Becoming His Wife by Hayley Faiman
Chapter Five
MACI
Stretching, I roll to the side and let out a groan. Last night was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. After the gorgeous black-haired woman showed me to my room, she introduced herself as Mia. She told me that meals would be delivered, but that I had water and wine in the room. She also informed me that I would be locked inside and unable to leave for the night.
Honestly, I’m fine with that. I didn’t mind being locked inside. I wasn’t in a cage, there were no creepy guys watching me, and I needed some serious alone time to think about everything that was going on around me and to me.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get much thinking done. Instead, I took a long hot shower, changed into a soft cotton short and tank pajama set that I found in the dresser drawer, and promptly passed out.
Looking up at the clock on the nightstand, I blink at the time. I stare at the clock for a long moment, then lick my dry lips. It’s after noon. I can’t believe that I slept past noon. I can’t remember the last time that I did that, maybe never.
Rolling out of bed, I hurry to the bathroom, then wash my hands and head out to the living area of the apartment-type place I’m staying. Making my way into the kitchenette, I open the small refrigerator and grab a bottle of water.
Twisting off the cap, I lift the water to my lips and gulp down half of the bottle before I close the door and turn around. Then I let out a scream. There is a woman sitting in the living room. At first, I don’t recognize her, then I blink a few times and I realize that it’s Mia.
“Good morning,” she offers with a small smile.
I stare at her in silence for a long moment, too long. Mainly because that safety that I felt a few moments ago has completely vanished and I feel extremely vulnerable. I guess I didn’t really think about the fact that I was locked inside, but that didn’t mean that other people were locked out of my room.
“I’m the only one with access who is here all night. Arlo has access during the day but trust me when I say that he is not going to bother you at all.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding my head.
I don’t believe her, and her words don’t make me feel any better at all or reassure me of anything. The fact that she and someone I’ve never met before has access to my room scares me, then I think about the fact that I’m getting ready to marry a stranger. I shake that feeling of fear off, because everything in my life is uncertain at this point and I have no clue what is going to happen tomorrow.
“I’m here to help you with your wedding,” she announces, though she doesn’t seem very excited about it. “There is going to be a casino bachelor and bachelorette party next weekend,” she says before she inhales a deep breath and lets it out with a sigh.
“I have until then to get you up to speed on what your new role will be. I don’t know why they’ve told me to teach you, I am definitely not good wife material, but I do know the rules,” she says as if she’s muttering to herself.
I stare at her for a long moment, not sure exactly what to say next. Clearing my throat, I walk over to the couch and slowly sink down. Mia is sitting in the only chair in the room, her laptop resting on her thighs, her gaze focused on me.
Clearing my throat, I bring my feet up and place them on the sofa cushion, wrapping my arms around my shins. Resting my chin on my knees, I look at her, watching and waiting for whatever is about to come next, because I have a feeling it’s going to be a doozy.
“You’ll be trying gowns on this afternoon. The shop closes at five and they will be bringing ten dresses for you to choose from. You can choose from any of them. Do you have a preference on cake flavor? Do you have any dietary restrictions?” she asks, completely down to business. She’s typing on her computer, no doubt taking notes about everything.
“Vanilla, I guess, and no, I don’t,” I answer.
Mia lifts her head, her fingers pausing. “Vanilla?” she asks.
Smiling, I lick my bottom lip before sinking my teeth into my flesh. I’m suddenly feeling extremely nervous and uneasy beneath her gaze. Shifting from side to side in my seat, I continue to watch her as she stares at me.
“Shit,” she hisses. “You’re boring, aren’t you? Shy? Nervous? Innocent and vanilla.”
The first part of her sentence is a question, then she just shifts to a statement. Innocent and vanilla. The smile fades immediately and I can feel my cheeks tinting pink from her words.
Vanilla.
Innocent.
I am innocent, and I can guess at what vanilla means, so yeah, I’m probably that too.
“I’m a virgin,” I state.
She arches a brow. “Having a hymen doesn’t make you innocent, Maci. But you are, aren’t you? Naïve and innocent to the ways of the world, vanilla in all aspects?”
Shaking my head, I’m not sure how to answer her. I suppose I could be considered naïve to some, but I never really thought that I was. I know the ways of the world, I know that my hymen is the only reason I’m marrying this man. I know that it holds worth.
I also know that some people have fetishes, like Bones and his women in cages, his wife who wears a collar. I just don’t know if I’m a person who has any of them myself. So, I suppose that I am vanilla and naïve, but I don’t think that I am the way that Mia sees me.
She’s seeing me as an immature child, and I’m not that. I haven’t been childlike ever in my life, I haven’t had the opportunity. I was forced to grow up almost from the moment I was born. Therefore, she’s not really completely correct, but I don’t bother explaining any of that to her, it doesn’t matter.
“If you think that I am, then I probably am,” I say, not wishing to get into any kind of argument.
Mia can think anything she wants about me. It doesn’t matter, because she doesn’t know me, and I doubt we will ever be friends. I’m about to be locked down to a man, made his captive bride, and probably shoved into a tower never to see the light of day again.
