Arranged Mafia Marriage

Christian

“No.” I glare between Nonna and my fake fiancee. “No fucking way, am I going to agree to this.”

I arrived an hour after dropping Aurora off at Nonna’s place and was ushered into her living room, where I caught my fake fiancee laughing at something the old woman had said. Nonna had a smile on her normally stern countenance as if she was enjoying Aurora’s company. Huh? My grandmother doesn’t bestow her smiles freely. But it’s clear that she finds Aurora entertaining enough to actually meet her separately for a coffee.

Nonna reaches for a biscotti before admonishing me. “Language,” she says in a casual voice before nibbling on the biscotti.NôvelDrama.Org © content.

“The swearing is the least you have to worry about,” I growl. “She’s my fiancee-”

“I don’t see a ring on her finger.”

“I’m marrying her in two days.”

“No, you’re not.” Nonna firms her lips. “I allowed Michael to get away with his quick wedding; this time we do it my way.”

“And that is?”

“You’ll marry her a month from now. That gives us just enough time to plan the wedding.” She smiles, anticipating victory.

“A month?” Both Aurora and I burst out at the same time.

“Is that a problem?” She glances between us.

“N … no,” Aurora stutters.

“Yes, it is.” I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m not waiting a month to marry her.”

“If I say you will, then you will.” Nonna turns to me. “Besides, a woman only has one big wedding in her lifetime. It needs to be properly planned so it’s an event to remember.”

“But Michael got away with a wedding which was organized in less than three days.”

“No wonder his bride stabbed him on his wedding day.” Nonna sniffs.

She’s referring to how Karma was so pissed off with Michael for kidnapping her then forcing her to marry him that she used Michael’s knife on him. It resulted in a flesh wound, and Michael wasn’t hurt by it, but it did make for a few rocky weeks early in their wedding.

“They are very happy now,” I point out.

“On the other hand, I think you make a valid point, Nonna.” Aurora keeps her head bowed as if deferring to Nonna’s seniority. Ha! The woman doesn’t have a docile bone in her body.

“See?” Nonna nods in her direction. “Your fiancee-to-be agrees.”

“Wife-to-be,” I correct her, “and that doesn’t mean I need to.”

“I don’t see a ring on her finger.”

“Nevertheless, we are getting married in two days.”

“Oh, no, Christian.” Nonna glares at me. “You are getting married in a month and-”

“In one week,” I say through gritted teeth. “For you, and only you, Nonna, I’ll agree to extend my timeline. We’ll get married in a week’s time.”

“Two weeks, and not a day sooner.” Nonna’s eyes gleam.

What the hell? Did the old woman just play me?

“Meanwhile,” I widen my stance, “there’s no way am I staying away from her for that duration.”

“It’s tradition,” Nonna says firmly. “You don’t sleep with the bride before the wedding. In fact, you don’t stay under the same roof as her… Which is why Aurora is moving in with me.”

“Che cazzo!” I snap. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why would my fiancee-” I raise a hand. “Yes, I plan to rectify the ring situation shortly, but why the hell would I be away from her-” I point a finger at Nonna, effectively shutting off her tirade. “No, I’m not going to sleep with her, but why should we spend the time apart?”

“To remove the both of you from the path of temptation.” Nonna folds her hands in her lap. “I was young not too long ago too, you know. I know how it can be with raging hormones. It makes sense that the two of you stay apart.”

“Fuck that,” I widen my stance. “No one tells me what to do.”

“I am your nonna.” She scowls. “You won’t go against my request.”

I dig my fingers into my hair and pull. Jesu Cristo, the old woman is pulling out all the stops here.

“Didn’t see you come up with the conditions when Michael kidnapped Karma and kept her under his roof before he married her.”

“That was different.” She waves a hand in the air. “He took her to repay a debt her father owed; she was his captive.”

“Aurora is my-” I pause. If I say that Aurora is also my captive, Nonna will never agree to this wedding. As it is, based on the interrogation she subjected both of us to the last time we saw her, it’s clear that she doesn’t completely believe the story of our falling in love and rushing to get married. Now, if I tell her that Aurora is effectively my prisoner, that will effectively destroy this entire charade before it’s even started.

“Aurora is your…” Nonna fixes me with a shrew gaze. “What were you going to say.”

“My bride-to-be,” I force the words out, “the love of my life.”

Aurora stiffens. She stares at me as if she can’t quite believe what I’m saying. Hell, I can’t believe the crap I’m about to spew, but what-fucking-ever. Apparently, dialogues from Hallmark movies are all the rage at Christmas time, and since my family has decided that Christmas this year will last well into the New Year, I may as well get into the fucking ho-ho-ho spirit here. Not to be confused with the only kind of ‘ho’ I’m familiar with-a word I dare not utter in Nonna’s company. Yes, yes, I know I used the ‘F’ word earlier, but insulting a woman by calling her ‘ho’ in front of my grandmother feels wrong, even for me.

Not that Nonna hasn’t heard it all. After all, bringing up seven boys means that she is well-accustomed to our rowdy language. Nonna has her faults, but what has never been in doubt is that she loves us. She may have stepped in a little late in yanking us out of the reach of our father and taking us to LA, but it has never been in doubt that she’ll do anything for us. She has always prioritized the lot of us. So, why has she decided to take the side of my fake fiancee right now? Unless, she suspects that our engagement is a fake and wants to catch us… But why would she do that? How would it benefit her to expose our plan? No. More likely she is doing it because she truly believes in the concept of staying apart until the wedding night.

“You’ll be allowed to visit her, of course.” Nonna nods.

No shit.

“In the presence of a chaperone, of course.”

“A what?” I glare at her, but the old woman doesn’t blink.

“You heard me, Christiano.” She pins me with her don’t-fuck-with-me look. “We will follow the guidance of our forefathers in this.”

“Fuck me,” I mutter, “this is going to be the death of me, Nonna. You know that, right?”

“Oh, phst,” she waves a hand in the air, “you kids dramatize everything. Now kiss your wife-to-be goodbye.”

“What the hell does that mean? Aurora is leaving with me.”

“Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?” Nonna pronounces the words slowly as if I’m an idiot. Well, I must be, considering I am standing here and allowing an eighty-year-old woman to order me around.

“Aurora is coming with me.” I scowl between the two of them. “Come on, Flower. You know that you want to be with me.”

“No,” Aurora tips up her chin, “I don’t want to come like that.”

“Not what you were saying just a few hours ago…” I cover my mouth with my hand and cough. “I mean, surely, you don’t mean that. Wasn’t it you who said that you couldn’t stand to be away from me for even one second?”

“You must have been dreaming, my dear fiancee-to-be.” Her lips curve up in a smile. “Besides, I ‘m seeing you at the family getaway very soon.”

“Husband-to-be,” I growl, “and it’s tomorrow.” I fold my arms across my chest. “We’re leaving on this goddamn outing tomorrow.”

“We are?” Nonna scowls. “But we need to make preparations-”

“Basta,” I hold up my hand. “Enough, Nonna. I’m allowing her to stay one night with you. That’s about all I’m going to be able to offer you right now. Take it or leave it.”

Nonna seems like she is going to hesitate, then she nods. “We leave tomorrow. I’ll call Michael and tell him now.”

“I’ll arrange to have Aurora’s clothes packed and sent over tonight, so there are no delays,” I add.

“Gee, thanks,” Aurora scoffs.

“Don’t thank me yet.” I close the distance between us, then lower my head and brush my lips to her forehead. “If I were you, I’d be careful about what you do next, Flower,” I whisper. “After that stunt you pulled, there’s a lot I have to punish you for already.”