Beautifully Mine

by Tara Lee

  Ethan is my family. I will do whatever it takes to protect him.

  His dark chuckle makes my blood boil. The fucker is toying with me.

  “He’s no threat.” The way Jacob stares ahead, giving nothing away, it’s the reason he’s the best fucking man I have.

  Secrets are what keep him as deadly as he is.

  “So, do pray tell.”

  Jacob smirks, the cocky bastard.

  “In time, capo, in time.”

  I know he has his reasons for keeping me in the dark; maybe it feels like it isn't but Jacob doesn’t do anything for the hell of it.

  He is a man of mystery, but he always has a plan.

  “You’re a coy bastard, that's for sure.”

  “Would you have me any other way?”

  “I suppose not.”

  Jacob stands, ready to leave, but then at the last minute he swings around.

  “Oh, by the way, you have a sister.”

  I clench my jaw so hard I almost feel my teeth crack.

  “Why not lead with that, fucker.”

  “Because I knew this would be your reaction and anything else I had to tell you would be lost.”

  “We need to—.”

  Holding up his hands, he stops me.

  “Already on it, boss. Trust me, she’ll be safe.”

  Fuck if I know what that means. That is my sister. She’s my responsibility.

  “Name’s Savannah. She’s eighteen, guarded, and never been outside those fucking walls.”

  He hands me a photo he had taken; how he got it when she was guarded heavier than the fucking Queen I don’t want to know. With Jacob, you just expect the unexpected. Savannah is beautiful, and my heart sinks knowing she’s locked away like some princess in a tower, never knowing the life outside.

  Being a Mafia princess is a fate worse than death, especially in my family.

  She’ll be forced to marry some cazzo- dick, who couldn’t care less about her as a person and see her as a vessel to carry heirs and sleep with mistress after mistress.

  Don't get me wrong, they’re not all like that, but the guys I met growing up are everything like that and more.

  I’m glad I had my mother to teach me the right way to treat a woman, as much as my father tried to drill it into me. If I ever treat a woman, especially my wife, like she’s second class, I’d disappoint my mother to the point she’d never forgive me.

  Dead or alive.

  I don’t want her to spend her life in some locked room in my father's mansion. I need to get Savannah out of there. As soon as I’m in control, she will be. I swore on my mother’s life my sister would never suffer the same fate.

  “I want updates.”

  Jacob nods, slipping out the door, and again I’m alone.

  Everything crashes. Everything seems too much as I rake my fingers through my hair, trying to make sense of it all. My pulse quickens as anger seeps through my veins.

  It takes me a good half an hour to calm down and get my shit together. Sucking in deep breaths of air, trying to keep the monster at bay.

  I want to explode. Want to break everything in sight. But I know no good will come of it.

  I keep my phone in my hand after Jacob leaves, waiting for a text from Callie. I’m expecting a message filled with fuck you’s and how dare I turn her away, but I get nothing. Maybe she’s fallen asleep? I’m sure she has class tomorrow so it will be the obvious fact. But again, the caveman in me wants her to forgive me and come begging for my cock.

  I know she thinks I had a woman in here, but that’s far from it.

  Callie is different to any other woman I’ve been with. Maybe it’s because she’s younger, or maybe it’s just the fact the sex between us is off-the-charts freaky hot. I never planned to stay attached to her this long. My plan was to get her out of my system and then ditch her, just like every other girl that has helped scratch my itch over the years. Until the time for me to claim her comes.

  Callie was never in my plan to pursue, not after that day in the park. But the moment I saw her, and she was no longer that little girl, all bets were off, because I wanted to claim her and I wanted every bastard to know she was off limits.

  I can’t get enough of her every time I’m inside her. I need more. I can taste her for days after, and my dick is a permanent semi until I see her again. No woman should make me this crazy hungry for her, but Callie Eaton isn’t just some woman.

  She is mine. I will fight for what’s mine.

  I’ll worry about Callie tomorrow. Right now, I need sleep. I don't want Ethan seeing me looking like shit because I’m losing it over a woman.

  Am I though? Have we slipped into something so comfy that neither of us know that we have. I certainly never expected to feel for Callie to the extent I do. Is it because she was promised to me all those years ago, and I'm playing catch-up?

  I’m not the man she thinks I am. My past was dark, corrupt, and full of shit I never want her involved in.

  Ethan thinks his past was fucked-up. His was like a damn kids show compared to mine.

  My father groomed me to be his replacement, to one day take his throne as he would say. The moment I turned eighteen, I hightailed it out of there so fast I didn’t even look back. Never wanting a part in that life.

  Ever.

