Bride by Initiation: Secret Society Mafia Marriage Pact (The Underworld Book 1)
Bride by Initiation: Chapter 11

My lungs work to expand with stale breaths. They got like that the minute I spotted Zara across the restaurant. Then she had to approach me and suffocate me with her floral perfume and begging eyes.

But I’m not giving in. She has information I need. She might as well be my enemy if she won’t disclose it.

I shove through the crowd and step onto the rooftop deck, but the warm, early summer air is just as claustrophobic. There’s a handful of others out here, but I ignore everyone, grabbing a beer from the bartender and stepping over to the corner. I stare at the twinkling city lights, wishing my father was still alive so he could answer all the questions I have.

I feel Brax’s presence next to me but don’t look at him.

He questions, ‘When are you going to tell me why you’re upset with Zara?’

‘I’m not,’ I claim, and take a big swig of my beer.

‘You are,’ he insists.

‘I’m not,’ I repeat, turning away from him.

His voice grows angry. ‘Sean, I’m getting sick of being in the dark.’

I turn back to him and grit through my teeth, ‘If anyone should be upset with anyone, it’s me with you.’

He grinds his molars. Things have been off between us since he showed up at the fight. He was trying to protect me, but he’s gotten us both into a situation where I don’t know who the players are or what the possible outcomes could be.

There are only a few things I do know. Dangerous people hold the cards in whatever game we’re in. We’re not privy to the rules. Plus, Brax almost got us killed.

He adds, ‘That wasn’t just a normal underground fight, Sean, and you know it.’

My pulse bangs between my ears. Nothing he’s saying is incorrect. It took me a month to heal after I killed all those men. A few times, I’ve woken up in a cold sweat, hearing their bones crack.

I finish the bottle of beer and set it on a table. I motion for the bartender to bring me another one.

He quickly opens two and then hands one to Brax and one to me.

‘Thanks,’ I say.

He nods and leaves.

‘Well, don’t just go silent on me. Say something,’ Brax orders.

I drink a third of the bottle, then step back against the ledge, staring at the city, wishing I could tell Brax the little I know about The Underworld, yet I can’t.

Before I left the building, the woman with the mask warned in my ear, ‘You tell him nothing.‘

‘Okay, fine. At least tell me this. If you’re not upset with Zara, why are you avoiding her? Every time she comes near you, it’s obvious you’re mad. Did you two finally fuck or something?’

‘Stop talking about things you know nothing about,’ I reprimand, then drink another large mouthful.

He eyes me over.

I shake my head. I’m angry at so many things. The thought that I might have been in a situation where Brax and I died because I refused to kill him makes me ill. We don’t get into those types of situations. We were taught better than to take uncalculated risks. But in fairness, I’ve never been in a situation like this.

Brax’s expression turns sour. He crosses his arms over his chest, scowling, his anger matching mine. He asks, ‘When will you remember I’m your best friend and you can trust me?’

I stay silent.

He continues, ‘I want to know what we got ourselves into.’

‘I told you it’s just an underground fight. Stop making it more than it is, and remember that you’re in it because you inserted yourself into a situation you had no right stepping into!’ I snap.

His eyes darken, and he snarls, ‘What did she mean when she said ‘initiation by rings’?’

My insides tighten, and I shrug nonchalantly. It’s a question that’s haunted me ever since that night. I don’t know what it means. The more Brax questions me, the more dread fills me.

‘Tell me what you know,’ Brax pushes.

My anger boils over. I grab his shirt and tug him toward me, catching him off guard.

His eyes widen.

‘Let it go,’ I seethe.

His expression hardens, and he pushes against my chest.

I release him.

He fumes, ‘I can’t, man. You’re involved in something, and I know it.’

I blurt out, ‘Yeah, well, it looks like you stepped into it as well.’

‘What does that mean? I think I have a right to know,’ he barks.

I grunt. ‘There are no rights in this world, and you know that as much as I do. It’s an underground fight. That’s it. Leave it and move on.’

He ignores me. ‘They said you won the bid. What does that mean?’

I rub my hands over my face, groaning. ‘Let it go, Brax.’

‘I can’t. We’re both involved in something, and you know it.’

‘Yeah, and whose fault is that?’ I accuse, a little too loudly.

Others on the roof turn toward us.

I release a pissed-off breath, and my phone buzzes. I step over to the corner and pull my phone out. I read the text, and my heart rate ratchets up.

My throat turns dry. I swallow, and it hurts. I stare out at the city and contemplate staying, forgetting I ever saw the skull or heard of The Underworld.

‘What’s that about?’ Brax questions.

I put my phone back in my pocket, lying, ‘Nothing. I have to go.’

‘Where?’ he insists.

I spin to face him, sternly asserting, ‘Nowhere. Enjoy your night, Brax.’ I turn to leave and push through the crowd. I get through the restaurant, walk down the block, and replace my parked SUV.

Conán steps out, fretting, ‘I didn’t get a text from you. Did I miss it?’

‘No. Go inside and have some drinks. Take the night off,’ I instruct.

