Vittoria
I don’t care what Alessandro says, I’m going to be part of the family business. I’ve been preparing what I’m going to say the whole morning.
The documents I have gathered are my academic records, reference letters, CV, and all my credentials. He can’t deny that I will be good for the family. I run through what I’m going to say in my head once more.
I knock on his office door and hear his weary voice call, “Come in.”
I open and step in. I’m dressed smartly and ready to mean business.
His face instantly lights up. “Tori! What are you doing here?”
“I want to talk to you,” I say as confidently as I can manage. “And I don’t want you to say anything until I’m done.”
He sits back and laces his fingers together. “Okay, go ahead.”
I lay the documents on his desk. “Here I have my CV, credentials, reference letters, and academic records. I didn’t go to school to become a goody-two-shoes lawyer who upholds the law, Alessandro. I want to run through these documents and explain how I will help the family.” He nods but doesn’t say anything.
“Firstly, I have an excellent business mind, and while I might not be the most socially adept person, I’m able to find the loopholes that will allow our family to expand, loopholes that I don’t think even Frankie can find…”
The door opens suddenly, and we both turn, and Alessandro holds a hand up. “I’m busy.”
“It’s Ivan Volkov,” Carmine announces. “He wants to see you immediately.”
Before we can say anything, Carmine steps back, and the man from the grocery store walks in. I’m struck again by how handsome he is. Tall, with a beard and with gorgeous eyes. He looks strong and mature, and I can’t help but feel something very strange but strong draw me to him despite my obvious hatred toward him for shooting my father.
I stand behind Alessandro’s desk and wait, irritated that I’ve been interrupted.
“Pakhan Volkov,” Alessandro stands up, and they shake hands. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I prefer it that way,” the Russian leader says. “Keeps us all honest, but my visit will be brief, Don Sorvino. I’ve come to deliver my request for the unity of our families.”
“I haven’t had time enough to work out which would be the best way forward,” Alessandro says, motioning for Ivan to sit down, but he doesn’t.
“I have my terms, and I’m afraid I’m not moved to negotiate on them.”
“Oh?” Alessandro asks, cocking his head to the side. “That doesn’t seem to be in the spirit of unity.”
“I want to unite our families through an arranged marriage,” he says, locking eyes with me.
I don’t look away, his bright eyes seem to drink me in, and I almost feel lost in them.
“Who do you want to marry your daughter off to, then?” Alessandro asks. I’m sure it’s more out of curiosity than anything else.
“I’m not marrying my daughter to anyone,” Ivan says. “I want to marry Vittoria.”
“Never,” Alessandro doesn’t even wait for him to finish his thought.
“I will never agree to this.”
“You don’t have a choice, Don Sorvino. You have two weeks. I will plan the entire wedding. We’ll have the reception at a place of your choosing. If Vittoria doesn’t show up to marry me, I will systematically kill off everyone in the Sorvino family and anyone affiliated with them. Do you understand my meaning?”
“I could declare war,” Alessandro snarls, clenching his fists. “You don’t just come into my home and make demands as though you own me.” “Let me be clear, Sorvino, you wouldn’t even have time to declare war before each person you love would be dead. Besides, I don’t want to own you, but your family is getting too big for its boots, and someone has to put you back in your place. We will evenly share the territories between our two families as payment for the wedding. Consider it a deal you shouldn’t want to refuse.” Ivan looks at me again. “Be there, Vittoria, or I will fulfill my promise.”
Ivan turns and leaves, and I am not sure what’s wrong with me when I admire his tight ass as he strides out of Alessandro’s office even after hearing what’s he willing to do to my family.
My desire to prove myself and to protect my family is stronger than fear though, so I turn to my cousin. “Alessandro…” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“Not now, Vittoria. We need to meet with the family,” he says.
“I want to be in on that meeting,” I say sternly. “It’s my life.”
