Married With Malice: An Arranged Marriage Romance
Married With Malice: Chapter 16

We’re somewhere over Nebraska but the only view is the interior of winter clouds. I flip the window shade closed because it’s a little disturbing to look outside and see only a big foggy pile of nothing.

My laptop is open on the tray in front of me but the dense legal jargon swims in front of my eyes while my brain stays lit with distractions.

Speaking of distractions, my wife is stretched out in the row of seats across the aisle. From here I can’t see what she’s watching on her iPad screen but it must not be very compelling. She yawns. She fidgets. She keeps craning her neck to check out the raucous celebrity party carrying on with drunken noise and constant laughter in the front of the plane.

Most of all, she scrupulously avoids sliding her eyes in my direction.

To say it’s been a tense few days is like calling the Atlantic Ocean a puddle. That Christmas day calamity sent Annalisa to DEFCON One status. Even after the smoke from the dining room bonfire cleared she was too furious to listen to a word I had to say.

No, I didn’t sabotage her cake.

Yes, I should have mentioned the possibility that she might accidentally sabotage it herself.

Honestly, I forgot all about the cayenne pepper on the counter until I was presented with a cake slice that looked unusually red. By then it was too late and within seconds there were fires and mayhem and the sound of my wife screaming that I’m a fucking asshole.

Yeah, I know I’m a fucking asshole.

Anni was so mad she went to stay with Daisy and Big Man Bowie in their cramped apartment.

At least a couple of days alone in the house injected a little bit of clarity into my head.

I haven’t given my wife many reasons to have faith in me. While she was gone, I spent my time all alone in our empty house and wishing for a lot of do-overs since the honeymoon. I was ready to find her, drop to my knees and plead my case.

Then came an unexpected twist.

Both Anni and I were summoned by her father and Richie.

There, in Albie Barone’s office, we were presented with an ultimatum.

Failure in our marriage isn’t an option.

In order to ‘encourage’ us to see the light and find a harmonious path forward, we’re being flown to Colorado for a second honeymoon. When we return, we’re expected to resume married life without any complaints at all.

Our destination was chosen for a reason. While it’s true that Albie Barone has an ownership stake in a southwestern Colorado resort, there are a million other places we could have been sent that would make more sense in the middle of winter.

But Richie showed his hand when he said, “Look on the bright side, Luca. You can look in on your brother while you’re in the area. Maybe a visit with him can teach you how to make a marriage work.”

Despite my uncle’s mild tone, the unspoken threat was clear.

He was sending me to Cale to remind me of my promise. When I offered to take Cale’s place, I wasn’t just agreeing to work for Richie. I was buying my brother’s freedom with my own. I’m the heir of Richie’s empire and there is no defaulting on the deal I made with the devil.

In that moment I’ve never hated my uncle more. The effort to keep my face neutral made my head pound.

“And your sisters will both be awaiting your happy return,” Albie’s gravelly voice said to his daughter.

I saw the way Annalisa flinched and gulped, obviously petrified of whatever meaning was packed into her father’s words. I wanted to reach out and comfort her.

But Anni, understanding the situation and wisely choosing to bite her tongue, stood up and calmly said, “I’ll go pack for the trip.”

She fled the room without glancing at me once.

Now here we are, two days before New Year’s Eve and thirty thousand feet above the ground in Albie Barone’s private jet as we hurtle west.

Anni has shown no desire to exchange more than a few words since we boarded the plane. But we can’t speak freely anyway because we’re not traveling alone. Her father has allowed some actress and her entourage to hitch a ride to Los Angeles after we’re dropped off at a small regional airport less than an hour from Cale’s place.

With Anni studiously ignoring me, I’m free to stare at her. Her hair is down and she’s dressed casually in a cable knit cream-colored sweater, dark jeans and brown leather boots. She gives up on watching her iPad and stares out the window into the cloudy abyss while idly playing with strands of her long hair.

