The Mafia's Good Girl
The Mafia’s Good Girl – Chapter 84

~ Violet ~

“I love you more than anything and more than anyone. And it fúcking hurts that you don’t even believe that,”

Later that night, Violet went to bed with Damon’s words ringing in her head. Damon was sleeping next to her, his arm was wrapped around her stomach. Violet turned to her side with her eyes wide open. Normally, it was Damon who was having trouble sleeping, but tonight it was her.

“Isabella was the only girl I ever loved. Anyone else after her means nothing to me,”

No matter how many times she shook the thought away, somehow those words always found her again. Violet stared at the window and watched the moon shining in the dark night sky. For some reason, the moon looked awfully sad and lonely tonight, and it didn’t help that her thoughts were running wild.

I wonder if this is the view that Damon sees when he couldn’t sleep.

Violet’s mind wandered to thoughts about Damon and Isabella. He must really love her that he spent five years of his life to avenge her death. He spent so many sleepless nights over her and she haunted his dreams for years. Violet then started thinking about how Isabella and her shared some similar features. They both had dark hair, fair skin, and light colored eyes.

Maybe he only loves me because I remind him of her.

Violet shuddered at her own thoughts. All the insecurities that she didn’t know exists were coming out and she didn’t know how to stop them. She started comparing herself to Isabella and wondering if Damon had done and said the same things to her too.

“I love you too, sweet girl. More than you can possibly know,”

Violet tossed and turned the entire night, but Damon was asleep soundly. Turning her face around again, this time Violet was facing him. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, careless and free. Violet began to note his handsome features, those long lashes, straight nose, and sharp jawline. His lips were perfect and begging to be kissed. Violet let out a small smile and her worries faded away for a split second.

I’m being stupid. Of course, he loves me. Stop overthinking things!

Violet rolled her eyes at herself and tried her best to go to sleep. It was 3 AM in the morning, so no good thoughts would come out of this. Forcing her eyes to close, she repeated a mantra that she hoped would lull her to sleep.

Damon loves me. He really loves me. More than anything, he says. More than anyone… so I just have to believe him. I just have to…

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

Violet couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night.

She tried her best to sleep, but her thoughts wouldn’t leave her alone. Finally, she gave up trying at five in the morning and she went downstairs to make some coffee. It was another big day today, there were final dress fittings and the decorators were starting to come in for the rehearsal dinner. There was much to do, so her insecurities would have to take the back seat.

Throughout the day, Violet busied herself with the wedding preparations, thinking that it would make her forget the stupid thoughts in her head. That tactic was working for a while, but unfortunately, those thoughts always had a way of creeping in. Whenever there was a moment of silence in her day, those thoughts would pop into her head and turn her smile into a frown.

“Sweet girl, you’re not doubting my love, are you? Because if you are, then I don’t know why we bother getting married,”

“Hello? Earth to Violet?”

Celina’s voice suddenly broke through Violet’s daydreaming. Violet shook her head and realized she was in the middle of supervising the decorators in the garden. People were coming in and out carrying flower centerpieces, linen sheets, and candles everywhere.

“Uh? Oh, yeah? That’s perfect right there,” Violet nodded to the people adjusting the flower arches as they were waiting for Violet’s approval.

“Hey, is something bothering you? You’ve been so out of it today,” Celina narrowed her eyes at her.

“No, I’m fine. I just… I’m thinking about some things…” Violet forced out a smile, but Celina was clever enough to know it wasn’t genuine.

“Wedding things?” she pressed.

“Yeah, sort of,”

Violet was giving her vague answers on purpose, thinking that Celina would drop the subject, but Celina had a look in her eyes that was saying otherwise.

“What?” Violet asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I think I know what’s happening here. You’re having doubts, huh?”

Violet didn’t get a chance to explain herself. Celina quickly looked from side to side, making sure no one was listening, and she pulled Violet to the side.

“Look, I understand,” she said meaningfully. “It’s a girl thing. We feel things. We have intuition and maybe yours is trying to tell you something,”

“What?” Violet stared at her in confusion.

Celina let out a long sigh and took a look around again. They were somewhat hidden on the corner of the garden. No one was listening to them.

Leaning closer to Violet’s ear, Celina began whispering, “I thought I was gonna keep quiet about this… I promised myself I wouldn’t meddle into people’s business…”

“What are you talking about?” Violet stifled a laugh, but Celina kept a serious face.

“Violet, I… I really like you as a friend. And as your friend, I feel it’s my obligation to tell you this,”

“Tell me what?”

Celina paused for a moment before saying, “Damon is not… who you think he is,”

Violet narrowed her eyes instantly. Where was Celina going with this?

