An Arranged Marriage To The Mafia...?

Street lights flew in a frenzy of wild colours as they stood in intricate, rare settings. Red dust clouded along the back of the car as it's wheels spun and sped down the earth road, it's headlights directed toward endless neon tubing and flashing lights.

Ethan's thumb subconsciously rested and caressed the soft webbing between my thumb and fore finger while he drove and yet I said nothing, the mere touch sent butterflies through my stomach and I felt much like a girl in eighth grade once more, I was almost certain that if circumstances had been different I would mst likely find myself giggling wildly and blushing the deepest scarlet. Green eyes swam in mine for a moment while he tried to read my pain-filled, confused and terrified expression, his foot stepping lightly on the brake peddal and flicking the indicator to turn right at a set of lights.

"We need somebody to take a look at you..." His voice was soft and melted filled with sincerity and care.

Simply I shook my head, disregarding the idea of fuss. "It's nothing... just a bit of swelling." I held the now stolen bag of frozen peas Marcus had insisted on me taking to my black eyes and aching nose, they burned under the pressure and instantly tears of agony pooled in my eyes, yet for some reason that confused even myself I refused to seem pathetic, weak and fragile in front of Ethan.

"Amelia." He sighed as his eyes turned back to the road and hand slipped from mine to turn the steering wheel and motion the car about the curve. "Don't be stupid, it's clearly broken, you need to have it checked out." He steadied the car and instantly returned his palm to my own, his actions confused me.

"I-" A simple daring glance sent my way had my blood running slightly cold and biting my own tongue I nodded shortly no longer sustaining enough energy to fight with my betrothed on matters of my health.

Street lights slowly thinned before they disappeared from street sides entirely, the traction of the speeding tyres continuing onwards down a dark narrow road, Ethan stayed completely silent, his attention given completely on the road before him. I felt the car come to a slow gentle hault and the cold breeze whipped through my hair as my door was open and in return I was dragged along a skinny, crooked and broken cement walkway. The cracked pavers leading to a dark house, it's windows completely blacked out and door hanging from its hinges.

"Stay close" Ethan's arms wound around my small waist and I felt a protective aura release from his system as the door creaked open to reveal a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Ethaniel Radev..?" A squeaky voice chirped from the opening door and belonged to a chipper barbie-doll-blonde, her red lipstick peeling back to reveal a set of white teeth upon botox ridden cheeks.

"Gabriella." Ethan nodded his head in a small polite gesture and directed me inside, Barbie's eyes scanned over my dirtied figure and a look of astonishment and disgust rose from her vision as her over-manicured nails pushed the heavy door close and she swayed her way along a hallway; we followed along silently.

"Take a seat hun, he'll be out in a few." Gabriella's smiled as she motioned toward two deceiving woden chairs in the centre of what could only be described as an excuse for a living room. "Y'all need anything, just ring kay?" Her eyes did not once grace over me and Ethan refused to meet eye contact with her, instead he subsequently waved her off casually.

Silent over took the space between us, he no longer held my hand or stared at me with care and panic mixing in his green iris, instead his larger palms held his head as he huddled over inside his chair, his face burried deeply in his palm and fingers roaming through his hair. I was unsure of what exactly I was meant to do, what actions I was suppose to take and what course I had to plan out.

"What-" I paused debating in my head if this was the right thing to do, "Wh-what happend...?"

Ethan's head rose slightly and his face turned in my direction, his palms still opened and poised as if his head still remained inside them. "I'm not even sure." He was attempting to leave his statement without explanation but I was adament on having a thorough understanding. "The second you ran from the room it just turned to complete chaos. You're father was strutting around telling this crazy story of revenge and how he planned to take over everything. He told us about Mason and we were astonished, in our seconds of confusion Mason took the advantage to shoot my father-"

I gasped in complete suprise and I found my eyes stinging with watery tears. "Is he..." I didn't dare say the words that were swimming in my head, the possibilities of what had happend to a man who was practically my father.

"I.. I don't even know." Ethan's voice was shallow and his eyes fell to the floor while I gazed at him in confusion, how could he possibly not know. "Mason aimed to shoot him again but I intervened. I hit him a few times before your father hit me across the head with what I can only guss as the base of his gun. I could hear noise for a while before everything went silent... I woke up probably hours later to find nobody in the house..."