  Up until recently, I thought he had given me the space to be free—, that was until I started seeing his men, mostly Jacob, watching me. He may have kept his distance, but the old man knows exactly where I am. Time will tell when he will show his face.

  I knew whatever life I had before would go the second my father faced me. Looks like the past is catching up to me. Only thing is. I’m not so sure I can do it. Become him. Can I really become the next boss of Lincoln city?

  As a kid, I was held captive in a cell by the man who called himself my father, the man who was supposed to love me. Ethan knew I had an addiction like him, but he never knew the reason why I turned to drugs. I watched my mother die every night when I closed my eyes, but having Callie around, when she fell asleep in my arms, those were the nights the dreams never came.

  Maybe there’s something to be said about that, but I’m not the relationship type of guy. I’m married to my work. My shop is my main focus; it keeps me sane and keeps the pull of my addiction at bay. Until the day I hand it all over to Ethan. I know that talk will have to happen sooner rather than later.

  It’s another thing I’m putting off. For fear of losing Ethan. He’s like the brother I never had, and the moment he finds out my lies are more than he can take, he’ll flee, leaving me without my best friend.

  Having a woman in my life in that kind of status will complicate things. Letting Callie into that world would cause lots of ripples in my family. My father isn't one to show compassion just because there’s a female present. Callie is strong, but is she strong enough to deal with this?

  After this long, Callie is bound to feel differently, hell, even I never planned on falling in love with her. She’s simply a means to an end, a deal that needs closing, but of course, trying to control what Callie does to me, that shit never ends well. How do I walk away now? She’s my other half, the one person who can kill me with one simple word.

  The mere thought that I’ll lose my heart, the better half of me, simply because of who I really am, terrifies me, and I’m a Demetrius; we don’t fear easily.

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to say the L word, just dive right in and spit it out, but love makes you weak, it makes me weak.

  I have to control my feelings. The war my heart is raging will only end things.

  Badly.

  Callie is still ignoring my texts, but hey, I’m not going to let it get me down. I’m a grown man and I can keep myself entertained without her.

  Mind you, I think she needs a good spanking to get her out of whatever mood she is in. The image of her cheeks turning red gives me a semi.

  I should have known better than to keep a secret this big, but being truthful right
from the start would have cost me Callie from that first moment. This life is a burden. Being the son of a Mafia boss only leads to pain and suffering.

  Why, because he is always at war with someone, and one day his enemies will become mine. The family always comes first, those words my father had me repeat over and over growing up. Callie will always come second in this life. This life has been mine from the moment I was born. I entered this life as a mafioso, and I will die as one as well.

  But, of course, I’m a sucker for a sweet ass, and Callie’s is pretty damn fine.

  I’m sipping on my coffee when the bell above the door chimes and Ethan strolls in without a care in the world. I shake my head. I’d be angry at the fucker for being an hour late, but since they adopted Madden, Ethan and Luna have had some tough nights. I won't piss on his parade, yet. I'll just accept that he is a husband and a father now and be happy for him.

  “Hey, dude, how's the little guy?” I ask as he plonks down in his chair and hangs his head back.

  I look over at him, and his eyes are closed.

  “Late night?” I tease.

  He groans and lifts himself up, shaking his head as if he’s trying to wake himself up.

  “Madden isn’t sleeping, so we’re not sleeping. The only way he sleeps is if he’s cuddled up to Luna. I get it, man, I would want to sleep near her tits every night, too, but the little guy doesn’t get the fact that Mommy and Daddy need rest, too.”

  He rubs his eyes and tries to focus on the drawing he started two days ago on his desk.

  I chuckle, unable to help myself.

  Ethan glares at me. “Man, this isn’t funny. I may never get sex again.”

  I laugh out loud this time, holding my stomach as Ethan’s glare hardens.

  “E, I think you're overreacting. It’s a phase; didn’t you tell me they go through phases? Look, Luna has a smell that Madden has attached to?”

  Ethan nods, and I see his mind ticking over.

  “Yeah, I think he’s just attached to her boobs more than anything. Even though she hasn’t got milk in there for him, it’s like he can sense that’s where it comes from or something.”

  “Yeah, it’s called being a man hotshot. Kid’s going to love tits all his life, trust me. Wait until he sees a pair that he can actually put in his mouth.”

  “Dude, that’s my son.”

  “Yeah, and he’s eventually going to grow up and taste boobs, it’s a well-known fact, Ethan.” I smirk.

  Ethan shakes his head at me and ignores the dumb shit spewing from my mouth.

  “Don’t let Luna hear you say that shit, man, she’ll castrate you, and we all know how attached you are to your dick.” Ethan chuckles this time, and now it’s my turn to glare.

  I grab hold of my dick as if Luna has physically removed it. I need to check to make sure it’s still there.