“Yes, he’s a powerful man and with that much power comes a great deal of security. But Damon is also… unreadable. He can be really good at covering his motives. You can never know what’s really going on inside his head,”

“Celina, what are you trying to say?”

Celina clearly knew something that Violet didn’t. She had a guilty expression plastered on her face. She was reluctant to keep talking, but there was no way Violet was going to drop this.

“Okay, so a few months ago, when I was here with my dad, I overheard Damon and his consigliere talking…” Celina pulled out her phone, scrolled through her gallery, and showed Violet a video. “Look, I think you should see this,”

Violet took the phone and saw a video of Damon and Adrian talking. She recognized the clothes they were wearing, this was taken during Damon’s birthday party a few months back. The video was blurry and somewhat shaky, but Violet could hear and see everything clearly.

“Not enjoying the party?” Adrian’s voice was heard and the consigliere stood next to Damon.

Damon didn’t say a word of response. He only sipped his drink quietly and waited for Adrian to go away. Adrian, however, wasn’t easily deterred. He followed Damon’s gaze and saw Violet dancing and laughing with one of the guests.

“She’s a pretty girl,” he commented. “Of course, all these guys would wanna dance with her,”

“Can’t we just tell them all to leave?” Damon g*****d a response, finally. “I’m pretty damn tired of this bullshit show already,”

Adrian let out a chuckle as he found the source of Damon’s frustration.

“Hey, if you like her that much, why don’t you just marry her?” Adrian suggested. “Makes it easier,”

“Yeah?” Damon let out a scoff.

“Absolutely,” he said. “If she becomes Mrs. Van Zandt, no guy is ever gonna look at her like that,”

Damon scanned the area and saw how all the young guys were basically drooling at her. It made his b***d boil and he wished he could shoot them all dead.

“Hey, you realize I was joking, right?” Adrian said after a while of awkward silence.

“I think you have a point,” Damon said instead. “I need to mark the territory,”

“Territory?” Adrian gaped disapprovingly. “Damon, she’s a girl, not a piece of land—”

“If I don’t marry her, I make it fair game for anyone else to come and sweep her off her feet,” he argued.

Adrian looked at Damon like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Damon was treating Violet the way he treated those unclaimed areas from the Maranzano victory.

“I’m the king of the east coast now, Adrian. You know the things that I value will be valuable to my friends and enemies too. I need to turn this liability into an asset and set my territory so people won’t cross it,” Damon made a compelling argument, but it still sounded unethical to the consigliere’s ears.

“So, you’re telling me you want to marry her so other people can’t?” Adrian scoffed. “Isn’t that a bit petty, even for you?”

“I don’t care. I just have to have her,” Damon shrugged coldly. “I need the world to know that she’s mine,”

Adrian fell silent and thought about his boss’s orders. He felt that Damon was acting irrationally, but even as his consigliere, he knew he couldn’t change Damon’s mind once it was made up.

“And what if it doesn’t work out?” Adrian asked.

Damon’s jaw clenched tighter as he shot a deadly glare at Adrian.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m just speaking out the thoughts that you already have in your head,” Adrian retorted. “She’s only eighteen years old. She can change her mind anytime she likes. Or maybe you could,”

Damon fell silent for a moment, ruminating Adrian’s words.

“It’s only a marriage, not the end of the world,” Damon said finally. “If it fails then it fails,”

Adrian stayed quiet and watched as Damon sipped the last of his drink.

“At the end of the day, everything is business, it’s nothing personal,”

The video stopped abruptly and so did Violet’s heartbeat. She didn’t know what to make of what she just saw. Her hands were shaky as she returned the phone back to Celina.

What is that supposed to mean? Is marrying me considered a business thing for him?

“I don’t wanna poke my nose into your business, but I feel bad if I stay quiet and pretend like I don’t know anything. If the roles are reversed, I’d want someone to tell me…”

Celina was talking and talking, but Violet couldn’t hear a thing. Her thoughts were too loud. Her insecurities were coming back.

This marriage is just business for Damon. It’s nothing personal.

“…When I look at you two, I wanna believe that what I’m seeing is real love, but… I don’t know. I don’t think Damon is a guy that’s capable of that. And okay, maybe love is overrated. Daddy always says that love isn’t necessary in a marriage. But I just think… you should know what it is you’re getting yourself into,”

Celina’s rambling went into one ear and came out from another. Everything was spinning and Violet felt like her world was crashing down. Her eyes turned blurry and there was nothing but darkness. She couldn’t see a thing, but she could hear Celina’s last words ringing in her ears.

“Damon is a man of many things, but he’s not a man that you can trust. At the end of the day, he’s never on anyone’s team but himself,”