Page 12 of Hunted to the Altar (Caputo Crime Family #3)

CHAPTER NINE

N ina

The cold steel of reality wrapped itself around me the moment Samuel announced we were leaving.

No explanation, no chance to question. His word was final, an unyielding law that suffocated me with its weight.

I barely had time to slip-on shoes before he grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not bruising—at least, not yet.

Every instinct in me screamed to resist, to fight, even as I knew how useless it was. I kicked out, my heels connecting with his shin, but the man barely flinched. Instead, his lips curved into something darkly amused, like he was enjoying this minor rebellion of mine.

“Stop it,” I snarled, yanking at his hold. “You don’t own me, Samuel!”

His eyes flickered with something unreadable—irritation, perhaps, or maybe patience wearing thin. “ Keep fighting, Nina, and you’ll see how much restraint I’m using right now.” His voice was calm, too calm, which only made me struggle harder.

“I’m not yours!” I screamed, twisting my body, trying to break his hold. My elbow jabbed into his side, but he didn’t so much as flinch. My resistance only seemed to amuse him further, the dark smirk on his face growing wider.

“Not yet,” he said, almost conversationally, like we were discussing the weather. “But you will be.”

“Never!” My voice cracked as I kicked at him again, my movements frantic and uncoordinated. “I’d rather die.”

Samuel’s grip tightened, his fingers like iron around my wrist. “Don’t say things you don’t mean,” he said coolly. “You will not die, Nina. Not on my watch. But you are going to come with me. Kicking and screaming.”

Before I could protest further, he hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack of grain. My fists pummeled his back, and I screamed loud enough to make my throat raw, but it was no use. He carried me effortlessly, like I weighed nothing at all.

“Put me down, you bastard!” I shrieked, my legs kicking wildly.

“Do you ever stop talking?” Samuel’s voice was laced with dry amusement, his tone maddeningly calm. “Save your energy, Nina. You’re going to need it.”

I hated how composed he was, how unaffected by my struggles. It only made me fight harder, twisting and thrashing against him. “You can’t do this! You have no right!”

“I have every right,” he said simply, his voice low and steady. “And you’ll come to understand that soon enough.”

I let out another shout, the sound echoing uselessly in the hallway as he carried me outside to the waiting car.

My heart pounded in my chest, and panic clawed at my throat as the reality of my situation sank in.

This wasn’t just some nightmare I could wake up from.

This was my life now, and Samuel Caputo was determined to control every aspect .

By the time we reached the chapel tucked away on one of the Caputo family’s many properties, my voice was hoarse from yelling, and my body ached from struggling.

He finally set me down, but his grip on my arm remained firm, his blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

“Enough, Nina,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re not going anywhere, so stop wasting your energy.”

I glared at him, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. “You’re a monster,” I spat, my voice trembling with anger. “You think you can just…take me, like I’m some kind of…”

“Like you’re mine,” he interrupted smoothly, his gaze unyielding. “Because you are, Nina.”

I yanked my arm, trying to pull away, but Samuel’s grip was iron. I hated how calm he looked, as though none of this mattered to him. As though my struggles were just some mild inconvenience he had to deal with. His composure infuriated me, making me feel smaller and weaker.

“You’ll never own me,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’m not a thing you can possess.”

Samuel raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into that infuriating smirk again.

“You can keep saying that, Nina, but it won’t change anything.

Words won’t free you. Actions won’t either.

” He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to an indistinct murmur.

“The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you.”

Before I could respond, another man stepped out of the shadows. Marcello was tall and lean, his face shadowed but not unkind. He wore the black cassock of a priest, and his dark eyes assessed me with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. His presence was so calm and steady, it was almost disarming.

“Nina,” Marcello greeted softly, his voice carrying the warmth that Samuel never would. “You must be terrified. ”

I blinked, startled by his candor, by the lack of pretense in his tone. “You think?”

Samuel’s grip tightened slightly, a warning. But Marcello held up a hand, his gaze shifting to Samuel with quiet authority. “Samuel, let her speak. She has every right to her fear.”

“Fear doesn’t keep her alive, Marcello,” Samuel countered, his voice a low growl. “I do.”

Marcello sighed, the sound weary but resigned. “And you think she doesn’t know that?”

The tension between them was thick enough to choke on, but it was Marcello who finally turned back to me. His expression softened, and for the first time since Samuel, I felt like someone was actually looking at me—not as a problem to be solved or a pawn to be controlled, but as a person.

