His Tesoro: An Arranged Marriage Age Gap Mafia Romance (Empire of Royals Book 1)
His Tesoro: Chapter 5

I pulled out my phone the second I was in the car, mindlessly scrolling through messages to distract myself from my new wife beside me. I had no idea what had come over me when she smiled at Angelo. All I knew was that I hated it. I’d assigned him to be Sofiya’s guard, but now I was second-guessing my choice.

She’d done a good job getting in the car herself, but my fingers had itched with the urge to pick her up. I clenched my fist. I couldn’t let her get in my head. I wouldn’t let her be a distraction. My loyalty was to the Mafia, my men, and Sienna. That was it.

“I have a work call I need to take on the plane,” I said, cutting through the silence as I continued staring at my phone.

“Oh, okay,” Sofiya said, her voice soft.

I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over. Her hands twisted in the white skirt of her dress. She looked so young, so fucking innocent. She wasn’t what I would expect from someone raised in the Bratva. Romeo’s words about Rustik sheltering his daughters came back to me. Did she know anything about my world?

“So make sure not to disturb me,” I added, jaw clenched.

Sofiya swallowed, her eyes wide as she nodded before quickly looking away.

I felt a strange twinging in my chest.

Every muscle in my body was tense for the rest of the interminable ride to the airport. The moment we came to a stop outside my private jet, I was out the door, needing to create as much distance between Sofiya and me as possible.

I buttoned my suit jacket and turned towards the plane, eyeing the metal stairs leading up to the door. As Angelo lifted Sofiya’s wheelchair from the back of the car, it hit me—how did people in wheelchairs get on planes? I’d never given it a moment’s thought until now.

I signaled Enzo, one of my top guards. “Check with the airline staff to see how to get her on the plane,” I commanded, voice low.

I ran my hand through my hair as Romeo joined me. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

“Rustik kept some secrets.”

“Would it have changed your decision?”

I knew what he was asking—would I have rejected this match if I had known she was in a wheelchair? As Don, I knew that any sign of weakness would be exploited. Having a wife already made me vulnerable—my enemies would certainly try to use her to get to me—but having one who was so visibly defective? I grimaced. The word felt wrong in my mind as Sofiya rounded the car, stopping when she was beside me. She tilted her face to meet my gaze, her plump red lips mesmerizing me. Wheelchair or not, she was perfection.

We stared at each other in silence, a slight blush darkening on her cheeks as the seconds ticked by.

Enzo re-joined us. “Boss,” he said, glancing at Sofiya. “The crew said there is a wheelchair ramp, but because we didn’t notify them, it could be up to an hour before it’s available.”

“That’s unacceptable. Tell them to get it here faster.”

Enzo grimaced. “I tried, Boss.”

I closed my eyes, breathing through the rage. This was why I didn’t like to leave New York. Everyone in the city knew who I was and who they were dealing with, which wasn’t always the case elsewhere.

“How do you usually get on planes?” I asked Sofiya.

She looked startled. “I’ve never been on a plane. But I guess I could, um, scoot up the stairs.”

I glared at her, utterly confused at what her life had been. How had she never traveled before?

“I don’t have time for this. I’ll carry you up the stairs and then we can fucking get out of here.”

Sofiya fidgeted with the skirt of her dress again. “Oh, well, it’s not super safe to be carried…” She trailed off as she took in my expression.

“I’m not going to drop you,” I gritted out. “Come on.”

I strode to the plane stairs, not looking behind to see if she was following. She would if she knew what was good for her.

Romeo kept pace with me. We reached the bottom of the steps and turned. Sofiya was making her way towards me, every push of the wheelchair slow and awkward. Angelo walked beside her, leaning down slightly to speak. She laughed at whatever he said, and my jaw clenched.

“You still married her.” There was something in Romeo’s expression—a knowing in his smile—that put me on edge.

“What was I supposed to do? You were the one who said we needed this alliance.”

“We do.” Romeo shrugged.

We watched Sofiya and Angelo approach in silence. Did he have to walk so close to her? And what the fuck could possibly be so funny to make Sofiya smile so much?

“I can carry her onto the plane,” Romeo said.

I whirled to face him, something hot burning inside me.

He laughed, clasping my shoulder before heading up the stairs. “I’ll check with the pilot to make sure we’re set for takeoff.”

“Finally,” I said when Sofiya stopped in front of me. I eyed her, trying to figure out the best way to lift her. “Put your arm around my neck.” I managed to get one arm around her back and the other underneath her legs. Angelo had to help when the many layers of her dress got in the way, but then she was in my arms with a little squeak.

Her dress made holding her a bit cumbersome, but something about the feel of her loosened the knot of tension in my chest. She clutched tightly at my neck and shoulder as I headed up the steps. The warmth of her skin pressed against mine, and the wind brushed her hair across my face.

“Not quite the traditional way to carry the bride over a threshold,” Sofiya quipped as we entered the plane.

I placed her in a seat and fixed her with a stern expression. “This marriage is an alliance between our families. Nothing more. You are not my bride. I expect you to behave in a manner befitting your position, but do not expect a real marriage from me. Understand?”

Hurt flashed across Sofiya’s face, her expressive eyes giving away everything she was feeling. Doubt filled me again about how she could possibly survive this life. The criminal underworld would chew her up and spit her out.

“Okay,” she said softly. “Are we… I mean… Will we live together?”

I cleared my throat and adjusted my cufflinks. “Of course. We will present a strong marriage to the outside world. In private, we will have separate lives.” I forced myself to turn away and took a seat across the aisle from her.

Romeo sprawled in the seat beside me, still wearing a sly smile that set me on edge, and Angelo sat down next to Sofiya, crowding her against the window.

“Are you nervous?” I overheard him say.

“A little,” Sofiya responded. “It’s safe, right?” She covered her cheeks with her hands. “Sorry, that’s a stupid question.”

“It’s perfectly safe, bella. The flight’s just over two hours, so not very long.”

I huffed and pulled my phone back out, randomly scrolling through my messages. “Is everything prepared for this meeting?” I asked Romeo.

“This incredibly non-urgent meeting with an arms supplier that I could go to without you, or that we could reschedule? Yeah, I think we’re all set,” he said dryly.

I scowled. “Now is not the time to sit back and relax. The Albanians are pushing in. We need to be on alert.”

“Whatever you say,” Romeo said, sitting back in his seat and closing his eyes.

I resisted the urge to shoot him. He was being way too fucking smug, and I wasn’t even sure about what. But I didn’t like it.

The flight attendant returned to inform us we were ready to take off. Her red dress was low-cut, showing off her large tits, and the indecent skirt left her long, tan legs on display. I’d fucked her in the bedroom at the back of the plane last month, and the hungry way she was looking at me told me she wanted a repeat experience. But now I couldn’t remember what I’d found attractive about her.

The plane started moving, and I had to force my eyes to remain on my phone instead of letting them drift to my new wife.

“Pull all her medical records, anything you can replace about her,” I said quietly to Romeo. “I want to know everything about her and this fucking family. Rustik may have proposed this alliance, but giving us this daughter was a slight. He wants the upper hand and I won’t fucking let him get it.”

He nodded, pulling out his phone. For as much as Romeo annoyed me, there was no one I trusted more.

As the plane lifted off the ground, Sofiya let out a little gasp. I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at her. She gripped the armrests as she stared out the window, her lips parted. The evening sunlight hit the window, bouncing off her golden hair and making her look like an angel.

If she was an angel, I was the devil. And we would never belong together.

Once we were in the air, I headed to the back to make some work calls.