JADE
Three Weeks Later
“Careful Jade” Luciano speedily admonished as he led me through the flew flights of stairs that were connected to his private jet.
“Thank you” I smiled at him once we had gotten inside the plane.
Luciano kept on holding onto my hand, refusing to let go of me even though I could pretty much walk on my own.
Ever since the rape incident, I noticed how extra careful and alert Luciano had been. For my sake, he stopped coming home late as much as before and even on the days he was forced to work late, he made sure I was tightly protected.
Even in the walls of the mansion!
He ordered his men not to let me walk around without them hovering over me like a barricade.
I appreciated his concern and care for me but I just wish Luciano could open up to me and tell me what was actually going on in his life.
“Let us seat over there” Luciano pointed at a long wisteria sofa with fluffy pillows on it.
Hand in hand, we went over and sat, my eyes staring at the breathtaking interior of his jet.
Beautiful neon lights illuminated it coupled with the fact that it had huge spaces in between the seats.
The walls were coloured chestnut brown accompanied with white lines which formed a pattern around it. The floors of the jet were so soft, entirely covered with what seemed like an Arabian carpet.
I could also spot a mini bar, a flat screen tv and also a part of the jet that had about eight brown seats all having seat belts strapped onto it.
“Do you like what you see?” Luciano’s husky voice rang in my head.
I snapped my gaze to meet his and a smug smile sat on his lips.
I did not even realise that I had been staring dewy eyed at the entire jet like a moron.
My lips were slightly parted as I became dumbstruck for a moment.
“W-well yes. It all screams of wealth and power. You are really very wealthy but what gives you this much wealth Luciano?”
Luciano heaved off a sigh and adjusted himself on his seat. “Let it go moglie. I am keeping things away from you for a reason”
Knowing it was fruitless pushing him further, I faced my gaze at the little square mirror close to my seat.
The airport was buzzing and filled with activities and people. I watched as planes took off and landed, feeding myself with the scenery of it all.
Soft tapping of heels reached my ears. I looked front to see a young blonde woman clothed in a tight office navy blue skirt coupled with a matching white blouse.
Her makeup was light and her hairs were beautifully packed up to a bun.
“Goodmorning Mr and Mrs Greco. Would you like to eat or drink anything?” She asked us with a smile on her face.
“Well…” I took a glance at Luciano, waiting for him to speak.
“Just a cocktail for me and Jade, what would you want to take?” He faced me.
“Maybe a strawberry soft drink or chocolate drink. Something light” I replied.
The air hostess nodded and left.
She was really nice and at least not flirty.
“Where did you say we were going to again?” I asked Luciano.
“Ecuador” he simply replied.
When Luciano actually told me we would be taking a short trip to Ecuador, I actually found it thoughtful and needed. After all what we had been through in the last few weeks, we needed the vacation.
“We need to be somewhere safe. You have been through a lot since you stepped into my life and honestly Jade, I would kill myself if anything ever happened to you” Luciano added out of the blue.
His words brought tears to my eyes but at the same time, it filled me with frightful chills.
“Luciano, how much danger are we in?” My voice came out as a whisper.
“Alot Jade” He deeply gazed into my eyes.
“Why? What did we do?”
Luciano heaved a deep breath once again. “You don’t need to know all that Jade”
“Tell me please. Please Luciano. I am tired of being kept in the dark. Why was I forced to marry you? Why were you shot? Why won’t my parents tell me anything concerning you or this family even given the fact that I am now married into this family? Who sent those men to harm me? How were you able to get my exact location and…”I rambled on and on, throwing multiple questions at Luciano and he just stayed mute, allowing me to speak.
“Tell me please” I begged him, my arms wandering to interlock with his.
Luciano still remained silent for a while, our breaths mixing as we both just stared immensely into each others eyes.
“You want to know the truth?” He asked, now with a more stern tone.
I nodded frantically. “I really do. More than any thing else right now”
“I guess there is no need in keeping any more secrets from you. I am Luciano Greco, the capo dei capi of the Italian-American mafia. I am the don of the mafia”
His confession got me speechless for a while as I tried to process what he just said.
Did he mean mafia like an illegal criminal organisation?! And he was their head!?
“Wait wait. Luciano you run a criminal organisation? Like illegal activities against the law?” I almost exclaimed.
Luciano shrugged his shoulders, “Well if you put it that way moglie. But yes. The mafia is very dangerous. It is a world of guns and blood.
Death and gun brawls are the norms and as the don, I have so many enemies but my years of training has equipped me with all the necessary abilities to deal with a life of crime.
You were forced to marry me because it had something to do with your parents years back..” Luciano paused, observing my shocked, speechless and frightened features before continuing with his confession.
“Years back, according to what my father told me, your father Mr Andrea accidentally stumbled upon something that would change his entire life forever. He stumbled upon a murder”
“He saw your father kill someone” I was now beginning to relate the dots and understand everything.
“Yes he did. And you know for witnessing a murder, my father was definitely going to kill him but he tried to escape. You can not escape or run away from the mafia. But Mr Andrea tried to leave the city with you and your mother.
Unfortunately for him, he was caught by my father and his goons. He was going to be killed and so were you and your mother but my father spared his life for a reason, on the basis that he will branded as belonging to the mafia, including your mother and later in life, his daughter would be married into the mafia to keep him eternally tied to us.
That was why you were forced to marry me”
I stared jaws dropped at Luciano. That really explains it all; my parents wealth, the gory but blurry memory I had of the dark with guns being fired, my forced marraige to Luciano and the fact that my parents would not tell me anything about it all!
We have been living off their table all these years and my father has being their loyal dog.
“D-does m-y dad work for you concerning your activities?” I frightfully asked.
Luciano nodded. “Yes. Your father actually plays a minor role in meeting with some of our drug partners and finalising deals with them.
He signed a code of omerta which meant his entire life would be watched and controlled by the mafia. The punishment for divulging our activities meant…”
“Death” I whispered, fear permeating all over my features.
“You will have to sign the code of omerta too and get branded as belonging to the mafia. I did not want to tell you all these but I knew if I did not, you will definitely find out one way or the other.
And as for finding out your exact location on the day you almost got raped, it was actually very easy. I had one of my underbosses track your smart phone location. They do more complicated work like hacking into the government data base for political reasons so tracking you down was not hard”
“What does the code of omerta entails?” I sucked in breath.
“You will be monitored by the mafia. Your day to day location, calls, texts, emails will be monitored by the mafia. You must not be seen with the police or any law enforcement agency. You are not allowed to go on vacations without informing me and you will always keep the secret till your very last breath”
“And if I do not want to sign the contract, will you kill me?” I asked with shaky breath.
“I can never harm you even if a gun was pointed at my head to do so” Luciano cupped my cheeks in his large hands.
“But you will have to sign it please. For your safety” He added in a husky whisper.
Lone droplets of tears trickled down my cheeks and I nodded.
“Trust me on this, I will protect you ok” he kissed my temple before wrapping his hands around my shoulder, hauling me closer to his body.
His cologne filled my senses and I slowly closed my eyes.
What does Ecuador have in store for us?