His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies by C. Tamika

Chapter 274

Elena

“You look gorgeous, Elena!” My dad gushed as he pulled out his camera and started taking pictures. I took an awkward stance and hid my face in embarrassment.

“Dad, this dress is hideous,” I told him. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me to take it off and to cover myself up? It’s a church wedding.”

“For what?” He laughed. “Who am I to tell you what a woman should and shouldn’t wear? Now smile so I can take a pretty picture.”

My heart grew soft at my dad’s normal behavior, which he hadn’t shown in a while. He took the time to wear a suit and to do his hair and it had been a long time since he looked this decent. “Okay, one picture,” I spoke shyly before I posed for the photo.

“By the way, you’re in a good mood today-are you going on a date?”

“Date? Who, me?” My dad laughed out loud. That’s right, that man wasn’t capable of keeping a woman happy. All I could remember from the time my mom left was that he tried to fill her empty spot many times. Although he never got remarried, there were countless potential candidates-who had all lived here for a while. They were too many to count on one hand.

All of them had backed out because they couldn’t take it anymore. My dad was a control freak and obsessed with his work. He had always been proud of his job as a DEA agent and had not been afraid to show it.

While I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my school peers and do something like ballet or gymnastics, my dad had different plans. He used to take Alex and me to shooting ranges, send us to military youth camps, and all the other stuff I was not interested in.

Alex had no choice but to follow in his footsteps, but the rules for me were different. There was no way in hell that he would’ve pushed me to become an agent, over his dead body. He was traumatized because my mom ran off with a criminal and perhaps even a bit misogynistic, if I had to admit.

from my mom as I broke all contact with Marvin.

in the past, and that was

get him off my mind. Whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was the

your dad’s other half, Stevie Maddens, and he’s the reason for your dad’s odd

have to go now-dad,” I spoke as I grabbed my purse from the table. I was not good at hiding my facial expressions and

was weird, but it was definitel something I could

to take us to

the dress, and it looked as if I fitted right in. I looked fake, but I liked fake. The idea of being something I couldn’t be, made me feel confident-even if it was

opened by Alex, who walked in, wearing a perfectly nice suit. He seemed flustered by my presence and

with the

anger. “Don’t tell me you guys are going to that creepy cartel wedding

that the thought of my dad and my idiot brother putting our lives in danger hadn’t even crossed my mind. Now that I knew

from their side was also getting married today, and the other cartel was planning to get revenge for what happened to that Danny guy. Did that mean

care? The moment Marvin would be erased from this earth-everything would get back to normal. I didn’t have to worry about

the thought of losing Marvin made my heart ache? What

them kill him,” I whispered to myself. Someone like my dad would not let that happen, no. He would do anything to make sure he got out alive, so he could confess to his

Alex nicknamed the man him and refused to say

burden for me at the moment. My dad and Alex shot each