Alessandro looks at me and then puts both hands on my shoulders. “I’m not marrying you off to that monster.” He hits a button on the phone on his desk. “Carmine, summon everyone in the family to meet in half an hour at the bistro. Close it to other customers. This is urgent.”
“Yes, sir,” Carmine’s voice comes through the speaker.
“Come,” Alessandro gestures for me to walk ahead of him. “We need to get there as soon as possible.”
I get in Alessandro’s car, feeling nervous. I don’t understand why Ivan insists on marrying me specifically. I mean, he must be like twentyplus years older than me. I think of my father in his medically induced coma in the hospital, and my blood boils. How dare this Russian asshole assume he can own me on a whim?
We reach the bistro and don’t have to wait long for the rest of the main family members to arrive. It’s mostly immediate family from Alessandro and my side, as well as my cousins from my Aunt Louisa’s side. Once everyone is settled, Alessandro stands to speak.
“The Volkov family insists that Vittoria marry Ivan Volkov in two weeks, or they will attack our family.”
There is an uproar from everyone, some of the family members look at me, and I blush slightly, feeling once again like an outsider. Although I want my opinion to carry weight, I’ve always felt socially awkward, even with my family. As though I don’t belong here.
Alessandro holds his hands up. “Obviously, we’re not going to allow that to happen, so we must prepare for a war against the Volkov family.”
“Alessandro,” Luigi stands up, “it’s going to be hard to fight a war against them. They’re a powerful family.”
“So are we,” Alessandro says, “and I’ll be dead before I let that man lay his hands on your sister.”
“Yes, but maybe we should make them think they’ve won,” Luigi says, glancing at me. “Tori is smart. She can handle herself. She could feed us information about their operations, affiliates, and territories, and we could break the Volkovs from the inside out.”
“Are you mad?” Dominic roars. “You want to put Tori in danger in the hopes she can gather information from a dangerous man and feed it back to us.”
Luigi holds his hands up. “I’m just saying that Tori could help us end this without bloodshed. On our side anyway.”
I incline my head, and as everyone starts grumbling, Alessandro shakes his head. “I’m not placing your sister in the hands of this madman in the hope we can win that way.”
“I can do it,” I say, sounding more confident than I feel. “It’s just like a court case: taking what the opposition has and using it against them. It’s strategic, and Luigi is right. We could avoid so much bloodshed this way.”
Alessandro looks into my eyes. “Tori, I’m not arguing with you over this.”
“He is my father,” I say. “I want revenge more than even you do.”
Alessandro sighs and looks at Frankie. “Care to weigh in?” “I agree with Luigi,” Frankie says with a sigh.
Luigi perks up. “She’s our best shot. She’s intelligent and knows how to get the information we need.”
“I can do this, Alessandro.” My voice is clear even though I feel timid.
Everyone falls quiet as Alessandro’s phone rings. He checks the number and holds his hand up before answering it. He steps away from everyone and has a quiet chat with whoever is on the phone. When he hangs up, he comes back to us and looks at all of us gravely.
“Tori. Luigi. Kira.” I know it’s bad news, and I try to brace myself. “Your father’s condition has taken a turn for the worse. They’re saying it could be weeks or even a few days, but they don’t think he’s going to make it.”
I clench my fists. “It’s all the more reason to take down Ivan. He did this.”
Alessandro watches me for a moment before he looks around at each of our family member’s determined faces. I know they’re all standing with me on this front.
“Fine,” he says at last. “You’ll marry Ivan, but you do know what that will entail, don’t you?”
“I’m prepared to do what it takes to save our family,” I say coldly. “I can do it.”
Alessandro sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “You need to promise me you’ll be careful, Tori. You need to understand that you grew up in an Italian family. Russians are different from us. They do things differently, and they’ll be suspicious of you from the beginning.”
“I understand,” I say quietly, “but it doesn’t matter if they’re Italian or Russian. All men are the same in the end, no matter where they come from.”
