The Mafia's Contracted Bride

Chapter Three - Rage

Chapter Three – Rage

Marco Dovizioso took a sip of his bourbon, enjoying the burn in his throat. The loud beat of the music resonated through his body, the red, green and white lights flashing around the dark room, as he sat in one of the many strip joints his family owned.

Sighing he took another sip of his drink, wanting to forget that in just one month he would be shackled to the ugly girl who his father had decided he needed to marry, it was his duty to his mafia family.

Some of the guards had informed him she had much improved over the past three years, but he could not find himself to care, he did not wish to marry anyone, he was young only 24, the world at his feet. Marco would not take over as the head of the family until his father dropped off this earth, and he wanted to make the most of his life before those responsibilities fell on his broad shoulders. For him being tied into this business contract was not something he desired or wished for, but he could not disrespect his fathers wishes.

He of course understood the reasoning, keeping those bastard Petrucci’s from using the Marini connections to further their business ventures, and he also knew they would potentially have someone seduce the ugly duckling that would now be his own wife, and the billions would have transferred to them. Yet still, the thought of having to bed the horrid freckly thing caused his d**k to retreat faster than any cold shower.

Marco watched as the girl doing her acrobatics on the pole wearing only a red thong and a pair of black heals, hung upside down her legs spread wide, as she gave him a wink. Normally that would be enough to pique his interest, but not tonight. The only warmth he required this night was that of his bourbon, and he intended to drink as much as humanly possible till his mind was purged of all thoughts of his future bride.

Marco took a drag on his Cuban cigar blowing the smoke in circles up into the air and watched as his men enjoyed the delights of the many whores that worked in his club, normally he would be getting action of his own, but he was not in the mood for a woman, any woman, tonight.

 As he looked over at his father, a hooker sat on his lap, as she wriggled her small breasts in his face, his head reclined back on the red leather couch, a small smirk resided on his father’s face, the only indication of his enjoyment.

This was normality for Marco, he was brought here to learn how to be a man from the tender age of twelve and had watched on as his father enjoy the fruits of his many w***e houses and strip clubs, without a second thought for his loving mother, who would, and had given her life for the man.

As a child he would be angry that his father could treat the woman who had birthed him with such disrespect, but now, he felt nothing, his heart was cold as ice since the day she jumped in front of a speeding car with Petrucci men hanging out the windows to try and take out the great Enzo Dovizioso. The bullets had missed their intended target and instead sprayed his mother, and she fell, laid in the gutter, in a pool of her own blood, saving Enzo’s life by sacrificing her own as 14 year old Marco watched on.

That day, the last shred of humanity and childhood had left Marco, as he took his own virgin gun and shot the one of the men who were supposed to guard his father, to lay down their lives for their boss but had utterly failed, his first bullet he had fired hit the guard straight through the eyes, a perfect shot, and Marco’s heart turned to Ice, and darkness clouded his brain.

Greed and power had invaded him, since that day, and he vowed that he would never love anyone, no woman would ever hold his hardened heart like his mother had. That day the last bit of good that had resided inside 14 year old Marco Dovizioso died along with the woman who brought him into to this world.

Marco continued to watch as the w***e continued to ride his father faking her own enjoyment, when one of the guards walked over to him and whispered in his father’s ear. Suddenly the woman was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor, as his father jumped up, the zipper on his trousers still open and rage clouding his features, another guard walked over to Marco and whispered in his ear.

“Marco, we have a problem”

Marco sighed, then nodded his head, placed his drink down on the table in front of him and weaved his way through the crowds of men and whores till he reached the office on the far side of the club.

Opening the door, the room was filled with some of his men, the atmosphere heavy with fear as his father entered shortly after, the vein on his neck pulsing in anger, Marco waited patiently to find out what had caused the violent reaction.

“Boss, Marco, we just had news from Stephano, Eva Marini has gone missing in Rome” Francesco spoke, his voice showed nothing of the fear he had at delivering the news, but Marco noticed the sweat on his brow, and knew the man was in scared for his life.

“HOW?” Enzo’s voice boomed out as he sat behind his walnut desk in his black leather chair, the gun in his hand twisting and turning in his frustration.

“We are not sure” Francesco spoke, his hands visibly twitching.

“The Petrucci’s?” Marco questioned, had they gotten their hands on the girl, not that he cared much about her, it would save him from marrying the girl, but he did care about losing face in front of his family, and men. The thought of the Petrucci gang increasing their strangle hold on human trafficking, something the Dovizioso family did not partake in, all their women were of age, and entered into this life of their own free will, could not be tolerated without murderous intervention. If they had taken her, then this would be all out war.

“Not that we know of, it seems, she conned Stephano, and ran away” Francesco uttered

Suddenly the echo of a single gunshot from Enzo’s gun bounced around the dark red walls of the office, and Francesco lay slumped on the floor, his body laying in the thick sticky mass of blood that was pooling from his chest.

“How the f**k did a little girl get away from one of my men?” Enzo shouted out in frustration.

Not one man answered, all fearful they would be next to pay the price of Stephano’s mistake.

“Get him here by sunrise” Marco ordered to no one in particular

“AND f*****g FIND HER!” Enzo bellowed at the men who oversaw the technology side of their business.

……………………

Stephano knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his hours were numbered, but he would not show fear, he had lost the girl, and that was on him, he would pay the price. He had bundled her two friends into the boot of the car, then onto the private Jet that waited at the airport. The silly girls did not understand who they had messed with, and they would also be made to pay for their friends’ disloyalty towards the Dovizioso family.

