If I claimed to not be afraid of Giuseppe, it would be the biggest lie I've ever told. The man scared me more than anyone had my whole life, and I've been around a lot of bad people.

This man had power, true power, the kind that came with money and connections. I knew that the first time I saw him, I knew, and I still went with him to his house that day. Why? I knew I didn't really have a choice.

I hate Luca for getting me in this situation. I hate myself for allowing this to happen.

This could only happen to me.

Grandma blew up my phone as I was pretty much being held prisoner at the Giuseppe's mansion, and I finally answered and sold her some crap about being at a friend's house. Obviously, she didn't believe me, and chewed me out and demanded I come home right that moment.

I couldn't. I was scared. Giuseppe hadn't threatened my grandma directly, but I knew better than to think he wouldn't take drastic measures to get what he wanted. He had even brought up in a leisure conversing way how my grandma was behind on her rent (how he knew, I could only guess) and how he could pay up on that as some sort of dowry. I knew him bringing up my grandma was the unspoken threat.

I ended up sitting on that Ivory couch in that expensive living room, too afraid to move. Giuseppe sat there most of the time as well, on his phone those hours, most of the conversations in Italian. He had gotten up sometime after eleven and left the room without a word to me, leaving me sitting there beating myself up mentally.

I sat there, nodding off until the front door opened and Luca stumbled in around four, clearly high as heck. He didn't even notice me sitting in the living room as stumbled by, mumbling to himself.

A draft or air running against my ankles made me stand on numb legs and walk into the foyer and shut the door Luca had left open. I stumbled back to the couch and flopped on it, I didn't care anymore. I kicked off my shoes laid across it. No one had offered me a room.

(FT)

"He'll lose his shit if he sees you sprawled out across his couch like some bum."

I winced and closed my eyes again at the assault of sudden light coming in through the large windows and hitting me right in the face. I covered my face and sat up, peeking through my fingers at a clearly unhappy, sick looking Luca.

He took a sip of the liquid in the stark white mug in his hands and eyed me from the other side of the living room. He was still wearing what he had been wearing yesterday, light brown hair sticking out from his head. Still, he looked good. Damn him.

"No one offered me a room," I mumbled as I looked around the sun drenched living room. I removed my feet from the couch, taking heed to his words, not wanting to make the crazy man insane.

"I'm sorry it's not anything like you were expecting." He said sarcastically, with a roll of his eyes. He laughed a laugh that sounded so bitter to my ears I could almost taste it. "You have no idea that shit storm you've gotten yourself into."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I didn't ask for this."

"You didn't?" He questioned disbelieving. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

I did not enjoy being accused of whatever in the hell it was he was accusing me of. "He showed up at my front door!" I defended myself. "He made me come here and...I obviously don't want this!"

"Well you got it."

"Why aren't either of you dressed?" Giuseppe's voice boomed suddenly, making me flinch. The man stalked into the living room, straightening a dark tie so close to his neck it was a wonder he could breathe. "I've made an appointment, a few connections got the both of you in an hour from now."

My heart sank. Was I really getting married? I didn't notice I was crying until I heard Luca's scoff. I quickly wiped my face and glared at the asshole.

He turned and started to leave the room, but Giuseppe's hand landing on his shoulder stopped him as he passed. The younger man noticeably stiffened. "Where's my greeting, boy? An elder enters a room, what do you do?"

"Good morning, father," Luca gritted out.

Giuseppe grinned like the cat that got the canary. "Go get dressed boy, it's your wedding day! Wear something nice!"

Luca tore his shoulder from the man's grip and quickly exited the room, leaving me once again alone with Giuseppe Mato.

"I don't have clothes here." I said before he could say anything to me. Rude, I know, but I couldn't care less...unless he came at me, then I would beg for forgiveness.

"Alissa!" I started at his sudden shout. I was shocked when a thin woman with dark hair in a tight bun, in a professional blouse and skirt appeared. I had no idea anyone else was even here.

"Yes, Mr. Mato?" She smiled up at the man in a way I thought was impossible for anyone to look at the crazy man.

"Bring some of my wife's old clothes from storage and give them to Ms. Tyler. They will have to do it, for now." He spoke slowly, his tone bland.

Alissa didn't even look at me. "Yes, sir." She was gone in a flash.

"My assistant," he supplied without me asking. "What's your favorite food, Nessa?" He asked out of the blue as I tried to ignore his massive, foreboding presence. "For the after wedding dinner."

