The Mafia's Contracted Bride

Prologue

Prologue

The sun began to set over the Tuscany mountains, the orange and yellow light danced through the one window and hit off the gold and silver embossed lettering on the books in the Marini house library. The dark oak shelves were stacked full of every title and genre you could think of from travel books to romance, crime, thriller, and many encyclopaedias. The library walls behind the rows of books, were a sage colour, peaceful and relaxing. In one corner sat a large reading chair, the cream sage and brown tartan upholstery a subtle nod to Sandra Marin the lady of the house and her Scottish Heritage. Sandra was the beloved the wife of Danilo Marini, the legitimate businessman, who met her 20 years previous, and the story they tell, the world is it was love at first sight. Together they built the world’s largest manufacturing empire and bore one daughter the sole heiress of the Marini billions.

In the comfortable tartan chair sat Eva Marini, once again studying her beloved medical Encyclopaedia, her long red hair, fell in natural ringlets framing her small heart shaped face. Eva scrunched up her freckle dusted nose as she tried to memorise the names of the muscles and tendons in the human shoulder.

Although in looks she was her Scottish mother’s image, in personality she resembled her father. Her temperament could be described as fiery, but she was kind and courteous to those around her. Eva knew what she wanted to do with her life, had done from being a small girl and worked tirelessly to make it a reality. She had plans to train as a doctor, to do good, help those in need, and she had the intelligence and drive and single minded ambition to achieve her dream.

“Eva, where are you?”

Her mother shouted in English with the hint of a Scottish accent, one of the perks of having parents of different nationalities was Eva is fluent in both English and Italian, she had also learnt German and Spanish at her private school, where she was top of her year, and hailed a wonder child.

“There you are, I might have guessed, you need to put down the books Eva, we have the important business meeting tonight, go put on your new green dress, hurry” Sarah encouraged her daughter.

As Eva stood, she looked younger than her fifteen years, she was not like the other girls in her school who had already developed assets that men and boys found attractive. Eva was late to develop, not having any of the womanly curves desired by men. But this did not concern her, she had her plans, and they did not include having a boy in her life. Boys were a distraction from her studies, and Eva would not allow herself to be distracted from achieving her goals in life.

Placing the thick medical encyclopaedia down on the dark oak table, marking her spot with a pink ribbon so that she may return to her study as soon as she had done her family duty of showing her face at this business meeting her father deemed so important. Eva made her way out of her favourite room in the mansion she called home and walked up the large marble staircase turning right at the top, heading to her bedroom.

Opening the door, her bedroom was something any teenage princess would be proud of, the large super king size bed stood in the centre of the room, with the white ornate carved wood headboard, her covers dark pink with a white throw perfectly placed at the foot of the bed. The dark pink drapes across the large window that looked out towards the scenic Tuscany mountains, danced slightly from the breeze of her open window. The drapes contrasted perfectly the white painted walls, pictures of pink roses from buds to open blooms hung on the various walls. The room perfect for any normal teenage girl, but Eva was not what you would describe as normal, she did not crave the lavish lifestyle, her tastes were simple, and all she needed in her life was knowledge.

Eva walked to the door on the left hand side of her room, opening it up to a large walk in closet, filled with every type of clothing from every designer you could think of most of which had been made in he fathers many factories across the globe.

Pulling out the emerald, green dress, and put it on her bed Eva made her way across the room to another door that lead to her private bathroom, then turned on the power multi headed steam shower, she stood under the many jets that cleaned every inch of her slight frame. Finished she wrapped herself in her white fluffy robe, heading back into her room to dress.

The elaborate beads and gold thread embroidery across the square necked bodice, of her mother’s chosen dress for this occasion did little to flatter her still flat chest, and the spaghetti straps hung a little loose on her small shoulders. The dress gathered at the waist and flared out landing just above her knee, and although it was worth thousands, it still made her look like a small child playing dress up, not helped by her four foot eleven inch height.

