The Mafia's Good Girl
The Mafia’s Good Girl – Chapter 67

~ Violet ~

– – – – – One Week Later – – – – –

“He did what?!”

Violet’s mom and brother were completely shocked when she told them about Damon’s proposal on her next visit to the apartment. Her brother looked like he had been struck by lightning and her mom froze like a statue.

“It’s just gonna be a small wedding, intimate. And I think we’re gonna get married in the estate,” Violet couldn’t drop her smile as she went on and on about her plans. “I mean it’s so beautiful out there. It’s gorgeous, enchanting, and wildly romantic,”

It had only been a week since Damon popped the question, but Violet already got everything figured out. Damon gave her full freedom to create the wedding of her dreams and Violet went wild with ideas. She wanted a small summer wedding out in the garden of the estate, she already pinned all the dresses she liked on Pinterest, and she got Talia to be her maid of honor. It was so crazy to think that in just five months, she would have her dream wedding and officially become Mrs. Van Zandt.

And it all started with some shady deal a few months back…

“That sounds lovely, Vi,” her mom replied after gathering her thoughts. “But am I gonna be able to meet him before the actual wedding?”

Barbara had been asking to meet Damon ever since their failed Thanksgiving dinner, but Damon was always busy, especially now with them taking over the new territory and preparing for the wedding.

“Of course, you’ll meet him before the wedding,” Violet sighed. “He’s a bit busy this week, but he’ll make time. Maybe next week? Ah, don’t worry about it. Anyway, the wedding is still months away,”

Violet couldn’t stop smiling every time she said the word ‘wedding’, but Barbara wasn’t smiling anymore. She had a concerned look on her face and it was only normal because her eighteen year old daughter just told her she was marrying her first boyfriend ever after only dating for a couple of months.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet him. He seems to make you very happy,” Barbara’s tone was more cautious than excited.

“I am,” Violet nodded her head eagerly. She wasn’t noticing the concerned look on her mom and brother’s faces. She was too busy being infatuated with getting married in August.

“Vi,” Dylan spoke up after holding his breath for the longest time.

“What?” she asked.

“Don’t you think this is a little… too fast?”

“No,” she said firmly. “When you know it’s right, it’s right. And I know it’s right, Dylan,”

Violet narrowed her eyes instinctively at her brother. She knew he wouldn’t be too happy about this news, and she was prepared to fight him for it.

“Well, I’d have to disagree,” he said challengingly.

“Dylan?” Barbara shot a questioning look at her son.

“Mom, I think there’s something you should know about Damon,” Dylan’s tone was laced with meaning, and he directed his full attention to his mom.

“Dyl,” Violet warned him. She didn’t like where this was going.

“What is it?” Barbara turned to her children with a confused look. Violet glared deadly at Dylan, but Dylan kept his gaze straight at his mother.

“Damon Van Zandt is not a good guy,” he said finally. “I was the one who introduced them and I regret it every single day. He took advantage of her and he even paid her for her virginity,”

“Dylan!” Violet gaped and Barbara gasped in shock, but Dylan didn’t stop.

“He’s the leader of a mafia family. The biggest mafia family on the east coast,” he continued. “He made her stay at the estate against her will. He got her kídnapped by a rivaling family. And now he wants to keep her because it protects his best interest,”

Violet’s jaw dropped to the floor. She knew Dylan would be difficult, but she didn’t think he’d throw her under the bus like this.

“He did what to you?” Barbara croaked and turned her eyes to Violet. “And you did what…?”

Violet couldn’t speak. She only let her gaze down, avoiding her mother’s piercing eyes.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you sooner, but I didn’t think their relationship was going to last this long, or be this serious,” Dylan interjected.

Barbara and Dylan exchanged a look before she turned her eyes back on Violet. A lump was stuck in Violet’s throat and she didn’t know how to react.

“Violet?” Barbara watched her daughter with an anxious look. “Is that true? You sold your virginity to this man…?”

Well, yes, but…

“Okay, it might start out that way, but Damon is not the monster Dylan’s describing. He loves me!” Violet shook her head defensively, trying her best to persuade her mom.

“Everything I said is true, mom. All those things happened. We just never told you,” Dylan interjected again, ignoring the ‘I will kill you’ look coming from Violet.

