Becoming His Wife by Hayley Faiman

Chapter Nineteen

TIZIANO

My father leaves me in Di Stefano’s office, my body being held back by his men and he doesn’t look back. My own fucking father doesn’t look back. When he’s out of sight, when the door is closed and when I’ve finally given up, I turn to Di Stefano. The men don’t release me, they hold on to me and if I were Di Stefano, I would do the same. I’m not to be trusted.

“Are you calmed down now?” he asks.

No. I absolutely am not calm. I doubt that I will ever be again. My father just banished me to another country and took my goddamn wife away.

“Yes,” I grind out, my gaze focusing on his and not looking anywhere else.

“You’re not, but you will be,” he murmurs, then jerks his chin up and shifts his gaze to the men behind me. “Let him sit,” he orders.

They walk me back to the chair and force me to sit down again. My heart is slamming against my chest as each second passes. I don’t know what is going to happen, if I’m even going to walk out of this office alive, or if this is the end of me.

I can’t help but think about the promises that I made to Maci, promises that apparently, I had no fucking right to make because I can’t keep them. I have zero fucking control over what happens to her now, and I know that she hasn’t even told me a little of the shit that she’s been through.

I can’t bear to have her go through any more. And yet, it doesn’t fucking matter what I want, because I have zero control over it now, and if anything, I think that might actually kill me. Di Stefano must see the pain in my gaze. He lowers his eyes, then lifts them back to me again.

“Women come and go, but I understand it. Vows are made and should be kept. I don’t agree with him taking her away from you, but it’s not my call.”

“He your boss?” I grind out.

Di Stefano’s lips curve up into a grin. “No, but he is yours. The transfer of power hadn’t happened yet. He sensed something was wrong, which is why he sent you here for a week. Giving him enough time to find out the truth.”

Fuck me.

I played right into my father’s hand, and I didn’t even know it. Silvio fucking warned me that there was a leak. I was just too cocky to think that it would ever get back to my father. Too cocky, too much in a hurry, just too fucking much.

“What happens now?” I ask, wondering if they’re going to shoot me right here in the office or if they’re going to do it on a cliffside and toss me over.

Di Stefano chuckles. “Now, you get to work. You work for me, boy. You start from the bottom and eventually, if you try, you’ll work your way up again.”

“But I won’t be going back to New York, and I’ll never see my wife again.”

He shakes his head slowly. “Maybe one day you’ll find someone here, but I can’t trust you and I won’t approve a marriage until I can. I’ll let you know when your annulment is granted. For now, you’ll be living in a house with three other men of your station and one Capo.”

Great, I’ll be living in a fucking dorm with a bunch of men I don’t know. Fucking wonderful. I should be grateful that I’m not dead, yet. I’m not going to complain. I’m going to be compliant until I can get Maci back.

Standing, I dip my chin, shoving my hand in my pocket. “You’ll also be with someone else twenty-four seven and you won’t be carrying until you can be trusted with a weapon. Think of this as your probation period.”

Biting the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, I inhale a deep breath through my nose, then let it out before I nod my head. “Yes, Boss.”

His lips turn up slowly into a grin. He likes that, me calling him boss. He probably feels like I’m sucking his dick or some shit. I don’t care, not right now. I’ll play whatever game I can. I’ll bide my time and eventually I’ll get my wife back. I’ll do whatever it fucking takes. Even if it means eating shit for a while.

The men drag me out of the office, open the back of a black mid-sized SUV and toss me inside. Shoving my hand in my pocket, I grip my phone. I have no doubt that it will be disconnected as soon as my father is back in his office. I don’t have much time, but I’m going to call Gavino, tell him what’s happened and hope to fuck that he saves my wife for me.

When we arrive at the house, it’s not really a house, more like an apartment. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I’m informed that I will be sharing the bathroom with three men, and the bedroom with one. The master suite is for the Capo only. Makes sense, it’s what I would do if I were a Capo as well.

There are two men lounging on the sofa watching television and two sitting at a small table for four playing cards. I watch them for a moment, then walk into the room a bit.

“This is Tiziano Bianchi. He’s from the US, been transferred. He goes nowhere alone. He doesn’t get a weapon until the Boss says he does. Have fun,” my guard announces before he turns and leaves.

I have no doubt that the Capo has been briefed on my situation and that little play was just to embarrass me and nothing else. I take it in stride, reminding myself to just bide my goddamn time.

The men give me a few chin jerks and I walk over to the table, sinking down in one of the chairs. I can’t rush off to the bathroom to call Gavino immediately, I need to at least look as trustworthy as possible.

“I’m Elio, I’ll be your Capo,” the man sitting to my right announces. “This is Duran, then on the sofa is Calvino, and Aldo. We’re your crew. Unless Di Stefano asks for you, we’re all you see and all you’ll be around.”

“What are your operations? Your tasks?” I ask.

I assume that we’ll be selling drugs, maybe providing protection for street whores. Fuck if I know what they do over here. I’m honestly surprised they all speak perfect fucking English. Elio leans back in his seat and he watches me for a moment.

“We transport guns. It’s not a big operation, but we get paid good money.”

Transport guns. It wasn’t what I expected, considering we pay the Savage Beast MC for that shit back home. But at least it will be easy, hopefully.

“We have tonight off, we go back to work tomorrow. We work all night, so get some rest. Noi mangiamo in an hour. Go ahead and get unpacked. There’s some room for your shit in the second bedroom.”

Jerking my chin, I wonder if my bags were brought here. Standing, I walk toward the bedroom and I’m relieved to see that at least I have some clothes here. Instead of immediately unpacking my stuff, I decide that this is a good opportunity to take a shower and talk to Gavino.

