Fallen Ashes |✔️

Consternation

Marriage?

My ears were ringing. I continued staring into his depthless eyes for any sign that this was a joke- but I knew every move my crime boss father made was calculated. And he never made jokes.

"No." The word came out as a gasp, as if I were desperate for air.
I swallowed once. Twice. Giving myself time to process what he'd just said.

He only raised his eyebrows at me, as if my answer would change. I wouldn't back down. I knew his death stare promised every bit of violence his expression suggested. But I was his daughter whether he chose to act like a father or not.

I knew well enough that his stare would send a weaker man running as Domino made his way into the kitchen, slowly leaning on the chair behind me.

"Sit down." I wasn't sure if my father was speaking to Domino or I.

I was mere days away from my nineteenth birthday and here my father was suggesting marriage?

I wouldn't let myself become his object to trade away for financial gain or status or power.

Domino voiced my very thoughts, and I could hear the slight waver in his voice. The fear of how father would react.

I never forgot the time Domino raised his hand to push my father back as a child to protect me from his wrath. And the following morning father took him out- and broke that hand to let him heal on his own. His hand was in a cast for weeks.

I was always the one with a temper. I wouldn't let anyone else suffer for my actions or lack therof in this case. I wasn't getting married, definitely not to some stranger just to strengthen an internal mafia alliance.

"You can't plan to make enemies forever. Relations between the Greek and Belgian mafia have been tense over the years. We have a common enemy- the Italians." I couldn't hear him over the screaming of my own thoughts.

I was nothing more than a bargaining chip.

"Your mother would frown to see how insolent you've become." My father grunted.

"My mother is dead." I seethed.

"And just because you never gave a shit about her doesn't mean you can fuck up my life too."

This was bad. Dangerously bad.

I couldn't remember the last time any of us had been so rude- to have had the audacity to say no. Perhaps not ever.

His face was a mask of pure rage- the sort of calm where he could have slit my throat before I finished my sentence if he felt like it.

"I've done everything what you ask me to do- to protect us." I protested.

"If you want to save us, don't fuck up your next target. If you wind up dead I'll know you failed." He spoke the words plainly as if I were accustomed to failure.

It was absurd. All of it.

I opened my mouth again but the words didn't come out as he boomed "Pack your things- I'm moving you to the mansion tonight."

"Father-" Domino interrupted.

"I trust you enough for the next hit. And learn when to shut your mouth if you're going to survive your next target and any chance to have Vero take you as his wife." He chuckled.

My jaw was unhinged at the casualness of his words. He had made me into his weapon. And now the future bride to the son of a Belgian mafia lord.

I was meant to be a queen. And yet here I was, reduced to being a pawn.

No.

The single word echoed in my mind, blinding me with rage. I would plan my next hit, and do what I always did, dangerous or not.

And then I'd watch them burn. Anyone who questioned my ability, my worth.

The Scar Prince

Shit.

That was all. A worthless nickname and a loose link to the Italian mafia was all I had to go off. This enemy of my father's must have been deadly indeed to have no link back to them other than the Prince of scars or whatever the hell that meant. And if this enemy was truly a valuable asset to the Italian mafia, killing them would destroy any chance at peace in our ancient feud.

Perhaps it was too late for peace already. My father was playing a risky game- and I supposed it was my job to wipe the players off the board.

___

Tonight. That's what my father had the audacity to claim would be when I met the Belgian mafia man- Vero- he planned to wed me off too.

It was ridiculous. And I had no time to meet some overly arrogant, likely cold and irritating asshole who wanted to keep me in his bed rather than where I belonged.

I let my thoughts make me drift away into some endless daydream of my plans, of what to do next as I blindly sprinted down hall after hall in college, not noticing the path ahead as i-

As I collided hard with another figure hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs.

"You blind f-" I hissed.

But my string of curses was cut short was I looked into those crushing blue eyes, as if they were hewn from a glacier.

As I stared into the eyes of the figure who I realised was the mystery body dumper from the other night.