He furrows his eyebrows. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘Just go inside and mingle. Have some drinks,’ I restate in a non-argumentative tone.

He finally caves. ‘All right. Thanks.’

‘Sure.’ I get to the driver’s door, and my phone buzzes again. I pull it out.

My gut sinks. I reprimand myself for not checking to see if he’s following me. Sure enough, he’s walking right toward the SUV. I get out and meet him on the sidewalk, jabbing him in the chest, ordering, ‘Do not follow me. Go back inside, Brax, and this is an order.’

Amusement lights his eyes. ‘An order? I don’t take orders from you.’

‘You do tonight,’ I state.

‘No, I don’t,’ he insists.

More anger fills me. The last thing I want to do is get into another shitty situation. I also don’t want my best friend dead. Everything inside me tells me that these people are more than capable of killing us both.

‘When are you going to listen to me? I vouched for you. So, as of now, I am in charge. Get your ass back to the party and have fun. Forget about me tonight. Understand?’

He clenches his jaw, not moving.

I step closer, lowering my voice. ‘I mean it, Brax. We’re both dead if you come, so I need you to do what I say. Can you trust me on this?’

He doesn’t flinch.

I think he’s not going to drop it, but he finally does.

He holds his hands in the air. ‘Fine. But what are you getting yourself into, Sean?’

For a moment, I let my guard down. I admit, ‘I don’t know, but I need to ensure you’re safe. I can’t worry about you and whatever is going on.’

‘Which would be what?’

‘I don’t know. And that’s the truth.’

Another tense moment passes.

He asks again, ‘Who are they?’

I shake my head, pleading, ‘Please. I can’t talk about this right now. I need you to go inside and stay there.’

Something in my voice must convince him. He finally nods. ‘Okay, but Sean…’

‘What?’

‘Don’t make me regret not coming with you or following you,’ he warns.

‘You won’t,’ I insist, standing taller.

He hesitates a moment. Then, finally, pats me on the shoulder, turns, and disappears inside the restaurant.

I slide back into the SUV and go through town. It takes twenty minutes to get to the Ivanov gym.

It’s not in a great part of town. Over the years, they’ve rebuilt several blocks around it, but there’s still a lot of crime.

Still, I’ve never been scared to go there. Tonight, I’m uneasy.

As soon as I turn onto the street, I get a text.

I mutter, ‘Great. I get to tour the fucking city.’ I drive several blocks and park. I get another text.

‘Of course. Dark, garbage-smelling roads,’ I mumble but obey.

I stay in the shadows, hustling down the street and into the alley. When I reach the back of the Ivanov gym, the door opens.

There’s barely any light, but Byrne’s flame-colored reddish-orange hair peeks out from his worn, brown tweed paddy cap. His green eyes glow. He doesn’t say anything, just motions for me to come in.

I step inside, and we don’t go farther than the hallway. I demand, ‘Why am I here?’

‘Before you make your decision tonight, I need to give you information,’ he replies.

‘My decision?’ I question.

He nods. ‘Aye, lad. Your decision.’

Something about Byrne comforts me. At the same time, I still don’t know who he is, so I ask, ‘Who were you to my father?’

A soft look of nostalgia washes over him. He answers, ‘We were best friends.’

My heart pounds harder. ‘Best friends? Why have I never heard of you?’

‘I’ll clarify. We were best friends in The Underworld.‘

‘You weren’t friends in the real world?’

His lips twitch. ‘The Underworld is the real world. You’ll soon understand.’

I stare at him.

He chuckles. ‘You got more questions, son?’

A million race through my mind. But the one I ask is, ‘What about my mother?’

Surprised, he asks, ‘What about her?’

‘I questioned her about the skull brand, but she didn’t seem to know anything about The Underworld. But it wouldn’t be the first time she lied to me.’

Disapproval replaces his surprise. He asserts, ‘Answers will come to light when you step into your inherited role.’

‘More rhymes, no answers,’ I spout.

He sighs and pats me on the shoulder. ‘Sean, I know this is bothering you.’

‘Do you know?’ I sarcastically ask.

A loud chuckle erupts from him.

I sneer. ‘What’s so funny?’

Tears fill his eyes, and he swipes at them. He stops laughing and answers, ‘You’re so much like your father.’

Grief fills my chest, catching in my lungs. It happens whenever I think about my dad. But there’s no time to dwell on it, so I force myself to take a deep breath. ‘Were you there when those thugs murdered him?’

Byrne’s face falls. ‘No. I would never have let that happen.’

‘Why did they do it?’ I question.

Byrne closes his eyes, as if in pain, then opens them. He releases a stress-filled breath. ‘As I said, lad, answers will come to light when you step into your inherited role.’

‘I don’t know what that means,’ I admit.

‘You have to commit to The Underworld. You have to accept your bid and complete initiation.’

‘Gee, sounds easy.’

‘Don’t get smart with me, lad. I’m the messenger and your friend. Remember that,’ he warns.

Something in his tone tells me to back off a bit. So I confess, ‘I keep hearing about initiation, but I have no fucking clue what it is or means.’

He nods. ‘You aren’t supposed to, but it’ll all make sense in due time.’

