Adrian's Vengeance (Mafia Heirs 1)

I write a reply and burn my brother's letter in the fireplace until nothing but charred ash remains.

No one can find out about my connection with the outside world.

Especially not my new friend, Nicoletta.

27

Adrian

There's something going on with Nicoletta, my bride-to-be.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm starting to suspect something. Even though I haven't questioned her about it, I've noticed the slight changes in her behavior that mirror my own. Like the way she smiles when no one is looking. Like the fact that she seems off in dreamland most of the time, thinking about fantasies that don't involve me.

Still, I haven't questioned my fiancé about any of this. It's easier to pretend I haven't noticed and keep her from suspecting that I'll reveal her secrets.

I get word from the guards that Nicoletta and Marzia are together in the gardens, so I find myself standing in the hallway, silently watching them interact through the window.

Marzia seems standoffish and cold while Nicoletta seems eager to strike up a friendship.

"It's fucking weird, isn't it?"

I raise my eyes, smirking at my brother Ryder who's now standing next to me. "What, you mean this little captive friendship that's developing?"

"Exactly," Ryder mutters. "You think it's smart for them to be doing this? They could come up with a plan to escape or fuck us over if we let them spend too much time together."

"We can take two little girls," I scoff. "We're mafia men, Ryder. No woman has ever brought down anyone like us."

"If you say so." Even though my brother doesn't seem as convinced, he doesn't argue further.

That's why I like him so much. I clap him on the back, saying, "I'm glad Gustavo finally let you leave the Carlucci Villa. Not so concerned about collateral now, is he?"

"Guess not," Ryder says. "He seems pretty confident that you'll marry Nicoletta."

His words make my head hurt but I do my best to hide it.

Ryder keeps watching me, as if he's looking for cracks in my exterior.

I refuse to show him any. My brothers are the last people I'd let witness my breakdown. A man needs to be strong in front of his family. Fucking always.

"You are going to marry her, aren't you?" he asks.

I turn to face him then, taking my eyes off the captives in the garden. "What the fuck do you mean?"

"I mean I'm not motherfucking blind, Adrian," my brother hisses. "Everyone knows you're fucking Marzia Da Costa. It's a small wonder Nicoletta hasn't realized it herself, though I'd say she's not very far from making that discovery."

"It's not my fault," I find myself hissing through gritted teeth. "That Father wants me to marry someone I feel nothing for."

"You always knew it would be this way, though," Ryder argues.

I shake my head vehemently. "No, I thought he wanted me with Marzia. But that's all gone to hell now. We own everything the Da Costas had. So there's no reason for me to marry her. Nicoletta will be a better fit because the Carlucci family is so influential."

"So you're giving up on Marzia?"

I glare at my brother, not knowing how to answer him. Of-fucking-course I'm not ready to give up on Marzia, but what the hell am I supposed to do? Father's doing his level best to keep me away from the one woman I want and even my brother doesn't seem too sympathetic when it comes to my love life.

"Answer me."

Ryder's insistence surprises me. He's the quiet type that rarely argues, so seeing him this worked up is a shock. "What's it to you anyway? You don't like Marzia, do you?"

"Of course not, don't be fucking ridiculous." He looks scandalized.

I can't help but laugh at his crestfallen face.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing, nothing," I muse. "It's just that it's painfully-fucking-obvious you're into someone. So why are you trying to fix my life if you have your own shit to worry about?"

"It's easier?" he quips with an amused expression.

"Yeah, other people's problems are easier to deal with than our own." I smirk at him. "Still, if there's one piece of advice I can give you... it's to go after the woman you want. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"So you aren't giving up on her."

He doesn't need to say Marzia's name for me to know he's talking about her. I groan, running my hand through my hair as I say, "As much as I want to, I can't. This goes beyond infatuation and attraction. It goes back to us being kids. To Vitto Donatti, the prick who tried to take her away from me."

"So this is all about Vitto."

Perhaps it would be easier if it were. But deep down, I know there's more to my revenge story than just stealing Vitto Donatti's fiancée. I want Marzia because I feel for her, not because I want to rob her of the life she was supposed to have. If that were the case, I would've let Father kill her a long time ago.