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The next three weeks passed by in a blur.

My brothers and I threw ourselves into our work to forget about my impending engagement to that Darmos brat.

We all left Sicily that same day it was decided I'd be getting married to her. We stayed in Europe for three weeks as the date of the impending engagement party came closer and closer.

"Get it done quickly. The jet is scheduled to take off in an hour."

"Sì." Rocco and Tristano nodded, already climbing out of the SUV that was parked up outside the bar in Turin, Italy. Our security guards crowded around them as they made their way inside.

"Aren't we going inside too?" Aidan was watching the entrance of the club with longing in his eyes.

The twins were both desperate to get involved in the action and thrill of this life. It was me who was reluctant to let them go head first into it. They needed easing in, especially after the way they screwed up their first mission to break the Greek-Russian marriage alliance.

The little shits bumped straight into Kozlov and blew their cover. Now I'm getting married because I took the fall for them. But it's something I'd do again just to keep them safe.

"We are. They just need to make sure it's safe first."

"Costa's the king, that's why." Gio nudged my leg with his, flashing me a smirk.

"Don't touch me."

"Sorry." His smirk quickly dropped and he sat up straighter in his seat, clearing his throat.

"Kiss ass." Aidan chuckled quietly at Gio's reaction which led to the two of them bickering, again.

"Scusa, hai detto qualcosa?" (Sorry, did you say something?) Giovanni rose any eyebrow at his older twin.

"Yeah, I called you a kiss ass, kiss ass." Aidan really thought he ate when he smirked victoriously at Gio.

"See, this is why I'm the favourite twin in this family." He's really not the favourite twin. They're both equally despised. "You're always acting like a little bitch and getting involved in things that don't concern you."

"You're talking shit in a car right in front of me. It does involve me." Aidan rolled his eyes, gesturing to the SUV we were sitting in.

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"Oh, please. You're just jealous." Giovanni scoffed, switching up the conversation completely. You know, I don't think anyone could ever understand how his brain works.

Maybe I could offer him to a scientist for his experiments?

Bro, throw in the other idiot twin as a two for one special.

"Jealous? Jealous of what?" Aidan laughed. "You have nothing for me to be jealous of."

"Costa's my best bitch. Right, bro?" Giovanni looked at me, this time smartly choosing not to invade my personal space.

"No. One more word and I'll leave both you idioti here." (Idiots)

"But-"

Relief flooded through me when my security opened the car door for me. I wasn't patient enough to deal with their bickering - a fact my father knew full well before he told me to mentor them. Yet, if we ever had to hold a funeral for one them, then I'd get all the blame.

"Go on." I waited for them to get out before I followed them, heading inside the luxury bar.

The bass of the music played in the background of the dimly lit club. It was more of a lounge but with the feel of a VIP bar. It was exclusive and expensive, catered exactly to our kind of clientele.

"Why are we here?" Aidan came up next to me, glaring unnecessarily at every person we passed.

"To pick up some cash. Why do you look so angry?" I frowned, watching the way a young server quickly stepped away from us when she saw Aidan's expression.

"I'm practicing my intimidating stare. Do I intimidate you?" He tried the same glare on me, narrowing his eyes with a cold stare.

"Bro, you look constipated." Gio laughed, sauntering along with us.

"No, I don't. I'm intimidating. You have to be intimidating to run with La Famiglia. Right, Costa?" Aidan nudged me with his elbow as we walked.

"Touch me again and I'll tie you to that stripper pole and leave you here." I nodded towards the pole on the empty stage.

"Now who's a kiss ass?" Giovanni sniggered at Aidan's expense.

"Don't get smart or I'll tie you up too." I flashed Gio a look and he quickly shut his mouth, falling into step with Aidan next to me.

We made it to a private room where Tristano and Rocco were waiting, both smoking expensive cigars.

The light cloud of smoke thinned out as we entered, revealing the dimly lit room meant for private dances. The two of them were sat on the couch while the manager of the club was busy arranging the money into a duffel bag.

