Bloody Union by Brooke Summers

 

Prologue

Makenna

There'sa slight tremble to my hands but I try hiding it. The Famiglia are in my father’s office, the Capo sits in front of my father. His son, the Capo Bastone sits beside him, while his brothers stand behind them, all of them tense and ready to start killing if need be.

The darkening of Dante's eyes tells me that he's seen my hands tremble. My breath hitches as I take in his gorgeous green eyes, the sadistic grin and the dark stubble that surrounds it. "Makenna," he says and I raise my eyes to his.

"Makenna..." my father says and I turn my gaze to him. His tone is harsher than it usually is with me and I know that it's due to the men that are sitting in his office. My father is head of the Ceannaire ar chách, the Irish Mafia here in New York. He has been since my grandfather took a bullet to the heart from the Bratva. He was lucky and survived; I don’t know how. Granda says that no way on this earth were the Russian’s going to be his downfall. He’s living life to the fullest in Dublin, Ireland where he’s the head of the Mafia. "Matteo Bianchi..."

My body tenses, I hate the Capo, have since I was twelve years old.

Nobody knows about my hatred of Matteo and no one ever will. I know the consequences of what will happen if anyone finds out the truth about that night.

My father carries on talking, "And I have agreed that our families being bonded is the only way to guarantee peace." I hide the scoff, this is absolute bullshit, there's no way that anything can be guaranteed. It'll be put on hold for a while, but something is bound to piss one of them off at some stage and then all hell will break loose. "You and Dante will marry."

I grit my teeth, I knew one day I'd have to marry, it's the way our world works. A woman in the Mafia doesn't have the life like a normal woman, we're to be seen and not heard. We're to be at the beck and call of our father and then our husband. I've been lucky, my father isn't a monster to his family, unlike some of his men. From what I've heard most of the made men beat their women and children to submit to their wishes. Break the woman so they won't disobey them.

I take a deep breath. "Yes, father." My gaze moves to my brothers who are standing in the corner of the office, they are looking at me with a weird expression. Did they think I'd object? I've not got a death wish. I'm not stupid. I'd never disrespect my father, not in front of his men and definitely not in front of men that are our enemies.

My father nods his head, "You are fourteen, Makenna, and the wedding will take place when you are of age." His tone is darker once again, this isn't for my benefit, this is for the Famiglia.

"Of course," Dante says harshly.

Matteo shakes his head, "As soon as you're of age, we'll have the wedding." He turns his gaze to me, "You can go."

My brothers tense, their hands on their guns, all of them eager to be the one to shoot him. There’s no love lost there and the tension in the room becomes thick.

"Makenna, go to your mother." My father demands and I hold back the protest. I give my brothers a smile as I leave the office.

My mother is waiting for me in the living room. Her hands by her side and a smile on her face. She rushes over to me. "You're finally getting married," she says and to anyone else it would be as though she's congratulating me. To me, I know better, she's been waiting for this day for a long time. Waiting for me to leave the house where she knows that the secret I carry will no longer risk being spilled.