Bride by Initiation: Secret Society Mafia Marriage Pact (The Underworld Book 1)
Bride by Initiation: Chapter 29

Two Days Later

‘Where did you put them, Zara?’ I call out.

‘Same place I always do,’ she snaps back from inside the closet.

‘They aren’t there,’ I bark, opening another bathroom drawer.

Things have been tense between us the last two days. She can’t seem to get past the lipstick she found in my pocket. The only explanation I can come up with is that someone from The Underworld had to have planted it there. But my wife isn’t taking my word for it. And I can’t say I blame her, even though she should know I would never cheat on her.

She adds, ‘Then you didn’t put them back where they belong.’

‘Ugh,’ I grumble, flinging open the bathroom drawer where Zara keeps her excess facial products, then freeze.

Inside, I see a black leather bag with the skull design embossed on it in gold. Zara Marino is printed under the skull. Beneath that it says Zara O’Malley.

What the fuck?

When’s she going to change her last name?

My pulse skyrockets, and my heart hammers with anger, hurt, and curiosity. I pick up the bag. It’s heavy, and I pull at the laces, opening it.

Reaching inside, I replace it’s full of gold coins with the same skull and flowers engraved on them. I take one out and study it, knowing it isn’t fake. These are real, and worth a lot of money.

Why does she have these?

And why is she hiding them from me?

The air in my lungs turns stale. If I’ve learned one thing, The Underworld doesn’t give you things for free.

What did my wife do to earn these?

Flashbacks of the Binding of Flesh ceremony race through my mind. My stomach flips, and my heart pounds so hard it might explode. I squeeze a coin in my fist and glance at my reflection in the mirror. I attempt to calm myself down, but it’s pointless. I stalk into the bedroom.

Zara steps out of the closet, looking as beautiful as always, in a purple pencil skirt and matching blazer, and designer cream blouse.

I hold the coin up in front of her. ‘Something you want to tell me?’

She glances at my hand and pins her eyebrows together. ‘What is that?’

‘You tell me,’ I state.

Fire burns in her eyes as she seethes, ‘Don’t you dare try to accuse me of something. So tell me whatever this charade of yours is, because I’m not into your games, Sean.’ She goes over to the bed, sits down, then slides her heels onto her feet.

I cross the room, dump the coins onto the bed, and toss the empty bag next to them. I point at her names, accusing, ‘You’re going to tell me you have no idea where this came from?’

She gapes at all the coins and picks one up. ‘Is this real gold?’

‘Don’t play with me, Zara. I want to know how you got this!’

Her eyes turn to slits. ‘I’ve never seen these before in my life.’

‘It was in the same drawer as your facial products,’ I bellow.

She glances at the coins again and then shakes her head. She softens her voice, claiming, ‘Sean, I’ve never seen them before.’

I cross my arms. ‘That seems convenient.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘The bag has your names on it! Even though only O’Malley should be there!’ I add.

She rolls her eyes, then shrugs. ‘So what? Someone obviously put it there. It’s not the first time The Underworld has left stuff in our homes.’

‘Yeah, like the lipstick!’

The same hurt that’s filled her expression the last two days reappears. Her lips tremble, and she fires back, ‘That’s convenient for you.’

I cross my arms, fresh anger exploding within me. ‘Seriously? You still can’t fathom that someone would try to fuck with us?’

‘Why would they?’

‘Who knows? But you know damn well I wouldn’t cheat on you!’ I roar.

‘Do I?’

I scowl.

She adds, ‘We’re already past our expiration date.’

‘What the fuck does that mean?’

‘It means that the only one who’s been in a relationship longer than we’ve been married is me. And only once. So it only makes sense you’re bored. Nice of you to leave me at an event all alone to go do whatever it is you did with whoever it is you’re seeing on the side,’ she snarls.

‘I’ve told you I was working! Ask Liam!’

‘Sure you were.’

‘I was!’