"Signor Accardi." (Mr Accardi) He nodded respectfully in my direction as we entered.

There was a slight tremor of fear in his voice - as there should be.

Anyone who isn't scared around the Accardi Family has a problem.

"Non hai pensato di prepararlo prima che arrivassi qui?" (You didn't think to get this ready before I got here?) I rose an eyebrow at him, staying rooted to my spot by the door. This wasn't a social visit - this was business. I didn't come with the intention of being here longer than a few minutes.

"Non ero sicuro dell'ora in cui saresti arrivato, signore. Gli ultimi soldi sono appena arrivati." (I wasn't sure what time you were coming, Sir. The last of the money only just arrived.)

Tristano sighed at his excuse, releasing a puff of smoke as he tapped the ash off his cigar. "Non tolleriamo scuse e non ci piace essere lasciati in attesa. Faresti meglio a sperare, per il bene della tua famiglia, che tutti i soldi siano qui." (We don't tolerate excuses and we don't like to be left waiting. You better hope for the sake of your family that all the money is here.)

Tristano's threat had the desired effect, prompting the club's manager to quickly shove the last few wads of cash into the bag before zipping it up.

"È tutto lì." (It's all there) He stepped away from the large black duffel bag and I turned to look at the twins who were flanking me either side.

"Take it to Rocco. He'll show you how to count it." If they were surprised by my instruction they didn't show it. Aidan calmly went over and picked up the bag before carrying it over to where Rocco sat smoking his cigar.

The twins sat on either side of him, putting the bag down on the coffee table in the middle.

"Open it." My brother spoke through a mouthful of smoke, sitting up straight on the couch.

Aidan unzipped the bag to reveal the wads of cash all bundled individually with a rubber band.

"Empty it out onto the table." At the same moment the twins got to work, a movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

"No." I put two fingers on his shoulder, barely applying any pressure. The contact alone was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"But, I have-"

"You're staying until it's all counted." The manager nodded, quickly stepping away from me.

He was now avoiding my gaze.

I caught Tristano's eye and he released a sigh, pulling out his phone to call a clean up crew.

We knew the signs by now.

"You don't want to count every single note, you'll be here for too long. You need to count the number of stacks and the number of notes in each stack. Then you do the math."

Rocco stopped to take a drag of his cigar before providing them with the most important rule.

"But you have to check some of the stacks to make sure they're all legit. As you're counting just fan them out to make sure they're the right notes. Too many stronzo try to hide smaller notes by wrapping them up." (Assholes)

Rocco shook his head in annoyance - probably because he was often the one who had to deal with the fuckers who tried to pull one over on us.

Tristano laughed, his voice coming out deeper from the smoke. "Remember the last guy who did it? La sua povera madre probabilmente sta ancora cercando il suo corpo." (His poor mother is probably still trying to find his body)

"You hid his body?" Aidan questioned as he and Giovanni began counting the stacks.

"Luca had some men set up a treasure hunt for his family." Rocco chuckled, leaning back comfortably on the couch. "But the body isn't at the end. It's just a circle."

"Quella povera donna." (That poor woman). Tristano shook his head before the two of them cracked up at the thought of his mother endlessly looking for his body.

"Can you just hurry up?" I finally snapped having had enough of their conversation. "We're not here to have fun. Rocco, put your cigar out and help them count."

"But it's a Cuban." He frowned, taking another hit of the expensive cigar.

He says that as if he doesn't have more expensive cigars at home.

"Così? I gave you an order. Do it." (So?) Rocco held my stare for a moment too long before begrudgingly putting the cigar down to help the twins count the stacks.

"What's his problem?" Tristano nudged Rocco's leg, whispering as if I wasn't standing three feet away from him.

"È tutto preso dai suoi sentimenti perché si fidanzerà più tardi." (He's all up in his feelings because he's getting engaged later.)

"Oh." The owner of the club jumped in, giving me a shaky smile. "Congratulations, sir."

The cold glare I gave him had his smile dropping instantly and he took yet another step away from me.

"Kiss ass."
"Kiss ass."

