What was the sudden interest in Louis, and why did she suddenly feel a heavy weight settle in the pit of her stomach? She glanced across the lawn to where Louis was pacing up and down talking on his cell. This is just a fling, nothing more, she told herself and smiled at her father.
“We get on well papa, he’s a good man, but I just don’t think marriage is in his immediate future.”
Her father was silent and the heavy weight that slowly settled in the pit of her stomach now consumed all her internal organs including her heart.
Papa is just showing concern and sharing his hopes, she convinced herself, but this gnawing voice in the back of her mind kept asking her, what was really going on. She looked up and noticed Louis crossing the lawn towards them and as he drew nearer her father got up and kissed her forehead.
“I must go meet with Stefano,” he said then nodded at Louis then headed back into the house.
She was still looking at her father when Louis came to sit next to her and wrapped his arm around her, kissing the nape of her neck, “You look troubled,” he said nuzzling her neck.
“Oh no I’m fine,” she said smiling, “it’s just papa, he seems very depressed lately.”
“I’m sure he will be fine,” Louis said and took her hand, “if you want, I can talk to him.”
She laughed softly and shook her head, “No that won’t be necessary, I’m sure he’s just home sick.”
“That might be it,” he said and pulled her to her feet. “So are you ready to go to town?”
“Si, I’m ready!” she said laughing and just like that her mood shifted. Louis knew exactly how to make her feel better, and for a moment she wondered, what if…
Chapter 7
They spent most of the day in town, and Louis was not shy to flash his credit card either and he went out of his way to spoil her. Although she felt somewhat guilty, she simply convinced herself to enjoy it while it lasts. One more week and she will be back at the grindstone and this entire period of her life would be over.
“We’re just in time for dinner,” he said as they entered the house.
The rich aroma of sautéing onions, butter and roast beef filled the air and her stomach rumbled loud enough for her to hear it.
“Well my stomach has spoken, I’m starving,” she giggled and led the way to the dinner table, but her appetite soon faded when she detected the somber mood that hung heavily in the air. She glanced at her father, then at Stefano, but neither of the two said a word. When Louis entered, he also suddenly became withdrawn and quiet. Maybe she was just imagining things she thought and sat down when Louis pulled her chair out for her.
Stefano mumbled something in Italian under his breath, which she couldn’t quite hear, but whatever it was, it clearly annoyed Louis. Did his father not approve of the fact that he spent so much time with her, she wondered briefly. But as the whispers became more urgent the mood catapulted into a driven force of negativity.
“I did not raise a coward for a son,” Stefano piped up loudly.
“I told you I will get it done,” Louis responded, and shoved his plate away from him.
She looked towards her father where he sat with a serious expression that troubled his face and she could stand it no longer.
“Excuse me, but what’s going on?”
“We will talk after dinner,” Louis said in an icy tone.
“No! We will talk now. This cannot wait any longer,” his father demanded.
What on earth was going on here? Just a few minutes ago, this place was buzzing with excitement, now it felt like the grim reaper was about to collect his souls.
“Now is not the time,” Louis said through gritted teeth as he stood up and glared at his father.
“No other time is better.”
“Enough!” It was her father who spoke aloud finally.
“Belinda, you will marry Louis in a week’s time,” her father ordered.
She looked from one to the other, trying to determine if she heard correctly.
“Excuse me?” she asked in a shrill voice, “did I hear you correctly?”
“You heard me, in a week you will marry Louis,” her father said flatly.
She could not believe her ears, her own father literally just ordered her to marry Louis. This cannot be happening, she thought as she desperately grasped for a response in the recesses of her mind.
“Papa, I don’t even know him, how can you expect me to do such a thing?” she said in disbelief, but this time Stefano stood up.
“This is not a request, your parents promised you to my son when you were just a bambino, and the time has come for them to be true to their word,” he said flatly.
“What?!” both Belinda and Louis exclaimed at the same time.
She glared at her father and then at Stefano. How could her father have made such a promise on her behalf? And as the initial shock subsided, anger and rage replaced that empty space in her soul.
“You cannot make me marry a man I hardly know! What about love and commitment where does that fit into the picture…” she started but just then Louis placed his hand over hers.
She whipped her head around and glared at him, “And you! You knew all about this arrangement, didn’t you?” she retorted and laughed incredulously, “this was all just a game to you wasn’t it?”
“Belinda…” Louis said, but she wouldn’t let him talk.
“All this time, charming me, kissing me, taking me out shopping, it was all a ploy for you to get me to marry you, wasn’t it?”
Tears were pooling in her eyes, but they were not because of sadness, they were filled with bitterness and anger.
“That’s enough,” Stefano roared as he shoved his chair back across the floor, “You will marry my son and that is final.”
She glared at Stefano with utter hatred, wishing she could scratch his eyes out, but then she caught a glance of her father’s worried gaze. Louis had also stood up and was trying to drag her away from the dinner table, but she would have none of it and she tugged her arm free.