She stands and plants her hand on her hip. ‘And what was so important that you had to leave me alone at nine at night?’

‘You know I can’t discuss O’Malley business.’

She scoffs. ‘Again, that’s convenient.’

I step forward and cup her cheek with one hand, calmly saying, ‘Zara, ask Liam. He’ll confirm, and you can stop these ridiculous thoughts.’

Her voice shakes. ‘You had lipstick in your pocket!’

‘And you have gold coins in your drawer that you claim you didn’t have any knowledge of until a few minutes ago,’ I point out.

She just stares at me, blinking hard.

I soften my voice. ‘Zara, you know I wouldn’t cheat on you.’

‘You get bored, Sean.’

‘So do you.’

‘I’m not the one with lipstick in my pocket,’ she states.

Frustration swells within me. I snap, ‘Then tell me what you did to get these coins. If you’re so convinced no one planted that lipstick in my pants, then tell me what you did to earn that bag full of gold.’

‘Don’t you dare⁠—’

‘Tell me,’ I interrupt.

She brushes past me. ‘I need to go to work.’

‘I have a right to know what they made you do,’ I demand.

She spins toward me and jabs her finger in my chest, asserting, ‘You have no right to question me on anything.’

‘Oh really? But you have a right to question me.’

‘I’m not doing this, Sean.’ She exits the bedroom.

I’m right on her heels. ‘You don’t get to just walk away.’

‘I’m going to work. I have a briefing this morning. It’s more important than discussing whatever ridiculous accusation this is,’ she declares.

I scoff. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah. Grow up, Sean.’

‘No, you grow up!’

She grabs her purse off the front table and opens the door to the foyer.

I follow her.

She hits the elevator button, and the door opens right away. She steps inside.

I put my hand on the door and demand, ‘Zara, when you get home, you’re spilling whatever it is you did for them.’

She scoffs. ‘There’s nothing to discuss. I’ve never seen that bag before today.’

I scowl deeper.

She pushes the button and smirks. ‘Let’s make a deal. You tell me where the lipstick came from, and I’ll tell you where the coins came from. Oh wait, that’s never happening, is it?’

‘So you did do something.’

‘No, I didn’t, you asshole. Now, take your hand off the door. I can’t be late for work!’

My veins burn with rage.

In a low voice, she warns, ‘Remove your hand, now.’

I slowly obey, then point at her, and declare, ‘I want answers tonight.’

She huffs. ‘You and me both.’

The elevator door shuts.

I groan and pound the elevator door.

Why doesn’t she believe me?

My history doesn’t exactly make me look innocent.

I’ve never cheated on anyone.

Yeah, I just never made it clear if I was committed or not.

She’s no saint either. She gets bored too.

Fuck this. I need to work out.

I pick up my shoes, lace them up, then grab my keys. I get in the elevator and press the button for the ground level.

The elevator descends and stops on the sixth floor. The doors open, and Byrne stands there, grinning.

‘Jesus. What now?’ I mutter.

He steps inside and hits the basement button. ‘Lad, we need to talk.‘

I don’t argue, knowing there’s no point. The elevator takes us to the bottom level, and he gets out.

I follow him through several hallways. The musty odor turns more pungent.

He leads me past the storage units and then opens a door. He takes a small flashlight out of his pocket and steers us through several rooms until we can’t go any farther. He shuts the door, then reaches up and pulls a string.

A single lightbulb creates a soft glow in the tiny room.

‘Why are we here?’ I question, glancing at the concrete walls and two metal chairs.

He points at one of the chairs. ‘Sit down.’

My chest tightens. I normally don’t get anxious. But I won’t let my guard down until I get a seat at the Omni table and know what’s going on. ‘Is this like a torture chamber or something?’

He chuckles. ‘No. But they can’t hear us here.’

I arch my eyebrows. ‘Who?’

‘The Omni, who do you think?’ he states.

‘Oh.’

He points to the chair again. ‘Sit.’

I obey.