  “Not funny man. I happen to have a strong attachment to my dick, and we all know how well I use it.”

  “Oh, you mean like how you use it on Callie?”

  My face falls.

  “How did you know?” I swallow. We have never said anything, we promised to keep it between us.

  “What, that you and Callie bump uglies on a regular basis and she is slowly falling in love with you.” He looks at me like I’m an idiot, and maybe I am, because he did just say she was falling in love with me, right? I didn’t miss hearing that part.

  Fuck, how easy this would be.

  “She is not—”

  “Oh, she is, and Luna and I have a bet going to see what crazy shit you two get yourself into.”

  “You have a bet?”

  “Yep, which one of you either says that magical word first or you to get so drunk you do something stupid.”

  “Not going to happen, man. Besides, she isn’t currently speaking to me at the moment, so I highly doubt she even loves me a little.” I get up and go to the coffee machine in the back. I need a fucking drink, but I guess coffee will have to suffice for now.

  Ethan follows me and glares at me some more.

  “What did you do?”

  “Nothing.” I protest my innocence.

  “Bish?” Ethan questions me.

  “Dude she is Luna’s best friend. If you fucked up, you know she’ll come for you.”

  “I didn’t do anything, man, she’s just pissy because I had to send her away instead of giving her multiple orgasms the other night.” I don’t elaborate on the reason why I sent her away.

  Ethan groans.

  “ Just don’t break her heart, okay?”

  I hold my hands up in surrender. Not possible—maybe just a little.

  “I’ll try not to okay.”

  For her safety. She needs to know the real me.

  “Just please don’t drag her ass into something she can’t get out of. I know you, Bish, you're a protective stubborn asshole, and I can one hundred percent bet those tendencies are stronger when Callie is around?”

  He is right. Callie and I need to sit down and have a talk. Being together isn't going to work for us unless she knows the truth.

  But fuck, her pussy is fucking insane. Can I really risk losing that?

  Callie is something else, that’s for sure, but even I know the longer we drag this shit out, the harder it’s going to be at the end.

  I want her to be mine, but in reality, I know she never will be.

  That’s what happens when you're a dark prince. Happily ever afters never happen. Princesses like Callie never fall for the monster.

  Bishop: We need to talk?

  I’ve stared at those four little words for the last hour. What do they mean? Everyone knows those four words never lead to anything good. I’d much rather have had him text ‘We need to fuck!’ Those four words are the ones I would have preferred to have received. It had been a long day of classes, and I was exhausted. The thought of having to listen to whatever lies Bishop was about to spill made me want to stab his dick. The thought he was about to tell me he was done, because he found something better, made me feel sick to my stomach.

  I chew on my nail, trying to think of what to reply, because did I want to talk to Bishop? Is he going to say something stupid that makes me hate him? Or is it just him simply apologizing for the other night? Highly unlikely, but maybe I owe him enough to hear him out.

  I sigh and start typing. My fingers shake as I write, and for some reason I can't shake the feeling I’m not going to like what Bishop has to say.

  Me: Talk about what?

  He replies immediately. He obviously really wants to chat, and that can’t be good.

  Bishop: Important stuff, brat.

  Me: Us?

  Bishop: Bingo. Look, I don’t want to do this over text, okay? Can we meet?

  I swallow the lump in my throat. He’s ending us, or what we had anyway.

  I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing how hurt I am by this. Not face to face anyway. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of him. God, he’ll think I’m pathetic.

  Me: Just say what you have to say, Bishop, stop pretending you care about my feelings. We all know you never have.

  Bishop: Low blow, Callie, low fucking blow. I do care about you.

  Me: Could have fooled me. Just say it and get it over with so I can move on from you.

  Bishop: Move on from me? What the fuck are you talking about, Callie?

  Bishop: You're really pushing for a spanking, brat. You are grating on my last nerve.

  Me: Well, just end it then, and you can get rid of me?

  Bishop: That’s not what I want Callie.

  Me: Fine.

  Bishop: Fine, really, that’s all you have to say, is fucking fine?

  Me: Yep.

  Bishop: You are such a spoiled princess, you know that?

  Me: And you’re a coward asshole.

  Bishop: God, you drive me insane, woman!

  Me: Join the club, cowboy, and don’t worry, I won’t cry any tears over you, you're not worth it anyway.
>
  Bishop: Callie, I’m not ending us. Fuck, will you just listen?

  Me: I’m done listening, it’s over. Goodbye.

  I see the dots appear and disappear a few times, then they finally stop. Much like my traitorous heart does. My phone lights up with Bishop’s name, and I decline his call. Fuck him. Even though I promised him and myself I will not cry, I find tears falling anyway.