An Arranged Marriage To The Mafia...?

Lips never left my cheek, hands never left my palms, words didn't stray from my ears, smiles didn't vanish from my eyes. Maria Radev laughed and sang loudly while she whirled me around the ballroom, introducing me to Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, Friends, Allies, it made my head spin with confusion. Lucky enough for me most of the women's names were Maria or Anita the men's Anthony or Michael.

I sipped happily on champagne and smiled as family member after family member approached the wedding table to congratulate Ethan and I. They passed envelopes to Ethan and left lipstick kisses on my cheeks. Young girls danced with young boys and elderly couples clapped and smiled in pure delight, for tonight they were taken back to a day when they themselves were nimble enough for a mid-dance floor dip.

Envelope after envelope was handed to Ethan, yet I said nothing. I knew what was in the contents, it was custom and I'd seen it pleanty of times before. Families giving congratulations and well wishes to the happy couple in the form of hundreds of dollars at a time, they were tokens of good luck and individual bets to help the newly formed family along in the first few months. When the enslaught of family and friends had suddenly come to an end I felt exhausted, my cheeks were permantently damaged from the forced smiles, my cheeks congested in red lipsticks, my memory overflowing with names and relations to comprehend my feet moving softly to the dance floor.

Shyly I stared up at Ethan, his eyes rolling at the awkward tension between us as our bodies moved closer, his hand fell to my hip, his other holding my own while my free hand restes on his shoulder. Our legs twirled, moved and graced the polished floors in perfect motion, fluid movement as we confirmed our first dance as husband and wife. A crowd gathered at the edges of the dance floor and suddenly I was lost to thought.

The family and friends who had crowded around were not mine; they were aquaintances of the Radev's, total strangers to me. Each of their faces were oblivious to how unhappy Ethan and I were, how not in love we were. To them the charade had paid off, to them we were the heart soaring couple who brought tears the eyes of the toughest women in the room. We were sickly in love and nothing could bring us down. In truth we were two strangers smashed together by power hungry leaders. We ourselves had become victims in the underworld sting.

A flurry of applause up lifted the entire ballroom and smiles spread over everyone's lips as our feet slowed to a complete stop and Ethan left a soft subtle kiss upon my cheek. Music struck up once more and couples began to surround us, it suddenly became apparent at that very moment the first note was hit that every guest invited to our wedding was somewhat a professional dancer as they swayed in perfect harmony. I took fast advantage of everyone's attention suddenly not on me and slipped away from the love struck crowds and through a set of french doors leading to an outdoor court yard.

Wind whipped and swayed at the ends of my dark hair, my eyes scanning the pavers, the fountain, the small amount of perfetly placed greenery. It was cliche to say the least. The sounds of shoes scuffing against concrete snapped my head to the left, after that morning I half expected to find my father or Mason with cunning smiles, but alas I found Ethan, his palms pressed flat against a railing, his back turned to my direction and eyes etched over a patch of green below. Slowly I tiptoed my way over, wringing my hands together as my feet lead the way, for some unknown reason I had never been so nervous in all my life.

Ethan's face lifted up to meet my eyes the second my body placed itself by his side, he straightened and paid his full attention my way. "Do they want us to go back in?" he made to step in the direction of inside by quickly I shook my head. I expected him to turn around and resume his study of the grass, to ignore that I ever stepped up to his side, yet instead he watched me, allowing his eyes to scan every inch of me. "You looked beautiful today."

My eyes grew slightly at his comment, never in my life had Ethaniel Radev paid such a compliment to me and I was completely taken back and unsure of what to say. I stammered slightly, my mouth gaping like a goldfish, my mind completely lost for words. Ethan sighed a short quick laugh and placed his hand underneath my jaw, his thumb running smoothly over my now heated cheek. Closely I watched his eyes, the way they seemed to see straight past any walls I tried so hard to build, it was as if he could read me like an open book. My heart pounded in my chest, ramming against the walls of my rib cage, threatening to burst through my chest at any second. Ethan's hand moved slowly to the side of my neck, his fingers gently pressing me forward, his free hand gracing my waist. Slowly our faces inched closer and eyes fluttered to a perfect close. I anticipated the feeling of his warm lips against mine, the perfect, most undescribable feeling of his mouth on mine, molding and meshing together. Our first kiss as husband and wife.

Though the feeling never came; what did come instead was something that made my blood run cold.

A gun shot.
A scream.
A flurry of terror from within the ballroom.

I jumped startled and completely in fear, my eyes flying open to stare into Ethan's perfect greens, his attention on the door behind us. I swallowed harshly watching his expression, silent thoughts flying through his brain. His hands remained upon my neck and waist, though his grip had tightened and brought me slightly closer.

A second gun shot.
And I was running toward the white doors, Ethan's hand enclosing my own and leading the way. The second my small white ballet slipper touched the polished floorboards and my eyes graced the floor the world stopped. It was as if nobody existed but myself, sounds were lost to deaf silence, the kind of silence that water drowns your ears with. People molded in slow motion and faces blended into blemishes of colour. My surroundings grew dark and my line of vision was like a worm hole, leading only to the man standing still and stunned in the centre of the room, his hand clutched to his heart.

I felt the scream rip through my chest well before I heard it, watching helplessly as the victim fell to the floor; it was only then that surrounding world came flooding back to life. I was vaguely aware of Ethan's hand desperately trying to rip me away, his voice pleading in my ear. Though I didn't listen instead I pulled away, my small shoes flying over the floors, my knees weak and buckling with each step as I shoved past fearful guests and on lookers.

Ethan's arms wound quickly around my waist and lifted my sprinting feet from the ground. I hadn't even been aware of him chasing me. His body spun 90 degree and I fought against him, desperate to see if the helpless body still had breath. His voice was strong and filled with sorrow as he tried frantically to calm me down, though his pleads fell on unappreciative ears. Almost instantly I spun around him and tried to flee back to my original destination but immediately he caught me. This time his arms wound around my chest and he pinned me to him, his lips whispering nothings in my ear.

The first sob was irrational fear and I let it past my shuddering shoulders.
The second sob was complete disbelief and I felt my knees grow weak.
The third sob and every one after that was undeniable heart ache and Ethan knew I had given up the fight.

His arms stayed wound around me securely, tightly, safely as my legs gave way and the floor collided with my knees. I gripped firmly to the sleeves of Ethan's white dress shirt and begged for this to be a nightmare. I felt dizzy with fear and devastation.

Ethan said nothing but remained at my side, his arms holding me against his chest as I slumped against him. His body rocked me back and forth slowly as I called out pleas in a hoarse crying voice. My hand reached out toward the bloodied body and I felt the weight of the world crash against my shoulders, this was my fault.

If I had of listened to my father several months ago this would never have happend.
If I had of done as he had told me and abandoned the idea of convenient marriage I wouldn't have been here.
If I had of run away that morning my father wouldn't have been lying lifeless and bleeding in the centre of my reception while I cried into the arms of my husband still dressed in my wedding dress.