Bought Mafia Bride by Mae Doyle

Natalia

Iknew that Dane Accardi was a murderer years ago. When I found out that I was going to be married to one of the most ruthless men in the country, I cried. I remember hiding in my room, stretched out on my bed, crying into my pillow until I was so worn out that I just passed out like that, still dressed in jeans and sneakers.

My dad never came to me. He never wanted to see if I needed to talk, never asked me what he could do to help. To be fair, it wasn’t like I would let him help me anyway. What would he do? Call the whole thing off?

No, I know that the infusions of cash he got from time to time were from the arrangement. He’d be stressed out about money for one reason or another, make a phone call, then suddenly we’d have more than enough again.

It was obvious where it was coming from. He was leaning on my future husband to get the money he needed.

So, in my mind, Dane Accardi was a murderer. He was also my father’s benefactor, the one man who had enough money to keep us from going under. After my mom died and my dad retreated into himself, he spent most of our family fortune.

I don’t know how many people in town know that my dad is just one bad month away from losing it all. The house, the cars, everything. He couldn’t handle that, so he sold me off to the highest bidder.

Actually, I don’t know that. I stare at my future husband, trying to read his mind. Was the he highest bidder, or was he just the only person willing to take pity on my family and get me out of a terrible situation? What would my dad have done with me if Dane hadn’t agreed to buy me? If he hadn’t agreed to wait to take me for his own until our wedding?

We’ve all heard the stories of what desperate men will do to their daughters. Getting sold to the mafia to be a bride was bad enough, but it wasn’t anything compared to what happens to some little girls.

Dane doesn’t answer me. Instead, he slips his phone into his pocket, still staring at me, then gestures for me to join him at the kitchen island. I don’t move. My feet feel rooted to the spot, like they’re stuck in concrete.

That’s ironic, because I’m sure that my future husband has done that to at least one enemy in his lifetime. Or maybe I watched too many cartoons when I was younger and before my dad started better monitoring the TV.

“Who are you going go kill?” I repeat, reaching out for the doorframe for support. I’m so hungry that I honestly feel like my knees are going to give out under me but I keep my eyes locked on him, waiting for him to answer. He can’t ignore me. Even though I want something to eat and I need to sit down, I’m not going to let him get away with avoiding the question.

“Your father. But only if he continues to piss me off.” He locks his eyes on me, waiting for a response. I don’t have an immediate one for him. His words feel like a punch to the gut and I actually take a step back away from him. It’s not like putting space between the two of us is going to save him or keep him from getting to me, but I need to be apart from him.

I feel like it’s going to help me think clearer.

“You can’t kill him,” I say, shaking my head. “He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

This makes him chuckle and he crosses the room to me, grabbing me by the hips and pulling me to him. God, he’s hard again. So hard, always so ready for the one thing that we both know he can’t have yet. As soon as we cross that line, the contract is broken.

If we were to have sex before I walk down the aisle then I could walk away from all of this. I could have my freedom. My dad would get the rest of the money from Dane and he’d be left holding nothing but his dick.

The thought shouldn’t cross my mind. It’s not something that I should entertain, but now that it’s in my brain, I feel it take root there, like an invasive species that is going to be impossible to get back out.

“He wants to take you from me,” Dane says, lightly running his fingers across my lips. They part for him and I see the flash of desire in his eyes when he notices how badly I want him and how much I’m willing to do for him.

If he wanted me on my knees again right now, I’d do it. I’d worship him, worship his cock, but that’s not what he wants. He grabs my neck, then traces his fingers down to my collarbone. All of the thoughts that I had about fucking him and then escaping are pushed from my mind as the heat of his finger radiates against my skin.

I don’t know that I’d be strong enough to walk away. If I were to fall into bed with him, I’m not sure that I could just turn and leave. It’s a terrible thing to think and only shows me how weak I am, but I can’t help it.

There’s something about Dane that draws me to him. But if we’re magnetic and will both be safe even though I’m attracted to him, or if he’s a dangerous flame and I’m a moth that he’s going to destroy, only time will tell.

“He thinks that he can get you back, like the contract that we signed doesn’t mean anything.” Dane’s voice is a low purr. He reminds me of a huge cat that’s ready to strike and I’m the unwitting prey that’s too damn dumb to get out of the way. I can’t move. My heart slams in my chest as I try to breathe and focus, but I can’t move away from him, can’t back up, can’t save myself.

This is not a kind man, so remind me why I seem to be unable to step away from him right now? What is it about him that draws me to him even though I think that I found a loophole. A way out.

“Can he do that?” I find my voice and Dane shakes his head slowly. There’s a bubble of relief in me and it grows larger until it finally pops. Why would I feel happy about that? It’s fucked up that I want this man and the fact that he says that my dad can’t save me makes me happy.

I shouldn’t want this. There’s something wrong with me.

“There’s no way in hell that he’s going to take you from me, Natalia. You’re mine. All of you. Your mind, your body, your soul.”

What he says makes me remember how I promised myself that I wouldn’t let him have all of me. I told myself that he’d have my body and that was out of my control, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t let Dane Accardi have my soul. At the same time, desire for him burns in me and I lean forward, wanting to press my body up against his.

I want to feel his warmth. It’s dangerous.

“And what about you?” I finally ask, when the silence surrounding us is so loud that I swear I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. “Do I get your body, mind, and soul?”

“You can have my body.” He takes me by the wrist and places my hand on his cock. Even though his jeans I swear that I can feel how warm it is when it throbs against my palm.

I have to stifle a moan when I feel him.

“You can have my mind.” He leans forward, our foreheads pressing against each other. Just a little tilt of my head and I’d be able to press my lips against his. I’m sure that he wouldn’t pull away, that he wouldn’t want to stop me, but I can’t move. He has me completely frozen in place.

“But my soul is off-limits, my dear, even to you.” With that, Dane steps back from me. I’m still leaning forward but pinned in place by his hips and I take an involuntary step towards him as I try to regain my balance. “All of you belongs to me, Natalia. All of you. Don’t forget it.”

With that, he turns and stalks away from me. The air instantly feels lighter, like I can take a breath, and I do, sucking as much oxygen into my lungs as I can.

A wave of disappointment washes over me but I try to push the feeling away. I’m not in love with Dane. There isn’t anything lovable about an Accardi, and I’m fooling myself if I think that there is. I want him, want his hands on me, his mouth on me, want him to take me and leave me panting and full with his cum, but that doesn’t mean that I love him.

I don’t know if I can love the man who locked me in a closet and shackled me to the wall. Even more than that, though, I don’t know if I can love the man who won’t let me have all of him. That’s not what I ever wanted for myself when I did decide to get married, but it was the hand that life dealt me.

Unless I do something about it.

I could do something about it.

I could sleep with him and break the contract, but that means giving all of me to a man who doesn’t love me. Who can’t love me. Who won’t love me.

I don’t even realize that I’m chewing on my nail until I taste blood in my mouth, then I wipe my finger on his pajamas, leaving behind a red smear that quickly soaks in. I have no idea what I’m going to do, but I do know that I’m tired of other people getting to make all of the decisions regarding my life.

First my father, then Dane. I’ve never been allowed to make decisions about my own life.

But that stops now.