A Wrong Divorce

Chapter 1

Elijah

"You married Liliana a year ago, Elijah.." My brother, Mathias's dark eyes were keen as he regarded me with curiosity. He was only two years younger than me but that didn't stop me from appointing him as my consigliere when I took over the Mafia from my grandfather. Matt was the only person other than my grandfather whom I trusted with my life. So, if he said I married than woman whose face I don't think I have seen before, then it must be the truth.

"Why? The last time I remember I was dating Natasha Roberts.." And she too wasn't exclusive. I had other women to sleep with as well.

He nodded, picking up the apple from the side table, and then pulling out a knife from his coat pocket to slice the fruit open. "You did but that was a long time back, brother. Grandfather threatened you to make one of our uncles or worse their sons his successor if you didn't marry Liliana. So, you obeyed even though you hated the idea of marriage.."

"You gotta be kidding me.."

"I wish I were but I am not, big brother.." He smirked.

"So what then? Don't tell me I simply stopped seeing other women after I got married.." That sounded so unlike me. I was always power hungry, no denying it but I would have never changed the way I have lived my life so far just because I was married. I was fascinated by all the female attention I received and it was hard to even imagine I'd given it up for a woman that I got married under some kind of pressure.

"At first you didn't.." He shook his head. "You were still sleeping with Natasha after you married Lily but as shocking as it may sound, after a few months into marrying her you stopped going to Natasha or to any other woman for that matter.."

"Impossible.." I refused to believe him this time.

"Trust me in this.."

"Why would I do so?" I was puzzled.

"According to what you told me Lily asked you to pick her or the other women.." He grinned, displaying his perfect white teeth.

"And I picked her?"

"You did.." He nodded.

"What is she? A sorceress?"

He chuckled, "I have asked this question to you a hundred times and sometimes I think yes, Lily is a sorceress for she had reined the wild horse in you.."

"Lily?" I cocked a brow at him, "You sound quite close with her?"

"Why? Are you jealous?" He chuckled, aiming the apple core into the dustbin and I wasn't surprised when it fell right into the trash.

"Jealous.." I snorted, humorously, "My foot. See I don't remember this woman we are talking about. And you say we were married for almost a year.."

He got up from the chair which looked ridiculously small for him, "Look.. Give yourself some time, Elijah.. " All the humor in his face was replaced by sudden seriousness, "I am sure things will slowly start to fall into their place.."

I didn't bother giving him a response, "What about my car?"

"Your car didn't survive the crash.."

"And what do our Intel have to say about the crash? I doubt it was an accident.."

"It wasn't an accident. Somebody tried to kill you.." He didn't sugarcoat things.

"Hmm, I knew it.." I gnashed my teeth together, "Who do you think it was?"

"The Russians, Chinese, or perhaps someone from our own family who doesn't want you as the capo of Chicago. We have made too many enemies to know that, Elijah.." He chuckled ruefully.

I nodded, "Right. Settle the payments.."

"The doctors said, you need to stay another night, brother.."

"Tell them to fuck off.." I ripped the IV off my veins and threw it away. "We need to find out who wants me dead.."

***

My bedroom door was slightly ajar, but I found a woman sitting on the edge of my bed before I could walk in.

What was her name again? Ah, Liliana.

She seemed immersed in the book she was holding in her hand. It looked like the book in her hand was a bible and she was praying. That's ridiculous! To be married into the mafia and have faith in God. It was double standard.

If I was a normal human being I would have waited for her to finish but I was nothing normal so I banged the door wide open making her jump.

I thought I would be the one to give her a shock however she was the one to do so. In a matter of seconds, she had a gun pulled from beneath the pillow and aimed it at me. I instantly pulled my gun in return but my focus was scattered.

Her hold on the gun was precise, unwavering as if she had used it a hundred times before. I was so well versed in handling arms and ammunition to judge someone's aim and hers was impressive. And I might say, her gun held between my eyebrows could leave me bleeding to death in an instant.

However, when she noticed it was me, she slowly lowered her weapon.

"Elijah, what are you doing here? You were supposed to spend at least another two nights at the hospital.." Pushing the gun back in its place, she rushed to me but didn't dare come near me. She better not.

Disregarding her, I walked into the bathroom needing a shower to get rid of the stickiness and the hospital smell off me.

When I returned wrapped in a towel around my middle, Liliana was standing near the window, her hands crossed over her chest. She was quick to pick up my presence behind her and turned around in her spot.

"You have just been in an accident. You need rest, Elijah.." Her tone was pleading but also demanding at the same time. It annoyed me. Nobody talked to me in that tone. Who did she think she was?

I narrowed my eyes on her, "Look, I don't know if you know this but I hate when I am told what I should do.."

I told her in my most threatening tone, something which made every person in front of me cover but strangely it did not affect her, as if she was immune to it or something. She raised her chin high in the air and held my gaze unwaveringly.

She licked her lips and opened her mouth to object, "Elijah, you.."

"You heard me.." I interrupted her, silencing her from saying anything further, and walked out of the room.

I needed to meet my lawyer first so I called him to my office as I drove there myself. My head hurt like bitch but I needed to seek some things out and it can't wait.

"Elijah.." After a knock, Dante, my lawyer peeked his head into my room. In addition to being my lawyer, he was also my trusted soldier.

"Get in.." I ordered him, rummaging through my desk drawers for anything that would tell me what had happened in the last twelve months of my life.

"Are you okay?" He was one among the very few men who knew about my memory loss. We didn't want word to get out. A capo with memory loss would be considered a weakness.

"Do you think I am okay?" I stopped doing what I was doing and slanted him a questioning look which shut him up.

"I want to know everything that's happened in these two years.." Matt might be my confidante but there were still so many things that I kept from him and my strong guess was, that there had to be certain things that I hid from him about this marriage too. "Let's start with my marriage with Liliana, alright?"

He dropped on the seat in front of me. "You weren't very happy about the idea of marriage.."

"That's no surprise to me and I know Kent blackmailed me into marriage.." I nodded at him to continue. "Tell me something I don't know.."

"Your marriage to Liliana strengthened your ties with the Genovese.."

"How so?"

"Liliana is Richardo Genovese's niece.."

"Marco's daughter?" I raised my brows in surprise. Marco was the Capo and New York was under his control. He was liked by my grandfather and my father while he ruled and they had a pact to never come into each other's business. However, his whole family was slaughtered brutally and his eldest daughter was the only one who survived.

"Yes.." He continued, "but you were planning to nullify the marriage once you had gained control over Chicago as the Capo.."

I frowned, "Then why haven't I divorced her yet? From what I know I have been a Capo for over six months now.."

He eyed me curiously, "I don't know what exactly happened between you both but you didn't want to proceed with the idea of divorcing Liliana anymore, Elijah. I brought it up when it was safe to but you said it wasn't necessary anymore.."

"I don't understand. What made me change my decision?" I scratched my forehead. I wasn't the one to be easily manipulated out of my plans.

"Liliana.." He said in almost a mutter. "I think you started to like her, Elijah.."

"Don't give me that bullshit.." I growled.

I never connected myself with another human being emotionally. That wasn't my character. Even though I deeply cared for my siblings, I never let my emotions control me. If I had previously planned on divorcing Liliana then I would have divorced her after I had her used. I can't believe, I had changed my mind. There's got to be more to this and perhaps Dante didn't know about it.

I needed to find that out before my head exploded.