I honestly was starving. I had sat on this couch for hours, not moving or eating anything. "Chinese..."

"I think we'll go to Gio's," he said. That didn't sound like a Chinese restaurant. "Italian is much better." I gritted my jaw. Why did he even bother asking?

(FT)

"He's fucking her," Luca supplied without me asking.

We somehow finished dressing at the same time and as a result exited the house at the same time, just in time to see the assistant smiling really big about something Mr. Mato had said.

I grimaced. "I didn't ask." I said as I glanced at...I guess my baby daddy. He was wearing a plain black hoodie and some jeans, obviously he had not 'put' on something nice like his father had suggested. My guess is that was out of spite and protest. The assistant had brought me a sundress that had obviously been for a slimmer, much taller woman. Luca narrowed his eyes at me, an odd expression on his face, but the recognition was clear. I guess he remembered his mother wearing this. "I didn't have any clothes." I said, feeling as if I needed to explain. "The assistant brought these to me."

He looked away. "I don't care." He walked away after saying that.

"I don't care, you don't care!" I yelled at his back. He didn't acknowledge me at all.

After it was all said and done, I decided getting married was much too easy. I stared at our copy of the marriage certificate and the backseat of the SUV. The car was big and black, and the driver and his partner upfront were obviously more than oversized drivers. Giuseppe and the assistant sat in the seats right behind the front seats, while Luca and I were in the back.

Luca sat as silent as I, but instead of looking at the certificate, he was staring out of the window, leg bouncing, one hand pressed into his bottom lip. He looked how I felt, completely overwhelmed and sick.

I was married now. We were married now. To each other. I wanted to rip the paper up that signed my life away, but knew that wouldn't do anything but piss off Giuseppe.

"Where are we going?" Luca questioned, voice shaky. His eyes were large and glazed over.

"Gio's," Giuseppe answered lazily.

"What? No? I want to go home...I have some stuff to do!" Luca said quickly.

"It's your wedding day, what could you possibly have to do that's more important than spending time with your new bride?"

"How about anything else! I didn't want this! I don't want this! I...take me home, now!" Luca yelled, completely losing it. I didn't blame him. I was pretty close to losing it too.

I gasped when Giuseppe's hand suddenly smacked against his son's face, pushing his head so hard it bounced off the window. I heard the impact and flinched. Giuseppe didn't stop there, he took hold of Luca's hair and shoved his head into the glass again. The car continued on uninterrupted, the two in the front not even looking back. The assistant seemed suddenly very interested in her phone.

I was the only horrified party as I watched father assault his son.

"Let go, let go!" Luca cried, gripping the man's hand. "Fuck! Let go!"

"Who do you think you're talking to, boy! Don't forget who holds your life in their hands, you little bitch!" He once again slammed Luca's head into the glass. I think I was crying at this point.

"I fucking hate you!" Luca spat, the pain obviously not a deterrent, or he had gone crazy.

"That's fine, boy. Hate. Hate me so much it consumes you, just don't be fucking pussy. Fuck pussy, boy! Ravish it. Don't be pussy. Give us privacy!" Giuseppe barked and the car suddenly veered sharply.

Not even a minute later we were off the road and in an abandoned lot. Giuseppe dragged Luca from the car. I didn't move. I couldn't move. I didn't want to move. I just sat in the car uselessly and watched the faces of the emotionless driver and his partner as they blocked whatever Giuseppe was doing to Luca from outside view. I could hear the grunts of pain and smacking of flesh though.

I was shaking, maybe even sobbing.

"Just pretend not to notice," the assistant's words made me flinch. I looked at her like she was crazy. I'm sure she was crazy. She gave me a sympathetic face. "It's better that way, it's not as if you could do anything about it anyway." She had a point there, but still...

When the men stepped away, showing the limp form of Luca on the ground, I thought for sure I was already a widow. He made Luca limp back to the car on his own, even though it was obvious the boy could barely walk. His face was completely bloody. Somehow, he made it to the car and slumped into the seat beside me heavily, hand holding on tight to his side, head bowed.

Giuseppe tossed a handkerchief at him roughly, it hit Luca in his face. "Clean yourself up," the evil man said and glanced at me, but I quickly looked away. "We're going to Gio's and we will properly introduce your wife. You hear me, boy?"

"Yes, sir," Luca croaked. He whimpered softly once the car started up again and we were back on the road.

I...pretended not to notice.