“How the fuck are you and Jasmine navigating marriage?” I ask Matteo as I sit in the wooden chair.
“Problems in paradise, yeah?” he chuckles.
“I want kids and Roselyn doesn’t want it. We had a pregnancy scare and she freaked out. I made it clear to her when I forced her to marry me, she has to bear my kids.”
“You forced her to marry you?” He cocks his eyebrow.
I nod. “I needed to collect debt from her father and his daughter was the only valuable thing I wanted.”
“Give her freedom, Devious. Do it on her own time. She’s young. I’ve been married for three years and we’re still winging it.”
The women come into the dining room with our plates of food. Roselyn sits next to me and I place a napkin over her lap and cut her juicy meat.
“You don’t have to do all that.” Her cheeks turn a shade of pink. She stares at Matteo and Jasmine as they cut up their own food. “I’m not a child, Devious,” she snaps.
“I never said you were one. I want to take care of you,” I say, exhaling, rubbing the back of her head. “Am I embarrassing you?”
She sits up straight, pushing her shoulders back. “Of course not. It feels weird when you do it in front of other people though.”
“I think it’s sweet he’s been very attentive towards you.” Jasmine winks at me. “I wish Matt would cut my food.”
He rolls his eye. “You got hands, you do it yourself.”
Then we talk about life in general and the latest books. An email notification pops up on my phone screen so I tap it. It’s an email asking to finish booking my flight to London.
Cocking my eyebrow, I click on the link. Roselyn’s email is linked to mine. She went behind my back to book a flight and it’s only been a week since I gave her freedom. As I glare at my wife, she laughs at something Matt says, then she places her hand on my thigh, squeezing tight. She was planning on leaving me the entire time. My gut told me not to trust her and I didn’t listen. I put myself out there and she made a fool of me again. I should punish her, by locking her little ass in the cell for a whole week.
“You’re not hungry? You haven’t touched your food,” she says, smiling. But all I want to do is bend her over this fucking table, spank her plump ass, then shove my dick in her.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I ground my molars as my blood fucking boils.
My fork scrapes against the glass plate and I place the meat into my mouth.
“This food is delicious,” I tell Jasmine. It really is. Pot roast is my least favorite food.
“I didn’t cook it. Matteo did. He started cooking for me when I was ill. He’s obsessed with me eating healthy.”
He leans down and kisses her forehead. “I want to make sure you’re healthy.”
Roselyn says something and I completely ignore her.
I remove her hand from my lap, and she tilts her head to the side. Her eyes are burning holes on the side of my face. I need to cut this dinner short, so I say, “It’s been fun, but it’s time for us to leave.”
“Oh,” Jasmine says. “Let me pack you a few to go plates. We have more than enough, and it would be a shame for us to waste the food.”
She gets up from the table and Luna whines and Matteo gets her out of the chair, bouncing her on his right thigh.
“I’ll call you and we can talk shop about territories,” he says.
Jasmine hands us Tupperware and she gives Roselyn a warm hug.
“We need to hang out sometime,” Jasmine says, patting her on the back.
“Indeed,” Roselyn responds.
Then I grab her jacket from the coat rack, and she wiggles it on. When we get inside the car, Roselyn talks my ear off, but I’m too blinded by anger to give a fuck about she’s saying.
“Are you listening?” she asks, folding her arms across her chest.
“No.” I grip the steering wheel hard and my knuckles turn white.
“What crawled up your ass?” she snaps, shaking her head. “Are you okay?”
You and your Goddamn betrayal. You’re making me a fucking fool again. I want to say those words to her, but I don’t instead I say, “Fan-fucking-tastic.”
Roselyn
“HAVE YOU EVER DANCED IN the rain?” I ask him as I lie my head on his stomach, watching the rain beat up on the floor to ceiling window.
He shakes his head. “Why would I do some shit like that? I could get sick.” His muscles tighten in his jaw as he speaks. He has been in a sour mood since he found out I wasn’t pregnant with his baby. I don’t care how he feels about it, because it’s my body, and I’m not ready to share it. He’s going to have to compromise on the subject.
“Because mama told me it cleanses the soul and we used to do it all the time, when Papa wasn’t around. Trust me, you’ll feel a lot better afterwards.” I lift my chin, glancing up at him.
“Fine.” His eyes venture to my breast before he gets out of the bed, putting on his night clothes.
“You need to have fun. All you do is work and kill people,” I shoot back, grabbing my shoes, sliding them on, and tying up the black laces.
He rolls his eyes. “It’s not what I always do. I also fuck you. Fucking is fun.” He tilts his head sideways. “Maybe I need to stop fucking you since you don’t want to have my baby.” Then he uses his index finger to tap my nose. “But I can’t because your pussy is so addictive.”
It’s my turn to roll my eyes. “You can use a condom.”
“No.” His no is firm. “You get my dick raw or you don’t get it at all.”
“I’m going to schedule an doctor’s appointment for birth control,” I shoot back.
“Go right ahead and watch me pour the pills down the drain.”
I’m not in the mood to argue with his psycho ass about what I want. His sour mood is pissing me off and I hate when he gets snappy with me.