Eva though she was grateful, she did not care about such trivial things, she may have access to designer clothes, many a Hollywood actress would be proud of and have draws filled with expensive jewels her father and mother insisted on bestowing upon her she would prefer the gifts of books especially medical journals.

Her mother took the indifference to clothes as her daughter’s insecurity of not developing at the same time as other girls her age, informing her she would develop soon, and fill out the many such dresses that hung in the large closet, But the truth was Eva much preferred the comfort of her jeggings, a sloppy t-shirt, pair of fluffy slippers, and the company of her books.

Sitting at her large French inspired white dressing table, Eva pulled out a pair of emerald earrings and placed them in her ears, along with a diamond tennis bracelet, then placing a small amount of tinted lip balm on her soft pink lips, she shrugged at her reflection, not caring how she looked , and made her way down to the formal drawing room, so that she could stand beside her parents as the dutiful heiress of the Marini billions, and smile sweetly at the men and women who were important connections for her father.

“Mr Dovizioso, welcome to our home”

Eva’s mother greeted the tall man dressed in a black double breasted suit, the jacket buttoned over a white shirt and thin black tie to hide the middle age spread caused by too many pizzas and glasses of whiskey. Her mother spoke in perfect Italian with just the smallest hint of the Scottish accent she held when speaking English.

“Mrs Marini, the pleasure is all ours, and please, after this transaction you will be part of our family, call me Enzo” he smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

Eva instantly felt a distrust of the man, as he looked her up and down, his smile felt fake, and she spotted a touch of judgement in his eye.

“Is this your beautiful daughter?” he asked

“Yes, this is Eva”

Danilo Marini answered, pushing his daughter forward a little

“Nice to meet you sir” Eva smiled politely, doing her best to be the polite daughter her family required of her this evening.

“This is my Son Marco” Mr Dovizioso said motioning to the younger man beside him.

Eva turned to look and saw a tall man aged around 21 stood looking daggers in her direction, a sneer on his face.

Unlike his father Marco kept his dark hair short, he stood at around six foot two, his black single breasted suit perfectly fitted his muscular frame, a black shirt underneath and black skinny tie made him appear to be mean and moody. He would have been handsome if it were not for the sneer on his face, as he looked Eva up and down not hiding his disgust.

Eva was not affected by his disapproval, she knew many of her classmates would have stood drooling at him, but to her, he was nothing more than the son of her father’s new business partner, she did not care for his good opinion, and she would much prefer to be sat in her library studying that having to converse with these men.

“Enzo, Marco, should we make our way to the dining room” Sarah Marini said, her fingers twitching slightly the only outward sign of her nervousness regarding everything that would be settled upon tonight.

As the servants brought out plate after plate of delicious Italian fayre, it was clear to Eva her parents were wanting to impress the Dovizioso’s. Although remaining polite Eva spent most of the meal looking around the room, noticing how the crystal chandeliers caused prisms of light, small rainbows reflected across the large glass dining table, she took little notice of the conversation that surrounded her about the urgent need for extra security and protection for the Marini business and the family. After the six course meal was completed, Eva asked if she may be excused and with her father’s nod of approval, she headed back to the comfort of her library picking up her book she continued her studies.

As she sat with only the reading light switched on, she heard footsteps in the hall beyond the door which was slightly ajar.

“Why do I have to marry her? have you seen the girl” Marco Dovizioso hissed

“Yes, she is disappointing, but this is business Marco, they need protection from the Petrucci family, and we need their money” Enzo growled at his son

“Is there no other way, we can make money everyday father” Marco protested

“You will do as I tell you, and it will not be for long, once they sign the contract, you will have three years before you marry the girl, a month after her eighteenth birthday then after an appropriate amount of time we will dispose of her family, she will inherit the money, if you plant your seed into her once the child is born securing the wealth to the Dovizioso family. Once your job is done you can help the girl fall from a balcony in a tragic accident. In the meantime, we have plenty of whores in the clubs to keep your bed warm, but understand this you will not disrespect me, and you will marry Eva Marini”