Bought Mafia Bride by Mae Doyle
Natalia
“What the hell are you doing?” I scream the words at Helms. Even though I’ve know the man for years, I never thought that he would do something like this--never thought that he would kidnap me in broad daylight and drive me out here to the middle of new construction...and for what?
To scare me? Because he’s doing a hell of a good job at that.
To hurt me? I eyeball him and scoot away from him a little bit, but my hands are tied behind my back and I know that I’m not going to be able to make a run for it.
Besides, it’s not just Helms here. I recognize the mayor, and while I don’t know who he’s talking to, the man looks related to him. They have the same squinty eyes and drooping shoulders. A woman and a younger guy talk with them, but I have no idea who they are.
It isn’t until my dad walks into the space where I’m standing with Helms, watching this all play out, that I realize that I might really be in trouble.
Dane was telling me the truth about my dad, and that terrifies me.
“Dad?” I ask, taking a step towards him. His eyes flick to me but he speaks to Helms.
“Is she hurt? Why the fuck do you have her tied up like that?”
Helms scrubs his hand over his face. “She was going to make a run for it. It wasn’t exactly easy to get her here.”
“You thought she would run so you tied her hands together? Fucking classy.” He turns to me. “Turn around and give me your wrists.”
I’m grateful to him and I do, even though there’s a voice in the back of my head that’s screaming at me that something bad is about to happen. It feels good when he undoes the rope from around my wrists and I turn back to him, rubbing the spots where the ropes cut into my skin.
“What’s going on, Dad?” I want to cry but I’m not going to give Helms the satisfaction of knowing that he got to me like that, so I lift my chin and stare at my dad while I wait for his response.
“Selling you off to the Accardis was a mistake,” my dad says, glancing over to where the mayor is still talking in his little group. “I have a better idea for you now.”
“Oh, yeah? Does it involve letting me live my own life without you making all of the decisions for me?” I’m pissed and I spit the words at him. For a moment, I’d honestly thought that he might be on my side, but he’s not. He never has been. My dad only has one side--his, and anyone who isn’t on that side is just collateral.
Everyone else is just something that he can use to get what he wants. I’m a pawn in his life and that’s all I’ve ever been. I’m finally seeing now that I don’t think that I’ll ever be anything more than that.
“It involves making a stronger alliance.” His eyes are bright and he looks excited like he honestly believes what he’s saying. There’s a terrible pit in my stomach and I swallow hard to try to keep from running from the room.
I wouldn’t make it very far, and I need to hear exactly what terrible plan he has for me. It’s the only way that I can be sure that he can’t make me go along with it. Because no matter what it is, no matter how he thinks it might benefit him, there’s no way in hell that I’m going to play his game any longer.
Before, I just wanted to run. Now, though, I realize that I want Dane. It’s a strange feeling, something that I don’t really understand yet, but I want him. I have to have him. And there’s no way in hell that my dad is going to stop me from getting what I want for once.
“What are you talking about?” I ask. Helms opens his mouth like he’s going to answer for my dad, but I spin around to stop him, my hand up in the air between us. “You’re not allowed to talk,” I say. “You’re toxic, and you kidnapped me. For all I care, you can go to hell.”
His mouth snaps shut and he shoots me a glare before stalking over to the other group of people. My dad and I both watch him go, watch how he slings his arm around the mayor’s shoulders like they’re best friends.
“That young man over there is your new husband,” my dad says, jerking his chin in their direction. “He’s going to be the ruler of a motorcycle club.”
I eyeball the guy my dad is talking about. He’s young, incredibly young, probably years younger than me and looks like he’d be more at home in front of a video game than ever riding a motorcycle.
“You can’t be serious.” The full reality of what my dad is saying slams into me and I shake my head, backing up from him. “There’s not a chance in hell that I’d ever consider it, dad. What’s wrong with you?”
I have to get out of here and I turn, walking away from him, but he reaches out before I can go very far and grabs my arm, spinning me back around to look at him. His eyes are wide and I’m honestly afraid of him. Jerking back on my arm, I try to free myself from his grasp, but he just tightens his grip, his fingers digging into my skin.
I’m reminded of Dane refusing to let me go, and I have a sudden surge of panic. It’s insane, I know that, but I wish he were here to protect me. He wouldn’t let my dad hurt me, I know it.
But what the hell did I do? I ran. And now I’m back where I started, only this time, it’s an unknown evil.
“I won’t do it!” I scream the words into his face, not even caring that the others all turn to look at me. “You can’t make me marry him!” Pointing at the group, I wrench my arm back from my dad’s grasp. “You’ve lost your mind!”
“Don’t embarrass me,” my dad hisses, his face close to mine. “You have no idea what I’m trying to do. All I want to do is protect you.”
“That’s a lie,” I say, shaking my head. “All you want to do is line your pockets and you’re willing to sell me off to the highest bidder. What is wrong with you? You’re a horrible father!”
His hand moves so fast through the air that I don’t see the slap coming until his hand collides with my cheek and I suck in a gasp, instantly shutting up. The pain is sharp and bright and tears spring to my eyes even as I silently pray that they won’t fall.
“I think that things are getting off on the wrong foot here,” Steve says, walking over to the two of us. He has on his mayor smile, the one that he shows during political rallies, the one that makes people trust him even though I now know that the man is insane. “Why don’t you and I talk, Natalia, and I’ll explain to you how much this will benefit you, as well.”
“You can go to hell,” I tell him. “You assholes aren’t marrying me off like I’m a piece of meat.”
The next thing I know, there’s a gun pointed right at my head. The man I don’t know but who looks like the mayor walks over to me, pressing the gun right up to my temple. It’s cold and goosebumps break out all over my body as a chill courses through my veins.
“My brother is trying to help you,” he says, his voice low and full of warning. “All we want to do is make sure that we’re in charge of the town. Your father made a poor business decision years ago when you were little, but we’re rectifying it now.”
The business decision. The contract.
My eyes flick to my dad but I hold my head completely still just in case this guy gets an itchy trigger finger. “Dad,” I say, hoping that he’ll listen to me. “You have a contract. Do you honestly think that Dane will let you walk away from that? He’ll kill you.”
“The contract is null and void if he fucks you before the wedding,” Helms says, stepping in front of my dad. I saw the fear on my dad’s face, though. I know that he’s concerned about what I’m saying, and I just have to play on that.
“He hasn’t.” My face burns hot and I wonder if they’ll all know that I’m lying. “The contract is still good.”
Helms grins at me and I notice the bit of tobacco staining on his teeth. He’s far enough away from me that I can’t smell him but I have a good feeling that I know what he would smell like.
Like tobacco, anger, and death. He’s evil and I can’t believe that other people in town don’t all see it.
“You can claim that, Natalia, but until we check for sure, I can’t believe you.” He looks at my dad, then his eyes flick to the mayor. “Get her on the floor and I’m happy to check myself.”
