Chapter Two

While growing up, I had always imagined my dream wedding — A quiet ceremony by the beach, with a guestlist of not more than 30 people and a musical orchestra led by my future husband, an amazing and handsome violinist. I was called delusional but a girl's gotta dream, you know.

But dreams are meant for sleeping. None of that happened.

Instead of a beach, I was being married in a cathedral with a guestlist of over 150 people, those I knew and did not and not to young, handsome violinists but to a wealthy man 45 years older than I was.

I had wanted flowers for the floor but I got bullet casings instead. I had wanted a ring for my wedding but I got a gun in my face.

“Hello again, Adrianna.” A man in a dark three piece suit sauntered to where I sat on the floor and leaned to touch my face. “Remember me?”

My breath got caught in my throat. “Who are you?”

“You really don't remember me?” he leaned near.

That dark hair, deep grey eyes. It was too familiar. No, it couldn't be. This couldn't be the man from Casper’s End. No way.

“Ah, so you do remember,” He flashed me a smirk. “Why wouldn't you? You had a good time last night, didn't you?”

I couldn't speak any longer. Fear gripped my spine and I was paralyzed.

“For the sake of introductions,” the gentleman rose to his feet and stretched his hand to one of the guards. “I will tell you who I am. It's only fair you know who I am since I know all about you, Miss Sylvain.”

I heard a muffled scream followed by an angry huff in Italian.

A woman in a yellow dress stained with dust and blood was dragged out into the streets and shoved to the floor.

“My name is Nicholas Gallagher.” The gentleman said with a smirk.

Gallagher? What did that name ring a bell? Where have I heard it?

He hunkered down to where I sat and caught my chin. “Lucifero…”

“No, no…” I tried to shrivel away from his grip but I couldn't.

“So you know who I am.” He chuckled.

“Help!” I screamed out.

“Shh.” He cupped my face again. “Don't scream. No one can help you. No one can.”

“Please…”

“Bring her here.” Nicholas instructed one of the guards.

“Si, Padre.” One of them said, He grabbed the woman by her hair and dragged her towards us.

“That's enough.” Nicholas waved the guard off.

“Who is she?” I began to sob.

Nicholas grabbed the woman by her hair and she screamed again. When she lifted her face, my blood froze.

“Claire!”

“You know her? What a pleasant surprise.” Nicholas tightened his grip and Claire screamed again. “Say hi to Adrianna, Claire.”

“Let her go, you bastard!” I yelled at him.

As if on autopilot, Nicholas shoved Claire aside. “There, I've done as you ask. Now, let's go.”

“Go? Go where?” I looked at his guards walking towards me. They helped me to my feet and dragged me towards the Black BMV.

“What are you doing? Let me go!”

Nicholas tilted his head and gave me a puzzled look. “But you told me not to let her go and take you instead.”

“That's not what I said!”

“That's what I heard!” Nicholas whipped out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Claire. “Choose : her or me and you better choose wisely, princess. I've got a gun in my hand and I want to use it.”

“What happens if I choose Claire?” I asked.

Nicholas smiled. Then he pointed the gun close to Claire and put his finger or he trigger. “I'll pull this and she goes to meet her maker. Your choice, baby girl.”

“What are you doing this!”

“That's not the answer I want to hear.”

I sobbed as I looked at Claire's weak form on the floor. She didn't deserve this. It was all my fault. If only I hadn't gone to the hotel. If I had stayed, none of this would've happened.

“I'm sorry.” I sobbed quietly.

“Yes?” Nicholas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You!” I screamed. “I choose you so let her go.”

“Now, we're talking. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?” He smiled at me.

The guards began to drag me towards the car again. They pushed me into the backseat and had a bag thrown over my head.

“One more word out of you and you're dead.” came the warning of one of the guards.

I bit down my lower lip to keep my tears at bay but my body didn't stop trembling. I linked my fingers together and prayed silently. God was my only option right now.

I heard the door to the backseat slam shut and I flinched.

“Shh.” A subtle voice told me.

“Claire?” Relief washed all over me when I heard her.

“I'm here.” She said,

“Claire!”

“Shh. Quiet or he'll hear you.” She whispered.

“Who is that man?” I said to her,

“It's Nicholas Gallagher.” she whispered as the car began to move.

“Who is he again?” The same sounded oddly familiar to me. I believe grandfather had mentioned that name before.

“You don't know who he is?” Claire asked in a trembling voice. I could feel her trembling already. She was terrified. Just who was he?

“He’s Lucifero, the devil of Chicago.”

Suddenly, I recalled grandfather's words. He always said one particular thing to scare me whenever I did something wrong. “Live a wayward life and the Devil of Chicago will come for you.”

I shook my head. “No, no, no.”

“Who is he to you, Adrianna? What did you do this time?”

I began to sob. “I thought - - I didn't mean any harm.”

“Adrianna, what did you do? Nicholas Gallagher is a man akin to the devil, a man known to the rest of the world as the King of Underworld.”

It was no secret that Underworld was a criminal organisation but Gallagher was a name that controlled the mafia, the Bratva, the cartel and all other crime groups in Chicago.

Good lord, what did I do?