Page 27 of Merciless Queen (Moretti Mafia #1)

Caterina

I would’ve rather been elbow deep in someone’s bloody guts, torturing, and making them scream instead of being in this dress, in this room, and around these stupid fucking people.

I needed to play face. I was the face of the Moretti family.

The tabloids talked about the illegal aspects of our world, speculating about what we did without highlighting the good.

My father didn’t help with his exploits and various women on his arm, making me answer for everything.

I wished there was a Moretti boy in the family, blood or not.

A boy could have taken the spotlight and married a beautiful woman or a handsome man—my father didn’t judge, obviously.

I’d rather work away from the public eye with the men, killing sick assholes and saving innocent women and children.

The press was a carnivorous vulture, and I was sick of dealing with the lies they spread about me and my family.

The media only cared about who I was fucking and how much weight I’d gained.

A woman’s place was more than just her looks or who was in her bed.

It was one reason Voyage was my favorite magazine.

Unbiased. The magazine also helped people unlike the tabloids.

Part of me regretted kissing Harlow to silence her banter, but she would have ruined everything if she didn’t breathe.

I asked for her consent and she agreed, or maybe it was the thrill of the moment.

Kissing her felt…fuck. It felt like fireworks.

I remembered my mom told me how she felt when she kissed my father for the first time.

She felt fireworks and butterflies erupting inside her, and the world faded.

She said he would be the last man she loved.

Their marriage was arranged, but it wasn’t forced.

My parents knew each other before they got married.

I wished my mother was here. She would’ve been the only one I wanted to talk to about this.

I wasn’t falling for her, and I refused to acknowledge such things.

Our faces would be all over the news and papers come Monday, but it was what it was.

Some of my people knew the marriage was a farce, but to the public eye and Vincenzo, it needed to be real.

He already believed the lie. We had to seem in love.

I could already hear the conversation with my father about this.

I needed to find him so I could let him know it was fake.

Then again, I was his child, and he could read me like a book.

Marriage wasn’t for me. It was not because of commitment issues or because of my parents.

My parents were madly in love, spending time together when they had the chance, and my father would always bring her home flowers.

They showed me that love was real. After my mother died, I saw what a broken heart did to my father and how he still reacted to this day.

Love was a weakness, and in this life, weaknesses led to death.

I took Harlow’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. She didn’t look like she was enjoying the party, and if I could see it, other people would, too. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like crowds or eyes on me. I was alone or with a few other girls, but the club had crowds of men. I don’t like men looking at me.”

“Just breathe. If we need to leave, I can make up an excuse.” One she may not have liked, but it would work.

“The only person I’m worried about you meeting is my father, but don’t worry, he will know the truth.

” She nodded. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she hesitantly lifted her arms around my neck.

“I’m not going to bite. We want this to look real, so dance with me, princess.

No one can hurt you here, and even if they try, I will kill them before they ever think about touching you. ”

With that, she released some tension and swayed to the music with me.

She was very beautiful. Still fragile and frail, but it was something we’d work on at her own pace.

But life was coming back to her eyes, and her skin wasn’t as sunken and grey.

Harlow looked like a canvas, finally getting life and color added to it.

“Caterina.” I heard my father’s voice. “Oh, mia farfalla, sei bellissima . ” Oh, my butterfly, you look beautiful.

“Ciao, Papà. Sei molto bello .” Hi, Daddy, you look very handsome. His eyes fell to Harlow, and she shifted uncomfortably. “Papa, this is my fiancée, Harlow.” His eyes lingered on Harlow for a second, and then he looked back at me, his eyes getting two shades darker.

“Caterina, ne abbiamo parlato. L'amore è una debolezza.” Caterina, we talked about this. Love is a weakness.

“Lo so, Papà. Avevo bisogno di una moglie per tenere le altre famiglie lontane da me e dalla nostra famiglia. Ha bisogno di protezione.” I know, Papa. I needed a wife to keep other families away from me and our family. She needs protection.

“Protezione da chi?” Protection from who?

“Vincenzo.”

Harlow stiffened next to me and looked at the ground. Hearing that man's name was still hard for her. My father said nothing more and nodded. “It is nice to meet you, Harlow. Welcome to the family.”

“T-Thank you,” she stuttered.

“I’ll want a dance later, my dear. Now I must find a redhead.” I rolled my eyes and kissed my father on his cheek, taking Harlow back into my arms. She seemed to like my comfort, and, in this crowd, she needed it.

“He is nice. After my mother died, it broke him.”

She nodded, leaning her head onto my chest. “W-What happened to her?”

I sighed. “Vincenzo. I was fifteen. He broke into our house when my father and his men were gone. He killed our guards, and before he came into our room, my mother made me hide. We had a hiding spot in our closet. I listened to him rape her before her stabbed her repeatedly. I watched the life drain from her eyes before she took her last breath.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. That’s why I took you. Ithought you were the key to destroying Vincenzo. He took my mother from me, so I took you from him.”

“I am his weakness. He wants me. I don’t understand why, but he is obsessed with me.”

“I’ll use it, but I’m not going to let you get hurt by him ever again. You’re safe now.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but instantly closed it again and nodded. She didn’t feel safe, even in my house. I could see it all on her face. She didn’t know what I could do. All she knew was the pain and misery inflicted on her because of Vincenzo Mancini.

“I need a drink,” she stated as she stumbled away from me.