“I’ll send word to Ivan. I guess you’d best pick out your wedding dress, and I’ll have Bella and Aunt Louisa’s family prepare the reception at the estate. Remember, everyone, you need to be on your best behavior. It’s going to be tense and uncomfortable, but I want no fighting at the wedding or the estate afterward. Tori’s life very much depends on how we behave.”
Vittoria
The days leading up to the wedding are the most nerve-wracking of my life. Under other circumstances, I’d consider myself lucky to be marrying someone as handsome and powerful as Ivan. As it is, all I do is go for gown fittings and sit through strategic planning meetings with my cousins and brother. I visit my father often, but I can do nothing for him except get my revenge.
Kira comes into my room on the day of the wedding to help me get dressed. Her belly bulges out in front of her, and she gives me a warm smile. “What you’re doing is incredibly brave, Tori.”
My siblings and I have never had an easy relationship, but I appreciate the sentiment.
“Today, I marry the man who essentially just made us orphans,” I comment, looking in the full-length mirror.
“The makeup artist and hair stylists are here to get you ready,” Kira says softly. “It would be best not to talk about these things in front of them.”
I nod. “I know, Kira. I’m not a fool.”
“Let’s get you ready then,” she waddles to the door and opens it.
“You can come in.”
Two women enter and immediately start fussing over me. They lead me over to a chair and begin unpacking tons of things. At least I was able to pick my own makeup artist and hairstylist. They speak in Italian, fast, and I listen to them gossip away about how lucky the groom is to have such a beautiful bride. I don’t talk much, withdrawing inside of myself. I need to steel myself for what I’m about to do. I always wanted to help the family, but some things worried me. I don’t think my family realizes I’m a virgin. It’s less expected these days, and I didn’t want to bring it up because I knew they’d then freak out, but what if Ivan is some sort of weirdo in bed? What if he wants me to do weird things? I wouldn’t even know where to start. Oh, God.
Kira seems to notice something is up and strokes my hand softly. “It’s all going to be okay. If you need help, just call. It’s not like you won’t be able to see us once you’re married.”
I nod slightly then the makeup artist turns my head sharply with the tip of her finger, so I’m looking at her. “Hold still.”
I sit still but keep my eyes downcast. It takes almost three hours to get the makeup and hair done. I’m wearing dark eyeliner, which makes my blue-gray Sorvino eyes really pop. My hair is gathered at the top of my head in a bun, and curls spill out of it and cascade down to my shoulders. I really should cut my hair shorter. I only ever keep it tied up anyway.
Kira helps me into my wedding gown. The bodice is figure-hugging, then the skirt balloons out like a proper princess dress. We get my heels on, clip my tiara into my hair, and add the veil.
Many people will wear a veil and wear white whether they are virgins or not. In my case, it’s because I am. No one needs to know that, though.
There’s a knock on the door, and it opens. Alessandro smiles at me.
“You look absolutely gorgeous, Tori.”
“Thank you, Alessandro,” I say, smiling sadly at him. “I’m going to make you proud.”
“I know you will,” he kisses my cheek, but I can see the sadness in his eyes.
“Cheer up. We need to act like we’re happy about this,” I say, taking his arm. “Thanks for walking me down the aisle.”
“It’s my honor,” he says as he escorts me out. “I hired a special limo just for the occasion.”
I smile as we walk out together, a genuine smile because I know I am finally helping my family, even at this cost. The drive to the church is quiet, and my nerves are quickly setting in.
“Is everything set up at Kira’s villa for the reception?” I ask, fiddling with my bouquet.
“Yes, everything is perfect. We’ll show them how to throw a party,” Alessandro says as the limo stops outside the church. We get out, me with some difficulty, and then Alessandro takes my arm. Kira waddles up with Miguel on her arm and wishes me luck before she enters the church.
