An Arranged Marriage To The Mafia...?

Italy was very much the same as Vegas in the aspect of the underworld, two families controlled the majority of the illict behaviour of illegal playmates. Two families were responsible for the warfare and a silent negotiation fell between conflicting clans. Those families were those of the Italian Radev's and the Tameroes.

The Radev's held the majory portion of the growing playing fields, they held the contracts to control the influx of drugs and smuggled products into the city, they controlled the boarders, the police and the influenced the governments. Dirty money littered their pockets and they lived in complete luxury due to their illegal activities. Their main leader was Guieseppi Radev; Antonio's eldest brother; Ethan's most favoured uncle.

On the other hand there were the Tameroes. A sly family burning to obtain the same amount of power as their illict enemies. They were Italy's version of the Jakowski and Moretti families, only they were prepared to sacrifice absolutely everything just to obtain even the thinnest slice of the Radev's laundering. They were governed by Alfolse Tameroe and he was perhaps the most lethal, bruteless killer of them all.

I followed Ethan slowly as he waltzed towards a set of grand double doors, their wooden faces engraves with family heritage and an inherited family crest. The heavy wood swung open easily before we had even made it to the two small enterance steps, Antonio and Maria swiftly following behind. Ethan smiled and mumbled something in an incoherent language, a gentle laugh rolled frm his lips and he embraced an aging over weight man eagerly before shaking the hand of another who seemed to be much younger.

"Uncle Guieseppi, this is my..." He paused before he spoke the word, though it seemed to lack the confidence it once held, "my fiance Amelia. Amelia Uncle Guieseppi and my cousin Louis."

Slightly shy I allowed the old man to gingerly kiss both my cheek in an Italian custom before he moved to greet his brother. I felt my hand fall to another's and raised as eyebrow as Ethan's cousin smiled genuinely, his eyes warm and a hidden demeanor hidden in their dark colour.

Ethan cleared his voice and I immediately broke eye contact, my face instantly flushing a bright pink and I inwardly scolded myself for acting like a school girl crushing on the quarterback. Louid allowed a smug smile to form over his lips and he shifted aside to greet his aunt and uncle, leaving Ethan and I standing alone by the doorway. One look at my finace had guilt swirling in my stomach instantly. He already thought that at any moment I would form against him and his family and become my father's personal informant and now, only moment ago I had stared dazed and dazzled into the eyes of his cousin, practically flirting with his very own blood relative. Eagerly I tried to gather Ethan's attention and when his vision burned on me I instantly hated myself, his expression was completely blank and unreadable, his eyes hollow and wordless and I knew that due to my actions Ethan had become the same man he was at the beginning of our engagement.

"I hear we have a wedding to organise?" Guieseppi's voice rose through the thick tension as we fumbled inside a main foyer followed by a forming living room, it was a question I regretted him asking but still nodded my head a slow but steady yes. "And this marriage, it will bind two Nevada households yes?"

Antonio lifted his face to stare at his brother, "I'm afraid unless the marriage is rushed and concluded soon the binding will not be valid. George Samuels; Amelia's father is our traitor."

It stung my ears to hear my father's name brandished a disgrace, especially by Antonio and I knew it had hurt him just as much to claim his dear friend to be the reason why the Vegas underworld was in turmoil just by the look upon his face.

"Has her father realised the intentions behind Italy?" Guieseppi reminded me much of Antonio, his calm persona and wisdom filled tone.

"Intentions?" Ethan's voice rose slightly from my side and I briefly I looked up around the room at the four men intently listening to the conversation and Maria's almost apprehensive expression.

"I was yet to discuss this with Ethaniel..." Antonio smiled appologetically at his son.

"Brother, there is nothing for you to discuss with the boy. He is your son and for the good of the family he will do what he is told."

"Amelia-" Antonio was cut off.

"The girl will do what we ask to prove that her father's treturous blood has not tainted her own."

Ethan stared consfused for a moment as did I, until realisation dawned on me and suddenly everything made perfect sense. "The wedding is being brought forward..." My voice was mild and I could hear the tremble.

"The contract agreements that were reached between families are only valid for a short period of time, already agreed to George signed Amelia's estate and inheritance, he'd previously given formal consent to her marriage to a Radev. Legally there is only a short period of time until the signatures are considered invalid and the agreements have to be re-written and re-discusses. If we move quickly and you two are married within three weeks then we have a fighting chance to restore order." Antonio's words bounced around the rigid silence of the room and I allowed the words to flow over my screaming brain.

I was to be married in three weeks, in twenty-one days I would be Mrs Amelia Radev and it was all to save the face of the underworld from being destroyed by my very own flesh and blood.

"No." Ethan stood upon his feet and towered over my sitting figure, his had shook slightly and he stared dangerously at his father, "I will not marry a traitor." His words left a haunting silence as he stormed from the room.

Instantly I became embarrassed, ashamed and paranoid that every pair of eyes that had fallen on my shocked expression were judging me just as critically for the actions of my father. Quickly I rose to my feet and fled the now much smaller room, tears building up behind my eyes and finally falling as I found an outdoor verandah. I sniffed back hiccuping sobs allowed tear to freely roll from my burning eyes, the hurt of Ethan's opinion too much to keep inside all at once.

I hear the thin wire door open and close behind somebody and inwardly I hoped for it to be Ethan, ready to appologise and sweep me from y feet as if it were some kind of ove sick romance; only this was reality not a fairytale. I blinked back the influx of hot tears and wiped the red blotches from my cheeks as best I could before turning slowly around to stare at Louis' somber, appologetic eyes. A lazy smiled curved over his pale lips and he stepped slightly closer, his hand extended toward me, offering a handfull of tissues.

"Ignore my cousin." His face ducked slightly in order to achieve eye contact and his smile grew slightly more as I took the tissues from him, dabbing gently at the soggy wet of my cheeks, "he's always been far too quick to judge and eager to say whatever is on his mind."

I nodded my head shortly and whispered a tiny meek thank-you before turning back around to stare along the large grape vines of the property. Louis stepped beside me and placed his palms face down along the railings of the verandah, his eyes following mine across the estate.

"He means well, only to Ethan his family are the most important thing in his life; he would sacrifice everything he had for the ones he loves." Louis took my hand in his and for some reason that I wasn't quite sure about I felt that it was entirely inapproriate, yet he held firmly. "He just can't admit that you and your father are two different people, that you make your own decisions and choices. He sees what your father did as unimaginable and immediate he reflects that on you."

Louis thumb moved to glide along the tender, soft skin of my thumb and I immediately cast my eyes down to our locked fingers a feeling of apprehension washing over me, I was just about to tug my hand away when the click of the door's latch attracted my attention, my head spinning only to have Ethan's eyes burn into my own, they flickered momentarily from my shock expression to mine and Louis tied palms and immediately I snatched my own away.

But it was too late, Ethan had already turned on his heel, a newly built hatred and anger bursting in his eye.