Page 2 of The Sicilian Heir
"What's back in Texas for you?"
My heart panged, remembering the loss of Maddox. It was still fresh, and I still blamed them for his death. I hung my head and studied my nails harder. I dug the dirt out of a few. A light knock came at the door, stopping any more conversation. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Rose opened the door and a flurry of activity followed. As we drank and ate, the team of women came and started to beautify us. I missed my products from home. I always imported facial items from South Korea because they were better than American products, at a more affordable cost.
We talked about random things. Rose caught me up with her life that was now in New York with Nick. I couldn't help the surge of jealousy that hit me unexpectedly. I wanted to have a life, the life I thought I was going to have with Maddox. Now I was here. I was broken. I was stuck.
I picked up my off-the-shoulder, asymmetrical chiffon dress. It was light blue, tied in the back with tulle. When I tried it on in the dress store in New York, I felt like a tiny ballerina. It wasn't floor length. The front was only a little above the knees and the back hung down to my mid-calf. Rose wanted me to wear heels, but I fought tooth and nail for my biker boots, throwing off the entire look, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to carry a purse and my knife was going to be on my person.
I threw on the dress and sat down so I could get done with hair and makeup as quickly as possible. That way I could help Rose into her dress. The lady started curling my hair. I didn't have any say in the style, not that I wanted to. I preferred letting Rose take care of all the details. It made her happy, which in turn made me less grumpy.
My bangs were curled under and the rest of my hair curled into a half up, half down hairdo that really left me looking whimsical. My makeup was bare minimum, a cat eye with a nude lip. This was Rose's day, so I wanted to tone down what I would normally wear so she could shine. It wouldn't do if I took eyes off her, and frankly, I didn't want anyone at this wedding looking at me.
The chair was spun toward Rose and her breath caught. "Oh, Eunji. You look beautiful," she gasped.
I threw a faked girly giggle her way, knowing it would make her smile. My scars were showing, but I didn't care. Not at all. Let them see. Let them remember. I was a slave, and now I wasn't. Someone else in my position would probably cover up the trauma from their ordeal. Not me. I wanted to make people uncomfortable. Make them squirm in their seats. If any of them showed pity or sympathy, I'd gut them. I didn't need it. Not from them.
"Thank you," I murmured back at Rose.
She'd picked everything out, so she shouldn't really be too surprised by the outcome. I gave myself a once over in the mirror and thought I looked like a fairytale sprite. A dangerous one, not one of those magical ones who looked sweet. I looked like I could bite. I shot my reflection a feral grin. Rose chose a skintight, mermaid-style, long-sleeved dress with buttons in the back that stopped at her plump ass.
When she tried it on, I clapped and told her it was perfect. Nick would want to spank her in it. Her entire back was showing because the sleeves and back were see-through. The train was made from tulle and the dress floor length, so I knew I was going to be on bathroom duty with her. It was my job as her maid-of-honor. I wouldn't have it any other way. I knew she didn't have any friends and her mother tried to have other women in her bridal party, but Rose stood firm that she only wanted me. I wasn't going to shit on the opportunity. It wasn't like her family was super welcoming to me. Other than Vito, her parents were cold and rude. It was stifling and oppressive on the compound, which was why I was happy the wedding and reception weren't taking place there at all.
It was Nick's father who proposed a neutral ground. I guess the famiglias still didn't trust each other, even though they had some sort of treaty between them.
I helped Rose into her dress and made sure everything was in place. She had her white- blonde hair curled as well, but in a beach wave style. She looked like she had woken up and decided to get married. Her makeup was stunning. A red lip and bright eye made her features pop. I knew all eyes were going to be on her as she walked down that aisle.
The team of women hurried out and I wondered if someone had threatened them to do this wedding. I shook the idea off. Not everything was nefarious. Another knock came at the door and Rose called for whoever was there to come in. The door swung open and there he was, my kidnapper, Vittorio Picone. He looked as shocked as I felt. He was standing in the doorway staring at me. Rose cleared her throat.
"Something you needed, Vito?" she sassed. She only spoke to him and Nick this way. With anyone else, she acted quiet and meek.
"They are ready for you." He cleared his throat, his eyes roaming over my body, making my skin tingle.
I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. I was going to put it in the not good thing category. Any attention from Vito wasn't good. He was too interested in me, and if I was honest, I was too interested in him.
He looked good, better than good. He looked sexy as hell. His tux fit him exactly right. He wore a blue bowtie that matched my dress and matched his eyes. His hair was mussed like normal, which meant he had run his hands through it a million times. He didn't shave for the wedding, but I could tell he had just trimmed his facial hair. It was shorter than normal but still made him stand out. His stubble made my hands itch. Not in a bad way. In an I-want-to-run-my hands-over-it way. I shook off my stray thoughts. They always involved Vito and sex, two things I wouldn't ever do.
"We'll head down right now." Rose beamed at her older brother. Happiness just poured off her.
I smiled too because it was infections. Even I couldn't be surly when I was about to witness true love strung together. Vito frowned at me and motioned for us to leave the suite. As I walked past him, my body slid against his. He could've moved out of my way, but where would the fun be in that? I let Rose go ahead of me so I could flip him off without her seeing. Fuck him and whatever high horse he rode in on. He may look like sex on a stick, but there was a stick shoved far up his asshole. Someone needed to yank it out so he could have some fun. It wasn't going to be me. Anyone but me.
Chapter 2
Eunji
We headed to one of the six elevators and descended to the first level. There was a club in this hotel, but no one from the wedding was going to go there—maybe afterward. Then I wouldn't have to spend any time with the men in the two outfits. Syndicate? I'm still not sure how this all works. I wasn't going to bring it up to Rose because the last thing she wanted to think about on her wedding day would be my ordeal. The elevator dinged and I waited for everyone to file off before me. I still wasn't comfortable with touching or being close to other people. Vito was the only person who hadn't respected my boundaries so far. No matter where I was, he showed up. Our bodies were always touching. He was always finding a way to piss me off. I just wanted him to leave me alone and let me go. We headed to the room next to the ballroom to wait for the wedding coordinator to give us our cues.
Vito and I were walking down the aisle together, and I was going to have to hold onto him without throwing up in front of all the guests. The coordinator motioned us out of the room, and we stood before the double doors as the music started to play. Nick wanted us to walk down the aisle to some classical music, but Vito said there was no way he would do that. When Nick asked Vito what he would walk down the aisle to, Vito left the decision to me. So, I choseYou Never Knowby Blackpink. No one argued with me.
"Are you ready, my little lotus?" Vito smirked, knowing that nickname grated on my nerves. He started to call me that after hearing Nick call Rose his little thorn. It was almost like he wanted to show Nick that he was the same as he did, and I didn't appreciate it. The men in both outfits treated women like they were commodities, and I was so much more than that. Broken, terrified, and scarred yet sassy, sarcastic, and mean, all wrapped into a tiny package.
"I would be if my date was anyone other than you," I scoffed.
Vito peered down at me. I was short and he loved that he towered over me. Fucking caveman.
"I don't think that's true, little lotus. I think you want to touch me all day, every day. Just like I want to do the same to you," he leaned down to murmur in my ear.
The hint of his minty breath tickled my neck, and I clenched my thighs in response. Why couldn't he be hideous like Romano? I would be able to ignore him if he weren't looking like a sexy Sicilian god who was ready to rock my world at the drop of a hat.