“Nina,” Marcello said gently, his hands clasped in front of him.

“I know this must feel like a nightmare. And I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into our world.

But you need to understand something.” He hesitated, his gaze flickering briefly to Samuel before returning to me.

“Rejecting Samuel’s protection isn’t an option. Not for you. Not for anyone.”

I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the quiet space. “Protection? Is that what you call this? Kidnapping me? Forcing me to marry him?”

“It’s survival,” Marcello said simply, his tone devoid of judgment. “And it’s not just your survival on the line. The Caputo family doesn’t operate in half measures. You either belong to them fully, or you don’t belong at all.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to let the fear show. “That’s not a choice. That’s a death sentence.”

Marcello’s eyes softened further, and for a moment, I thought he might reach out to comfort me. But he stayed where he was, his hands steady and his gaze unwavering. “It’s the truth. And I won’t sugarcoat it for you.”

The weight of his words settled heavily in the pit of my stomach. I glanced at Samuel, who stood silently beside me, his expression unreadable. He said nothing to contradict Marcello, and that silence was more damning than any words could have been.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t be part of this.”

Marcello’s gaze didn’t waver, but there was a flicker of something—regret, maybe—in his eyes. “You’re stronger than you think, Nina. And whether or not you believe it, Samuel’s protection is your best chance at survival.”

“Protection?” I repeated, my voice rising as the emotions I’d been holding back came rushing to the surface. “You call this protection? He doesn’t care about me. He just wants to own me, to control me like a damn possession.”

Samuel finally spoke, his voice low and calm but no less dangerous. “If that were true, you wouldn’t still be breathing.”

I whipped around to face him, my anger boiling over. “And I’m supposed to be grateful for that? Grateful that you’ve kept me alive while you rip every ounce of freedom from me?”

His lips curled into a dark smirk, and his amusement at my rebellion made my blood boil further. “Gratitude isn’t necessary, Nina. Obedience is.”

“You’re insane,” I spat, the fire in my chest barely keeping the fear at bay. “You can’t just come into my life, demanding I obey you.”

Samuel crouched down, leveling his piercing blue eyes with mine. There was no anger in his gaze, just a terrifying calmness that unnerved me more than any rage could. “Too late. And in time, you’ll get used to it.”

The way he spoke, as if the entire world bent to his will, made my stomach churn. But before I could argue further, Marcello’s voice broke the tension.

“Nina, fighting this will only make it harder for you. For everyone.” His tone was calm but firm, as though he’d seen this kind of resistance before and already knew how it ended. “Samuel has decided. And whether you like it or not, you are now part of this family.”

My breath hitched at his words. Part of this family. It sounded more like a sentence than an invitation.

Samuel stood, towering over me, and held out his hand. “You can keep fighting, or you can stand up and face what’s coming. Either way, Nina, you’re mine now.”

Marcello stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. His eyes were steady, almost pitying. “Welcome to the family, Nina,” he said softly. “Even if it’s not by choice, you’ll find your place here.”

The priest stepped back slightly, folding his arms as he glanced between the two of us. “The wedding will be soon,” Marcello continued. “It will be quick, simple. Just enough to satisfy what the family needs to see. There will be witnesses, of course, but only those Samuel deems necessary.”

My chest tightened as Marcello’s words sank in. A wedding. My wedding. To Samuel. The room spun for a moment, and I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself.

“And after the ceremony?” Samuel asked, his voice steady and matter-of-fact.

Marcello’s gaze flickered to me before returning to Samuel. “You’ll present her as your wife. She will take your name, and with that, the protection it offers. But,” he added, his tone shifting slightly, “she must understand what that means. What’s expected of her.”

“I don’t care about expectations,” I cut in, my voice trembling but firm. “I don’t want this. I don’t want any of it.”

Samuel’s hand found its way to my chin, tilting my face up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. “You don’t have to want it, Nina. You just have to do it.”

Marcello cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him. “I suggest you both prepare. Samuel, you know the family will expect this to happen without delay. Tomorrow would be ideal.”

“Tomorrow?” I echoed, my voice rising with disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“It’s already decided, as your time has run out,” Samuel said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The sooner this happens, the safer you are.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. My heart pounded in my chest, every fiber of my being screaming at me to keep fighting, to find a way out. But as I stared up at Samuel, his expression as calm and immovable as stone, I realized there was no escape. Not now. Not ever.