Lilac and Honey: An Italian Mafia Series Read online

  "Is it true?" Juliette shouted, storming into my office.

  "Juliette, what the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in school."

  "I ditched with Emily, but then we overheard Dad say you're getting married, so we ran over here!"

  "Juliette I'm really bus-"

  "Oh my god you didn't deny it! Who the hell would ever agree to marry you? You're a nightmare. Does this mean I'm finally getting a sister? Can I be a bridesmaid, wait no, can I be the flower girl?"

  "Juliette."

  "What if she doesn't like me? How did you propose? I didn't even know you were dating. This is crazy, I have to tell Emily."

  "Juliette." I shouted a little louder to get her attention.

  She asked one more question, "Who is she?"

  "It's Eliana. Marco's daughter." I explained.

  "Why didn't you tell me you were planning on getting married?"

  "Because I wasn't planning on getting married. Look, it's complicated. There's a lot of moving parts to this. Don't get your hopes up. Dad says she's close to backing out."

  "What if she says no? Do you love her?"

  "I don't even know her. This isn't like one of your novels. This is a business partnership. I'm doing it for Dad."

  "I would back out too if I found out I had to marry someone like you." She scoffed. "Wait, Eliana? As in Frankie's sister? Not the one you were always mean to when they came to visit. There's no way she says yes to marrying you!"

  "She doesn't really have a choice. Dad needs Marco to help him with some things back home, and we agreed to help them here in the States. She'll agree if she wants to keep her family safe." I explained.

  Juliette moved to my couch setting down her bag, and getting comfortable.

  I coughed hoping she would take a hint. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but eventually stood up grabbing her bag.

  "Fine I'll leave, but it's gonna cost you." She grinned.

  “Okay, you leave right now, and I won't tell Dad you snuck out of Saint Katherine's for the ninth time this month."

  She thought about my offer as if she had a choice, gave me a nod, and ran out of the office as mysteriously as she arrived. With Juliette gone I could get back to work.

  After working for a few hours with no interruptions, Dane entered my office after a quick knock on my door. The knock was more of a habit than him asking for permission to come in. It had me wishing I’d locked the door after Juliette left.

  "This is everything I could find on her. She likes to keep her personal information private. It's not easy trying to climb the ladder as an attorney when your dad runs New York."

  "What did you find out?" I asked.

  "After high school, she went to Boston University and double majored in Criminology and Sociology. After college, just like her dad said, she went to Columbia for law school, passed the Bar earlier than most and started working around town. None of the big firms wanted her so she found a couple of small nonprofits to work for to build her resume. Where she's at now has her working a number of jobs. Legal aid, counseling, helping women escape domestic abuse situations around the East Coast. She's also spent quite a lot of time in court representing these women. That takes up most of her time. If she's not in court she's busy doing something else for work. We tracked her travel over the past few months. She's been flying with families all over the U.S.''

  "What else did you find?"

  "Well, you know Raffael, and Frankie too. They have been busy with the family business. Nora has two kids now. One just started the second grade. The other one just turned six. Her husband Mikey works as an accountant in the city, and has been working a lot of ‘overtime’ lately. From what I can tell he's spending more time at work than with Nora and the kids."

  "Keep your tail on Eliana until dinner. I don't want her going anywhere without me knowing." I ordered.

  "I'll keep a couple guys on it, but she hasn't left her apartment all week. I doubt she's going anywhere anytime soon." Dane said leaving the folder on my desk and walking back out to reception to make a call.

  I looked over his folder. If you didn't know who Eliana's father was you would think of her as a normal girl. She had worked really hard to hide she was a Mariani. Only someone who is afraid of the truth tries this hard to hide it. She knows who she is and what she wants, but she can't admit to herself mafia and murder runs in her blood.

  Four hours later, I was waiting in Marco's office with Dad and Dane. Every minute that ticked by had Marco more and more nervous. He must have thought his daughter wasn't going to show. It would be trouble for him if she didn't. He had already signed the contract and agreed to the engagement.

  "She's not going to show." Dane whispered in my ear as we waited for Eliana.

  Dad was losing his patience, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she arrived. She was hot-tempered, but she was smart. She knew the risks of saying no. The sooner Eliana showed up the sooner we could all leave. I wanted tonight to be a quick social appearance. As soon as I didn't need to be here I was leaving. I would make an appearance like Dad asked, but then I needed to get back to work. If Eliana didn't get here soon I would be leaving before Dad had a chance to announce the engagement.

  I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the office doors open. In walked Eliana.

  She looked tired and angry. She walked in perfectly dressed for a funeral. Black dress, black heels, black jewelry. Even when we were younger she always had to make a statement. She looked around the room and locked eyes with me.

  Chapter Two

  Eliana

  I debated showing up all morning and when I did it left me little time to get ready. I settled for a black velvet dress with long sleeves and a square collar. The fabric fell just below my knees. I settled on black heels to really tie the outfit together. I struggled to hide how tired I looked with make-up, but in a way, it matched the outfit.