He sits across from me and crosses his arms over his chest while leaning back and studying me.

‘I need to get to the gym,’ I tell him.

‘It’s time you know what happened to your dad.’

I break out in a cold sweat, and my chest tightens. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

He leans closer. He looks behind him and lowers his voice. ‘You want to know the truth, correct?’

I blurt out, ‘I thought you said nobody can hear us. Why are you looking behind you?’

He shrugs. ‘Habit. But they can’t.’

‘Would they be upset if they found out you were talking to me about this?’ I question.

‘About this? No. Not now. You’ve reached the level required to know the basics. However, I’ll say more to you than what I’m allowed. And I don’t do dumb things and take chances I shouldn’t.’

Nerves flare in my stomach. I ask, ‘Why are you risking your safety?’

He looks behind him again, shifts in his seat, and removes his tattered beret. ‘You should know what I’m going to tell you before you decide whether you want to take your seat.’

A sense of excitement charges the musty air. I take a deep breath, claiming, ‘I want to know everything.’

Byrne’s green eyes glow in the dim light. His face falls, and pain crosses his expression, along with anger. ‘Your father wanted a utopia. He created a vision where everybody could live peacefully. You, your sister, and all the generations to come in all the families.’

‘Yeah, I’ve heard that before,’ I say, still pissed off that Zara and I are fighting, and that she thinks I’d cheat on her.

Byrne stares at me intently, then he blurts out, ‘Your father was backstabbed by his sisters’ husbands.’

‘What? Boris would never do that to Nora!’ I assert.

Byrne shakes his head. ‘No, not by Nora’s husband. By the twins’ husbands—Shamus and Niall.‘

My eyes widen. I always forget about my twin aunts. They don’t come around the family much. They were never fun or seemed like a big part of it, but it’s still a shock to hear that my uncles would be involved in my father’s death.

Byrne continues, ‘The O’Malleys had big enemies just like all of our friends. The Rossis, Baileys, Abruzzos, Petrovs… Your family was always at war…always fighting with them. When you were born, your dad met with members of the enemy families. All the men who had influence enough to make change were there. He did it behind your uncle Darragh’s back.’

The hairs on my arms rise. My uncle Darragh was Liam’s father. He loved me and my sister. Everyone feared but respected him. The thought of my father going behind his back is a shock to me.

Byrne goes on. ‘So your father, along with Shamus and Niall, met with Lorenzo and Anthony Rossi, Tadgh Bailey, Salvatore Abruzzo, and Daniil Petrov, who had just come from Russia but spoke fluent Italian. No one on the O’Malley side had met him. After your father’s death, he infiltrated the Marinos as a spy. When they discovered he was a Petrov, they killed him. You were in high school or the start of college. I can’t recall the exact time.’

I close my eyes, my heart beating faster. I shake my head. ‘Why would he trust those guys? I’ve heard about all of them. They were horrible men.’

‘Aye. But your father had a vision, and they pretended to agree with it. They’d all lost people close to them. Your father’s brothers always told him he was crazy, but they didn’t know he had been creating The Underworld behind their backs. He wanted to prove to them it could be done.’

My gut flips. I admit, ‘My uncles seem to know something exists.’

Byrne doesn’t answer right away, then says, ‘They are aware your father attempted to start something, but they don’t know the extent of it. They’ve only seen their enemies wearing the skull brand. And they can’t get their minds past all the bloodshed and revenge to see what can be possible.’

‘Can be? Don’t you mean what is? The Underworld exists,’ I point out.

Byrne shifts in his chair. ‘The Underworld is eighty percent what your father wanted. There’s less war on the streets. Less death.’

I grunt.

He scowls. ‘What’s the negativity for, son?’

‘Seems to be lots of death. Whenever I’m doing anything with The Underworld, people die.’

‘Yeah, but it’s necessary in order to weed out the bad people.’

‘Isn’t that what my uncles have been doing?’ I question.

