Over My Dead Body

Chapter One -- Over my dead body.

Florence Galina Visconti's Point of View

"I'm gonna kill you." I tell him and he stares at me, surprised, but mostly amused and he nods "You will have to get in line, dushka." He tells me and I roll my eyes, he thinks I am joking.

"I am really gonna kill you, Maxim." I repeat and he exhales, bored, which only makes me angrier. "Get in line, dushka, you are not the only one who wants me dead. People will pay good money to kill both of us." He shrugs and I scoff "Do not add me to you. I am different, you are Bratva, I hate Bratva."

Exhausted with me already, he says "I am Bratva, but you are La Cosa Nostra, there is no difference, we are the Mafia. We have a responsibility to our families and the sooner you understand, the better for us all. Let's get this over with." He says, his words hard as steel and I scoff "How romantic."

"You want romance?" He rasps and I look at him, I look at the man I am about to marry -- Maxim Vuk Romanova, and I hate him even more, I never wanted to get married, but now, I am being forced into a marriage to the Pakhan of Bratva.

Objectively, Vuk is an handsome man, he has nice eyes, a bit of blue and gray, and dark blonde hair, he is okay, but I don't want okay, I want an explosive love, I want to marry a man I love, but I am stuck with Vuk Romanova.

"Go to hell." I clench my jaw and he smirks "I'm already in it."

"Alright, enough bickering. The wedding is in a few hours, it is going to be a small and intimate ceremony, with our families, and I hope by then, you have gotten very much acquitted." My mother says and she turns to me "He is to be your husband, Florence, your husband and you must listen to him."

I smile, feeling a bit insane, I am holding in my panic quite well, and I say nothing.

"Maxim, I know Florence can be a lot, but in time, marriage will tame her, and when she starts popping out children, she will be calm and be the best mother, the Queen you need by your side, this will all work out for the best." She smiles at him and throws me a dirty look, warning me to keep quiet, but of course, I speak "I'm never having kids."

"Florence," Darla - Vuk's mother speaks and I look at her. "I understand that you are overwhelmed, which is why we arranged your first meeting on your wedding day, we are all aware of your flight risk. The Mafia is a Family Business, a Dynasty, so children are nonnegotiable, you have a duty to your family, a duty to your husband and a duty to the Mafia, we must keep the throne in the family lest they steal it from us." She articulates and I look at Vuk, no one is talking to him, because I am the black sheep.

"You are young, not yet thirty, so you have the next couple of years, well, a year, to decide and be ready, but I assure you, Motherhood is the best decision I have ever made." She smiles at me and I look at my Dad, I look at Vuk's Dad, then at my brothers and I pretend.

"Okay."

__

"I wanted a short dress." I frown, staring at myself in the mirror, I am in a long beautiful wedding dress and I wonder if the blood can be washed off it, because I am definitely going to shed some blood.

"Over my dead body. You are my only daughter and this is your wedding, a wonderful day, you will not dress like a harlot, which is why there will be no reception - you go to your husband's house and begin to make a baby." She declares and I stare at her, wondering if she is mentally okay.

"I have four brothers and none of them are married, but here I am, being sold." I state and she stays silent for some moment, before speaking in a soft tone "You have four brothers, a father and me, so, you should know we would not have arranged this if Maxim is not a good person, he will be a good husband to you."

I doubt that, I have heard rumors of the Maxim Romanova, how cruel and ruthless he is, how calculated and cunning, but his men seem to love him and his family worships him. He can be a good husband, but I am not interested in being a good wife.

When the time is right, my father walks me down the aisle, and I stare at my husband, I zone out as the ceremony starts and I go over my plan, I don't have to kill him, I just have to hurt him, which is exactly my plan.

"Do you, Maxim Romanova, take Florence Visconti to be your . . "

"I do." He declares, looking at me and I smile "I do." 

I run my hand over my dress as nonchalantly as I can, and when he is asked to kiss the bride, he hesitates, making me frown as he silently seeks consent, I nod and he pulls me in and places a chaste kiss on my lip, which confuses me the more and almost halters my plan, because of how intoxicating he smells and the warmth of his touch.

"You look pretty good for a bride." He whispers and I narrow my gaze at him, coming to my sense. I pull out the dagger I got years ago and thrust it forcefully in his stomach, his eyes widens as I stab him and he falls to the ground, on one knee before me, shocked and bleeding.

"Florence." Mom gasps and when I look back, I see all of his men pointing a gun at me. Perhaps, I did not think this through.