Contract Marriage: Taming My Mafia Heir Husband

By Antonella Santinelle

“Ouch... Ouch... Stop it Antonella.”

My brother grumbled through tears, like a broody chicken, but I enjoyed every hair I pulled out of his chest using only tweezers. Who did that bastard think he was, to hang me like that?

“Aren't you clever? Then find a way to get out of my hands, because if it's up to me you're not leaving this room until I pull the last hair out of even your..."

“WHAT?” He didn't even let me finish my sentence. “HELP ME...”

I was amused to see Dante's cold sweat dripping down his face, after all, he and I knew he would never get out of there, his hands and legs were tied to the bed, I had tied him up myself while he slept.

“Why the hell did you get me into such trouble, Dante Santinelle?”

“What's going on here?” My mother opened the bedroom door in terror, but when she saw the scene, I wasn't sure whether she was holding back her laughter or trying hard to look shocked.

“By God, mamma. Antonella wants to kill me with this thing she calls a female accessory.”

Mamma sighed, but before she could intervene in the situation, daddy came up behind his wife.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Your daughter has learned foolproof techniques for torturing a thirty-three year old grown man.”

Daddy shifted his gaze from my hands to Dante's face.

“By God... I can't believe you're crying like a little woman over this, Dante. Shame on you!”

“Why don't you try being in my shoes, then?” You have to be really terrified for Dante to defy our father like that. “Con questa cosa hurts more than a blade cutting into his flesh, Papa.”

Papa rolled his eyes, visibly displeased with the desperation of the man son he was so proud of.

“Antonella, put down that highly dangerous weapon, and untie your brother. You have half an hour to meet us downstairs. We need to talk before our guests arrive.”

I knew who these guests were and remembering this only fueled my anger toward Dante even more, but I also knew that it wouldn't be smart to question my father, at least not at that moment.

“Si, daddy.”

Shortly after

“I told you I'm not marrying any unhappy man.” I shouted as I paced back and forth.

“Now, don't be spoiled. I did this not only to save your future, but also to avoid losing you. Besides, I knew that Luigi could come out of that place hurt if someone didn't help him. I just put the good and the bad together.”

Dante's explanation made me shudder even more with anger.

“Fuck me! And what Cazzo are you talking about? My future has never been threatened, dammit.”

Dantes took a deep breath, and soon I saw his expression turn sad. Just like me, our parents were also waiting for an answer from my brother.

“After Alessandro became obsessed with the idea of asking Babbo for his son's permission to court you, I overheard you talking on the phone with cousin Rita. I know that you were prepared to run away if our father allowed the boy's visits.” This time it was my turn to be scared.

“Oh, holy God.” Mom covered her mouth with her hands, unable to hide her horror.

“I also know why. You have too free a soul to allow yourself to follow mafia traditions or impositions.”

“Did you intend to run away?”

Of all the things Dante had said, that part seemed to be the only one that had remained engraved in the memory of my father, who by now seemed enraged, but fuck it! I did intend to run away, in case he decided that it would be a great idea to imprison me to a man in exchange for business. Please, who in the 21st century accepts to be a bargaining chip? By the way, who nowadays marries without love? That completely outdated tradition was one of the many things that annoyed me about the mafia world I was born into.

“Yes, I did! In fact, it's not a completely out of the question idea if you take this marriage thing further.” I told my father without fearing his reaction. “We don't live in Grandpa's time and I won't allow myself to be treated as a bargaining chip, Dad.”

I stared him in the face as he stared at me. His hard expression gave me chills, but I didn't let him see it. If there was one thing I had learned in that criminal world, it was that our adversary took advantage of our weaknesses, so we needed to be impassive at all times to gain time to study the possibilities of the situation around us.

Hours later

“Forgive me sister, but at the time I just thought how much I didn't want to lose you.” I could feel the sincerity in Dante's words. “It may sound selfish, but in that instant I saw a solution to continue having your presence in our lives.”

“You men tend to think with your heads down, so only shit comes out as thoughts.”

“Antonella, mind your manners.” My mother scolded, but I shrugged, but at that moment a female voice sounded in the room.

“Wow, we've come at a great time. I must say that I already love her. Marriage approved!” Cazzo, another crazy woman to annoy me. “Giovanna Salvatore, your future sister-in-law, after all, I am like Luigi's legitimate sister.”

