An Arrangement for the Mafia Princess

Chapter 3- Reilly

-Reilly-

I can’t believe my father is doing this. I can’t believe he’s been hiding an illness from me.

“Will I really not be safe without a husband?” I ask Enzo.

“You won’t be safe WITH a husband,” he says. His brown eyes are kind. I remember that about him from when we were teenagers. “You can’t just marry anyone you please. I’ll keep you safe.”

I look down at my strappy Jimmy Choo’s. I thought this day would end differently. I don’t want this, but I don’t have much of a choice. Knowing of my father’s illness changes things. “Marriage is for life, Enzo. You don’t even know me.”

He nods. “I know. You can’t be that bad, though. You look nice tonight. Not quite a wedding dress, but it will do.”

I glance down at the low-cut black silk slip dress. “It’s better suited for a funeral.”

“Lucky you,” he says with a sad smile. “You’ll get one of those, too.”

I quickly turn to the door, worried about my Dad. Enzo places his hand over mine, and I turn to him. “Sorry, Princess. It was a poor choice of words. It’s MY father’s funeral tonight, not yours.”

“Is that what this is?” I ask. “You’ve got to find a wife, and my dad is so desperate to marry me off, I’m your only choice?”

He smiles at me, still not releasing my hand. “I could go down to the strip club and find someone to marry. I don’t want that, though. Like you said, marriage is forever. I don’t believe in divorce, Reilly.”

“You’re saying that like I have the chance to say no. I don’t have a way out of this.”

“If you say no, then I’ll leave. I’m not going to force you to marry me, but I need you to.”

“Why do you need me?” I ask. It’s the businesses and the money. It has to be.

Enzo finally releases my hand as he sighs. “My father was shot tonight. He’s going to die, and I can’t take over unless I’m married.”

I take a slow breath. That’s why he’s rushed. It has to be tonight. I feel slightly better that it’s not a trap and he’s not trying to take my father’s work.

“I’m sorry about your father,” I tell him, because I am. Here we are, arranging a rushed marriage, because both our fathers are suddenly dying.

Enzo nods, staring down at the ground. “I meant what I said about marriage being forever. If I have to rush into it with someone I’m not in love with, you aren’t a terrible choice.”

A laugh escapes me, and I put my hand over my mouth quickly. Enzo looks up at me with an arched eyebrow. He’s handsome. Being stuck with him may not be the worst thing to ever happen.

“Sorry,” I tell him. “It’s not the romantic proposal I always dreamed of.”

He shrugs. “I’m not romantic, but I’ll keep you safe.”

“I’d like to stay with my father until…” I let the words hang, not wanting to speak of it. I realized he wasn’t looking his best, but I thought he was just tired. Things happen that he doesn’t tell me about, and I was sure it was something stressful, and he wasn’t sleeping well. I had no idea he was sick, and I hate myself for not noticing.

“I can’t let you do that, Reilly,” Enzo says. “As soon as we are married and my father passes, I will become the Don. You’ll have to stay with me, at my house, with my men. There are always attacks with a change like that, and I’m not going to let my wife stay here, unprotected, with the guard you’re fucking.”

My eyes widen. Has he been following me?

“Anyone can see it,” he tells me. “The small touches. His overenthusiasm to touch you when there’s danger. I don’t know how your father hasn’t seen it, or maybe he has and hasn’t cared enough to stop it.”

“I want Fionn to come with me. He’s been my guard for years.”

“Absolutely not,” Enzo says firmly. “I don’t believe in divorce, and I don’t believe in taking someone outside of the marriage.”

I frown. “Because I’m a woman.”

“No,” he says, his voice low and threatening. “Once you sign that marriage certificate, I’ll not touch another woman. I can swear that to you. It’s not just a piece of paper to me. Think you can handle that, Princess?”

I nod slowly as a tear slides down my cheek. I dab it away with the handkerchief that Enzo handed me. It even smells like him, which makes it that much more difficult.

I’ve resisted marrying any of the men my father has presented to me. Some of them were probably decent men whom I could have learned to love, but I didn’t know the whole story. I feel so lied to. If I’d known that my father was sick, if I’d known the danger I’ll be in once he passes, I would have taken things seriously. I feel trapped, like I wasn’t ever really given a chance at love.

Love doesn’t exist in our world, and if it does, it will be taken. Dad knows that all too well. I remember that day more vividly than I remember anything else from my childhood- the gun shots, the sirens. I keep the scar covered, because it wrecks my father to see it. It’s just a reminder of losing my mom and almost losing me.

He’s spent every day since blaming the Espositos for it, and in one moment, he decides it wasn’t them. It’s been fourteen years, and he let it go like it’s nothing, and is sending me into their home.

I look at the man I’m supposed to marry. He has a brother my age. I don’t know exactly how old Enzo is, but he’s not much older than Luca. I was seven when the attack happened. There’s no way Enzo killed my mother. His father may have, but he’ll be dead soon.

“I’m scared,” I say softly. “I grew up being told your family killed my mother. How often will I see them?”

Enzo frowns. “Everyday. We all live together.”