Something always happens inside my chest when I watch Annalisa.

Lust is ever-present. I couldn’t get rid of it if I tried and I don’t want to try.

There are also other more indescribable feelings that occupy my mind more strongly than anything I’ve ever known.

Right now I wish like hell she was here with me because she wants to be, not because her father has threatened to ruin the people she loves if she walks away.

There’s a persistent fear in the back of my mind that I’m screwing up the best thing that’s ever happened in my life. I have to believe this can still be fixed. Anni’s Christmas present is carefully packed in my bag and I’m determined to give it to her when we’re alone together.

There’s just so much shit weighing on my mind. As much as I want to see my brother, I’m uneasy about the role he’s been drafted into. Richie has turned him into a prop to remind me what’s at stake. I’ve never told Anni about the circumstances surrounding Cale’s departure. With the mood so frosty between us right now, this isn’t a great time to come clean.

A bubbly male voice interrupts my thoughts. “How about the two of you join us for a drink?”

He might be about my age, though I can’t be sure because he’s obviously invested in some hefty cosmetic work. He leans over the seat in front of mine and exposes blinding white capped teeth.

“We’re celebrating,” he explains. “Oscar and Tia over there just got engaged last night.”

One of the girls in their group cuts loose with a loud, “WOOHOO!”

The sound bounces off my eardrums and adds to my headache.

“Thanks for the offer,” I say. “But I’m gonna pass.”

His grin only grows wider. “Oh, come on. You don’t look like you’re having much fun back here.”

“Look, pal. I said no. So just fuck right off back to your seat and stay there before I get really pissed.”

His smile evaporates and he grows a bit pale as he begins to slink away.

The whole exchange has drawn Anni’s attention away from the window. There’s something oddly shocked about her expression. It’s how you might stare at a stranger who looks similar to a serial killer you saw in a wanted poster.

I shrug at her as if to say, What’s the big deal?

We don’t know these fucking people and I’m sure we’ll never see them again after today.

But my wife continues to gawk at me like I’m a monster for failing to party with a pack of decadent fools.

Sure, there would have been a time when I wouldn’t have even waited for an invitation before edging over there and making friends but I’ve got other things on my mind now.

It’s only when I catch Mr. Teeth and his friends sneaking furtive, nervous glances this way that I realize my mistake.

Obviously, they know who my father-in-law is.

And while Albie is cozy with a broad cast of characters in the legitimate world, his shadowy reputation still follows.

Thanks to my outburst, they’re assuming I’m some wise guy mafia gangster who might crush some kneecaps if I’m feeling testy.

Too late to smooth things over now. If I stand up and walk over to politely make amends they’ll probably shit bricks before I even open my mouth.

While I’m still mulling over these thoughts, Anni rises from her seat and approaches the group. She greets them in a friendly voice and introduces herself. They relax and break into collective smiles of relief.

Anni’s back is facing me and I can’t hear what she says next but easy laughter follows.

This is certainly a role switch, seeing Annalisa go out of her way to be social while I hang back here and brood alone.

A petite blonde is excitedly waving her hand in Anni’s face now. She’s wearing a rock the size of a jawbreaker so this must be the newly engaged Tia. Anni exclaims over the ring and Tia beams at her.

My eyes keep straying back to my wife. A thick curtain of brown hair cascades past the midpoint of her back. The jeans she’s wearing show off her shape in a way that makes me want to hide her from other men.

The longer I stare, the more my feelings for her collide and blend together.

Deeper than desire, more complicated than affection.

On the nights she spent at Daisy’s, I kept rolling to her side of the bed. I dreamed of her.

Annalisa glances back at me. Our eyes don’t meet for more than a second before she quickly turns her head away.

Since I seem to be making everyone uncomfortable, I flip my laptop back open and fail at trying to work for another hour until I feel the plane begin its slow descent.

A general sense of uneasiness prevails as I realize I’ll be seeing my brother very soon.