“What in the world? And you want to marry this guy?” Barbara’s tone was seriously high-pitched and her face was filled with bewildered disappointment. “Is he blackmailing you? Is he threatening you?”

“No, mom—“

“We can go to the cops—”

“No!” Violet shouted over her mom, shutting down the thought before anyone starts getting funny ideas. “No one is going to the cops! Damon not threatening me. I love him and he loves me. Yes, he’s the leader of a mafia family, but he’s nothing like what you’d think,”

Barbara was looking at her daughter like Violet was speaking in tongues. She heard the words loud and clear, but none of it made sense.

“He’s the leader of a mafia family, Violet! What else is there to think about?”

“He’s a good guy, mom,”

“A good guy?” she scoffed. “So he doesn’t extort people? He’s not involved in any illegal activities or prey upon the innocent?”

Violet fell silent as she couldn’t argue back. Yes, Damon had been nothing but nice to her, but he was still a monster to so many other people. Even her own family fell victim to the mafia, but still, she was about to marry into one.

“I thought I raised you better than that,” Barbara spat and got up from her seat. “I’ve trusted you with all the decisions you’ve made over the years because I know you’re smart and you have a good heart, but this time, I think you’re making a big mistake,”

“Mom,” Violet tried to reach for her mom, but Barbara flinched back, refusing to be touched.

“No,” she said sternly. “My daughter is not dating a mafia man, let alone marry one!”

Violet let out a defeated sigh. In all these years, she had never seen her mom so disappointed and angry with her. She was breaking her poor mother’s heart and it broke her too.

“Don’t you know the kind of life you’re going to build if you marry someone like him? The kind of children you’ll raise?” Barbara was raising her voice so high and feeling so overwhelmed, she almost passed out.

“Mom!” Dylan and Violet rose to hold their mom, making sure she didn’t fall to the ground.

“Oh, Lord… I think I need to lay down,” Barbara’s voice was weak and her face turned pale. Still, she refused to hold Violet’s hand and only held onto Dylan.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Dylan cooed his mom and led her gently towards the bedroom.

Violet couldn’t do anything but watch her mother and brother leave. Just minutes ago, she was so happy and excited about the wedding, and she thought her mom would share her joy too, but no. It became clear to her that none of her family was going to support this union. She made the decision to marry Damon on her own, and now she had to walk this road alone too.

Oh, no… what have I done?

Violet sat in silence at the dining table and Dylan came back out a few minutes later. Barbara was now asleep in bed as Dylan gave her some meds. Violet looked up to see Dylan, glaring angrily at him for what he did, but he was unfazed. In fact, he was glaring right back at her.

“Are you happy?” he said. “Now you made mom worry about you,”

“Me?” Violet scoffed in disbelief. “This was all you, Dyl. You didn’t have to tell her anything. Things would’ve been fine if you never said a word,”

“Oh, yeah? ‘Fine’ as in you didn’t just get kídnapped and almost died because of him?” Dylan clapped back. “Is that your definition of fine?”

Darn. He does have a point.

Dylan let out a long sigh and raked his hair with his hand. He was frustrated and angry, and mostly he was disappointed. As an older brother, he failed to protect his little sister from making the worst mistake of her life.

“Every day that you’re there with him, I just keep thinking that it might be your last,” he said through gritted teeth. “What will I tell mom if you just disappear one day? What am I gonna do with myself if something happens to you?”

Violet’s glare softened and she stood up, walking closer towards her brother. Even though she didn’t like his methods, she knew he was doing this out of concern for her.

“Nothing’s going to happen to me. Damon will protect me,” she said reassuringly, reaching out to hold his arm.

“Then what about us?” Dylan asked. “You’re gonna pick him over your own family?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you marry him, don’t bother considering me your brother anymore,”

Violet froze in shock at her brother’s declaration. Here she was, trying to make amends with him, but he was forcing her to choose a side. Violet stared at her brother’s face for the longest time and his eyes were unwavering. He really meant what he said.

“Wow,” she breathed as her hand fell back down. “You said that I’m picking him over my family, and yet here you are, you’re picking your vendetta over me,”

Violet’s gaze was full of hurt and disappointment. No matter how many times she told him that she loves Damon and how Damon loves her back, Dylan still refused to understand his sister’s heart. His desire for revenge had clouded his judgment, and until it was resolved, he would never be able to give her his blessings.

