Loveshed: Married to the Mafia

by B. Love

  It was fun, alternating between the two men. But eventually, Trevor and Estella’s feelings for each other began to grow deeper. And while Pamela would have been okay with Trevor leaving her to be with Estella, James wouldn’t hear of it. He promised Estella a life that she would never want to be free of if she chose him, and unfortunately, she did. It didn’t take long for both women to realize they had chosen the wrong men, so keeping up with their arrangement of sleeping with each other was cool.

  But as James grew older, he grew colder. He stopped caring about what either of the women wanted. And it felt like Estella had gotten the short end of the stick. For the most part, Trevor devoted all of his time and attention to Pamela while Estella was stuck with James. Lately, though, Pamela sensed a shift within them both. Trevor was a lot more secretive, and Estella was a lot more distant. Always looking and acting guilty when they were around.

  If Pamela didn’t know any better, she would have sworn they were considering being together, but she knew neither of them would consider crossing James in that manner. After inhaling a long, shaky breath, Pamela opened the letter.

  Pammy,

  I couldn’t pull myself to say this to you face to face. Not right now anyway. Still, you deserve to be the first to know. Well, second. I’ve already shared this information with Duke, but that was only for safety precautions. Estella and I have decided to finally be together. We are going to start our own family business and allow anyone who wants to leave James to come along.

  In order for us to really be together, you and I would have to divorce. This is best for all three of us. Though I know you believe that I treat you good, I’m not in love with you because I’ve always been in love with Estella. It was stupid of me to believe love didn’t mean anything, especially not as much as loyalty. Because of me and James’ horrible upbringing, we promised that we would always be there for each other and never let anything come between us.

  Love had shown us both its ugliest sides in our younger years, and we vowed to never let it make us weak. To never be a need. So even though I loved Estella, I chose to not honor that love for all the wrong stupid reasons.

  You’re an amazing woman, tainted by two horribly selfish men. Men who honestly don’t even deserve you. Either of you. So now, I want to release you. So you can find someone to give you the healthy love you need. If you want to remain married to me, let me know, and I will honor your wishes as always. But I hope you see this for what it really is – your way to freedom.

  Yours,

  Trevor

  Pamela scoffed as the letter dropped from her hand, wishing she would have read it sooner so that it could have been cremated right along with Trevor. Here she was feeling guilty over not having read the letter before he died, and now, she was glad that she hadn’t. As angry as she wanted to be with him, she knew his choice had come from a place of love and care, for both her and Estella. And he was right, she did deserve to be free and loved by a man who could love her unconditionally.

  Chapter 9

  It was the first time Estella had really given James the time of day since Trevor was murdered. Truth – a part of her held James responsible for Trevor’s death. Trevor never went to the hideaway spot unless he was with James, so if anyone was looking for him, they wouldn’t have thought to look there. James frequented the hideaway spot most. And she always couldn’t shake how the mans shoulders fell when he saw that it was Trevor lying on the floor.

  He literally looked as if he had shot the wrong person, or he didn’t want to shoot Trevor to begin with.

  Either one was a possibility, and until she knew which one it was, Estella had no desire to talk to James about anything.

  That wasn’t going to be possible now, though.

  He’d been gracious enough to give her space and let her sleep in a different room. Today, his patience had run out, and he was demanding an explanation. A part of Estella wanted to continue to ignore him, but since she’d had a heart to heart with Pamela moments earlier, she figured it was best to have one with James as well.

  When Pamela first called and told Estella she knew Trevor intended to divorce her, she expected Pamela to go off on her. Pamela expressed her disappointment but her understanding as well. And she apologized to Estella for having Trevor for as long as she did. Though Trevor was sweet and caring, both men mishandled and devalued Estella and Pamela. And since they couldn’t trust the men to value and do right by them, they should have had the courage to leave. Estella agreed, but that did nothing to change her love for Trevor or desire to have him back.

  The first time he asked, Estella remained silent. But the second time James asked, “Why were you at the hideaway spot with him, E?” she answered.

  “I was with Trevor… because I love him.” James’ head whipped in her direction as she chuckled bitterly. “Loved him. And we were tired of hiding it. We were talking about how the both of us would go about getting a divorce.”

  James exhaled as he shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “We said no love,” he gritted quietly.

  “I only agreed to that because that was the only way you would be okay with me being with him, James. You were the one who wanted an open marriage – I never did. But since Trevor was an option to me, I agreed.”

  Scratching underneath his chin, James slowly made his way over to the bed. Gripping the edges of it, Estella tightened her body just in case he tried to pull her from it. They were no stranger to domestic abuse. That was partly why their children couldn’t stand him. But after Estella shot him in the leg to get away a few years ago… James expressed his anger in other ways.

  He sat next to her and put his hand on top of her thigh.

  “It’s okay if you don’t love me. As long as you continue to live in a way that honors and respects me, I’m okay with that. But you know, better than anyone, that there is no getting out of the Salzano family. You will be my wife until you die, and even then, it will be my last name that’s on your grave.” James stood and looked down at her when he added, “Let that be the last time we ever have this conversation.”