“You’re acting like a bunch of hooligans, my god, this is not the mafia, what is wrong with all of you?” she cried out, but the silence she was greeted with was so deafening you could hear a pin drop. She looked at her father, then at Stefano and lastly, at Louis. All three with their eyes cast down liked accused criminals. And then it hit her. Impossible, she thought, they can’t possibly be a part of the mafia.
“Oh god papa, tell me it isn’t true?” she pleaded as the room started to spin. “Please papa, don’t make me do this,” she begged and before she could utter another word, the room went completely black.
Louis caught Belinda just as she toppled over and without as much as a glance at the two older men he carried her upstairs to her room. This was a bad idea from the start and right now he hated himself. He gently laid her down on her bed and instructed one of the servants to keep an eye on her and then headed back downstairs.
“Cosa stavi pensando!” he ground out as he confronted his father, “I told you I would handle this, I do not see the point of rushing such a decision.”
“The girl will be fine once she comes to terms with everything,” his father said callously.
“Why the sudden rush?” he demanded looking from his father to Gino.
“It is the only way we can strengthen our ties in the United States. With our families united, we’ll be the most prominent and the most influential family, a true force to be reckoned with,” his father stated.
“At the cost of your daughter’s happiness?” he bit out turning his attention to Gino.
“We have all had to sacrifice one thing or the other Louis; it’s a small price to pay.”
Unbelievable! He couldn’t comprehend how her father was capable of betraying his own daughter like that.
He looked at them for a moment then straightened up.
“From now on, you will both stay out of our affairs. To claim her hand in marriage would need a miracle, and I hope for your sakes that Go
d will be kind enough to soften her heart, so I hope you visit confession before Sunday mass.”
Furious with his father, Gino and himself, he stormed out. He needed to figure out how he was going to fix this.
Chapter 8
The next day Belinda was packed and ready to leave. She wanted nothing to do with her father, and as far as the Angelinos were concerned, they could all burn in hell. She was not some possession to be put on auction for the next best bidder. She was a woman in her own right.
While standing at the window, waiting for a cab to arrive she replayed every single detail of the past week. What hurt even more than the betrayal of her father, was the fact that Louis had no affection towards her. All this time he simply baited her, just so that he could reel her in like a fish. She was nothing but a business deal.
There was a slight knock on the door, which she ignored, just like the knock from earlier that happened to be a servant bringing her breakfast, which had gone untouched. There was another knock, and when she didn’t answer the door opened slowly.
“Belinda, can we talk?”
Speak of the devil! She thought as she glared at Louis, she had nothing to say to him other than the fact that she hated him.
“I was not aware of the arrangement between our parents, you have to believe me,” he said and came to stand next to her, “that was a surprise to me too.”
She tried to tune him out and shifted her weight leaning away from him. Even with his betrayal, her body still reacted to his closeness and her heart cramped painfully. Her attraction to him just made her hate him more.
“Say something,” he said quietly.
She could sense that his eyes were pinned on her but just then, and much to her relief, she saw the cab arriving.
“I have nothing to say to you Louis,” she said bitterly and gathered her luggage. But Louis was quick to stop her from taking another step and blocked her way.
“You’re not the only one who has been forced into doing things you don’t want to do. And I am just as caught up in this mess as you are.”
She glared at him and dropped her bags to the floor, “Let’s get one thing straight, NO one on this god forsaken earth is going to tell me how to live my life, least of all tell me who I will and will not marry. I am done with these games so I suggest you step aside.”
She was taken aback when Louis suddenly laughed incredulously.“I’m glad you find this so amusing.” she scowled.
The one moment Louis was laughing, and the next he had a deadpan look on his face with his lips tightly pursed. She could see the tiny muscle flex in his jaw, and when he stepped forward and stood so close she could feel his breath fan his face, she felt scared for the first time.
“You do not choose your family in the mafia, you’re born into it tesorina, and once you are a part of them, everything you own becomes theirs. Your business, your home even your bambinos and trust me there is no way out of it. So if you want the brutal truth, here it is. We are getting married, whether you like it or not.”
Impulsively Belinda raised her hand to slap him in the face, but he gripped her wrist firmly and tugged her against him and with his lips pressed against her hair, he whispered, “La calma è la virtù dei forti – the calm is the virtue of the strong.”
He left her with those words, which at that very moment meant absolutely nothing to her. When she looked back out the window, she saw the cab driving out of the gates.
Chapter 9
Belinda spent the next two days locked in her room, refusing to talk to her father or to Louis. Her life as she knew it was over. She was part of the mafia now, and organized crime was going to be a part of her future. She supposed she was always a part of it, just ignorant of her role. She was surprised that no-one came to put a tracking bracelet on her ankle to track her every move, since she should be considered a flight risk. If she had it her way, she would be sneaking out in the dead of night to flee this god forsaken fortress.
