by Melony Ann
“I had never been so scared in my life. I saw dad laying on the ground. The gunfire didn’t scare me. The blood. The guys on the ground…” I shake my head as I trail off. “None of that scared me. What scared me is the most invincible man I’ve ever met was bleeding out on the ground. My worst fear had come true. Someone close to me being hurt.” I look down at my hands. “I wanted to tear them all apart. If Ryan hadn’t kicked us out, I would have. I would’ve crossed into that darkness you talked about without a second thought.”
“That’s why you started your business. Right out of college just like you wanted.”
I laugh. “I’m still not out from under the mafia thumb. All of my business is contacts of dad’s. All smaller mafias. I still have dirty money keeping my company afloat.”
“You’ve only been up a few months. You’ll get the business. Give it time. You have one or two other clients, don’t you?”
I shrug. “A couple.”
“You’re taking off, Jas. Dad’s doing well. He’s almost completely recovered. Mom’s coming back to herself after nearly losing her husband, and her kids. Ryan worked some voodoo with Lucinio Mafia so they aren’t coming after us.”
“Still don’t know what that deal was.”
“As long as it keeps us safe, I’m happy with it.”
“I’m glad Mia is doing well. I can’t quite believe Ryan and the Commissioner have become so damn close.”
“Ryan is going to take this mafia to places we’ve never seen before.”
I smile as I stand. Nick follows, and we leave the office. I look around the house as Nick and I leave. We lock up everything behind us and get in our cars, heading to a property I really want to buy. I pull out of the driveway, and Nick follows. I put the top down on my Corvette and crank up the stereo.
Ryan isn’t only going to take this mafia far. He’s going to take this family to places none of us have ever dreamed. He’s going to build a legacy for himself that no one will ever meet or surpass. I can’t wait to go along for the ride. And what a hell of a ride it’s going to be.
The End
Next in The Crane Family Series
The dark and sexy Crane Family Series continues with Sweet Lies.
When your mafia boss father becomes obsessed with your sexy, beautiful girlfriend, complications are bound to arise.
I never saw Jessa coming, but sitting next to her in class was the best thing that ever happened to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about her when I went home that night. Her wide, innocent eyes haunted my dreams, and I couldn’t stop thinking about my lips on hers. I knew she was made for me.
Despite my billions and unlimited resources to keep her hidden from my family, my father set his sights on my girl. I discovered real quick just how far I would go to be her fiercest defender.
To protect her, I would have to unleash a darkness that I fought so hard to keep hidden deep within or leave. I only hope she can forgive me one day.
Order Sweet Lies Today!
The Crane Family Series
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Sweet Lies: The Prequel
Billion Dollar Love Story
Sneak Peek into Sweet Lies
Chapter One - Alex
This. This is what I need. A break from the bullshit that is my family. The constant missions. Training. The dinner table talk of how perfect I am and how I’m developing into the best leader my family has ever seen.
I don’t even want it. I’ve never wanted it. I grew up in it. I was forced into my role, but I never wanted it. I never wanted to lead a fucking mafia. No matter how powerful it would make me. How much money I’d have. The women I’d have dropping at my feet.
There is a dark side to the life I grew up in. A sinister side. You couldn’t have feelings. You couldn’t show mercy or feel remorse. Because when you’re forced to kill, like I am on a damn near daily fucking basis, feelings will destroy you.
I’m only nineteen years old and every damn day, I’m forced to do more and more illegal things. Run drugs. Guns. Kill those who double cross me. Those who think they can hold out drug money or weapons deal money. I have so many aliases to stay out of trouble, I don’t even know who the hell I am anymore.
That’s why I’m here. Breathing in the freshly cut grass on the University of Southern California - Los Angeles’s campus. UCLA is my escape. My way out. I agreed with my dad, Matthew Lucinio, leader of one of the most powerful leaders of one of the most powerful mafias in the world, that I would major in business as long as he limited his insatiable need to make me into him. No more missions. No more fucking training. Let me concentrate on building my own life.
He hated every fucking second, but I didn’t give a single solitary shit. He wanted me to take over the mafia so badly, he’d agree to anything so long as he had some hope that I’d do it if he agreed to my terms.
Little did he know that I had no intention of taking over. He was grooming the wrong twin. My twin brother, Josh, is the one who wants the reigns. But our idiot of a father refuses to listen to us. So I decided to force his hand. Now he had to take Josh seriously. He’s the one who knows the operations inside and out. And he’s just as good, if not better, than me in missions and training. If I let myself admit to that anyway.
The more I think about it, the more pissed off I become. So I force myself to calm down as I take in my new home.
UCLA. A new beginning. A new turn at life on my own terms and not those of my family.
I take a deep breath and head to my first class of the day. Even though my major is business, I’m still required to take generals. English 101. Whatever the hell that is.
A few minutes later, I walk into a giant lecture hall and stare in complete awe for a moment before I regain my composure. There has to be at least a hundred people in this room. I scan the room for an empty seat and find one near the back. I glance at the clock and realize that I’m close to being late. I don’t want to get screamed at by the old guy behind the desk.