  She waited until he left her room to grab a pillow, go into her closet, and scream. The tears that left her eyes weren’t sad tears; they were angry tears. And she wasn’t just mad at Trevor, she was mad at God for allowing someone to take him from her, too.

  “Why did you leave me here with him, Trevor?” she whispered, sliding down the wall and pulling her knees and the pillow up to her chest as she cried. Life with James had been bearable because of Trevor. Now that he was gone… she had no idea how she would survive.

  Chapter 10

  As Cassius loosened his tie, Treasure made her way behind him. Her hands began to massage his shoulders. Lips kissed his neck. Back on his bullshit, Cassius had no time for feelings. He knew leaning on her during his time of need would come back to bite him in the ass, and he was paying for that now. While he still liked and desired Treasure, a relationship wasn’t his priority; business was.

  And the last thing he needed was for a woman to be checking his every move.

  Now that Trevor was gone and he was the official second in command, his free time would be limited. If he was going to keep the family safe and secure, there would be no room for distractions – not even one as beautiful as Treasure.

  Cassius casually removed himself from her grasp and slowly walked to his closet. For whatever reason, James asked to meet with him and Kameron immediately after the repass. Any other time he would have told his inconsiderate ass to wait, but that wasn’t an option anymore.

  “Are you okay?” Treasure asked softly, making small steps behind him. “I mean… I know you’re not okay… but you seem a bit more distant than you were when we first left. Did I do something wrong?”

  Her concern… the fact that she was worried because of his detachment instead of angry… only made Cassius desire her more. But at this point… it was in her best interest if he left her alone altogether. They still had n
o idea who murdered Trevor or snitched on Eira and gave word to the DEA about their shipment. Too many things were happening right now for him to be worrying about a relationship or the safety of another person.

  “I’m good, Treasure. When you heading out? I need to meet with Rock about some business.”

  “Oh. I was going to stay here just in case you needed me, but if you want me to leave I can.”

  Of course he didn’t want her to, but he needed her to. And that need had his heart burning as he removed his suit and tossed it into his dirty clothes hamper.

  “Yea. I’m straight now that the funeral is over, so you can go ahead and head out.”

  There was silence. And stillness. So much silence and stillness that Cassius stopped moving to listen for any from Treasure. He heard her release a shaky breath, and the thought of her fighting to maintain her composure made him feel even more like an asshole. The only thing that kept him from rushing out, apologizing, and pulling her into his arms was the repetition inside his mind that this was for the best.

  “Okay. I guess just… call me if you need me.”

  “I won’t, but thanks.”

  Cassius wanted her to call him an asshole. To get angry and lash out. To give him a reason to convince himself that cutting her off was a good move. He prayed his gaslighting would send her into a spiral of emotions that would make her crazy… even though it was his words and actions that drove her there.

  But that wasn’t Treasure. She had too much grace and class to act in such a way. And she would handle him with mercy more than anything, because that’s the kind of heart she had. He heard her footsteps nearing the closet, so Cassius busied himself with removing his undershirt.

  She stood at the opening of the closet but didn’t step inside. “I know you’re hurting right now, and I know you’re focused on the business. And for whatever reason, that has you wanting to push me away. I’ll move around gracefully but what I won’t do is wait for you to realize you’ve made a mistake.”

  As she made her way over to him, Cassius closed his eyes and tightened his grip on his shirt. Treasure placed a kiss to his cheek that would have softened the concrete around any man’s heart.

  “Take care of yourself, Cash, and don’t let this position turn you into your father.”

  Her last statement felt like his heart had been ripped apart with a machete. Even worse, she was right. That was exactly what it would do.

  Brushing that truth, that premonition, away, Cassius continued to undress and redress in jeans and a t-shirt. When he was done, he called Kameron to confirm that he would be able to meet with James. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d try to send one to his jaw if Treasure came home sad or crying over him, and he would take it because he deserved it, but that would be all he gave Kameron if he tried to protect his sister’s honor.

  The entire time Cassius drove to the warehouse on Main St., his mother kept popping into his mind. Her pain over losing Trevor was hard to ignore. It made him want to both feel a love so deep and steer clear of it at the same time. But without Treasure… love for Cassius now seemed impossible.

  It took him about fifteen minutes to get to the warehouse on the expressway, and on his way, he got a call from Kameron letting him know he’d be late because something was wrong with Treasure. She may not have planned to go into detail about what was bothering her, but there would be no way for her to hide her ill feelings from her brother even if she tried.

  Since Cassius was the first to arrive, he decided to see what exactly James wanted to discuss that he couldn’t talk to him about around the family.

  “This couldn’t wait?” he asked, shaking James’ hand.

  “Business don’t stop for nothing; you know that, Cash.”

  They sat across from each other at the square table, where there were two additional seats. Already, Cassius couldn’t wait for Kameron to arrive so he could get the fuck out of there. Before Cassius was old enough to form an opinion about his father, he idolized him. Maybe it was because James was around so little that when he did come home Cassius was simply happy to see him.