I open the front door and rain wets my face. The light from the water fountain lights up the dark sky. Glancing up, the rain falls freely from the sky. The black pavement is beautiful. Memories of my mother barge into my mind. We had to do a lot of stuff behind Papa’s back because he wouldn’t allow her to have a lot of freedom. He hated we used to play in the rain and he would complain about us getting the floors wet. I miss Mama so much especially around her birthdays and holidays.
Devious stands there with his hands in his pockets staring outside. I want to keep her memory alive as much as possible, even though, Papa didn’t give two shits about her, it doesn’t mean I didn’t care about her.
“Oh, stop being such a baby, and get in the rain.” I say to him, tugging on his arm.
“Fine, but if I get sick, I’m bending you over my knee giving you a spanking.”
“You need to pick another form of punishment because I like spankings. You have to dance. Besides, germs make you sick, not rain.”
He grabs me by the waist pulling me close, like we were dancing at the restaurant the day of Enzo’s funeral. This time it is different. This time he is different. His blue eyes brighten and the cool drop of rain continues to lick our skin. It’s so beautiful. He’s so beautiful. Fear slithers in my bloodstream and doubt and fear makes its way into my brain. He’s still in love with Shelby and I don’t want to love him. I lie my head on his chest and he rests his chin on the top of my head. Being in this moment with Devious mean everything to me. He means everything to me.
“This is the most awkward shit I’ve ever done,” he says in my ear.
“Well get used to doing awkward shit with me for the rest of your life.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says, and I smile at his words. I try not to think about the what if because our lifestyle is dangerous, and I know anything can happen to us. I want to find something wrong with our situation and why we can’t have a great love life. Devious tells me all the time Enzo and his wife were a happy couple. Very happy, and Nonno was happy with Nonna. It’s why Nonno tells me stories about how he loved her.
&nb
sp; I stop, glance at Devious, his dark hair sticks to his forehead and the rain stops. My heart stops beating. He stops dancing, cups my cheeks, staring into my eyes.
“Do you still love her? Is it why you haven’t said it back?”
“Good way to kill the mood, Roselyn.” He takes a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“I’m serious,” I say on his heel as we enter the house. Our clothes soak the floor and our shoes squeak. Devious starts to remove his shirt and pants, tossing them to the floor.
“Why the fuck do you think I’m still in love with Shelby?” Disgust butchers his words and he wrinkles the corner of his mouth.
“You didn’t say it back.” My voice grows louder.
“You didn’t say you love me. You said you think. ” He shoots back.
“Well? Do you love me?” I shoot him a glare. I’m not going to put my all into this relationship on the whim of him not loving me. Mama tried to win over Papa’s affection and I already followed in her footsteps of falling in love with someone who is abusive.
“Of course, I do. I started to fall in love with you when we were in Santorini.” My heart grows little wings and wants to fly away, but I try to school my features, hiding my excitement.
“Do you miss her?” I fold my arms across my chest, rocking back and forth on my heels.
“Yes. I was with her for thirteen years.”
His words sting. They really do. He shouldn’t miss someone who hurt him the way she did.
“If she was alive, who would you choose, me or her?” These questions feed into my insecurity, but I don’t care. I need to know he’s all mine.
“Are you jealous of a dead girl?” He lifts his eyebrow.
“Answer the question,” I snap.
He wrinkles his nose. “You. I will always choose you. ”
He stares at me with anger in his eyes and balls his fists, but keeps them to his side. “Why are you picking a fight with me? So you can have a reason to continue to book your flight to London?”
“What? How did you know about it? Why were you snooping through my stuff?”
“I wasn’t. I saw your email.”.
“You were going to leave me, that’s why I wanted you pregnant, Roselyn. So you can’t leave me. I’m scared you’re going to leave me any chance you get.”
“I did think about it, but I changed my mind because I wanted to be with you.” I exhale. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Gunshots rings from outside and Devious rushes me upstairs to a bedroom then he peaks out the window.
“Stay in this room, do not leave here until I say otherwise.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The Irish mob is attacking us.”
He leaves the room and I lock the door behind him.
Devious
THE FRONT DOOR FLIES OPEN, and Cashel’s soldiers’ burst through the door. I knew this day would come, but I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. Cashel comes into view, wearing his all green suit. His auburn hair is in a high ponytail and his green eyes burn with anger.
“Where is Maya?!” he screams at the top of his lungs.
I have my gun aimed at him and he doesn’t flinch or move. My heart beats rapidly.
“She’s in good hands at the moment. Getting fucked by one of my biggest clients,” I lie, smirking.
He grinds his teeth and his face turns the color of blood as he grabs his gun, aims it at me, and starts firing shots. I duck and move to the couch.
“I’m going to cut your head off and hang it on my mantel piece,” he says. His soldiers rush in and my soldiers fire shots back at them. Bodies hit the floor one by one. I aim the gun at him, shooting his right hand. He wails in pain. He tries to grab it with his other hand, and I move it out of the way.
“You really thought you were going to get away with what you did?” I scream.
He uses his other hand to trip me up and I land on my ass, then he stands up.
