Taking the Mafia Princess

Prologue

Silvia

I stormed into my father’s office, causing him to sit up straight in his chair. “Papa, I won’t marry Angelo,” I informed him, stomping my foot down. There was no way in hell I would marry the philandering bastard. Angelo just asked me to marry him a month ago during a family gathering. I thought it was too soon, but he was intent on marrying me even if he had to wait for our wedding night. How stupidly naïve could I be? What guy waits for you? Seriously, I don’t know why I ever agreed to marry him other than family pressure on both sides.

“Silvia, no need to damage my floor, la mia piccola. You don’t have to marry him if you don’t want to. May I ask why?” He raised his left brow and leaned forward with his elbows on his desk and his fingers intertwined.

“I don’t think you want to know,” I muttered. Hoping he wouldn’t push it, I turned toward the door to make my way out of the room, even though, I was certain he had more questions. In fact, that was the reason I was trying to make a dash. He wasn’t going to let that go. After all, there were things to cancel.

As I reached the handle, he called out, “Silvia.” I spun slowly on my heel afraid of what would be next. When my eyes met his, I could see him getting angrier by the second. His face twisted, and he snarled, “Oh, did he betray you, mia principessa?”

I hesitated, knowing what my father was capable, but then I reluctantly admitted, “Yes, papa.”

“Very well. Leave it to me,” he stated calmly, sitting back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. There was no way that he planned to do anything other than kill him. As much as I’d been hurt, I hadn’t been in love with him, and I didn’t give him my virginity.

“I don’t want you to kill him, papa,” I exclaimed as I rushed up to his desk and slammed my palms down startling him for a second. “I don’t want anyone to die for hurting my feelings.”

He leaned back in his chair again, nodding slowly and raised a finger to give him a minute. After a minute of quiet reflection which felt like a lifetime, he gave me one condition. “Then I won’t kill him, but you must promise me you’ll never take him back.”

I shook my head emphatically. That wasn’t going to happen ever. I wanted to be the only one in a man’s life, and I couldn’t stand the idea of sharing. “I won’t. Why can’t a man love me enough to wait for me?”

He jutted his head back and stared at me in shock. “Oh, you saved his life so much more than you know,” he muttered, shaking his head.

My eyes narrowed, and I accused, “I thought you promised you wouldn’t kill him.”

He chuckled, then said, “I did, but I didn’t say Dante wouldn’t want his head.”

“Ugh,” I huffed out, sitting down on the chair in front of his desk. “Having mafiosos for a dad and brother isn’t easy.” My brother was crazier than my father, and he seemed to be perpetually miserable. Damn, I knew Dante wouldn’t listen to me. Maybe I should have made a different excuse. I didn’t love him, but I liked him and wasn’t ready for marriage.

“Silvia, most fathers, and brothers, would bash the head of any fuck that breaks his sweet girl’s heart,” he reminded me. Not all did it, but he was right.

“He didn’t break my heart. My pride is in the damn gutter, but I didn’t love him,” I informed him. He was the one who coaxed me into dating Angelo.

“Then why would you want to marry him?” he asked

My eyes widened, and I looked at him like he was nuts. “Um…you all set it up…”

“You have a point, but we thought he would be good for you.” It wasn’t exactly an arranged marriage, but it was pretty damn close. They wanted to unite the two families, so they pushed us into a relationship that I wasn’t interested in. I shouldn’t have let it go past a third date, by then they were planning our wedding, and he felt as obligated as I did.

“Yeah, well he’s a swinging dickhead,” I replied with a shrug.

“Language, Silvia,” he scolded. I forgot to watch my mouth around him. This whole situation made me so angry.

“Yes, Papa,” I replied, dipping my chin into my chest as a sign of repentance. My father leaned forward, tipping my chin to look at him. “You’re too lovely to have a filthy mouth. It’s Dante and I’s fault.” Reminding me of my brother, I begged. “Please don’t let Dante do anything dumb.”

“I’ll talk to him. He’s not going to get away unscathed. I promise that he’ll feel the betrayal, but we won’t hurt him.”