Not that I am intimidated. I don’t get intimidated by anyone. I just prefer to make a good impression, and this guy already looks like he’s having a tough day. Even though it’s just begun. His hair is disheveled and he looks tired. I hurry to the empty seat and sit.
Sitting next to me is a gorgeous girl with dark brown hair. She’s small, but incredibly defined. She has her eyes closed and is breathing out through her nose. I can’t help but smile a little. She’s obviously not capable of hiding her emotions. I can tell she’s nervous as fuck.
I feel this ridiculous overwhelming sense to comfort her in some small way, though. I mentally kick myself and focus my attention forward. Anywhere but her.
“You smell really good.”
I stop with my coffee cup halfway to my lips. Her voice sends shivers all throughout my body. I turn my head to her. “What?”
Her eyes fly open and she covers her mouth as she whips her head around towards me. “I didn’t say that outloud. Did I say that out loud?”
Her eyes are a deep blue. I could drown in them if I let myself. Which I absolutely fucking will not. Instead, I give her a cocky smile. “You did say that out loud.”
She looks mortified and, for a flicker of a moment, I feel the need to reach out and touch her hair. I choke the need down and keep my cocky facade in place.
My goal here is not to get involved with anyone. I intend to learn. To grow. Better myself. Women, though I do enjoy them, aren’t part of my plan here. Especially women who have the power to make me catch feelings. No way. I’ll use one to satisfy an itch. If they catch feelings? Not my problem. No way this girl could satisfy me. I’d crave more and more of her.
“I’m so sorry! Sometimes I just blurt things out. My mother used to tell me that if I didn’t start thinking about what I say before I say it, I’d be alone and miserable forever.” She bites her lip and looks down at her hands. She’s playing with her nails, but I can’t take my eyes away from her lips. Her very, very kissable lips. My blood r
ushes straight to my head, and not the one it should be.
I clear my throat, drop my hands and coffee cup to my lap to cover my growing hard on, and tear my eyes away from her as I face forward. The old guy is getting up and I assume class is about to start.
Good. I need a distraction. A distraction from her infectious smile, gorgeous blue eyes, and perfect fucking tits that are standing up at attention in her tight tank top.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s just that I get kind of nervous in settings like this. My heart races and I have to breathe deeply. I’ve been here for ten minutes and breathing deeply isn’t working. I mean, it wasn’t. Until you sat down. For some reason your scent just instantly calmed me. It was really weird. That’s never happened before. And oh my God. I’m babbling. I promise I’ll shut up now.”
I smile once more as I glance at her. She’s facing forward now, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. A bottom lip I’d love to run my tongue across. This is not good. I need to find somewhere else to sit. “Really. Don’t worry. I don’t mind. I’m flattered.”
She looks at me in surprise. “Really? Pretty sure most guys would have fled and found someone less annoying to sit next to.”
“I don’t think you’re annoying.”
She smiles widely at me and I force myself to once again focus on the instructor as he begins speaking.
I’m not annoyed at all. I should be. Maybe it would help me get myself in check. “You smell like coconut.” I keep my voice low as I lean into her.
I tried not to say a damn word or lean into her at all. But I couldn’t stop the words from flying out of my mouth or my body from touching her. It was like they both had a mind of their own.
I turn my head towards her and catch the smell of her hair. Definitely coconut. I never cared what a woman’s hair smelled like before, but everything about her is intoxicating. I grab a strand and she inhales sharply as she closes her eyes and leans in to my touch.
I smile and force myself to let go as I focus on the lesson. I can’t sit next to her again. She’s going to break me.
“Do you like coconut?”
I take a quick glance in her direction before facing forward again. “I didn’t until today.”
I can see her smile out of the corner of my eye.
Nope. Definitely making a point to sit next to anyone else from now on.
Chapter Two - Jessa
For the first time since deciding to go to a huge college, I feel relaxed. I feel okay in my decision. Making the decision to come to UCLA was a decision that took months of agonizing and fighting with myself about. I spent many sleepless nights thinking. Overthinking. And then thinking more. I wasn’t far away from my parents. Campus was only twenty minutes from home. But I had never been good with change. I’m eighteen now. An adult. And I still hate change like a young kid.
UCLA required new students to live on campus during their first year. I was not lucky enough to get a room by myself. I had a roommate who I already didn’t like. She seemed like a horrible person. And she was so very obviously boy obsessed. She’d been at a party until just an hour ago when she came crashing in like an ape to our dorm room. At least we had our own rooms.
I sigh as I look at my phone and shut off my alarm. I know I am smiling and my face is flushed and hot. I grab my shower caddy and a towel and make my way to the bathroom as my mind drifts to the incredible deep blue eyes of the guy from my class yesterday.
I couldn’t get him out of my head. I could drown in his eyes. Lose myself in his fresh scent. He smells like everything I think calm would be. A smell completely unique to him and impossible to describe. He’s tall and muscular. He towers over me and is so well-defined, but didn’t come across as intimidating or scary.