The twins spoke in unison, smirking at each other immediately afterwards. Rocco chuckled between them as the three of them counted. Moments later my brother gave me the look accompanied by a shake of the head. "It's no good."

My gaze shifted over to the manager who was clearly about to plead for his life.

"You tried to steal from me?" This was already a bad day, now he has to go and pull this shit.

"Sir-"

"Rocco, show the twins what we do to people who steal from La Famiglia." My brother had no problems carrying out my orders - in fact, he looked quite pleased.

"My pleasure." He grinned, standing to his feet. Giovanni and Aidan watched on in anticipation when my brother approached the manager like a predator stalking its prey.

"Do you like your face?" My brother questioned, pulling out his phone. "Personally, I think you could do with a little cosmetic surgery."

"Please, sir. I can expla-"

"Come in. I can't get dirty. I have my brother's engagement party to attend later." Rocco spoke through the phone but his mischievous grin was definitely aimed at me.

The little reminder of my fate caused Tristano to chuckle while the twins only smiled.

Moments later Luca arrived in the room - one of the only men in La Famiglia close to us. He's a strong man. He's heavily built with an intimidating height.

We kept him around as our Enforcer - his job was to remind people who they're dealing with and to teach people a lesson when they don't fall in line.

He took off his suit jacket, tossing it onto a nearby couch. He removed his cufflinks and rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his tattooed forearms.

"Uno a dieci?" (One to ten?) Luca eyed his prey, directing his question to Rocco. Instead, Rocco looked over at me as I dropped down next to Tristano on the black leather couch. I snatched his cigar from his lips, putting it in my mouth.

"Sette." (Seven) Usually a nobody trying to steal from me would be a three and a quick death. If they were a somebody, I'd use it as a chance to send out a message to others.

The club's manager was definitely a nobody who thought he could get away with it. But, I was in a bad mood so I chose a seven.

Perhaps the screams would help calm me down before the engagement party later.

"Sette sono." (Seven it is.) Luca grinned, pulling out his knife. Before he could start his fun, I spoke up.

"Talk them through it, Luca." I nodded towards the twins whose eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect of starting torture training. They're little psychopaths in the making. "I want them to learn from the best."

Luca eyed the grinning twins with disdain, probably remembering the water condom they dropped on him while I was in Asia.

But he also knew he couldn't refuse an order from me. So he nodded, starting up an impromptu master class for the twins.

"First it's all about the small incisions. Making a couple of cuts will help the blood splatter out nicer when you go in for a punch."

The first whimper was music to my ears.

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Thirty minutes later we left the club to head to the airport. The jet was ready for take off as soon as we boarded it.

Most of the flight was spent in silence, apart from the twins who tried to keep the atmosphere as light as possible.

Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood to talk.

This was the first time we were going home since I found out I'd be marrying the Princess of the Greek Mafia. In a couple of hours I'd be walking into our engagement party.

The engagement party was the chance to show off the alliance to the world - both the criminal world and the regular media and tabloids.

Even though they didn't know we were criminals, everyone always wanted to know what we were up to. It's stupid to think you can become one of the richest families in Europe and not have any media attention.

Every Mafia crime family was known to the media, their survival just depended on how well they could hide the reality of their work.

"Stai bene?" (You doing okay?) Rocco took the seat beside me, clicking his seatbelt into place in preparation for our landing.

"Fine." I took a long gulp of my whiskey hoping it would help quell the emotions stirring inside me.

I turned to look at Tristano who had been my rock during the last few weeks. He was definitely the more levelheaded one between the three of us brothers. While I was panicking at the thought of being married to some spoiled brat, Rocco was encouraging me to drink and let loose and Tristano was there to keep me calm and focused on business.

"Did you book the jet for tonight, Tristano?"

"Sí." He nodded, sipping on his own drink. "It'll be ready to leave at 11pm."

"That's just enough time to show our faces at the party. Then we'll get the hell out of there." Rocco muttered, definitely sharing my disdain towards this whole marriage.

