The ceremony was brief and quick. Dante slipped a ring on her finger and before she knew it she was married.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Madison turned her face for the peck she assumed to receive when Dante’s mouth came down hard on hers as if he was punishing it. And then his lips were gone.
Dazed, she looked around. The men left, and she followed behind like a dutiful wife should. They handed her off like a package as if they were playing hot potato and no one wanted to be caught with her.
Dante handed her into the car like he always did when they were dating before he went around the car. She touched her lips. They still burned from where his had scorched hers.
Madison assumed Dante was going to take her back to her place and was confused when he passed the exit for her place. “Where are we going?”
“Back to my place.”
“Why?”
“We’re married.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So we live together.”
“Why?”
“That’s what married people do.”
She turned to look at him. “What?” They needed a marriage license. It didn’t change anything, and she believed that things would go on as they had been. Why did they need to live together?
“Bianchi men marry for life.”
“Oh.” She wanted to bang her head against the window. What had she gotten herself into? She was not only going to be married to Dante for life, but she would have to live with him. Stuck in a one-sided marriage. She should have clarified what the marriage was going to be like.
She assumed it would be like the fake ones in her romance novels. Not a forever marriage.
She didn’t believe in divorce. That was why she never planned on getting married. Could she get an annulment? How long would she be at risk for going to jail?
“What does that even mean?”
“Bianchis don’t divorce, so we’re together until we die.”
Great, so not only was she stuck with him, but it was obvious to her that he would be cheating on her. Did he have a mistress already?
“We also don’t cheat. We are loyal, so you don’t need to worry. We both have work, so we won’t be under each other all day. If we need to, we can look for a bigger place.”
Madison took a sharp intake of breath when he said they wouldn’t be under each other. They had spent a lot of time like that. In the bed, shower, anywhere they could. “Great. Can we do an annulment? How long is the statute for your charges?”
“Four years for civil and five years for criminal. I’ll have someone pack your apartment and bring everything over. I need to go out to meet with the lawyer, so make yourself at home.”
Madison looked around Dante’s place. She didn’t know how she ended up back here. The day was like something out of a nightmare or horror film. She had buried Henry, been interrogated, went home, married a mobster, and was sitting in his place to avoid going to jail. She didn’t know how things could get any crazier.
Madison walked around the house in a daze. She still couldn’t believe Henry had died. She couldn’t talk to Dante. She didn’t want to hear him say I told you so. Her only hope had been Sabrina, but she was ignoring it, or at least ignoring Madison.
She walked into the bedroom. It smelled like it always did. Of Dante. She looked at her hand. She was married. To Dante. For at least four years. Then she could dissolve it like it never happened, and continue with her life.
She collapsed on the bed. Dante’s house had several bedrooms, but none was set up like a guest room or bedroom, so she would have to sleep here. With him. Every night. For four years at least.
Well, that wasn’t true. He did say they could look for a bigger place so that should leave a room to be set up for her. So she would just have to make it until they found a place. How hard could that be?
Would he do it without her or would they go together? She should have some input as she would be there for at least four years. Ugh it was like a broken record in her head. Four years. Four years. Four. Years.