Lifting my bag onto the top of the bed, I unzip it and grab a few things before I head to the bathroom. Looking at the living room, I glance to see if anyone even gives a fuck what I’m doing and they’re busy doing their own things.

Slipping into the bathroom, I lock the door before I start the water and take my phone out of my pocket. Scrolling through the names, I find Gavino quickly.

“What the fuck is going on?” he asks.

“I could ask you the same thing,” I grumble.

“I got the feds up my ass, then I hear your father has brokered a deal in Italy and you’re staying there?”

“Someone leaked the contract to him. I told you there was a goddamn problem. He can’t trust me, I betrayed him and the only way he’s going to allow me to live is if I stay here. He also took Maci with him.”

“Cazzo,” he rasps.

“I’ll owe you, big time. He’s bringing Maci back to you, then going to have my marriage annulled.”

There’s a long moment of silence, but I don’t have time for long moments of anything right now. Gavino speaks and I’m filled with relief when he does.

“I’ll keep her here, help her get some kind of job so that she doesn’t lose her fuckin’ mind. She’s your wife, Tiziano, annulment or not.”

“Grazie,” I sigh. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to be back. I’m under twenty-four-seven guard here.”

“We’ll figure something out. Maci will be safe. You can trust me on that and you’ll be the head of the Bianchi famiglia again. Trust that goddamn shit too.”

“Thanks, Gavino.”

“I’m going to find this leak and when I do, trust me when I tell you, heads will fucking roll.”

He ends the call and I quickly shower before I dress for dinner. I hope that Gavino is right. I hope that he’s able to find the leak, that heads will roll, that I’ll be back in New York as the Boss of the Bianchi famiglia with my wife at my side.

That’s what I hope—with all that I am.

MACI

Tussio’s driverdoesn’t even allow me to hit a bathroom before he takes us directly to Gavino. I’m surprised that he takes me to the casino, though I shouldn’t be, what did I expect? Truly? For him to take me to Gavino’s house and drop me off at the front porch? Well, maybe I did a little.

I ignore the man sitting next to me, a man that I thought would someday be like a father to me. The man that was supposed to be my children’s grandfather. I ignore him, but I don’t hate him. I can see why he’s done what he has, even if that doesn’t make it right. Even if that makes him his own special kind of monster.

The car stops in front of the casino, the plain, nondescript brick building comes into view and I have to swallow the bile that rises in my throat. My life has been nothing more than me being shuffled around and handed off from person to person.

The semblance of hope that I had found my security, that I had found my place with Tiziano is shattered after only a week. I want to curl up in a ball and cry. I feel incredibly sorry for myself and I know that I shouldn’t, but I can’t control it.

The door opens before the car engine is turned off. Gavino is standing in the doorway, and there are some shadows behind him, but he is all that I can see. His arms are crossed over his chest as he looks down his nose at the car.

“Let’s go,” Tussio announces.

Not bothering to wait for someone to open my car door, I swing it open myself. Shifting my legs over the edge of the seat, as gracefully as possible, I stand from the car. Ignoring Tussio behind me, I inhale a deep breath, square my shoulders and head toward Gavino.

He dips his chin when he sees me, then his gaze lifts and travels to, I assume, Tussio. “Go inside. Mia will take you to Arlo’s office,” he says, his voice low, but not looking at me at all.

Nodding, I slip past him and head toward Mia who is standing just a few feet behind him. She doesn’t look herself at all. She’s wearing a pair of torn-up blue jeans and an oversized T-shirt. She doesn’t have any makeup on at all and her hair is in a messy pile on top of her head.

She doesn’t smile, doesn’t greet me at all. As soon as I approach her, she dips her chin, then spins around on her flat canvas shoes and walks away. My feet move instinctually, following behind her as Gavino demanded.

Arlo’s office is empty when we arrive. I don’t wait for any instructions. Instead, I sink down in the chair directly across the empty desk and I bury my face in my hands. I don’t cry, as much as I want to, I won’t—not in front of Mia. She doesn’t ask me if I’m okay either, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

Inhaling a deep breath, I lift my head and swallow the lump in my throat before I blink my tears away. It’s so quiet that you could hear a pin drop when Mia finally speaks.

“I’m sorry, Maci. For what happened.”

“Are you?” I ask, turning my head and narrowing my gaze as I look over to her.

She looks like she’s been through hell the past week, but I don’t feel sorry for her, at least not yet. She called my husband while we were on our honeymoon. She called a man that she had been fucking when he was away with his wife.

“Yeah, I am,” she says softly. “My stance has not changed. Tiziano is a friend, nothing more than that.”

“Except you fucked him and then you called him while we were on our honeymoon,” I snap.

She nods her head, her eyes widening at my tone. She clears her throat, then she responds. “I was scared. I didn’t have anyone else to talk to about it. Gavino and Arlo were dealing with their own shit. Tiziano was the only other person that I could talk to about it.”

Shaking my head, I try not to be a bitch to her, but I can’t help it. She’s fucked my husband, plain and simple. “He’s not your sounding board, not anymore.”

Her lips press together and just when I think that she’s going to argue with me, maybe say something bitchy back, she dips her chin.

“You’re right, Maci. I apologize. You’re the last person I want to make an enemy. I have a feeling we may need one another one day. It won’t happen again.”

Seriously?

“Seriously,” she says softly.

My lips press together and I roll them, irritated with myself for saying what I was thinking aloud. I open my mouth to say something else when the door flies open. Gavino and Arlo stomp through and I notice immediately, it can’t be missed.

They.

Are.

Pissed.