He had the weakest relationship with our father, so he would usually side with his brothers over his father any day. But this was something he was wholeheartedly against.

For one, he didn't like that Darmos princess after our run in with her in New York when she was drunk off her face.

But he was also a firm believer in keeping the Accardi family as pure as possible. He believed in regular marriages to regular women. He didn't like the idea of allying with another crime organisation. That shit gets messy and it gets messy fast.

At the start it's just a marriage between a couple. But once children are thrown into the mix, the alliance becomes a blood alliance.

The last thing we needed was my children sharing the same blood as the Greek Mafia.

But I couldn't get out of it and neither could she. Hence why the engagement party had already started an hour ago.

"How long until we land?" I directed my pointed question towards Giovanni who was deep in concentration trying to tie the lace on his second shoe.

It was my strong hint that he should put his seatbelt on but he missed it completely.

For those twins, tying shoe laces is the hardest task they might face in a single day. It requires every brain cell in their tiny brains.

"Um...twenty minutes...I think." About thirty seconds later the pilot asked us to prepare for landing. The moment the plane touched down on the runaway Giovanni fell off his chair and Aidan groaned in pain from the bathroom.

Rocco chuckled from his place next to me where we were safely under the protection of our seatbelts.

"This is why we all got ready an hour ago." He gestured towards his fancy navy suit that he'd changed into ready for the party.

All three of us were dressed and ready to go. It was the twins who looked like they'd just woken up dressed in last night's suits.

"Bitch, we wanted to get ready too but you all hogged the bathroom." Aidan opened the bathroom door, massaging the side of his head as he glared at my younger brother.

"We went in order of age. It's not my fault you two little shits were born last." Rocco shrugged, laughing when Gio threw his untied shoe in his direction.

"Man, I still need to piss." Gio's face contorted in pain as he stood up to retrieve his shoe which landed a few feet away from Rocco.

"Too bad, we need to leave. You should have spoken up earlier while we were getting ready." I shook my head at him, finishing the last of my whiskey.

The doors to the jet were about to open and now this imbecile decides he needs to piss.

"I've been asking to go for the last hour!" Giovanni exclaimed causing Rocco and Tristano to burst out laughing. "Rocco wouldn't let me get in before he started doing his hair."

"I told you to piss in your cup. You didn't want to do that." Rocco laughed earning himself a deadly glare from twin number two.

"Just give me two minutes, Costa." Gio pleaded, abandoning his second shoe all together. With one shoe on, my younger cousin scrambled into the jet bathroom before anyone could say no.

I rolled my eyes at the chaotic sight. At least they bring some kind of entertainment. They're also a distraction from the reality of the engagement party we were about to attend.

"Costa?" My eyes shifted over to twin number one who was holding his bow tie in his hand. He gave me a sheepish smile, shuffling across the jet. "Can you tie this please?"

"Can't we leave them here?" I turned to Rocco and Tristano who wordlessly watched on, completely amused. "Who even invited the twins to come with us?"

We'd been touring Europe for the last three weeks after my father told me my punishment would be to marry the Darmos woman. Somehow the twins ended up coming with us.

"They thought you liked them after you took the blame for their screwed up plan to break up that marriage." Tristano narrowed his eyes at Aidan who smiled sheepishly.

Their plan really was screwed up. A few thoughtful gifts and a vengeful improv actress and now I'm stuck marrying a once champagne-covered, Greek princess.

"You didn't have to take the blame for us, Costa." Aidan's smile faltered and he gave me the same expression he'd been giving me for the last three weeks.

He looked like a wounded, guilty puppy.

"Of course I did. I wasn't going to let you or Gio get hurt." They might irritate me to the point my soul has considered leaving my body on multiple occasions, but I love them.

Sort of.

"We could have handled it." This time it was Giovanni who spoke, stumbling back out the bathroom with one shoe on.

"No, you couldn't." Rocco shook his head with a frown, knowing all about our father and his punishments. "He would have fucking broken you. It was your first major screw up. He would have used it as a lesson."

