Mafia Monster's Forced Bride Read online

  She opened her eyes and turned her head to see Roman looking at her.

  What was he thinking? He was a mystery, and had been since their wedding.

  She rolled her head back so she was looking straight up at the ceiling of the car. What could she do to get out of this situation? If she asked for a divorce, that would put Greco and her father at loggerheads, if not outright war.

  Her father would be convinced she wasn’t happy. This was a giant mess.

  “We’re here,” Antonio said.

  She didn’t even know how much time had passed, but as she sat up, she looked out the window.

  They were parked in her father’s driveway. The front door was aglow with the light shining up. She wanted to climb over Cash to get to her home, but she was the perfect lady, waiting until he climbed out of the car.

  Alex didn’t wait for them to follow. She rushed up the front steps, and as the door opened, she saw Millie, their cook, and she threw her arms around the older woman.

  “I’ve got you now, child. I’ve got you.”

  “Oh, Millie, I’ve missed you.”

  “And I’ve missed you.”

  She hugged her, breathing in the scent of chocolate and cinnamon. Millie was a keen baker, and when she wasn’t cooking for her father, she often baked and cooked too much and took the leftovers to the local orphanage. Alex had volunteered to go with her all the time, and that had only stopped because she was now married and expected to follow Roman around like a damn puppy.

  “Your father called, sweetheart. I have everything you need in the kitchen.” She looked past her shoulder. “Even for your friends as well.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her that Roman and his buddies were not her friends, but she decided against it. Now was not the time to start making waves.

  ****

  Millie liked to feed people.

  And it was the best damn food Roman had ever tasted. His dad once had a good cook, but Lucas had killed the bastard for attempting to poison him. Since then, Lucas and Roman used their own restaurants to cook their food. Never the same one either.

  Roman couldn’t remember the last time he sat down for a proper home-cooked meal. His mother wasn’t a cook.

  He watched Millie and Alex. They had a bond. The older woman constantly filled Alex’s plate, touched her hair, and kissed her cheek. Told her she was looking a little on the thin side. Each time Millie mentioned her weight, Alex looked toward them, but Roman only observed. The only way he was ever going to learn about his wife was to see how she handled each situation as they came. So far, she seemed to be as innocent as she claimed.

  If she truly was a virgin, why forego the simple test? He didn’t understand it.

  “So, Millie, do you have any secrets to share about Alex?” Marlo asked.

  His friends were playing their roles perfectly. Appearing to be friendly to Alex to earn her trust. To get under her skin.

  “There are not any secrets to share about this one. She is a treasure, truly.”

  Alex covered her face. “Stop it, Millie.”

  “I’m only speaking the truth.” Another kiss to the cheek. “Stuart asked after you again.”

  “Who is Stuart?” Roman asked, his interest piqued.

  “No one you’d know,” Alex said. “How is he? Is he okay?”

  Was Stuart a love interest? An ex-boyfriend? A crush?

  Millie looked down the table. “We’ll talk later.”

  He didn’t like that. No one was going to keep secrets from him. One look at his men, and they nodded. They knew what he wanted. By the end of the night, he would know everything there was to know about Stuart, unless that was another barrier Liam had imposed. The fucking meddling bastard.

  He scooped some mashed potatoes onto his fork and ate. The taste was incredible. Creamy, light, and so soft. Seasoned to perfection. He watched Alex eat. He hadn’t noticed before, but she was a delicate eater. Cutting up her vegetables and sliding them around her plate to gather some gravy before taking a bite.

  Millie left them alone, and silence fell across the table.

  Roman continued to watch Alex, expecting her to break the silence. His previous lovers had always filled the silence with their endless, inane chitchat.

  She stayed quiet.

  Cash spoke up first. “So, Alex, did you grow up here?”

  “Yes.”

  That was it. No follow up, just a simple yes.

  Cash glanced toward him, and he raised a brow.

  “Was it just you and your dad?”

  She lifted her gaze once again. “I don’t have any brothers and sisters.”

  Liam had to have trained her in some way. She avoided answering questions directly.

  “It must have been pretty lonely,” Marlo asked.

  “Do you have siblings?” she asked.

  Marlo pursed his lips. “A younger brother and two sisters.”

  “Were you ever lonely?”

  Marlo clicked his tongue and then opened his mouth.

  “I’m ever so sorry, but I am feeling really tired. Thank you all for driving me home. I hope you enjoy Millie’s food.” She gave them a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes before getting up and with her plate in hand, turning to leave.

  Which pissed him off!

  She was leaving them.

  “Does she even realize what she’s doing?” Cash asked.

  “You mean by avoiding questions, directing the conversation toward her opponent?” Marlo asked. “Yeah, I saw it.”

  “Antonio believes she is innocent.”

  In response, Antonio rolled his eyes. “Look, you’ve asked us to test her, and I can tell you. I threw on a whole load of charm, and she wasn’t buying it. Not one bit.”

  “Maybe you’ve lost your charm,” Marlo said.

  “Not a chance.” Antonio picked up his glass of water and took a sip. “I have fucked every single woman you’ve asked me to. It’s not hard, and it wasn’t difficult to get into their pants. I’m telling you, Alex is different.”