I looked at the blue-eyed girl who was visibly excited. Beside her were two twins just as excited, but it was the dark-haired man with black hair and an unreadable face who caught my attention. Just like on the day of the mass, at this moment he showed no emotion, but seemed to study me thoroughly, which bothered me immediately. Who does he think he is?

“Antonella Santinelle.” I shook the hand that Giovanna had extended to me. “But I am sorry to disappoint you by saying that I have no fiancé, so I have no sister-in-law or brothers-in-law either.”

I saw the man next to Giovanna narrow his eyes. ÔThe petulant cur... Handsome, I admit, but what he had of beauty he also had of petulance.

“Don't worry, Miss Santinelle.” The man's hoarse voice surprised me. He took a step forward, standing a few inches away from where I was standing. “As you can see, I am as excited to take you as my wife as you are. By the way...” Without letting me think, just as he did in the church, the man took my hand and boldly brought it to his thick lips. “It's a pleasure to see you again.”

It was my turn to narrow my eyes; I knew he was teasing me. Probably Luigi was one of those who thought he was the indispensable hunk, but guess what, I cared little for the title of capo do Norte that now belonged to him.

We stood there staring at each other, he with that look of superiority that irritated me so much, and I probably couldn't hide the murderous look I had. The atmosphere was heavy between the two of us, but some were clearly enjoying the situation. While an excited Giovanna clapped her hands, one of the twins next to her looked as euphoric as if he were facing a soccer match of his favorite team.

“This should be interesting.” The mustachioed twin said with an evil laugh at the corner of his mouth.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll retire.”

I watched Antonella walk away like a whimsical child. Being followed by his mother and Giovanna, I did not know well what they talked about, but by the euphoria, I had no doubt that it would be about the preparations for the wedding, which obviously was not leaving my bride any little happy, but still I was finding it very funny your way as a troublemaker girl.

“Well, now let’s talk about something that interests me.” Capo Giuseppe settled back into his brown leather armchair.

“And what would it be?” I wanted to know curious.

“Apparently for a considerable time we will be seen as a family, that is, we cannot behave like rivals in search of territories and goods.”

“I thought that had been settled for years.”

“But the agreement I made with his father was that each one should command his own side.”

“Which will not change.” Matteo stepped up.

“Need to change, kid. Or at least that’s what we need to make them believe has changed. In our world, which family isolates itself from each other?” I understood exactly what he said, after all, distancing in business would cause strangeness to other members. “I’m not proposing to run each other’s businesses, Luigi. In the meantime, why act alone if together we can be stronger? My father and his grandfather hated each other, but me and Enzo...” Giuseppe seemed nostalgic.

“You and my father?” I encouraged the elder to continue

“Well, what I mean is that now the times are different and apparently Santinelle and Salvatore are now one. There will be no south or north side, we will be just Italy.”

“My father is right.” Dante was serious as few times I saw him so. “If we are targets, to hit us you will also be targets, or vice versa. Which also means that we want to help you stop the attacks you’ve been suffering.”

“If you as children allow us, of course, we will investigate the death of your parents.”

“In exchange for what?” Paolo seemed annoyed.

“Who assures us that we can trust you?” It was Matteo’s turn to confront the two Santinelle.

“My daughter will be living with you. Become a Salvatore! Fighting to ensure her life intact seems little?” The elder responded by facing the twins. “I don’t want anything from you, but my son took us to take this fight to us when he offered Antonella’s hand to the heir, so I can’t back down now. Not when she’ll say yes to her sister.”

“Trusting us seems to be the only way out for you, who over the past few months seem to be collecting enemies like you’ve never collected before.” Dante confronted Matteo about it.

When my grandfather died, Dad decided to undo all the alliances that the Salvatore had, it was his decision to choose what he did from that moment when power was in his hands and he did it taking into account what he thought the moment required. Now it was my turn to do the same, and given the circumstances that we were going through, one thing I had no doubt... Fighting alone against someone I didn’t even know was suicide.

“We will be one.” I reached out to Giuseppe who let a satisfied smile appear on his lips.

“Like a real family, Luigi.” The man firmly shook my hand. “Finally the Italian mafia will be truly unified as it should have always been.”

When in life could I imagine that by choice of mine, my family would be united the family of my grandfathers' worst enemy? Probably their bones would be turning in the grave right now, but what could I do? Yes, I could turn to my Aunt Kenya, who now ran what was left of the Russian mafia, but if when she lived, not even my mother trusted her family, why would I? Something in my heart said that it was with the Santinelles that I should be.