I wait nervously, and when the music starts, I walk slowly with Alessandro up the stairs and through the doors. Everyone is standing and watching as I walk. There are Russian family members to my right and my family to the left-a clear division.
I see Ivan standing at the front of the church, watching me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, I’m not a mind reader, but I catch my breath. He looks exceptionally handsome in his three-piece suit. He has two groomsmen standing to his right, and there are two bridesmaids I don’t recognize to the right. One looks like him, perhaps a sister.
We reach the front, and Alessandro reluctantly holds my hand out for Ivan to take. Ivan nods and leads me to stand in front of the priest. It all happens so suddenly. We use generic vows, and I hardly listen to the priest lecture about marriage being an everlasting commitment. Suddenly Ivan is escorting me out of the church, and people are showering us with rice as we make our way to our limo.
We’re both silent as we drive toward Kira’s villa, it’s not far away, but I have nothing to say to him. As we get out, he turns to me. “At least pretend to smile for the photos. You’ll get used to the situation soon enough.”
A smile that probably looks like a grimace is all I can manage. We do wedding photos first, and I try to smile naturally even though Ivan is quite serious. Then we’re announced to the families and escorted into the garden, where again, the Russian and Italian families are sitting separately. Alessandro is seated at the head table with Katya, and Ivan and I sit so that Ivan and Alessandro are placed together, with me to Ivan’s left and Katya to Alessandro’s right.
The families talk, drink, and eat amongst themselves. There isn’t a dance floor, and I almost feel as though that was done on purpose to avoid punches flying between drunk family members. What I do notice is that neither Ivan nor Alessandro drink alcohol. This is telling to me because it means they both don’t want to let their guard down around each other.
While we are busy with dessert, Ivan asks me, “Do you like the wedding?”
“Not sure like is the adequate word here, but you’ve been very generous,” I say politely, wiping my mouth on a napkin.
“Unfortunately, my daughter couldn’t make it. She’s only flying in later today so you will meet her at home.” He completely ignores my jab.
“I didn’t know you had a daughter,” I comment, no one had mentioned me being a stepmother, and he catches me off guard.
“She’s about your age, so maybe the two of you could become friends,” he comments, sipping on his water. “You’ll certainly be spending time together both at home and out of it. I’m sure once you take the time to get to know each other, you’ll get along well.”
“So she’s about twenty-three?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, I had her when I was twenty. The best thing that has happened in my life.” He doesn’t seem to want to speak further. Maybe he feels he is revealing a weakness, which he certainly has. I couldn’t stomach the idea of killing someone, though, and a part of me hoped Alessandro doesn’t think of killing the young girl either. That’s not what I signed up for.
Once all the food dishes are out of the way, Ivan stands up and offers me his hand. “One dance, as husband and wife, before we take our leave and go home.”
I know all my stuff was already packed and shipped to him this week, so nothing is left for me here. I take his hand and stand, holding my gown in my other hand. He whisks me onto the dance floor, and a slow ballad begins to play. I don’t understand it, it’s in Russian, but it almost sounds sad. He sweeps me around in a waltz, and to avoid getting dizzy, I keep my eyes trained on his. He looks down at me, and I see something inside his eyes, a softness mixed with desire. I swallow hard as the song ends, let go of him, and give a slight bow.
He bows back and smiles, then says something to his family in
Russian before turning to Alessandro, “We will take our leave now. Thank you for inviting us to your family’s home. Once Vittoria is settled, your family is welcome to visit her at my apartment. With prior arrangement, of course.”
Alessandro stands and shakes Ivan’s hand. “We look forward to being on better terms with the Volkov family. Long may our families be united under a common cause.”
“We’ll be in touch about dividing the territories. Come, Vittoria,” he holds out his hand but first, I go to Alessandro and kiss his cheeks.
“Goodbye.”
Alessandro squeezes my shoulder and lets me go. I take Ivan’s hand, and we file out with the rest of the Russian guests to our car.