I finish my shower and head back to my room to get ready for the day. It’s still blissfully dark and quiet, now that my bitch roommate is sleeping.
I open my laptop to quickly print off the syllabus for today’s classes. My entire first year is generals and prerequisites to the good classes. My major is project management. It’s a step down from architecture. I get to do nearly everything except all of the crazy math and to scale models. I hate math and scales. But I love drawing. I love coming up with ideas and drawing them on paper and then allowing an architect to bring my ideas to life.
I’ve never wanted to do anything else. My dad is an architect and would love nothing more than for me to become one, too, and take over his business. But I didn’t want to. He had learned to respect that. Especially when he noticed my detailed drawings at such a young age. The older I got, the better I got at it.
After finishing getting dressed, I grab my things for the day and head out. I hurry across the campus, enjoying the fact that it’s not busy. Most people look like zombies as they make their way to their first class. I may be the only one wide awake and carrying a nice turtle mocha in my hand. I love that there is a coffee shop right in my dorm building.
“It probably isn’t a wise idea for a girl like you to be walking around campus by herself.” The deep voice I haven’t been able to get out of my head reverberates through my soul and I lose grip on my coffee. The owner of the voice that fills my dreams catches it with lightning-fast reflexes. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
I can’t speak. I can only stare up at him as I lose myself in his eyes. His beautiful, sexy, deep, blue as the ocean eyes.
He smiles a cocky half-smile as he holds my cup out to me. “See something you like?”
I shake my head to snap myself out of my reverie. He’s gorgeous. Way too gorgeous to be interested in someone like me.
“Uh… sorry…. I guess… I was lost in my own head.” I take the cup and hold it up to my face to try and hide my blush as I turn and begin to start walking again. He falls into step beside me.
“So yesterday. In English. I never got the chance to introduce myself. I’m Alex Lang.”
“Oh…. Yeah, um… I’m Jessa. Holloway.” I don’t have any idea how the words are coming out, but I can hear how shaky they are.
“Nice to put a name to the beautiful face.”
I look up at him in shock. “What?”
He smiles and looks down at the ground. “That was probably forward. I figured you’d be okay with it, though, since the first thing out of your mouth when I sat down was about how good I smell.”
I feel myself turning shades of red I am positive have no name yet. I’m pretty sure I’ve just invented them. “Sorry about that.”
He shrugs as he looks back up. “Don’t be.”
We reach my building and I sigh. “This is me.”
Alex looks up. “Yeah? What class do you have?”
“U.S. Government. With Professor Dukes.”
“No shit? Me, too.”
I allow myself a grin before I become suddenly shy again. Leave it to Alex to notice.
“What just happened?” His voice. It’s so deep. So powerful yet gentle and soothing enough to ease my nerves.
“Nothing. It’s just…” I pause and then shake my head.
“Just what?”
“I can’t find the words without sounding like a complete lovesick fool.” I put my hand over my mouth. Seriously. I have got to get this babbling and blurting things out without thinking thing under control. Alex smiles. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
He gestures to the building and we walk to class, finding a seat near the back. The lights in the room are still off, but there’s enough light coming in from the windows to make it light enough to see.
Alex sits next to me and drops his backpack on the ground. After a moment of silence, he sighs heavily and turns to me. I smile shyly at him. “What?”
“I had every intention of making sure I sit as far away from you as possible.” He catches a strand of my hair between his fingers and my heart catches in my throat as I frown. I knew a guy like him could never see anything in a girl like me.
“Sorry.” I can’t loo
k at him so I look down at my lap. He twists the strand of hair around his finger and tugs.
“I came here with the intention of sticking to my studies and staying away from women. But something about you….” I look up at him, unsure where he’s going with this. “I’ve never not been able to stop thinking about a woman before. But yesterday you were all that was on my mind. This morning when I woke up, all I could think about was you.”
I smile softly and lower my eyes, looking at him through my lashes. “Me, too.”
He lets go of my hair and I hear him exhale. Like he’s relieved. My heart spikes again as he rests his leg comfortably against mine. It feels so natural that all I can do is revel in the feeling.
Throughout class, Alex finds small ways to touch me or lean into me. He smiles discreetly at me when he catches me glancing at him. Near the end of class, I’m fighting from taking his hand and never letting go. I don’t have any idea what the professor has even talked about for most of class because all I can think about is Alex’s hands, or legs, or arms. Every time he touches me, it’s like electricity shoots through my entire body.
“Now onto this project that many of you expressed excitement about. I warn you. It will not be easy.”
I perk up at his words and am suddenly all ears. After reading the syllabus, this project sounds so exciting. I have already come up with ideas.
“You will choose one person to work with. You must create an entire city and a government. And the class must vote for the best city. Whichever team wins will get an extra twenty points added to their final exam.”
I am nearly vibrating with excitement as the professor continues. “Pick your partners. I want names before you leave. Which is right now.”