I don't think Aidan and Gio really understood what we meant. They'd never witnessed our father's darker side. Their own father was much softer towards them. But now that he's dead, their reality was going to catch up to them quickly if we didn't help them out.

"It's okay. Nothing is going to happen while we're around. Just try to lay low and keep your mouths shut. He can never find out the truth."

"But we're not good at that. We always do stupid things." At least Giovanni was self aware.

"Well, try a little harder not to. Costa already has his new wife to think about, he doesn't need to worry about you too." Rocco's advice was fair, but I definitely didn't appreciate the reminder of my future wife.

I don't think I could ever look at that woman as my wife.

"So, my bow tie?" Aidan smiled. With an exaggerated sigh, I stood up to tie his stupid bow tie around his stupid neck.

"You need to learn how to do this shit on your own."

"Can you teach me? You can teach me to be like you and dress like you." Aidan grinned, glancing down at my twelve thousand dollar Brioni suit.

"You don't think I have more important things to be doing?" I rose an eyebrow at him, tightening the bow just enough to make him cough.

"What, like marrying that Greek bitch?" He mimicked me with a raised brow and a teasing smirk.

"That's painfully accurate."

Ten minutes later both twins were dressed and ready to leave and we finally made it out of the jet. While we were at the party for the next two hours the jet was going to be cleaned and refuelled. Then we'd be off to New York until the wedding.

At least I could enjoy the next six weeks with my brothers and the twins before I was chained to that infuriating woman for the rest of my life.

Then I'd constantly have her yapping or whining about shit that I have no concern over.

We got into a convoy of cars that would take us from the airport to our family home on the coast of Palermo. The five of us were in one SUV together surrounded by other security cars.

The conversation was kept to a minimum until we finally pulled up at the large gated mansion. The number of cars on the driveway was the confirmation of just how late we actually were.

"Damn." Gio murmured, eyeing a glossy black Rolls Royce as we drove inside. "Costa, can you buy me that car?"

"No."

"Bitch." He sighed from the backseat, probably staring longingly at the car like a wounded puppy.

"One day you'll be making your own millions and you can buy it yourself."

"Can you show me how? I want to be as successful as you." Gio asked, his eyes sparkling with greed and excitement.

I'm having some real deja vu right now.

"What is it with you two asking me to teach you everything? I'm not your friend. I don't do that shit."

"They just look up to you." Tristano added. "Maybe if you do teach them something useful then they'll be less irritating."

"I'm good at a lot of things, fratello. But making them less irritating is something only a professional can do." (Brother)

"A psychiatrist?" Aidan frowned, not understanding my point.

"No, an executioner." I smirked while my brothers laughed at their expense.

"You think you're so funny, Costa? Don't worry, we'll be the ones laughing when you're getting engaged to that Greek psycho."

"Shut up, Gio." Tristano muttered as we pulled up outside the front door. "Wait until the wedding to laugh, it will be much funnier."

The four of them burst out laughing in the small confines of the SUV.

I need to find a new future Underboss.

Actually, I need to find a new Inner Circle.

My glare had all four of them cracking up all over again and I could still hear their laughter when I got out the car. With a roll of my eyes, I stood up, buttoning and straightening my suit jacket before adjusting my tie and my cufflinks.

My whole intention for tonight was to go inside and sign whatever contracts I was given, put a damn ring on her finger and then walk out. The quicker I get away from my father and that Greek family, the better.

"In and out?" Tristano got out next to me, eyeing the entrance of the house where our butlers were letting late guests in.

"In and out." I nodded.

"What, like the burgers?" Aidan got out next to me, his eyes lighting up at the mention of junk food.

"I'm this close to killing you." I held up my pointer finger and my thumb to gesture.

"Bitch, you're marrying a Greek psycho just to save us from the clutches of your father. You love us." Giovanni came up next to Aidan, throwing his arm around his twin with a stupid grin on his face.

"That's enough. No one loves you." Rocco shoved the two of them to force them to break apart. "I need a drink. Can we go?"

