Grace watched with a small smile on her lips as people danced around, interacting with one another, had she forgotten that ninety percent of the people here were mafia, she would have believed this to be a normal wedding. She looked around the room for her now husband who seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"May I ask the bride for a dance?" Elliot's smug voice brought her attention back. She nodded once standing and linking her hand with Elliots as he led her to the dance floor. "I must admit I was mistaken"
"About what?" Grace asked trying not to let her annoyance show.
"You, my dear waitress." He smiled "I told you that you hadn't done anything worthy of being a queen and then you proved me wrong."
"Can you just get to the point please?" She asked making her annoyance clear a frown etched upon her face.
"You sentenced your own father to death" Elliot almost laughed "the man who beat you, your oppressor," He said rolling the r annoyingly "that is by far the most queenly move you've made thus far."
"It wasn't a power move," Grace said curtly.
"Perhaps not." Elliot smiled "It was however a powerful move"
Grace was silent as they danced, not sure of what to say. No doubt Elliot would do his best to get under her skin "in doing just that waitress, you've gained many more allies than you think"
"What would I need allies for?" She asked
"Well, you're part of the mafia now sweetheart." Elliot looked at her "Your husband is a powerful man, and his enemies just became yours. You'll need allies to survive"
"And I'm assuming you are not my ally?" She looked at him
"My allegiance can be attained in other ways" He smiled "by getting your husband to agree to my casino perhaps" He hinted.
"I won't play this game with you Elliot," Grace said quickly
"Don't be naive, waitress." He said more seriously now "you sold your soul along with the rest of us. You're in this whether you like it or not." He snapped as the song ended. He held Grace tighter, his eyes threatening cold "Some advice, you're in the game now and the alliances you build will determine whether or not you stay in the game. This isn't a business for the weak so I suggest you grow a backbone Grace. This world is harsh and cruel and Victor won't always be around to protect you." His blue eyes looked stone-cold at her before letting her go. Whether it was a threat or a warning Grace wasn't sure all she knew was that part of Elliot was right. She was in this and there was no going back now. She'd been surviving her whole life, everything she did was to ensure her survival and now she had a new set of obstacles to overcome. She had to learn to survive in a world that was far crueler than she'd ever known. She had married the devil; unfortunately for her, the devil doesn't bargain.
"Gracie!" Debbie smiled running up to her "come on, it's time for you to get changed"
"What?" Grace asked confused as she walked towards the restroom Debbie was pulling her to.
"Here" Debbie handed her a bag as she closed the restroom door.
Grace opened the bag taking out the contents which included a matching set of white lace underwear, the kind Grace would see in the windows of a shop in the mall, the kind of underwear she'd never be able to afford. Her cheeks turned pink looking at them before she put them down.
"Put them on" Debbie demanded and started helping Grace out of her wedding gown. Grace looked at the underwear once more hesitantly "Come on Grace, Victor is waiting"
Grace nodded taking off her current underwear before putting on the ones Debbie had given her after her wedding dress had been removed.
"Surly this is not all I'm wearing?" Grace asked dumbfounded
"Obviously not" Debbie smiled as she handed Grace another bag that contained a white cocktail dress. Grace ran her fingers over the lace sweetheart top, the skirt was chiffon like her wedding dress. Grace slipped the dress on quickly. Looking at herself in the mirror.
"I think it's too short," Grace said pulling at the hem which ended mid-thigh.
"It's perfect" Debbie smiled handing her a pair of white pointed heels. "Come on" Debbie smiled. Practically pulling Grace out of the restroom when she was done.
"Where are we going?" She asked as Debbie led her outside where Victor and the rest of the guests waited
"Honeymoon," Victor said as Debbie smiled hugging Grace goodbye. It all happened so fast that Grace's brain struggled to process all of it. Before she knew it they were in the back of the black Mercedes with everyone outside waving goodbye.
Now that Grace and Victor were alone, sort of, her nerves began to increase. She had no idea what to say and as Victor typed away on his phone, Grace glanced down at her left hand. Her oval-cut diamond engagement ring sat nicely above a plain band with diamonds wrapped around it. It was a beautiful wedding Grace had to admit, everything any girl could ever dream of, except she couldn't help the small tinge of sadness that played in her chest, she'd thought that when she did marry someone it would be for love, not safety.
The only time Victor looked up from his phone was when they arrived at the airport. They boarded Victor's private plane, Grace took her seat next to the window as Victor sat down next to her, to her relief Gina wasn't on this plane and at least that was one good thing.
"Victor?" Grace asked after their flight had ascended
"Hmmm?" He responded frowning at his phone.
"Where are we going?" She asked
"Cannes" He responded without a glance her way
"The south of France?" She asked surprised
"Well done tesoro, you know you're geography," He said sarcastically still engulfed in whatever it was that he was doing.
"What are you doing?" She asked curiously
"Working"
"I have a question" She looked at him
"You're full of them tonight" He sighed still typing away at his phone.
"Will you approve Elliot's casino?" She asked surprising him. For the first time since they left the house, he looked at her, raising one of his dark brows at her question.
"That's a peculiar thing to ask. Why?" Victor looked at her putting his phone in his pocket
"I'm curious" Grace answered
"Yes, but not now. I have more important matters to attend to. Elliot can wait." Victor said firmly, his tone the same as when he usually discussed business
"Why does he want it so badly?" Grace wondered
"It will assist in what he does for me."
Victor answered honestly
"What does he do for you?" Grace asked
"It'll take me days to explain the business to you tesoro." Victor sat back "for now, each gang is responsible for something. McCullough imports and exports drugs, another leader Domingo, does the same but with weapons" Victor explained, Grace had met Domingo and his wife Valarie a few days after they'd visited McCullough and his wife Mandy. "Elliot's function is money laundering, he prints new money and then washes it through his whore house"
"It makes sense," Grace said as she let her brain process what Victor just said
"Does it?" He asked
"A casino breeds cash, more so than a whore house I would assume. Elliot takes the cash coming in and swaps it out with the printed money." Grace shrugged it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
"Sí" Victor smiled
"One thing I don't understand" Grace looked at him "What is it that you do?"
"I get to make all of the decisions," He said looking past her out the window "no deal goes down without me knowing about it or setting it up."
"It sounds like a lot of pressure," Grace said leaning back in her seat, of all the jobs in the world, she certainly didn't want Victor's.