Arranged Mafia Marriage

A week later

Elsa

I clutch the window sill of my apartment and peer out. Any moment now, she’ll be here. Any moment, I’ll get to see my heart, my angel, here again.

A car draws up. Massimo gets out of the driver’s side, while Axel emerges from the passenger side. Both glance up and down the road, and when they’re satisfied, Axel raps his knuckles against the window of the back door, which is pushed open. Theresa slides out. She reaches in, hiding whoever is in the backseat with her, then straightens with Avery in her arms.

I rush out of my apartment, down the hallway, and toward the front door. I fling it open, step out, and the two guards instantly block my way.

I stop and hold out my arms as Theresa walks up the pathway. She reaches us, and Avery spots me.

Her face scrunches up. “Mama,” she begins to cry. “Mama.”

“Don’t cry, sweetie pie.” Tears well up, and I swallow them down. No crying again, remember? You did this. Now, be strong. Do what needs to be done, and don’t let your emotions muddy the waters. Focus on the end goal-your daughter’s happiness. That’s what’s important. It doesn’t matter if you have to give up everything, even if you end up hating yourself in the process. As long as Avery is safe, everything will have been worth it. As soon as Theresa reaches me, Avery leaps out of her arms and into mine. I clasp her to my chest and rock her. “My baby, my sweet little baby.”

She cries harder, and my heart feels like it’s going to break. I turn and walk back inside and down the hallway, Theresa following closely behind me. I head for Avery’s nursery, aware of the men walking into the house behind us, as well. The door snicks shut as I enter the nursery. I head for the rocking-chair I used when I was nursing her and sit down, holding her in my arms. I rock back and forth, holding her close.

A few minutes later, the door opens and Theresa walks in with a bowl of the food I prepared for Avery.

“Thank you, T.” She stands next to me, holding the bowl as I feed Avery. After a few mouthfuls, my baby shakes her head, and instead, burrows into me.

“You sure you don’t want to eat, pumpkin?” I feed her another mouthful, then she turns her face away again.

“It’s fine.” I jerk my head toward the table. “Why don’t you leave it there for now? This is her nap time anyway.”

Avery yawns again, and I hold her close and pat her back as I rock in the chair. Within a few minutes, she’s fast asleep. I bury my nose in her hair and draw in her baby smell, which is already fading. Soon, she’ll become her own person, and I’ll have missed so much of her childhood. If only I had trusted Sebastian. If only I had told him everything.

Avery’s breathing deepens. I rock back and forth a few more times, then rising to my feet, I place her in the crib and cover her up. Drawing the curtains, I pick up the baby monitor and follow Theresa out. We walk to the living room to find Massimo and Axel deep in conversation.

Massimo points to the bag with Avery’s essentials that he has placed by the sofa.

“Thank you.” I glance between them. “How is… Seb doing?”

“He’s much better.” Massimo leans forward a little. “They’re discharging him tomorrow.”

“Oh…” I swallow. After that conversation with Seb, I had walked out of the hospital room, and Adrian had driven me home to my old apartment. He’d explained that the Sovranos had decided I should move back here and stay here for now. I wasn’t allowed out; not even to pick up Avery. Theresa and Axel would be the ones who’d pick her up and drop her back with Fabio.

After I had confessed everything to Michael that day in the hospital, he hadn’t seemed too surprised. Maybe he’d suspected it all along. Maybe he’s just seen so much in his life, this latest twist didn’t come as a shock to him.

After the doctor reassured us Seb was going to be fine, I was allowed to peek in on him in the recovery room. He was sleeping. I wanted to stay with him, but after everything I’d just told Michael, it didn’t seem like I had the right to ask to do so.

Instead, I agreed to being driven to my place, where I crashed. When I woke up, Theresa arrived with food; along with Axel and Massimo. Which is when they conveyed to me that, for now, I’ll be staying here. All of my needs will be taken care of. I’m not allowed to leave the house.

I was allowed to call Fabio and tell him that I was unwell and Axel and Theresa would arrive to pick up Avery. Fabio had met Theresa at the flower shop, so she wasn’t a stranger to him. I had expected Fabio to be uncooperative, but he hadn’t asked too many questions. After that, my phone had been taken, and I didn’t have access to internet in the house.

