfortable, she even looked over at her mother as if she wanted her to save her from me. It was all very strange.
“Of course, honey, let me walk you out. Wait here, Dior,” Victoria said, as she got to her feet. I stood back, confused, wondering if I did or said something wrong. I watched in silenceas both women retreated toward the front door, whispering to each other. I felt as though they were discussing me, but I knew I had to keep my thoughts to myself.
I sat back down just as a man dressed in a thick white coat entered the dining room. He gave me a tight smile before he began clearing the table. As he did his job, I noticed Victoria left her phone. I curled my lower lip in as I contemplated grabbing it to make a call. Then it hit me, who exactly would I even call? Lewis… no, the police… something told me this family had the police in their back pocket. Maybe I should call Mia, but then what can Mia do? I exhaled loudly with frustration, feeling as if I could claw my own fucking eyes out. As Victoria returned to the room. I studied her closely, wondering if perhaps I could reason with her.
“Come on, dear, let’s go out to the backyard while Yusef clears the dishes,” Victoria said, smiling as she waited for me to stand and follow her.
“Ok,” I answered, reluctantly getting to my feet. I walked side by side with her as she led the way to the backyard. The greenery was beautiful as we made our way to an outdoor garden sitting area.
Victoria sat down, and I sat opposite. She stared at me curiously. I nervously crossed my legs, not knowing what was about to happen next.
“Are you excited for your upcoming wedding, dear?” Victoria asked, smiling at me. I frowned at her question because I just knew she could not be serious.
“Excited? You do know that I’m being kept here against my will? And you also know that I’m being forced to marry your son?” I blurted that shit out, suddenly suffering from diarrhea of the mouth. Victoria got very quiet as she thought about what I just confessed. Her eerie smile never faded from her lips.
“Your father stole from us. Is that correct?” Victoria asked, crossing her legs as she awaited my response.
“Lewis, who is my stepfather, did something incredibly stupid, and somehow, I’m tossed in the middle,” I told her.
“Did you answer my question, Dior? Your father stole from us. Is that statement indeed true?” Victoria tilted her head to one side as she waited for me to answer.
“Yes.” I looked straight at her as I gave my response.
“So, that simply means that until your father’s debt is repaid in full, you’ll be here with us until we allow you to leave.” The smile on Victoria’s lips slowly vanished. Something tells me that she was just as dangerous as the men in her family.
“Ok,” I replied, looking away from her and instead focusing on the beautiful backyard. Butterflies fluttered, landing on all the bright, colorful flowers that littered the plants. It was abundantly clear that my fate was sealed. I was a captive to the Ricci family, which was why escaping was my only way out. Fuck Victoria, Tomasso, and crazy ass Buddha, I was about to run for my fucking life like a runaway slave tonight.
Surprisingly, the day spent with Victoria passed pleasantly enough. Outside of her letting me know that I wasn’t about to go a got damn place until Lewis paid what he stole, Victoria’s company actually wasn’t half bad. She didn’t hesitate to explain the role Ricci women play in their husbands' lives. I was right to think Victoria was just as brutal and cutthroat as the men.
She let me know that once I’m married to Buddha, I was supposed to be his rock. It was my job to accompany him to certain meetings, not because they needed or wanted my input. Na, I was to be used as some sort of weird fucking prop. Apparently, I was supposed to sit there and look fucking pretty, while the men did man things. It was fucking ridiculous, if you asked me. She explained that men from different cultures had different rules for conducting business.
Some mob bosses required the men's spouses to be in close proximity because they believed it brought good luck. Meanwhile, other races of men believed women should steer clear because it brought nothing but bad luck.
Victoria went on to let me know that Ricci women were strong, never weak. Ricci women were who kept their husbands grounded, but we did it respectfully. Talking back or expressing ourselves in what would be considered an out-of-place manner was an absolute no-no. Well, that sucks for me. I guess I’d have to stay quiet half the time.
“You have to know when to stand your ground, and you have to know when to shut the fuck up. The faster you learn when to let the correct temperament out, the better. Buddha is complicated; he’s going to test you in more ways than one. He’s going to make you wish you weren’t born on some days, and on the other days, he’ll make you feel like the only woman in the world. Always try to figure out how to get the latter out of him. Trust me, you do not want to see the side of him where you wish your mother had never birthed you.”
I listened closely to Victoria speak about her son. I couldn’t even lie, I was very intrigued. For some odd reason, I wanted to know more about him. For instance, what made him so complicated? How did he earn the nickname Buddha? Fuck, I even wanted to know why he only fucked strippers and escorts. Too bad I would never find out, because tonight, I was gone.
Victoria even made me help plan the farce of a wedding. She made me choose a dress and decor. I pretended to give a fuck, choosing a beautiful Balenciaga gown that came with a ridiculous price tag. I’m not sure if it was my imagination or not, but Victoria seemed as if she was truly looking forward to this fake ass marriage and me marrying into this crazy mafia family.