She eyes me for a long moment, I don’t look away. I’m not sure if she’s trying to intimidate me, but it doesn’t work. She doesn’t scare me. I watch as her lips twitch into a small smile before she clears her throat.
“Vanilla cake it is, buttercream?” she asks.
I shrug a shoulder, mainly because I have no idea what buttercream is. I’ve never been to a wedding before or had any kind of fancy cake. She doesn’t look away, her gaze searching mine and instead of intimidation, I can see she’s curious about me.
“Buttercream, you’ll like it. Tastes better than fondant. Do you have a particular flower you enjoy?”
I almost snort. I couldn’t tell anyone the name of a flower other than a rose to save my life. Licking my lips, I try to stall for a moment, then decide fuck it. “Roses,” I say.
“Color?”
Shit.
I didn’t know roses came in any other color, other than the red ones that have little white flowers in them, that I’ve seen at the grocery store.
Mia doesn’t point out the fact that I look like a floundering fish, instead she clears her throat and types on her keyboard. I feel hot, embarrassed, and stupid. If she is expecting me to know these things, then what does my future husband expect me to know.
Before I can stupidly ask her any of the ridiculous questions swimming around in my head, she turns her computer around to face me. I gasp at the sight of the soft pink flowers on the screen that are accompanied by these sage green colored leaves and branch-looking things.
“It’s gorgeous,” I whisper.
Mia smiles. “Now we’re getting somewhere. I didn’t think you were a roses person. You’re too young for that crap,” she states. “Let’s do a lacy, elegant, but rustic theme? Something classic, but modern and popular right now?”
“Okay,” I whisper.
Mia smiles and pounds away on her keyboard, she shows me a few more things to pick out and by the time she says we’re finished, it’s almost time for the dresses to come.
“I told them to bring the fancy bras, you didn’t have anything when you were dropped off. I have some clothes coming for you too, but not much, just enough to get you to the wedding. After that, it’s Tiz’s job to supply you with a wardrobe,” she announces.
She doesn’t say anything else, but she does order me some food, thankfully. We eat in silence, she continues to work on her computer, and I stare at nothingness in the room around me, there aren’t any windows in here and I wonder if I’m underground somewhere. It would be fitting since I’ve been kept in basement after basement since being taken from my father’s house.
TIZIANO
“Your bride needs a wardrobe.I’m not her lady’s maid. You’re on your own,” Mia’s voice rasps in my ear.
With a grunt, I end the call, staring out the window of my office. I wonder exactly what Maci is doing right now. I haven’t been able to get her off my mind since I laid eyes on her yesterday. She was stunning, I half wonder if it’s all in my imagination. I wonder if she’ll have the same effect on me this weekend when we have the party.
I hope I haven’t fucked it all up by choosing someone hastily, then I admonish myself because the first bride I chose was hasty too. I didn’t even really look at her picture or her profile, she was just the only one in the stack that didn’t have dark hair.
“Tiziano,” a deep voice rumbles.
Jerking my head, I look at the man sitting across from me. “Padre, when did you walk in?” I ask.
He smiles and it hits me all over again just how old and tired he’s looking. He deserves to relax, not carry the weight of the Bianchi famiglia on his shoulders day in and day out.
“You were dreaming of your bride.” He chuckles.
I smile, nodding because I was thinking of my bride, though not in the way that he thinks I am. I’m just not brave enough to ever tell him what I’ve done.
“You’d like to meet her before the wedding?” I ask.
His eyes light up and he nods his head once. “I would, very much so. You’re my only son, my only child. I want to make sure you’re going to be taken care of,” he murmurs.
He leaves out the, before I die part, but I know my father and lately he’s been mentioning his death more and more. I think part of the reason is because all the bosses of his reigning time are gone. He’s the only one left and it makes him realize that his time is limited.
I’ve been thinking of it more and more too and that’s why I want to get married now, he needs grandchildren. He needs peace of mind and while I can’t give my father everything, while I’ve betrayed him in a way that would kill him instantly if he ever found out, I can at least give him a baby to hold.
“We’re having a bachelor and bachelorette party at the casino, Gavino and his wife are throwing it for us this weekend.”
That thought causes my father’s eyes to twinkle. He loves to gamble, loves the pretty waitresses, and loves to smoke and drink and the only place he can do all of that aside from Atlantic City or Vegas, is the club’s private casino.
“I’m there,” he grunts.
I chuckle, knowing that’s exactly how he would react. He is not only excited about meeting my bride but also about the prospect of beautiful women, cards, a cigar, and a good cocktail. I can’t wipe the smile from my face, seeing my father happy means more to me than anything else at this point, mainly because I’ve fucked him over and he doesn’t even know it.
He leaves my office and I reach for my phone. Finding Gavino’s number, I text him.
MY FATHER IS COMING TO THE CASINO FOR THE PARTY. WANTS TO MEET HER.
GAVINO: GOOD. SHE WILL BE READY.
I don’t ask him what he means, I already know. She will be briefed, prepped, and taught how to behave properly. She will be molded into the perfect mafia wife, I have no doubt that Mia will ensure that she is exactly what I need her to be.