  That changed when he turned five and he began to pick up on the kind of man his father really was. Between the abuse, cheating, and disrespect of his mother… Cassius immediately began to despise his father. Once he started to be loved and nurtured by a real man, Trevor, he began to like his father even less. And when James got out of jail, he made it clear that it was no longer his responsibility to love and care for his children… and that was the final straw for both Cassius and Diem.

  It was only out of loyalty and Estella and Trevor’s wishes that Cassius had anything to do with his father at this point, otherwise he would have cut him off completely.

  “What is this about, Rock?”

  James chuckled as he slumped down in his seat and tilted his head. “He dead and you still can’t call me daddy? Pops? Nothing?”

  Cassius thought over his father’s question and all possible outcomes of what would happen before saying, “You ain’t been a father to me, so why would I call you any of that shit?”

  James had gained the name Rock in the streets because that’s what he first started selling; rocks of cocaine, but his children began to call him that because his heart was as hard as stone.

  “Trevor was more of a father to me than you ever was. All you did was provide the sperm to get me here; that nigga was my Pops.”

  James lifted out of his seat and flipped the table over, and if it was anyone else, they may have cowered in fear. All Cassius did was remain in his seat as James stalked over to him.

  “If it wasn’t for your mama, I would kill you right now for talking to me like that.”

  Cassius released a quiet chuckle as he stood and looked James scare in the eyes.

  “If it wasn’t for my mama, I would’ve been murked your ass. Get the fuck out my face with this bullshit, Rock, before I show you why you called me your beast.”

  Like two wolves not willing to submit and lose control, they stared at each other until James sucked his teeth and walked away.

  The door opened, and Cassius literally felt the thick tension that was brewing between him and James leave the room as Kameron entered. He could already tell that working alongside his father in this capacity was not going to work. Cassius could barely stand to be in the same room with him for more than thirty minutes unless someone else was there to keep them from having to consistently engage with each other. How in the fuck were they going to run this business together?

  And to think, he pushed Treasure to the side after pining for her for years to deal with this shit.

  That thought pissed him off even further, and he had to silently thank God for giving him the mind to leave his pistol in the car, otherwise he would have taken it out and beat the fuck out of James with it.

  “What you do to my sister?” Kameron asked, not even acknowledging James.

  Cassius looked over at him briefly before returning his eyes to James. “Released her. You welcome.”

  James picked the table back up and sat down, but Cassius didn’t bother. As far as he was concerned, this meeting wouldn’t last too long. He made the mental note to thank Treasure for not going into detail about what happened and salvaging his friendship with Kameron.

  “I ‘preciate that but let this be the last time she come home after leaving you with puffy eyes and a fucked up attitude. She was fine when she left the repass so I know that shit was you.” Not even bothering to give Cassius time to reply, even though he didn’t plan to anyway, Kameron extended his hand for James to shake before sitting down.

  Still standing, Cassius listened as James explained why he asked them both to be there. Since Eira was still locked up, James wanted to plan for the future. There was only so much that he could get accomplished financially through Sienna on Eira’s behalf. Sienna was cool, but no one trusted her to take Eira’s place. Kameron, on the other hand, was different.

  His reputation with Cassi
us had preceded him. James liked the way he handled his business and wanted to know how they felt about Kameron handling the money for the family business as well.

  Cassius was cool with it. Even though he didn’t want Kameron any closer than he was to his father, he would never stop the next man’s cash flow. Kameron asked for twenty-four hours to think it over and their meeting was done. As Cassius left the warehouse, he had to stop himself from trailing Kameron home to see Treasure.

  He missed her already, and the decision to focus on the business instead of his personal life was already beginning to feel like a terrible mistake.

  Chapter 11

  Deacon told her to call when she was sure. Tonight, Diem was sure. Not because she was so interested in getting to know him, though she was, but because she needed something to get her mind off Trevor. Sending him off made his death real, and it was all-consuming at this point. Since they didn’t know much about each other, they agreed to meet up for drinks and possibly dinner depending on where the night took them.

  To be honest, Diem was in the mood for a quick fuck.

  A hard, rough, deep fuck.

  One that would make her forget everything else in the world but the feel of a long dick ramming her pussy from behind.

  But there was something about Deacon that told her he wasn’t the one-night stand type. Then again, what man wouldn’t take advantage of bedding her? Diem wasn’t cocky, but she was confident and fully aware of her worth. Deacon should count it a privilege that he was considered and a blessing if he was able to even get a whiff of her pussy.

  Just the thought of the prize between her thighs had Diem smirking as she entered the bar. Deacon was hard to miss, seeing as he was the finest nigga in the room. It was March, which meant it wasn’t hot enough to sweat but it wasn’t too cold you couldn’t get away with wearing just a t-shirt. And Deacon had chosen to dress casually in a white t-shirt that stretched against his milk chocolate frame beautifully.