With a short breath I nodded my head, mentally preparing myself to come face to face with that woman again.

And my father.

That woman and my father.

"Sì, andiamo." (Yeah, let's go)

The five of us headed inside past the butler at the door who nodded out of respect.

Inside, the party was already in full swing. There were guests littering the entire downstairs hallway of our home, all the way to the main ballroom where the engagement party was taking place.

As soon as we entered, we were swarmed by guests giving their congratulations on the alliance.

The strange thing about this kind of party was that most of the guests were thinking of how the alliance could hurt or benefit their own organisations. There were no genuine congratulations on the actual marriage - not that I wanted them.

Tristano was quick to shut down every guest who came over to us while the twins cleared a wide path for us to get to the front of the ballroom with ease.

The stage was empty but the head table was fully occupied - apart from the five seats left for us.

My father and his wife were seated already. My sister, Riviera, was sitting with her Portuguese husband and their two year old daughter.

On the opposite side was the Greek crime family. Nicholas Darmos sat with his wife and his two children. His brother and his own wife and son, Damian were also there.

As soon as my eyes landed on her, disgust and dread washed over me. She sat there with her long brown hair curled to perfection and a dark blue silk dress exposing the flawless skin of her back.

For someone so infuriating, she had the most mouthwatering figure.

I couldn't see her expression since she had her back to me. But I could definitely see the glares her two body guards were giving me.

Once upon a time, Damian and Julius got on very well with us. Thanks to this brat, that professional relationship went up in flames.

As we approached, the chatter at the table began to quieten. I'm sure some nearby tables were also watching the scene when both families turned to look at us.

"Costantino." My father stood to his feet, his eyes going cold. "We've been waiting for you, it's good you finally made it. How was Europe?"

To the rest of the guests he might have appeared cordial, but we could see straight through his facade.

"It was fine. Can we get on with this please? I'm not staying long."

"You're not staying long at your own engagement party?" The Greek bitch's brother, Julius, was the one to raise an eyebrow at me.

She still hadn't turned around to look at me although I'm sure she was aching to. I could already tell she was a stubborn woman - she refused to turn around even if it was killing her. Instead she carried on eating her food as if nothing was going on.

"I have some business to attend to in New York." I aimed my curt answer at her brother before shifting my attention back to my father. "So?"

"Well, we'll need to go into my office to sign the contracts. Then you come out here and put the ring on her finger and take your photos. After that you may leave."

My father didn't wait for anyone to follow him to his office. He picked up his glass of champagne, pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek before leaving the main table. Nicholas Darmos stood up to follow him, gesturing for his daughter to do the same.

It seemed there was already an understanding in place because her idiot bodyguards didn't get up along with her.

"Good luck." Tristano clapped me on the back in a show of support. Instead of paying him any attention, my gaze was focused on the woman who would officially become my fiancée in the next few minutes.

The Princess of the Greek Mafia.

She took one last bite before she rose up from her chair, giving me a full view of her perfect body. She gracefully pushed back her chair, stepping out around it while smoothing down her dress.

To continue her 'I don't give a shit' facade, she carried on chewing as she picked up her purse.

Then her cold brown eyes met mine for the first time in a very long time.

She narrowed her eyes at me in defiance, refusing to show any signs of weakness. My teeth involuntarily clenched at the sight.

We were like fire and ice.

This wasn't going to work, at all. She was so damn beautiful, but that fire burning in her eyes just reminded me that this wasn't going to end well for either of us.

After a short stare down which felt like hours, she followed behind her father in the direction my dad had taken.

"She might eat you alive when you're married, but at least you'll look good together." Aidan came up next to me with that stupid grin that had me itching to stab him.

I chose to save that for later to get my anger out after this engagement party.

"You can just screw whoever you want on the side, anyway. Don't worry about it, bro." Giovanni still hadn't learnt anything from earlier. He nudged my arm with his, flashing me a smirk.

Keeping my temper under control, I reluctantly followed them out of the ballroom. But, not before downing a glass of champagne for Dutch courage.

This is going to be painful.

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