Other than that, I’m allowed to do whatever I want. Which basically means, I’m under a kind of house arrest. Clearly, the Sovranos don’t trust me. Not that I blame them. After what happened to Seb, I’m surprised they didn’t do something worse… although I’m still under Seb’s protection, so they’re not going to kill me. They told me that nothing will be decided about me or my future until Seb is back on his feet. That includes not moving against Fabio, for now. Seb was adamant about that.

That was two days ago, and now, Seb is being discharged.

“When… when do I get to see him?”

Axel and Massimo glance at each other.

“When he asks for you,” Massimo replies.

Of all the Sovranos, he’s the one who speaks the least, he’s also the most tatted.

Seb too has tattoos. I’ve seen them peek out from under his collar though I don’t know what they are about. But then I’ve never seen my husband without his shirt on, either. He is still my husband, right? I play with the ring on my finger. I’m still married to him, technically, at least.

“I want to see him.” I set my jaw. “I want to be there when he arrives home.”

Massimo and Axel exchange glances. At least Luca isn’t here. If he were, there’s no doubt, he’d shut down that suggestion right away.

“I’m still his wife; he’ll want to see me when he’s back from the hospital.” I hope. I bite the inside of my cheek. “Besides, he’ll need help, since he’s hurt. I can be there for him.”

The doorbell rings.

Theresa turns to me. “Will that wake up Avery?”

I shake my head. “Once she’s asleep, she’s not disturbed by noises.” I take a step toward the door, but Massimo beats me to it. Of course, I’m not allowed to open the door to my own apartment. I’m under house arrest, after all. I lock my fingers together as Massimo reaches the door and throws it open. Karma walks in, followed by Aurora. Michael and Christian follow in their wake.

Both of the women make a beeline toward me.

“Elsa…” Karma throws her arms around me. “How are you?”

Aurora pats my shoulder, then hovers next to us, while Theresa flanks me on the other side.

I’m not worried that the Sovrano brothers would hurt me. They’re too loyal to Seb for that, but it still feels good to have the women in my corner.

“I’m fine,” I sniffle as I hug Karma back.

“Are you?” She leans back and peers into my face. “You don’t look fine, babe.” She turns to Michael. “Don, this is not right.” Her voice takes on a pleading tone, “Elsa’s one of us. She also told you the truth of her own accord. Surely, she shouldn’t be punished for it?”

I draw in a breath. She’s questioning the Don in front of us? Sure, she’s his wife, and it’s only close family who’re around, but still… You’d think the Don would be unhappy about this, right? I expect Michael to tell her off. Instead, he drums his fingers on his chest. “She may have told the truth, but it doesn’t excuse what she did. Seb was hurt because of her, as were the other men.”

“I didn’t know that’s what would happen.” Tears press down at the backs of my eyes, and I blink them away. “If I’d any idea that Seb would be hurt… If I’d known that’s what he intended, I wouldn’t have agreed. I would have… stayed away from Seb. I never would’ve agreed to marry him. Please, believe me.”

Michael’s gaze intensifies, but there’s no change of expression on his face.

Karma draws in a breath, while Aurora grips my shoulder before looking toward Christian. “She needs her family even more right now. She’s away from home, trying to do what’s best for her child. If we don’t help her, who will?”

“We trusted her last time, and see what happened? Seb landed in the hospital. He almost died.”

I gasp and bite back a sob.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Christian rubs the back of his neck. “Next time, it could be you who’s hurt, and you know I could never let that happen.”

“This is not right.” Theresa grips Axel’s arm. “You know she’s not the guilty party here.

“She’s also not innocent,” Axel retorts.

“She’s already explained she hadn’t expected Seb to be hurt. Surely, she should, be allowed to be at Seb’s home waiting for him, when he returns from the hospital?” Aurora insists. “You know that’s what Seb would want too.”

The guys glance at each other, then Michael jerks his chin. He turns to us. “I’ll talk to Luca.”