An Arranged Marriage To The Mafia...?

Sunlight. It burned through a gap in the heavy drapes and smothered itself over my sleeping body. The white blinded my closed eyes and warmed ever inch of skin as my subconscious faded from dreams to reality. Eye lids heavily crept over my eyes and I could already predict their red and swollen appearance from the hysetrical tears that poured from them well into the night before. I rolled slowly, my stiff muscles stretching into the empty space beside me. Inwardly I hadn't expected Ethan to still be by my side when I awoke, I had already predicted that at the first available possibility he would flee from my running masscara and even still I couldn't help but feel the surge of disappointment when the cotton sheets covered only me.

My bare feet etched along the fine stitching of plush white carpets as I directed steadily through to the kitchen, my ears picking up the gentle murmur of conversation. I had rarely spent any time inside the Radev's main living mansion, instead the black and white walls of their penthouse above their most prized casino was where I was allowed to spend my time. Yet now that I was safely locked beyond the confides of their safest investment I could properly undertsand the extensive success the mafia had brought to them. White egyptian carpets lined every floor, a creamy base coat licked at high rise walls and ceilings and elaborate designs of art work, family portraits and prized possessions hung about like only the movies showed how. A vast railing of white led along the grand marble staircase an into the main enterance foyer, a place I barely recognised from the night before. My small feet trotted along over the marble tiled floors and came to pause before two large wooden double doors, a stainless steel applianced kitchen hovering before my very eyes.

"Good morning love." Maria's eyes widened at the sight of me and it was then I knew I must have been an absolute sight. "Did you sleep alright?"

I nodded graciously but my eyes didn't meet her warm round orbs, instead they focused on the black t-shirted cover of Ethan, his face only turning around as his mother's voice filled the air and a lazy, sympathetic smile plastered over his chiselled features. I wound myself inside a wooden bar stool and slumped forward slightly, my entire body suffering from sheer exhaustion of hysterics. Ethan gently placed a steamy broth of coffee before my huddled form and smiled a crooked smile but stayed completely silent and I didn't blame him really.

I felt my cheeks flush with colour as my thought pattern driffted. In all honesty I wasn't sure if there was much that he could muster to say, the night before I had more or less made a fool of myself, hysterically crying myself to sleep and forcing him to stay with my the entire duration of the night. I was selfish and immature throwing hissy fits when I didn't get my own way. And yet I felt completely fine in my reactions; it was after all a matter of life and death concerning my father.

For a moment I held eye contact, watching as his lips parted and breath drew in, the body's initial stage of preparing to speak, and as the first sounds rolled from his tonue a loud crack and bang fell in from the enterance hall, footsteps echoed and a chorus of Ethan's name bounced off the walls causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.

James Radev's shadowed figure stepped swiftly through the kitchen passage, small vague bruises evident across his showing flesh and it didn't take much for my imagination to picture the heavy gauze covering his puncured ribs. Excitement bubbled over as his dark eyes travelled around the small room, his laughter errupting as his bounding mother smothered him. I felt my face flush as he grasped me quickly in a warm hug, his endearing smile enough to melt the coldest of hearts. Though it wasn't the safe release and return of my favourite Radev brother from hospital that had my heart racing but the two figures emerging from the small hall.

Marcus Radev's eyes were dark and filled with a burning desire for sleep, his head hung low but his stance and waltz remained the same. From the furthest distance in a wild crowd it was never difficult to understand Marcus simply meant authority, strength and power; his entire demenor reflecting his status to perfection. Though it wasn't entirely Marcus that had me sprinting down the small hallway.

My father's huddled form fell quickly into a reachable distance and I threw myself into his warmly open arms as he stumbled a few steps backward upon impact. I felt his shudder and heard the shallow wince from within his chest and it was only then that I unravelled myself to take in his some what horrifying appearance. Deep dark bruises litter his physique, a purple and black raised eyelid involuntarily close his left eye, his right lip broken and bloodied and dark red flakes of dried blood patched his skin. My heart fell and sunk deeper than ever before inside my chest as my mind ran rampid to the possibilities of what could have happend. Tears sprang to my eyes and instantly I grasped him once more in a gentle embrace.

"Amelia..." His voice faded into exasperation in my ear and I froze my arms quickly releasing my wounded father and stepping back, my hand finding his quickly and my eye filling with concern.

"Did I hurt you?... what happend?... come inside, sit down."

"Amelia please!" The aggression in his voice shocked me, "I don't need you fussing over me right now, this isn't the time for family reunions! I have business to attend to."

I took a timid step backward and let him rip his hand from mine while the pain soared in my heart. My father was never one to raise his voice toward me and the glare in his eyes was something i had never seen in my life, it sent chills and fear through my whole body.

"George..." Antonio's voice whispered from the base of the stairs and it was only then had i realised the Radev family were standing elegantly behind me, their ears pricking to every word my father spat at me, their eyes filled with sympathetic smiles. It made my heart break even further and I could feel my cheeks flush from embarrassment.

My father simply moved his glance to the patriach and shook his head disregarding the silent statement, Antonio nodded in reply and with a short movement of his head turned on his heel, his tall figure fleeing up the stairs and my father following shallowly behind. Maria's eyes turned dark as they fell into mine and she muttered something inaudible before she hurried after the two men. Marcus said nothing and walked toward the kitchen and James' deep set smile wavered slightly his right eye winking in my direction before he hobbled toward the living room with the aid of his wooden crutches.

I felt my sholders get heavy and they fell forward from my posture and my head angled toward the marble floor, tears pooled in the corners of my eyes but I refused to let them spill. I was sure there had to be some sort of explanation for my father's uncharacteristic out burst, the hatred in his eyes surely wasn't aimed toward me but more the after shock of what had happend. Or perhaps it was, perhaps he was just raging toward me. After all I had managed to flee our captivated home with no sign that it had ever occured. Maybe he was heart broken and hurt that I hadn't tried to save him.

A hand in mine pulled me from my guilty line of thinking, Ethan's eyes fazing to a blank expression the emtion hidden so well I couldn't detect a trace of anything. He pulled gently against my right hand and I followed slowly along behind him, the sunlight burning my vision as we stepped outside and my curiosity peeking as I was ushered inside his familiar sleak car.

Ethan's eyes held mine for a second and a lazy smile stretched itself along his relaxed features, his hand changing the gear shift and his foot lightly pacing the car from the white-wash home and out along trhe Nevada streets. I didn't feel the necessity to know exactly where we going, instead I was completely confident in my fiancee, completely comfrotable with him in control, completely oblivious to the rhythym of my dancing heart inside my chest.