‘Sure it will,’ I grumble, pissed off with all his answers that seem to go nowhere.

His face lights up. He holds a finger in front of me. ‘Let’s not forget why I’m here, lad.’

I arch my eyebrows in question.

‘Tonight is initiation. It’s the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. All you have to do is embrace it.’ His voice drops when he continues, ‘But if you don’t, there won’t be any other initiations.’

Goose bumps cover my arms. I ask, ‘End of what era?’

‘I can’t tell ya.’

‘Of course you can’t,’ I sneer, my heart racing faster.

He studies me, then declares, ‘Your chosen path is the initiation of rings.‘

In a sarcastic tone, I jeer, ‘Am I going to have to jump through hoops of fire?’

His lips twitch.

‘Or maybe play a few rounds of ring toss?’

He ignores my taunts and informs me, ‘Everyone’s initiation is different.’

‘And?’

He gives me a stern look. ‘You’ve been chosen for rings. Twelve women will stand before you. One of them is yours to take.’

My stomach drops. I growl, ‘I don’t rape women.’

He holds his hands in the air. ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa! There’ll be no rape. Who said anything about rape?’

I point at him, arguing, ‘You just said there’s twelve women and one will be mine.’

‘Aye. You’ll choose her.’

‘Choose her for what? Ring around the rosie?’ I question, my stomach dropping further.

He snaps, ‘Choose her to be yours. Forever.’

I snort. ‘Sure.’

With an angry tone, he announces, ‘You will marry her. You will make blood vows, and there will be no going back.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘I’m not. And nor should you be at this moment,’ he warns.

I curl my fists at my sides with a new round of rage filling me. I insist, ‘I’m not marrying any woman tonight, especially one I don’t know.‘

‘Aye, but you will. And you’ll know which one is your bride when you step in front of her. But be careful.’

‘Of what?’

He glances behind us, even though no one else is here. He continues, ‘You’ll only secure her as yours if you have a reason for her to accept your bid. And it has to be compelling enough because one man will be out. Son, you don’t want to be that man.’

A chill runs down my spine. I try to take in everything he says, but the more I absorb, the angrier I become. I hurl, ‘I’m so tired of these answers that aren’t answers. They just lead to more questions.’

He puts his finger in front of my face, boldly ordering, ‘Listen to me, lad. You have an inherited right to sit on the throne, but your spot at the table isn’t guaranteed. It’s meant to be yours, but you have to grab it.’

My head buzzes with too many questions.

Fear laces his tone when he says, ‘Sean, it was your father’s place, and now it’s meant to be yours. But there’s always a fight, and you can’t let anyone else win. Am I being clear?’

‘No. I don’t understand any of this. I don’t know what my father was involved in. And I’m not marrying some woman tonight, no matter who she is,’ I state.

He points up at me and insists, ‘You will marry her. You will. When the moment comes, you will. If you don’t, your seat will go to someone else and then we’re in trouble.’

‘What kind of trouble?’

‘The kind your father wouldn’t want,’ he answers.

A lump forms in my throat. I try to swallow it down, but it seems impossible.

He softens his tone, but it reeks of desperation. ‘Sean, they took everything away from your father. I’ve suffered through it and waited for decades for this moment. You have to take his place.’

My voice cracks when I go to speak. I clear my throat and try again. ‘What happens if I don’t?’

‘Like I said, someone else will take his seat, and we can’t have that.’

‘Why? What will happen?’

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. The wrinkles around his eyes deepen. ‘We can’t have that, Sean.’

The blood in my veins turns cold. None of this makes sense, but there’s one thing tying me to it.

My father.

Byrne adds, ‘Choose your bride carefully.’

I grunt. ‘You’re speaking ridiculous things.’

‘I’m not. There’ll be twelve to choose from. There’s a redhead. She’s the one you need to pick,’ he instructs.

‘So just go in and tell the redhead we’re getting hitched? Yeah, okay,’ I scoff.

He slaps my cheek.

A sting rises where he struck me, and I clench my fist, but the glow in his eyes stops me from striking him back. He barks, ‘Don’t take this lightly! There are thirteen men. Do whatever it takes, but convince the redhead to accept your bid. One man will be out. If you listen to anything I say tonight, listen to me now. You do not want to be the man without a bride. Understand?’

‘Yeah,’ I answer, still pissed off he slapped me.

In a threatening tone, he asks, ‘Do you think this is funny, Sean?‘

I curl my fist tighter. I like Byrne, but I wonder if I should trust him. Was he best friends with my father, or is it another lie?

‘Time’s up. Our ride is waiting,’ he announces, opening the door.

Headlights flash in the alley, and I put my hand over my eyes.

Byrne opens the back door of the car and motions for me to get inside.

I hesitate.

‘Everything you’ve ever wanted to know lies in front of you,’ he taunts.

It’s the final push I need. No matter what he says, I’m not marrying anyone tonight. I’ll learn more about this Underworld and what my father was involved in, but that’s it. Somehow, I’ll figure out how to change my initiation to something else. If, and only if, I decide I truly want to step into this secret world.