I shake my head rapidly. “I can’t. No. No.”

He reaches over, placing his hand on mine again. “I swear. We didn’t do that. No one from the Espositos went after her.”

“I was shot, too,” I admit nervously. He keeps saying that no one went after Mom, but they tried to kill me, too.

Genuine shock crosses his face, and it’s another sign they had nothing to do with it. “I didn’t know that. I don’t think my father knew that. Reilly, none of us, not one, ordered a hit on a little girl.”

I nod and look away, pulling my hand from his. I understand what he’s saying, but I’m still so scared. I’m scared of his family. I’m scared of the changes. I’m scared to marry a man I barely know who is a violent killer. More than any of that, though, I’m scared to be alone after my father dies.

Sean McCarthy is not a good man. Rephrase that- he’s not a man who has lived by the law. He runs the Irish Mob, though it’s dwindled. He has a few legitimate businesses, at least, I think they’re legitimate. The illegal dealings are what make the most money, though, and they’ve been kept a secret from me.

Dad sticks his head in the room and asks Enzo to join him. Once he leaves, Fionn slips in. I rush to him, wrapping my arms around him.

“Don’t go with him,” he says firmly.

“I have to,” I say, my voice a sob. “My father is sick. This is my only chance to be safe.”

He shakes his head. “We’ll run off together tonight.”

My lip quivers as I reach up, gently running my fingers along one of the scars leading up from his mouth. “I can’t. Dad said I can’t hide from these men.”

Fionn nods slowly, his eyes closed as if he’s in pain. “I can try. I can find another group. We can go live in a cottage in the highlands.”

“I will never love anyone the way that I love you,” I tell him.

Fionn leans down and kisses me. I hear the door open, so I grab his shirt, not allowing him to break our last kiss. I don’t care if it’s my father or my future husband. They’re not going to ruin this.

“Ahem,” my father clears his throat. My father looks furious as I turn around, but Enzo appears unbothered by our display.

“Get out,” Dad tells Fionn.

He takes a step away from me, but pauses, turning to Dad. “Sir, if we can arrange it, find a safe house. With the right men…”

“No,” Dad all but shouts. His ears are turning red, and that vein on his forehead is starting to pulse. It only happens when he’s angry. “Absolutely not. Get out.”

Fionn doesn’t make another sound as he exits the room, leaving me with the two men.

“Father Callahan is here,” Dad says, turning to Enzo. “Sorry. I couldn’t get an Italian tonight.”

My soon-to-be husband shrugs. “I’m sure God will respect an Irish priest if it’s all we’ve got.”

Dad smiles like he’s smiling at his best friend and not the man he’s decided on a whim to marry his daughter to. “We can head out to the garden.”

“No. Inside,” Enzo tells him, neither of them bothering to look at me. “I don’t believe I was followed, but I won’t take the chance.”

Dad nods, stepping out into the hallway. Enzo steps toward me, holding his hand out, a bundle of flowers in it. “Sorry. It was dark.”

“You picked flowers for me?” I ask, taking them from him.

“I thought it might liven up the bride’s funeral attire,” he smirks.

I suppress a laugh because this doesn’t seem like the proper time for jokes or laughter. “Are you sure this is what you want? As you said, this is forever.”

He nods, his eyes taking in my body. It makes me feel nervous. “I’m sure, Reilly. We’ll get this done and then go to the hospital. I’ll get you home as soon as possible so you’re completely safe.”

I nod. “I should pack a bag.”

“I asked your maid to. We need to move quickly. I need to be with my mother.”

“Of course,” I say, feeling foolish. I hadn’t even considered that while he’s here, marrying me, his mother is at the hospital alone.

I’d like to say I can’t imagine how she feels, but I can. I know it well. I watched my father grieve for years. He never brought home a girlfriend. There was no one serious, ever. He was gutted when Mom died, and nearly went insane trying to keep me safe.

Dad and Father Callahan walk into the office, accompanied by two guards, although not my Fionn. Enzo verifies that the license was pushed through and is completely legal before offering me his hand.

I hold the mismatched flowers in one hand and offer the other to Enzo as the priest begins a brief ceremony of vows. I’m surprised when Enzo reaches into his pocket and produces rings. He hands me a simple, gold band to slide on his finger, but when he slides mine on, my heart nearly stops.

“I picked from what Sean had on hand. If you don’t like it, we’ll get another. Whatever you want.”

“No,” I say softly, staring down at the ring. I’d designed this months ago. It’s simple, featuring a five-carat diamond and smaller diamonds adorning the gold band. Our head designer didn’t like it, but I felt like it was something I’d like to wear, and Dad approved it. “I made this.”

Enzo smirks. “I thought it looked like something you’d wear.”

The priest carries on before pronouncing us man and wife. I haven’t been nervous through the whole ceremony until now. It suddenly feels real, and I can admit that it feels scary.

Enzo leans in, gently cupping my face, as his soft lips graze mine. It’s sweet, but it’s short-lived as he quickly releases me and moves to sign the marriage certificate. I join him, slowly signing my name and my life away to a man I barely know who is taking over the mafia tonight.