  The driveway had turned into a valet, and the noise of people poured out of the house. I didn't want to walk through the main entrance, so I walked around to the side. In the kitchen, I found Nora bossing everyone around. A few people were working on refilling champagne, others were focused on plating desserts and appetizers.

  The last person I wanted to talk to was Nora, so I snuck past her and went looking for Raff and Dad. I could hear Dad talking to someone in his office. I wasted no time opening the office doors. I silenced the room with my sudden arrival. All eyes were on me. In the corner leaned up against the back of a chair stood Apollo. He stared at me with his cold eyes. He gave me no emotion as I walked into the room.

  "I'd like everyone to leave please. I need to talk to Apollo alone." I ordered.

  Dad and Cristiano looked at each other then back at me. They nodded their heads and led their men out of the room. The last one to leave the room was Raff. He squeezed my hand as I gave him a reassuring nod letting him know I'd be okay.

  Apollo stayed silent once it was just the two of us. When I entered the room earlier, he was the only one who hadn’t looked surprised to see me. It was like he knew. He knew I had to agree to this wedding. He looked like he wanted to say something. Maybe to make a joke about how predictable I've always been. How he knew all along I'd show up to protect my family. His eyes glared at me, mocking me as I walked over to him.

  "I wrote up a contract." I said not being able to stand the silence anymore.

  "A what?"

  "A contract for the both of us. Marrying you comes with a lot of risk. I'll marry you, but I won't endanger my future, or put myself in a vulnerable position. I have a few things written already."

  I paused waiting for a response.

  "By all means. Let's hear them." He said, giving me a teasing grin. Almost as if he found this humorous.

  "I will legally marry you, but we'll keep our financials separate. If in a year things are working out I will agree to creating a joint bank account for the benefit of our living situation. I do not want your 'business' jeopardizing my s
afety and future. I see it all the time with the women I help. The reason they stayed with their abusers was because they felt financially trapped. I won't risk that type of dependency."

  He said nothing, only giving me a small nod to continue.

  "Two, I don't plan on quitting my job. Despite what I'm sure my dad has told you about me, I did not get my law degree to avoid my family responsibilities. I'm asking you to keep your work separate from mine. There should be no overlap. You're not worth losing my license over. I have a five-year plan that involves me opening up my own firm. Don't ruin that for me."

  I turned to the next page of the contract.

  "Three, no dating. It's bad enough I'm becoming a Costa. I will not be talked and gossiped about by the other wives because you got caught sneaking around behind my back. As far as the public is concerned this is a real marriage."

  That caused Apollo to shift on his feet. I already knew rule three was going to be a tough one for him not to break.

  "Four, no secrets. This isn't going to work if I'm left in the dark about your business. Raff has always been honest with me about issues within the family, and I expect the same from you. I'm not asking you to share every event of your life, but when something important happens that affects me I'd like to know. If you're honest with me I'll support any decision you need to make about the family."

  "Anything else?"

  I looked up from the paper I was reading to see that he had stood up from leaning on the back of the chair. He was taller than I remember. He looked older now, more tired even. Teenager Apollo was a charmer. His smile sent girls tripping over their own feet. Looking at him now I could see how his line of work had aged him. His smile was gone, and his eyes were laced with a few small wrinkles. He kept his jaw tight, defining its fine lined structure. His dark wavy hair matched his black suit. His broad shoulders tensed as I walked closer to him. His eyes that used to look like a golden autumn day now lacked any warmth. They were cold, and uninviting.

  "That's it for now. I'll give you a few days to add anything you want to the contract. Send it over to my office when you're finished."

  I tried to hand him the contract, but he pushed it back towards me.

  "I don't have anything to add, just stay out of my way." He said before walking out of the office.

  I left the contract on Dad's desk and went looking for Raff in the hallway. I was stopped by a few of Cristiano's men before I found Raff. At least six of them had me conveniently cornered. I understood why when Cristiano turned the corner and started walking over to me.

  "Ms. Mariani It's a pleasure to see you." He said, reaching out his hand.

  "I'm sure it is." I spoke dryly.

  "I wanted to be the first to welcome you to the family. If there's anything you need, and I mean anything, please let me know."

  "That's very kind of you Cristiano. Thank you." I said, trying to get past him.

  He stopped me, stepping to his left and blocking my path.

  "You're a smart girl Eliana. I do not need to remind you of the risks, do I? You'll be on your best behavior?" He threatened.

  "You have nothing to worry about. I would never do anything to ruin the family name. Sir." I smiled.

  "In that case let me escort you to the party. Everyone is dying to meet you."

  What a fucking nightmare.

  The party was dragging on, so I spent the majority of the night hiding at the bar. Just when I thought the night couldn't get any worse I heard Dad and Cristiano mess with the band's microphone. They were quieting the crowd. Once they were sure they had everyone's attention Dad started talking.

  "We are always overjoyed to share these nights with all of you. It means so much to both families that you all could make it." Dad cheered through the microphone. "We called you all here to celebrate some exciting news!"

  Cristiano interrupted Dad, "If Apollo and Eliana would join us up here please." He grinned.

  I was pulled from the back of the room and escorted by Frankie to the front of the stage. Apollo was close behind me walking slowly. Once we were both on stage Apollo put an arm around my waist and pulled me close.