She took her out her laptop and rested it on her lap, and while she waited for it to start up, she couldn’t help but wonder if they were screening her calls and internet activity. If they were, then tuff luck, she thought as she logged into her E-mail account. She had nothing to hide, and she sure as hell would not let anyone intimidate her.
The first email that loaded was from Natalie. She clicked on it hoping that hearing from her friend would improve her mood somewhat.
Hey Bee
When did we get a new accountant? Some guy rocked up at the restaurant saying that some Louis Angelino sent him. I don’t know what’s happening.
Cheers Nat
She took a few steady breaths to calm herself; Louis didn’t lie when he said that the mafia owns everything. She tucked her bottom lip under her teeth and hit reply.
Hey Nat
Long story, I’ll update you as soon as I can.
My stay here in Italy has been extended, but I’ll keep you posted.
Love Bee
She couldn’t really admit on e-mail that she was now a member of the mafia, forced to marry the Consigliere of the Angelino family and was being held hostage. What an utter mess, she thought as she shut her laptop. She really had no say in the matter, she had nowhere to run and knowing how the mafia operated, she had two choices. She could fight them, or accept her fate. But inevitably the mafia will win.
Louis stood in the study looking out the window, by now he was sure that Belinda had come to terms with her fate, much like he had to when he was only eighteen. Being forced to marry someone against her will, and the fact that his father omitted to tell him about the promise made when he was only six years old infuriated him. Needless to say, there was no denying the fact that he was attracted to Belinda, something he hardly expected to happen.
During the time he spent with her before the house of cards came tumbling down, he got to know a confident woman, one who challenged him like none of the others ever did. And albeit he had prior notions to transform her into a supermodel to his liking, he ended up liking her just the way she was. The fact remained, they will be married and they will have to learn to live with each other, there was simply no other choice. He could only hope that she would learn to accept it, and maybe by some miracle, she might learn to love him despite his role in betraying her.
The driveway was starting to fill up with cars, family and friends from surrounding towns were all gathering to meet his fiancée thanks to his father and Gino. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. He was going to have to talk to Belinda before they faced they music.
When he got to her door, he knocked but knowing that she would not answer, he pushed the door open slightly. She was standing in front of the full length mirror trying to put on her necklace.
“I suppose I have to play the role of the dutiful fiancée now,” she said blankly.
He didn’t reply, simply walked over to her and took the necklace from her, fastening the clasp.
“It doesn’t have to be all that unpleasant,” he said as he watched her in the reflection of the mirror, “we had real chemistry before all this happened, all is not lost.”
“Unfortunately betrayal is the only truth between us. I can play the role Louis, but I cannot forget or forgive the betrayal,” she stated and turned to face him.
The truth was like a bitter wine that dried his throat and turned his stomach. But here she stood before him and he couldn’t ignore the way his body responded to her closeness. The steeliness in her hazel eyes spoke volumes of confidence fueled by anger, she was a determined and strong woman who will not only fit into his life, but become his life. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt and he cupped her face.
“Tesoro, this is not easy, but I will promise you this. I will be devoted to you always, I am a man of my word, and if it takes a lifetime to get you to forgive my betrayal, it’s a lifetime worth living,”
Belinda was stunned into silence at his words and even though she was opposed to this arrangement she could not
deny the attraction she felt towards him. What if this turned out better than she expected? She thought searching his eyes. She licked her lips and saw his eyes drop to her mouth. Her body and heart was at war with her mind.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said softly and stood on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek, then whispered; “liars make the best promises.”
Chapter 10
She turned to walk to the door, but Louis grabbed her by her arm and tugged her roughly against him. And when his lips met hers, an uncontrollable moan escaped her and she simply slumped against him in surrender. She may not agree with the ways of their families, but that didn’t mean she had to ignore the obvious sexual tension that had been escalating between them from day one. And if she was going to play the part of the Mafia Consigliere’s wife, she may as well have fun doing so. She returned his kiss with such zeal she could have easily convinced herself that this was something more than a physical desire between two consenting adults.
Louis groaned and cursed in Italian and walked her back until her legs hit the bed and she flopped down on it. The desire she saw in his eyes ignited the same desire in her. He tugged at his shirt buttons and in no time shrugged his shirt off, tossing it aside. She followed suit taking her dress off and lay before him. Only wearing her lingerie.
“Mozzagiato,” he said as he shoved his pants down over his hips while toeing his shoes off, “you are a goddess.”
“Keep up the flattery, and I might consider forgiving you,” she said wickedly and slid her hand around the back of his neck pulling him in for a kiss. His wedged his knee between her thighs and leaned over her supporting his weight with one arm, while he moved his other hand down to cup her breast.
“If flattery is all it takes, consider it done,” he teased and dropped a string of kisses from the corner of her mouth, along her jaw and to the nape of her neck. His fingers curled around the lace of her bra tugging the one cup down to expose her breast, and then he latched onto her aching tip, sucking and swirling it in his mouth.
Wrangling the Cowboy: An Older Man & A Virgin Romance Page 11