It’s not that I’m choosing Damon over Dylan. It’s that my brother’s not even choosing me…

“Vi,” Dylan spoke up when Violet turned to her heels, heading to the door.

Violet turned her head to the side and gave Dylan a sad smile. She knew Dylan wasn’t changing his mind and neither was she.

“You’re right, Dyl. I guess I don’t have a brother anymore,”

With that, Violet reached for the door and headed outside. She thought Dylan would at least call out to her or chase her out, but he didn’t do anything. He just let her go. She made her choice and now he made his.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I never thought that marrying Damon would come with such a high price tag…

Violet cried her eyes out on the way back from her family’s apartment. She was sobbing so much, the chauffeur even felt bad and handed her his handkerchief. As soon as she arrived back at the estate, Violet ran to the bedroom and threw her body on the bed.

Am I gonna have to lose Dylan and mom for this? Is it gonna be worth it?

All the happiness she was feeling about the wedding suddenly went away. She tried to imagine a future where she could be happy with Damon without her family, but it seemed unfair. Why can’t she have both? Why is that too much to ask?

“Don’t you know the kind of life you’re going to build if you marry someone like him? The kind of children you’ll raise?”

Violet thought about her mother’s words. She never thought far enough about these things, and as much as she hated to admit it, her mother had a point. What would it be like to raise a family in a mafia estate? What would her children become? Would they be targeted as well, the same way she was? And what kind of stable and happy future would be available for them?

* KNOCK! * KNOCK! *

The sudden knock on the door broke through Violet’s daydreaming. Her wet eyes had dried up at this point, and she whipped her head around to see Damon standing at the doorway. Quickly, she fixed her messy hair and eyes so he wouldn’t know that she had been crying.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she replied.

“How was visiting your family?“

“It was good,” she mumbled out, and avoiding his gaze when he came nearer.

“Sorry I couldn’t come today, but I’ll have some free time next Friday—“

“No. Don’t worry about it,” she cut him off and waved her hand carelessly in the air. She figured it was useless to have Damon clear out his schedule to meet her family at this point.

“What? You’ve been grilling me to go see your mom for weeks,” he said with his eyes narrowed at her. “What gives?”

Damon was trying to read her expression, but Violet avoided his gaze again.

“Nothing,” she said, running towards the bathroom. “You don’t have to see her. It doesn’t matter,”

Damon let out a sigh. He knew something was wrong. He followed her into the en-suite bathroom and stood behind her as she washed her face by the sink.

“Violet,” he said in that low, husky voice. He also grabbed a face towel and helped dry her face once she was done. “Sweet girl, tell me what’s going on?”

Violet stood in silence for a while as Damon dried her face. He was so gentle and so loving, Violet couldn’t help but break down in tears again.

“My brother told my mom about you and what you do… and now she doesn’t think it’s a good idea for me to marry you…” she said with her voice cracking and eyes wet.

“Okay,” Damon said calmly and he put the towel away. “And what did you say?”

“I… didn’t say anything… I don’t know what to say…”

Violet put her gaze down but Damon gripped her chin and slowly stroked her cheek with his hand. He didn’t look angry or upset by this. It was like he expected it already.

“I get it. No good family is gonna let their daughter near someone like me,” he shrugged. “Hey, if you wanna change your mind about the wedding—“

“No,” Violet’s answer came sudden and abruptly, but it came straight from her subconscious.

“I… don’t want to do that,” she said. “No matter what they say… I still want to marry you, Damon,”

Because no matter how hard things may be in the future, it will be even more impossible for me not to be with you.

Damon’s lips twitched into a smile as he said, “That’s good,”

He didn’t say much, but he looked a lot relieved. Putting both his hands on her face, he brought her face up to him and closed the distance between their bodies with a k**s.

I’m not walking this road alone. I may not have my mom and brother, but I have him.

Violet returned the k**s with the same fervor and passion. She linked her hands around his neck and pulled him closer. Damon let out a muffled g***n as he deepened the k**s, lifting her up, and carrying her back to bed.

“I love you so much, sweet girl,” he murmured through the k**s. “More than you can ever imagine,”

After laying her down on the bed, Damon pulled away for a second to stare at her face. He wanted her to know how much he appreciated her decision. He knew it wasn’t easy for her, and it wasn’t easy.

But it’s okay, I don’t need them. He’s enough for me. He’s more than enough for me.