My lips parted and I was completely unsure of what exactly I was suppose to say, though a tall, lanky man waltzing from a far door had my lips sealed once more.

"Ethaniel, my son. It has been far too long." The two men shared a small quick embrace and Ethan muttered a small reply to his previous statement. "And who have you brought along?" Peering brown eyes made me uncomfortable and I instinctively sheltered behind my fiance like a child behind her father, this only made the Romanian laugh profoundly.

"Raimond, this is Amelia." Ethan paused to peer over his shoulder at me, "My finacee."

At the sound of the title something made my heart soar and cheeks fill with a crimson red, a flutter filled my stomach and I was at an utter loss for words. It had been the first time I had ever called me anything remotely close to finace, let alone something that belong entirely, solely to him.

Raimond nodded and let a small smile stretch across his thinning lips before a serious expression took over and his face turned once again to Ethan. "I heard things did not go according to plan...?"

Ethan shook his head, his eyes turning to a fearing dark. "No, not at all..."

"Come," Raimond waved him closer, "There is much we need to discuss. Gabriella, take Amelia to the far guest room, have her settled for rest." The blonde barbie appeared from an ajoing room and Raimond's eyes fell on me, his hand out stretching toward my bruised and battered face. "Help her clean up and we shall fix this little problem in the morning."

Fear filled my iris and I felt my vision growing as my eyelids lifted and parted further away. I made an attempt to stammer a small sentence but my voice failed me completely.

"Go, get some sleep, I'll come find you a little later." Ethan's gaze was warm and it made my head instantly spin, the corner of his mouth pulled into a lazy, forced smile and his lips imprinted a small sweet kiss against my forehead before he handed me to the waiting stare of Gabriella, the girl who had answered the door.

She said nothing as the men stalked off to talk serious business, matters of the suddenly waging war and the deceit of my own father. Gabriella clicked her tongue and spun on her heel, immediately huffing in the opposite direction. I followed aimlessly as she thundered down hallways and through tall wooden doors until the smell of musk dust hit my senses and a dim light lit a small, meek bedroom.

Heavy drapes fell from a wall length window and a king-sized bed was situated in the centre, it's plain wooden headboard pused against a darkly painted wall with a single painting strung proudly over the plaster. A simple full length mirror was situated by a dresser and a lone door stood on a lean on a far wall along side a single wooden chair.

"So you and Ethan..." Gabriella sat herself inside the wooden chair. "been together long have you?" her voice was condecending and her smug smile was even worse.

My brain went into complete over drive thinking back to the months of early nineteen when our 'engagement' had been officially announced, it shocked me to realise it had almost been a year ago. Immediately I nodded at Gabriella, not feeling at all up to with holding an actual conversation.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable with him." Her eyes moved from my frowning stare to her chipped nails, "Ethaniel Radev has a certain way when it comes to women. He seeks out something new, she falls in love. He's never really serious about her and she ends up with her heart broken. Shame really," Her lips pulled apart in a perfect smile. "They just never seem to realise, there will only ever be one love in Ethaniel's little heart."

I scoffed under my breath at her wild speech. "And I suppose you're trying to tell me you're her?"

"Sweetheart, don't be threatened... you aren't the first and I'm sure you won't be the last. Ethaniel and I, we have an..... understanding if you will." She allowed her right eye to close in a suggestive wink and moved from the seat.

"I don't feel threatened at all." Confidence some how filled my vocal cords and I could feel adreneline pumping in my veins. "Ethan and I are engaged..."

Gabriella let a soft laugh fall from her lips. "Try telling me that when you have a ring to prove it."

Quickly I lifted my left hand and made to rebut but a completely bare ring finger caught my attention immediately. Panic rose like a moth to a flame and I stammered for an answer, I heard Gabriella snicker something about how pathetic I seemed at that moment, but my brain was far too busy being preoccupied with the prospect of a lost engagement ring.

Tears welled in the bottoms of my eyes. The second Ethan had recognised me as his fiance, the moment he acknowledged that we were very much going to be married, the moment he told another human being I was entirely his. I had lost my diamond.