  In the past, they had all had some fun in seeing how long their current flavor of the week would last when met with another man willing to take them to bed. Out of all his lovers, Denise was the easiest. Within hours, Antonio had her on her knees, sucking his cock and then taking him deep into her pussy.

  Roman wasn’t upset. He didn’t love or have any kind of feelings for Denise. She was a woman he enjoyed, nothing more, nothing less.

  He dabbed his lips with his napkin and got to his feet.

  “You ever thought about treating her like a girlfriend or your wife?” Antonio asked. “She might open up to a guy she trusts.”

  Glaring at his friends, he left the room and headed toward the kitchen. When he heard Alex talking, he slowed his pace so she wouldn’t hear him.

  “He must be so scared,” she said.

  “You know he has grown attached to you. I did worry how this distance would make him, but now, he’s … maybe tomorrow you can go see him.”

  “I don’t know how my dad is going to do that. You heard what happened today.”

  “I know. I know.”

  “This is all so nuts,” Alex said. “I miss Stuart. I miss going and being with him, you know. Helping.”

  “I’ll find a way to convince your father, Alex. For the both of you.”

  She sighed. “Thank you, Millie.”

  “Always. I will do anything for you, darling.”

  “I’m going to head up.”

  “I will serve those men,” Millie said. “Don’t worry.”

  “Thank you.”

  Roman hid down the long corridor and watched as Alex appeared, closing the door behind her. Since leaving the table, she looked exhausted. Like she’d just been given some bad news.

  He watched as she stood, pressing her hands to her face. Her shoulders rose and fell with what he imagined were several deep breaths before she dropped her hands and then headed toward the main stairs.


  Following behind her, he only made his presence known when she entered her bedroom, and he nudged her inside as he joined her. “What are you doing?” she asked, stepping back from him.

  This was another thing about Alex. She never reached for his touch. Never made any excuse to put her hands on him or to be near him. She always created a distance between them.

  “Who is Stuart?” he asked.

  “Roman, why are you here? Millie made up the spare bedrooms. They’re on the main floor. She’ll show you and your friends where you’re supposed to be sleeping.”

  “Not a chance. I sleep next to my wife.”

  Her eyes went wide, and then he saw the smile. Seconds later, a laugh bubbled up inside her and spilled out. “Are you kidding me right now? We never sleep together. Never.” She spoke the last word slowly, as if she thought he couldn’t quite keep up.

  Not what he had in mind.

  “You’re my wife.”

  “Here we go again. Yes, I am your wife. In name only, and trust me, I am more than happy about that. I don’t want anything between us.”

  He frowned. This was news to him, but then he thought about what Liam said. “You don’t want to be married to me?”

  “Hell no. I wanted no part of any of this.”

  “Is this because of Stuart?”

  “What?” The frown between her brows deepened. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Your Stuart. The one Millie is going to try to get you to see. The one you’re willing to risk your life for, and his. I will not be disrespected, and my wife will not be fucking any other man than me.”

  “Oh, my God, can you even hear yourself? We have never had sex. We are never going to have sex. You hate me, and guess what, I hate you as well. This marriage is a complete sham and a mess.”

  He took a step toward her, and Alex took a step toward him.

  “Are you trying to threaten me, Roman?” she asked. “Because I should warn you, I may be a woman, but I am my father’s daughter. If you so much as lay a finger on me, I will make you pay.”

  This took him by surprise. “I have no intention of harming you or threatening you.” His father had already pulled him to one side many times and stated that his marriage was an embarrassment to the Greco name.

  People whispered.

  Enemies plotted.

  And a weakness could be found in a marriage.

  “You will never fuck another man. You are mine, Alex. I will make this Stuart pay. Do you understand?”

  Alex laughed. “Oh, my God. Seriously, can you even hear yourself? You don’t even know who Stuart is, and you’re already threatening him. He’s done nothing to you.”

  “He is taking the attention of my wife away.”

  “You don’t even care that I’m your wife. We’re perfect strangers who live under one roof, your roof.”

  It didn’t matter. No one would ever have a taste of Alex, only him, or at least, only him from now on.

  “What you had with Stuart is in the past.”

  “Wow, okay. Wow. This is about the stupid virginity test, isn’t it?” Her hands clenched into fists, and she raised them as if to strike, but she didn’t hit him. She took a step back.

  “You’re unbelievable,” she said. “You won’t accept that I am actually a virgin, will you?”

  “If you were, why not take the test?”

  “Do you even listen to the words that come out of your mouth? Or are they just sounds?” She spun away from him and then stepped toward him. “In case this is lost on you, I don’t like the idea of having a strange man or woman looking between my legs. The reason I didn’t want to have the test is because it would be a stranger, and I was allowed to have my dad present. Do you have any idea what that would be like? No, of course not, because to you, it’s just a simple test, but to me, that is an invasion of privacy. I refused, end of story, and while we’re at it, and you’re throwing blame my way, Stuart, the guy you want to have killed, that would make you a child killer. He’s six years old. I’ve known him since he was three. He was found dumped in a trash bin outside of one of my father’s strip clubs. I found him. I was the one who tried to take care of him, but my dad decided I was too young. So we placed the baby in an orphanage and he has never been adopted.”