  I froze at the sudden connection. His hand rested low on my hip, and his grip tightened until he had me in his grasp. I looked up at him, giving him a warning look, which was enough for him to let go. Of course, before letting go he gave me one of his devilishly annoying smirks.

  "My Eliana and Apollo shared with the family over the weekend that they are engaged, and we couldn't be happier for the two of them!" Dad announced.

  The room erupted both with cheers, and people shocked by the news. Most people hid their confusion with congratulations and cheers, but some couldn't hide the concern on their face. Dad announced the engagement here for a reason. He wanted everyone from New York and Italy to know the two families were working together. I did my best to give a fake smile, as I looked around the room. I caught Mom and Nora in the corner being congratulated by friends. Looking up at Apollo he stood there like a statue waiting for Cristiano to say something. I couldn't tell if he was angry, sad, happy, or nervous. His eyes scanned the room as he watched the men he worked with panic.

  The longer I stood next to Apollo the faster my heart pounded in my chest. I'd always avoided him when we spent time together. Even wearing heels, I barely came up to his shoulders. Standing next to Apollo was all I could think about. His strong cologne clouded my judgment, and had me forgetting where I was. He smelled like rich tobacco, and fresh citrus. I zoned out the rest of Dad and Cristiano's congratulations. As soon as Dad finished his long speech I tried to get away. If I didn't get some fresh air I was going to pass out.

  Before I could leave the party, I was stopped by dozens of people. Apollo was taller than me and better at getting away from the crowd, but I was stuck. A small part of me thought he would help me and get me out of there, but he left without looking back. I was trapped. I had no way of getting away from these strangers. Not wanting to anger Dad I was patient with the guests and thanked them for their congratulations. I couldn't give a shit if I never had to see any of these people again, but if they were here it meant they were important to the family, so I faked my way through the evening.

  "How does Dad even know this many people? I could have sworn like half of these people were dead." Nora joked, handing me a glass of wine.

  "Thank you." I said, taking a big sip of my wine. "If one more person comes up and pinches my cheeks telling me how grown up I am I'm going to snap."

  We both laughed and looked for an empty table to sit at. Nora stayed by my side for the rest of the night. She took care of everything. Relatives I didn't know existed, Apollo's family members who wanted to know everything about me, and some of Dad's men who were there to warn me about Apollo. Mom stopped by only to remind me to smile, and fix my posture. I wonder if Mom even cared that I was marrying Apollo. She must have been thrilled when she had something to talk about with her tennis club friends. It probably never bothered her that I was giving up my life.

  The night was winding down, and I was busy planning my escape. I needed to get out the front doors without Dad seeing. I looked around the room and saw Apollo alone with a man I hadn’t met yet. Although a few inches shorter than Apollo, he made up the difference in height with pure muscle. He shoulders barely fit in his suit, and the glass in his hand looked like it belonged in a doll house. He was the only one Apollo had talked to all night. No one approached him, or tried to engage him in conversation. Apollo caught me looking at him, which caused me to panic and look away. I got the chills when he looked in my direction. When I looked out of the corner of my eye I could see him still staring. I could feel my cheeks turn red.

  Why was I blushing?

  Not being able to stay another minute I left the table and made my way to the door. Just a few feet from the exit I was stopped by a few of Dad's men. They raised their arms and blocked the door. I looked behind me and saw Dad shaking his head.

  Damn, so close.
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  I walked back to the table and found Dad waiting for me.

  "Would it kill you to at least pretend you are enjoying yourself? You and Apollo are acting like strangers. You're embarrassing me!" He yelled at me in a low whisper only I could hear.

  I rolled my eyes, "We are strangers."

  "Enough."

  I wasn't the only one who was getting yelled at. Cristiano was arguing with Apollo in the corner. The two of them looked over at Dad and me. Apollo yelled one more thing to his Dad before walking over to me.

  He towered over me, and stuck out his hand.

  "Would you like to dance?" He asked.

  "I'd rather eat glass." I smiled, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor.

  Apollo

  Eliana gave me her hand and followed behind me. She let me know I was walking too fast by squeezing my hand and doing her best to run to keep up with my steps. I slowed down, giving her a chance to catch up. I was impatient to get this dance over with. Dad promised if I spent a few minutes with her I could leave. I had an important client I was meeting at the bar tonight, and I couldn't risk being late.

  I stopped and turned to face Eliana once we were in the middle of the dance floor. I grabbed her hand and waited for her to grab my shoulder as I lowered my hand on her waist. I could feel her hitch her breathing as I came close to her. Was she really that frightened to be near me? I hadn't given her a reason to hate me yet. I tried to brush off the disgust in her eyes as the music started. She waited for me to start dancing and followed my lead for half of the song.

  "You can relax Eliana. I won't hurt you. We're just dancing." I whispered in her ear.

  That made her shiver as she tried to create some space between us. She failed in her attempt as I continued to keep her close to me. I moved my hand to her lower back, and I kept her close to my chest as we danced.

  "I thought of something I want to add to the contract." I spoke.

  She looked up at me, "What is it?"