One

ERICA’S POV

“Find him and bring him here!!!”’ Lorenzo thundered to the men in black and they scurried away like little squirrels.

I flinched at his voice and raised my head up a little to steal a glance at him why my blood ran cold.

Suddenly, I couldn’t recognize him anymore. Lorenzo: My father in law just didn’t look like the helpless handsome man I saw a day ago. I had never seen this version of him before. I looked around and wasn’t oblivious of the numerous pairs of eyes that were resting on me. Yes I could see the invisible question marks on their heads, but I too didn’t have answers to some of their questions.

“Oh my, was she so horrible that she had to be stood up on her wedding day.” I heard someone say.

It was as loud as a gong, but only to my ears I guess. I turned my head to the direction of that whisper. It was an older woman talking to her friend. To be honest, I never dreamt of having to be dressed in the most beautiful wedding gown I have ever seen in my life, only to be stood up by my groom. It was not part of my plans, but life has a way of overturning our plans.

“Mr. Caruso, if your son doesn’t come any moment from now, I’m afraid I will have to call off the wedding,” the priest said to Lorenzo.

Lorenzo slowly walked to the priest smiling, but the look I saw on the face of the priest was that of horror. Something was wrong and I just knew it. It was when I looked down at Lorenzo’s trousers that I saw a gun hanging down, causing me to freeze.

“He wouldn’t. Lorenzo wouldn’t even try it. It just wouldn’t be right”, I thought, but at the same time nothing has been right since I came into this church.

If the priest was threatened with a gun, what would be my case if I made a wrong move? He probably would blow my brains out. I shuddered at that thought.

“Just what have I gotten myself into?” I thought, remembering when I had agreed to get married to Lorenzo’s son.

I looked from left to right. Maybe there was a secret door or something. Deep down I prayed that Kyle doesn’t show up. Maybe I don’t need to marry him, because he doesn’t want to marry me. But one look at Lorenzo told me otherwise.

Lorenzo was the one who called the shots here and from our earlier conversation, I dared not run from our agreement.

“Erica?” I turned around, only to find Lorenzo staring at me with a soft expression on his face.

“Do you want to sit? Do you need anything to eat?” he asked me as he examined me.

“No I’m okay, thank you.” I replied politely.

I didn’t want to sober up to him, because I didn’t know what he had in store for me. He nodded and beckoned to one of his men to come. I stared at his suit. It was screaming of affluence. It was then that I remembered what the internet said about him when I decided to check him up.

“Lorenzo Caruso Billionaire, and owner of the biggest conglomerate in the country, rumored to be the leader of the most powerful Caruso Mafia gang”,

It’s been said that the Caruso’s was a mafia family lineage, known to be the most powerful mafia gang. The government couldn’t arrest them because they were part of the government too. Hence they had a prolonged existence.

My line of thought was suddenly interrupted when I heard shouts.

“Kyle!”, I heard Lorenzo yell, as he smiled and clapped his hands like a little child.

I whipped my head around and my jaw came crashing down to the floor. Standing in front of me, though supported by two men, was the most beautiful man I have ever seen.

God! Were people still allowed to be this good looking?.

He had this coal black hair with dark brown eyes. He was 6ft tall and leanly muscled. I remembered Lorenzo and then knew where he got his looks from.

Suddenly I wrinkled my nose. There was a strong smell of alcohol coming from… Him. Kyle. He reeked of a strong smell of brandy or whisky, l couldn’t place my hand on which it was. Wow, he also loved his bottles. Now I was getting married into a family of guns and alcohol.

Kyle refused to stand, no matter how the men who held him tried. He fell to the floor and everyone gasped. We waited for him to stand, but he didn’t even move a muscle.

“Mr. Caruso we can’t perform this ceremony, if he is not conscious” the priest said as I saw the fear in his eyes.

“Wait” Lorenzo said and walked out of the altar.

“Kyle stand up!!!” he gritted his teeth, but Kyle didn’t move.

“Kyle!” this time his voice was louder as he stooped to Kyle’s level.

“I want to get married to Bella!!” Kyle growled.

Lorenzo stood up calmly and beckoned to two of his men. They stood Kyle up with each of his arms on their shoulders.

“ARRRGH!!” Kyle groaned in pain as he fell to the floor over again.

Everyone gasped in shock. I too was not an exception. I couldn’t just believe it. Lorenzo had just punched his son in the face.

“Stand up Kyle!” Lorenzo growled but Kyle stood his ground.

Then the men carried Kyle up again and then Lorenzo made a rain of punches on Kyle’s face. Kyle had blood smear his white shirt and he was smirking at his father with blood stained teeth. I was visibly shaken that I had to hold my hands together to stop it from shaking.

“How worse can this get” I wondered.

Suddenly I saw Kyle glare at me and my heart skipped a beat. He looked at me like a hungry animal would look at his meal.

“Who the fuck are you?” he growled.