Bound by Blood and Desire: A Mafia Dark Romance

The Devil's Ultimatum

~Camilla~

I wiped the blood from my nose, rising back to my feet, getting right back in my father’s face, “Is that all you’ve got?” I spat, “You have to do more because I will never stop trying to–”

The words were cut short when his hands shot out again, striking me across the face. I tasted blood in my mouth this time but I refused to back down. Victor Moretti was not a violent man, at least not until he was provoked which was exactly what I was doing right now.

I would rather have him kill me than have him walk me that aisle in ten hours.

The moment the devil walked away, my father’s men dragged me home, locking me up in my room until my father returned, summoning me to his study.

He threw a fit in Italian but the only thought I could register was the devil’s voice saying. Tomorrow. I was to be wed tomorrow and when my father had asked if I was listening to him, I finally snapped and screamed, “f**k you for doing this to me!”

Victor Moretti did not tolerate disrespect and the words ended with me getting a slap right across the face, hard enough for me to lose my footing falling to the ground.

“Your sister already caused me a lot of trouble when she ran away,” He snarled, his eyes burning with rage, “Do you know what it took me to get him to agree to marry you instead? And you go and do this?”

My eyes burned with rage as I stared back at him, “I accepted my fate a long time ago, Father. I know I was always going to marry someone you picked and I will marry anyone else but not him!”

“You will do as I say, Camilla or else—”

“I do not take likely to my future bride being threatened,” A cold voice spoke from the door, cutting my father short and we both whipped our heads to see Axel standing at the door.

My father immediately straightened his spine, going on guard. His eyes lost their intensity but they became much more darker as Axel took a step into the study.

“I was not expecting you.”

Axel’s eyes left my father and landed on me then they narrowed for a second seeing the blood still dripping from my nose before his gaze returned to my father, “I would like to speak to Camilla. Alone.”

I watched the irritation flare up in my father’s face before he nodded, and then without another word, he walked out leaving me with the thought:

What the hell just happened?

I had watched my father over the years. He was the one person that feared no one. Bowed to no one so why did Axel hold so much power over him? He was one of the most powerful men in our world. He killed without remorse. The first time I understood my world was when I saw him drive a bullet right into a man’s head when I was five. I had been hiding under the table, innocently playing hide and seek with my sister, Riley.

My sister who was supposed to marry Axel but ran off and now I was being forced to take her place.

I really wished I could hate her but I didn’t.

“Is it a frequent act?”

It took me a second to remember where I was, the cold voice and question bringing me back to reality. My reality. The one where the embodiment of the devil and I stood inches from each other.

The air suddenly felt so suffocating and it took me another second for me to realize he asked me a question. His eyes narrowed at the lack of answer, making me take a step backward.

How did someone manage to make a look so murderous?

I blinked, “What?”

Axel crossed the room in two long strides. His hands came up to my face and I was expecting him to hit me for not hearing what his question was but instead, his hands came up to my nose, wiping away the blood.

The act was so unexpected, the touch so gentle that I almost fell backwards at the impact.

“Is it a frequent act?” He asked again.

I finally understood. He wanted to know if my father hit me regularly. The words spilled from my mouth in a stutter, “What?… No… He just.. I.. It was my fault. I provoked him. I deserved it.”

He just stared blankly at me making me clamp my mouth shut then after what felt like an eternity, he took a step backwards, allowing me to breath properly but the next words that left his lips had me struggling to catch my breath again.

“You are expected to give me an heir before the end of the year.”

I opened my mouth, only to close it immediately. An heir? The year was ending in three months. Then another thought that I had pushed down since my father announced that I would take my sister’s place came back with full force.

He would be the one to take my virginity.

A smile curved his lips at that and I almost believed he could read my thoughts. He crossed the room to my father’s desk, leaning against it, never taking his cold eyes off me.

“Your father has already disappointed me once but I was assured that you are untouched,” His eyes darkened, “There will be consequences if I find that I was lied to. Do you understand?”

I didn't have a reply. I could only nod.

The door opened at that moment and a man I didn’t recognize came in holding a box making Axel’s lips curve up again and there was so much coldness to the smile that a shiver ran up my spine.

He gestured for the man to drop the box on the table in front of me, “I almost forgot. A pre-wedding for my beautiful bride.”

The tone he used made me take a big gulp while still trying to steady my breathing. The man did as instructed and then left without another word. My gaze flickered between him and the box but still, I didn’t speak.

“Open it.”

The command was low, spoken with a promise of severe consequences if I refused. I sucked in a deep breath then with an unsteady hand, I opened the box and it took everything in me not to throw up.

The hole in Lucion’s head alongside his blank wide eyes stared back at me and I really wished that was all but beside his dismembered head were his severed hands and then I lost the battle, throwing up right on the carpet.

I felt the first tear slide down my cheeks, the rest followed. I started crying not for Lucion. No. Not for him. I hated his guts and he had tried to rape me. I cried for myself because I was to be bound to this man for the rest of my life and worse?

He wanted me to bring his child into this world.

“It really does warm my heart that you love my gift so much that you are moved to tears,” Axel spoke again, his tone cold and mocking making me cry even more.

How was I supposed to survive this sort of monster?

He pushed himself off the desk, walking back to me. His hands wrapped around my neck, forcing me to look up at him. His face had returned to the cold mask, losing every iota of amusement, “I was made a fool when your sister ran and I do not take being made a fool of likely especially when someone tries to do it twice.”

His gaze went back to the box, “You will do well to remember that and I expect you to keep the gift. I put a lot of thought into it and if I find out you had someone discard of it…”

The words trailed off, the threat hanging in the air. We both stared at each other for a moment and all I saw was coldness and emptiness then he released my neck.

“I expect an uneventful wedding tomorrow. Ensure you do everything to make it stay that way.”

With that he turned around, leaving me standing, struggling to find words. I tried to stop the tears, unfortunately they just continued flowing but as I watched him leave, I made a vow. It was over my dead body that I would bring a child into this world to be raised by him.

He suddenly stopped walking, turning back to face me like he heard my thoughts yet again, “Camilla?”

“Yes?” The whispered word left my lips like he invoked it at the call of my name.

His gray eyes held so much evil, “You ever try to run from me again and I will make you watch as your entire family pays in blood then I will make you beg me to make your death merciful.”