As the driver picked them up from the airport, he uttered not one word to Stephano, not even the courtesy nod was thrown in his direction. Stephano understood, he was a dead man walking.

As the car pulled up to the large yellow house with red tiled roof, that sat on the highest point of the small village it pulled into the garage, rather than to outside of the doorway. Bella and Maria sat in tears, shaking with fear, as two men grabbed them and pulled them roughly out of the car.

Stephano opened his door, and nodded his understanding to the guards, as they ushered him through the door into the basement nobody wanted to visit. As he walked down the stairs, his legs felt like jelly, when he saw Marco Dovizioso stood alongside the boss, he walked over to him, kissing him on both cheeks, a sign his life was about to end. The two girls clung to each other, sobbing quietly in the corner, and Stephano felt a pang of guilt that soon their 18 years on this planet would end.

“Stephano, Stephano, Stephano” Enzo’s voice rang out.

“Please come forward, I am sure there is a valid reason you lost my future wife” Marco spoke, his voice over friendly.

Stephano stepped forward, the ground crinkled under his feet, and the realisation he was stood on a carpet of plastic that would wrap his dead body washed through him, but he would stand tall and show nothing of the fear that had taken root in his heart, he would die a man.  

“Please, tell us, exactly what happened, and leave nothing out” Marco’s friendly voice was a clear warning, when he spoke softly, he was at his most dangerous.

Stephano replayed the previous day’s events, how Eva had pretended to have period pain, and sent him for sanitary products, and pain killers. He said that she was sleeping when he returned, but four hours later, it became apparent she was not in her room. Her friends had returned, only to confirm the truth she had gone off on her own. Stephano continued to tell them, he had tracked her phone, only to find that it was pinging all over Rome, and she had left it hidden in the cab she had used to make good her escape.

Enzo nodded, then looked at Marco, who smiling pulled out his weapon and shot Stephano in his head. Screams echoed around the basement as Bella and Maria clung tighter to each other.

“Now, you” Enzo pointed to Bella

Two guards pulled her away from Maria, placing her beside the fallen body of Stephano, as she whimpered and sobbed, her body shaking all over, and her face stained with tears and running mascara.

Enzo walked over to the girl and stood in front of her, he traced his gun down the side of her face with a smile as she winced away from him.

“Whose idea was this?” he asked softly

“W..w..we th..th..thought she was going to the Colosseum, she wanted a few hours freedom from being watched” Bella stammered out

“And who decided to pretend she had her period” Enzo asked his eyes never leaving Bella’s

“Eva’s” Bella lied, but her eyes looked down, revealing her lie

“Now, you are not lying to me are you little one?” Enzo asked with a smirk

“N..n..no, it was all Eva. She planned everything” Bella sobbed

Bella had made a huge mistake, both Enzo and Marco were experts in reading body language, and he knew this girl was lying. Removing his gun from caressing her face, he smiled.

“I do not like liars little one” he smirked, as Bella sobbed once more

 “Shhh, shhhh, there, there” he comforted the frightened girl, before pulling her hair forcefully tilting her head back and brought his gun under her chin and fired. Her body slumped on top of Stephano.

“Such a waste” he uttered shaking his head

The guards pulled Maria, screaming into the centre of the room, and placed her beside the two dead bodies.

“Now little one, tell me the truth” Enzo smiled as if he had not just murdered her friend in cold blood.

Maria, shook, as she told him everything, even down to how Eva was not really a friend, but the girls had gone with her for the free trip and expensive gifts she had bestowed on them. Maria left nothing out, as she hung her head sobbing.

Marco looked at the girl, it seemed his future wife was more cunning than he had ever given her credit for, but he was not displeased that she had gone, saving him from having to marry her.

“You did well little one” Enzo praised Maria

“Now, your life is in the hands of my men, tell me are you a virgin” Enzo laughed.

Maria looked her eyes widened with fear, but she nodded that she was.

“So would any of you like to claim this fresh piece of meat, marry her and be responsible for her, making sure she keeps her pretty little mouth shut?” Enzo asked the remaining men in the basement

One man stepped forward, he was older, approaching forty, thick set, a scar ran from the side of his eyebrow down through his eye which looked like it was permanently closed ending at his jaw, his hair black, grey at the temples was greased back, and Maria shuddered at the thought of being married to such a man.

“I will claim her” he growled out.

“Ah good, what is your name little one” Enzo asked Maria

“Maria sir” she whimpered

“Pretty name for a pretty girl, Maria meet your husband Valentino Bastianini”

With that Valentino took hold of Marias arm and dragged her from the basement as she cried out and sobbed uncontrollably.

Marco stepped over the bodies of Bella and Stephano, not giving them a second glance, and walked up to his father’s office, Enzo entered behind him taking a seat behind his oak desk, the yellow walls of the room were light and airy, a family portrait sat on the wall behind. A knock on the oak door echoed around the room.

“Come” Enzo shouted.

“Boss, the tech guys have some news, she flew out from Rome to Amsterdam, then checked in for a flight to San Francisco, that flight is due to land in one hour”

Enzo nodded

“Have our cousins in San Fran meet our little runaway off her flight” He smiled

Marco could not help but feel the wave of disappointment she had been found so quickly, wash over him, would he never be free from this contract!

Marco sat waiting for news from the head of the Mafia they had connections within San Francisco, alongside his father. The vintage black telephone rang, and Enzo picked it up.

“I hope you have good news” Enzo growled into the phone before he slammed it down with such force the cradle snapped.

“She wasn’t on the f*****g flight” he raged.

“FIND HER” Enzo bellowed out, not liking one bit that he had been outwitted by and eighteen year old girl.