‘Yes and no. People in your enemies’ families have lost members they shouldn’t have. So has your side. People who didn’t do the evilest things and shouldn’t have been killed but were because of their last names.’

I cross my arms. ‘So the guys who murdered my father pretended to agree with his vision and then stabbed him in the back. Why? Just to kill him for fun?’

Byrne grinds his molars, then fumes, ‘They wanted to take over leadership with the Omni.’

A deep chill runs through my veins. ‘But they’re dead. So they didn’t do what they wanted, right?’

He takes a few deep breaths, his expression darkening. ‘The ones who physically murdered your father are dead, yes. But there’s one more thing you need to know, especially if you’re going to sit at the table.’

‘What’s that?‘

He looks behind him again and then tells me, ‘Salvatore Abruzzo orchestrated your father’s murder. He was supposed to be there the night your father died, but he got tied up in Italy. He’s the only one still alive, and he has a seat at the table.’

I squeeze my fists tight against my sides, seething, ‘That motherfucker lived, and now he’s running The Underworld?’

Byrne nods. ‘Yes. You shouldn’t trust him or those in the Omni he’s closest with. However, it’ll be hard to tell who the enemies are and who are in line with your father’s vision. They’re not going to stand out like a sore thumb. But Salvatore and his cronies are running it the wrong way.’

‘What are they doing?’

‘Like you said, there’s too much death.’

‘You just told me the deaths were justified.’

He nods. ‘In some cases, but not all. Like the night of your initiation; those people didn’t deserve to die. They earned their spots, just as you and Zara did. The Omni should have created a different initiation ceremony for them, not killed them.’

I snarl, ‘That’s Valentina’s fault.’

‘No, it’s not. Her orders come from the top. She’s in just as much danger as everyone else,’ Byrne declares.

‘She seems like she’s in control,’ I state.

‘She’s not. And she’s your wife’s cousin.’

‘So I hear.’

‘Valentina has a good heart. She wants what your father wanted. She believes in his vision and is your ally,’ he insists.

I grunt. ‘Is she?‘

‘Aye, she is. And she’s worked longer and harder to get her seat at the table. You’ll get yours before she does, and it’s not fair, but that’s how The Underworld works,’ Byrne states.

I clench my jaw, trying to wrap my head around what he’s saying.

He points at me, adding, ‘Your father was adamant that his generation could be better so his children could be safer. He didn’t want your futures as bloody as his. He wanted your sister to have as much power as you, and for women to stop being harmed by these men.’

‘Fiona isn’t cut out for this,’ I blurt out.

Byrne grunts.

‘She isn’t,’ I maintain.

‘Did you ever think Zara would be?’ he asks.

I contemplate his question.

In a firm voice, he asserts, ‘Your sister will have a chance to sit at the table next to you. The Underworld needs her as much as it needs you and Zara. If that’s what the three of you choose.’

I release a thick breath of air. ‘Why do you say ‘choose’? Nothing will stop me from taking my seat.’

‘I’ll circle back to your question in a minute. I warned your father not to trust those men. I told him he had to go about things differently, but he didn’t want to heed my warnings.’

‘So my father was a stupid man?’ I snarl.

‘No, not stupid, just too positive at times,’ Byrne says.

I grind my molars, looking at the wall and trying to shove down all the emotions building in my chest.

Byrne adds, ‘I begged him to replace different men to trust, but Shamus and Niall were family. When he brought them into the fold, they vouched for the others.‘

‘You knew my uncles were bad?’

Byrne shakes his head, regret evident in the motion. ‘No. But I knew the others were. I wish I had known…’

My pulse rate increases. I ask, ‘Are you an O’Malley too?’

Byrne’s face falls. ‘No, lad. I’m an O’Leary.’

‘An…’ The blood drains from my face down to my toes. I jump up and clench my fists at my sides.

He nods. ‘That’s right. My blood comes from your aunt Alaina’s clan. I was the O’Leary your father entrusted with his Underworld secrets.’