“I’m not going to use a gun to kill you, I’m going to use my bare hands.” I toss my gun to the floor and I try to punch him in the face, but he knees me into the stomach, getting on top of me, squeezing my neck. I dig my finger his wounded hand and he lets out agonizing scream.
“My familiga gave your famiglia everything and this is how you betray them!” I get on top of him and pound on his face. Pure rage and adrenaline courses through my veins. “I treated you like a brother and helped you get revenge on your father for raping you. I went against my own father’s wishes for you.” I squeeze his neck tight and his face turns blue. “I opened up my heart to you and you fuck my ex fiancée, then you had the audacity to rub it in my face that Santo wasn’t mine.”
He head bumps my forehead, and I stumble to the floor, then he punches me in the eye. The blow stings.
“Your family is always taking from mine,” Cashel says. “Draco never saw us as equal and he was arrogant like you. It was my father’s plan the whole time to take your territories. I did what an obedient child would do. Shelby didn’t mean shit to me. I used her to get what I wanted, Devious. But, I did love you as a brother.”
I tackle him to the ground and grab his knife from his holster, holding it to his neck. “Love is not betrayal. I exposed my deep dark secrets to you, and I gave you things I don’t give to people. My trust.” I stab him in the chest. “My loyalty.” I lean down whisper in his ear. “My respect.” I stab him in the neck.
Blood wets my bare chest as I watch him choke on his own blood. I watch as life leaves his eyes and his head turns to the side. Killing Cashel is the hardest thing I ever had to do. I scream out as tears run down my cheeks. Staring at my old friend, it doesn’t give the satisfying feeling I thought it would. Guilt, anger, and sadness brim through my blood. I wipe the tears from my eyes as I remember how we first met.
“Leave the kid alone,” I tell Bruce, he’s always picking on people. The little shit. He grabs some redhead by the shoulders throwing him across the blue lockers. Most of the kids here have a similar background. Their parents are in the mob or their parents loaded and a part of illegal shit. Bruce’s father is a soldier for my familiga so he’s the bottom of the barrel.
Brue turns to look at me, his eyes widen, then he drops him. “You know he’s part of the Irish famiglia.”
“It doesn’t matter. You need to stop picking on kids and get a fucking life.” I fold my arms across my chest. Bruce knows not come toe to toe with me again because I’ll give him two black eyes and tell everyone not to fuck with him.
He rolls his eyes. “One day, Cayden. I’m going to kill you.”
“You put your fucking hands on him again then I’m going to make your life a living hell,” I scoff.
He drops the weird kid. Shelby runs up to me and she’s in her cheerleader uniform. I’m not into sports and I don’t like my girl shaking her ass in front of people, but if she’s into it then so be it. When I propose to her after graduation, she will not be a cheerleader anymore. She will lose the skimpy shirts and skirt Her blonde hair into a ponytail, and her cheeks are puffy and round like a Cabbage Patch Kid.
The weird kid stares at me. He’s scrawny with pimples all over his face.
“Dude, thanks,” he says picking up his book bag.
“Who is your father?” I ask, leaning against the lockers. My skinny jeans are tight as I cross my feet over the other one. Shelby fixes my black beanie.
“Declan, he’s the Don of the Irish Mob. I’m Cashel,” he states, the book bag looks bigger than him. He holds out his hand and I shake it.
“I know your father; he comes over to the house and talks business with Draco.” I fold my arms across my chest. “You want to come to my house this Friday? My twin brother is having a party to pissed Draco off,” I ask. Aiden is going to get another ass whopping and he doesn’t care. He is doing shit to piss off Draco. He figures he’s going to beat our asses anyway so he might as well give him a good reason to.
“Sure.” His smile reaches his eyes.
“What’s wrong with my clothes?” He glances to the white tiles.
“Dude, you’re wearing suspenders with a fucking bow tie. You look like Steve Urkel,” I tell him. “Draco dumps a lot of money into this shitty private school so I pretty much run things around here. So, you’re going to be hanging with us so you need to look the part.” I turn to beam at Shelby. “Baby, make sure he dresses cool.”
“You got it, babe.” She kisses me and her sticky lip gloss smears my lips.
Then we head to the courtyard.
Roselyn screams at the top of her lungs and I jump up and rush to the bedroom. One of Cashel’s soldiers lies on the floor and Roselyn has a gun aiming at him. His face is bloody, and I run my hand through her curly hair, searching for bumps.
“Are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t mean to kill him. He grabbed me and was trying to carry me out of the bedroom. He didn’t look like one of your soldiers, so I shot him.”
Slowly, I grab the gun from her, tossing it to the floor.
There is a knock at the door, Damien waltzes through. “All of the Irish soldiers are dead. Some of our soldiers didn’t make it. Max was one of them.”
I nod and Roselyn burst out in tears. “Get Charlotte to bring her whole crew so we can clean up the mess. Tell her to burn the Irish soldiers’ bodies including Cashel’s and inform the familiga of our soldiers who died. We’ll have a memorial ceremony in the next few days.”
Devious: A Dark Mafia Arranged Romance (A Villain Collection Book 1) Page 14