  She took a deep breath. Roman was shocked.

  “Are you happy now? Do you still want to go out and kill this young boy? He is a sweetheart, and in the last three years, no one has even cared to give him a chance. He is adorable and sweet, but he has scars. He doesn’t remember anything other than me. Now, please get the hell out of my bedroom. You have no right to be here.”

  It was the first time Roman had ever been kicked out of a room.

  He watched as Alex ignored him and went through to her bathroom, which he glimpsed right before she closed the door.

  Chapter Four

  Leaning against the door, Alex breathed out a sigh of relief that she was able to escape after she had let off that steam. She’d been determined not to let him get under her skin, and yet, he’d done it anyway.

  Why did he have so many bad opinions of her? It made no sense unless they were all based around that stupid virginity test, which frankly was the worst thing she’d ever been asked to do. She had expected her father to demand she take it as well, and he’d surprised her by having her back. At least someone did.

  Licking her dry lips, she closed her eyes, counted to ten, and then stepped away from the door. It had been a long day with far too many revelations. Someone wanted her dead or at least to kidnap her and use her against her dad. She doubted Roman mattered in this situation. If anyone had been watching them closely, they’d know he didn’t care for his young bride and would probably thank anyone for dealing with her.

  Alex stepped toward the mirror and glanced over her reflection. Her eyes were a little red from trying to hold in all the tears. Thinking about little Stuart didn’t help. It was the only time she and her father had been on opposing sides. She’d hated him for taking her little boy away. The moment she’d found him and held him, she had wanted to take care of him. Her dad wouldn’t let her.

  The only chance she got to see him was when she was with Millie.

  She had to go and see him, but with this threat now imposed on her life, she doubted she was going to get the chance.

  After stepping away from the mirror, she stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower. She turned the water on and pressed her hands against the cold tiled wall as the icy jets splashed on her skin, waking her body up like it had been in limbo for far too long. She gritted her teeth and waited for the water to warm.

  She often did this as a child. It helped her to focus, especially when life seemed to be more chaotic than she could handle.

  It was moments like these when she wished she had a mom. Millie was the closest thing she had, but her loyalty would forever be with Liam. Alex understood that. It was why she wished she had her mom.

  For the longest time, Liam had been everything, her dad and her mom, which had been hilarious when she had womanly problems to deal with. Thinking about her first menstrual cycle and looking back on her father with adult eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh. He’d been so far out of his depth that it was more a comedy show. They’d gotten through it. They had gotten through a whole lot, and she knew he missed her mother. They weren’t married at her mother’s request, but they were soul mates.

  The moment the water warmed up, the pain slicing through her body eased. She hated thinking about her parents and Stuart. Focusing on them now helped her to deal with the other problem of potentially being killed or kidnapped.

  Grabbing the soap, she lathered up the sponge and then quickly washed her body before reaching for the shampoo, followed immediately after by the conditioner. Hair and body washed and cleaned, she turned the water off and stepped out to grab a towel and wrap it around her body.

  She avoided going into her bedroom by brushing her teeth and combing her hair. Th
e length was long, and she liked it that way. Roman had asked for her to cut it, but she refused. Of course, she did. Just because she was married to him that didn’t for a second mean she had to do every single little thing he asked.

  She had fought on her hair and lost on so many other things. College was being taken away from her, which sucked. She loved going to classes and being a part of that way of life. It was fun, exciting. Today, apart from nearly getting shot at and ran off the road, had been exhilarating just by seeing Bill and of course studying.

  Grabbing another towel to prolong her time in the bathroom, she leaned forward and let all of her hair fall forward, and then she bound her hair up.

  She wasn’t decent. Way too much flesh was showing, but for now, it was going to have to do. As she nodded at her reflection, it was time to face … Roman. Her husband.

  She opened the door and found him standing by her desk, and of all things, reading one of her diaries.

  Alex rushed over toward him, but Roman snapped the diary closed. Her father had given them to her as a gift so long ago, when she was struggling to deal with her feelings. He’d advised that she keep a diary and use it as a way of talking to … Mom. She didn’t use it often, just when she needed to unload. Like tonight. Like right now.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, quickly closing the distance between them and trying to reach for her diary. He held it just out of reach.

  “I will be taking this.”

  “That’s my personal diary. You have no right to take people’s things without asking them.” She tried to reach for it, and in the process of jumping, the towel around her hair spun out of control and fell out. She couldn’t contain the wince as it tugged at strands of hair before it left her locks free, which did feel good.

  Alex still had one hand on the towel wrapped around her body, and she kept trying to jump up to take the diary, but it wasn’t working. In the end, she let go of the towel, hoping the power of her boobs would keep it in place, and she used her hands to try to get the diary.

  Roman was taller, bigger, and it was impossible. That diary was the last one she had written in. She hadn’t taken it to his place because she had worried he’d find it. The last entries were all leading up to their arranged marriage, and of course their wedding, the night before, at least. There was no other entry because she’d been with him, with no way of talking to her diary.