I lean closer, scowling at him. ‘But you didn’t take part in his murder?’

He shakes his head. ‘No, son. Your dad chose me himself. When Shamus and Niall brought in the others, I warned him, but he wouldn’t listen.’

I pace the tiny room, absorbing everything Byrne has said, then accuse, ‘You didn’t stop his execution!’

Anger flares in his eyes. He barks, ‘You think I wouldn’t have done everything in my power to stop them from murdering him had I known?’

My insides shake harder. I pace faster, trying to breathe.

‘Listen to me, lad,’ Byrne orders.

I spin to face him and pin him with a leer.

He warns, ‘You have to be careful if you decide to take a seat. You can’t trust all of them.’

I meet his eye. ‘I’ll kill Salvatore and all the others.’

‘You can’t kill an Omni. The rest will kill you in return,’ Byrne warns.

‘They need to be weeded out,’ I insist.

Byrne nods. ‘Aye. They do. But you can’t just go on a killing spree. At least not in plain sight.’

‘They need to pay for their sins,’ I seethe.

Byrne nods with defeat in his expression.

‘Why didn’t you take your seat? If you were chosen by my father to represent the O’Leary’s, why didn’t you do it?’

His face hardens. He insists, ‘I can do more out here.’

‘Then why would I take a seat?’

‘You can do more from inside.’

‘That’s weak,’ I argue.

‘No, it’s the truth, and you will see it someday.’

I try to process everything I’ve learned.

He adds, ‘You must be careful when you take your seat. And there will be one more ceremony you must complete to solidify your position.’

‘Doing what?’

He closes his eyes briefly, then meets my gaze, answering, ‘Something you and Zara aren’t going to want to do. But once you’re in front of the Omni, you either go forward with it, or they kill both of you. So if you want the seat, you move forward with no qualms about following through, no matter what it entails.’

Silence builds around us as we both stare at each other. Then there’s another answer I need. I ask, ‘What about my mother? Why did she really keep us away from the O’Malleys?’

His expression betrays his sadness and discomfort at having to discuss this topic.

‘Tell me,’ I demand.

He hesitates, then says, ‘You have to agree to never speak to your mother about this. It would bring her great pain and fear if she knew that you were aware of what happened to your father.’

I look at him in silence.

‘Promise me,’ he orders.

‘Okay. I promise.’

‘Your vow is as solid as your father’s? I don’t have to worry about your word?’

Insulted, I answer, ‘Of course it’s as solid as my father’s.’

He releases an anxious breath. ‘Okay. Your mother witnessed your father’s death. She was there the night it happened, and they threatened her, just like she told you.

‘She did everything for you and your sister. And don’t think for one moment that she doesn’t carry the nightmare with her. She relives it over and over. So don’t you dare go adding to her grief.’

A cold chill runs down my spine as horror fills me. The thought of my mother watching my father die is unfathomable. I barely choke out, ‘Tell me you’re lying.’

Byrne’s sadness is palpable. ‘I’m sorry, son, but I’m not.’

‘One more question. Why didn’t my dad tell my mom about The Underworld?’ I ask.

Byrne sighs. ‘Your father didn’t want her to worry. Until he had everything perfect, he wasn’t going to bring her into it. He made that decision to protect her. He loved her and you kids more than anything.’

Emotions tighten my chest. All the puzzle pieces now fit together. I ponder everything he’s told me.

My thoughts get interrupted when the alarm on his watch rings loudly.

I arch my eyebrows in question.

He announces, ‘The seventh moon is almost here. Lad, are you sure you want a seat at the table?’

More determined than ever, I lift my chin and reply, ‘Yes.’

He rises and then pats me on the back. ‘Okay, son. Don’t hesitate to do whatever it is they require of you for the last ceremony. Every seat at the table requires a sacrifice. If this is what you want, then the offering you and your wife agree to will be the price you pay.’

A shiver racks me at his ominous words.

He opens the door. ‘Let’s get you on the plane.’