You Will Obey
Ember Michaels
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Note From The Author
More Books By Ember Michaels
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YOU WILL OBEY
Copyright © 2020 by Ember Michaels
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher listed above, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or purely coincidental.
Cover designed by Laura Hidalgo of Spellbinding Design
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
-Lewis B. Smedes
AURORA
Life had an interesting way of coming full circle.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, a myriad of thoughts crashing in my head. As the clock ticked down, doubt trickled its way into my mind. Was I making a mistake by doing this? I sighed, focusing on finishing my makeup. Now wasn't the time for having second thoughts. I just hoped Bennett didn't make me regret this decision.
Brittany appeared in the mirror behind me, giving me a small smile. Her usual attire of jeans and a graphic t-shirt was replaced by a fitting black dress that stopped at her knees. Her makeup matched her dark look, a deep maroon color on her lips with a pretty smoky eye.
“Well, don’t you look pretty?” I said with a smile, meeting her gaze.
She giggled and struck a couple of poses. “You think so? I wasn't sure if it was too dark,” she said, her voice carrying a sarcastic tone.
I smirked. “I don't think anything is too dark for an all-black party.” I turned back to the mirror and put the finishing touches on my makeup.
“Ready for tonight?” she asked as she moved closer to me.
I met her gaze in the mirror and shrugged. “Can you really be ready for this kind of thing?” I murmured.
She grabbed a brush from the vanity. “I mean…are you sure you want to do this?” she asked as she brushed my blond wig.
It wasn’t as if I had a choice. Bennett made my options perfectly clear, leaving the decision up to me. If my soul was what I had to sacrifice in order to get what I wanted, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.
“I have to,” I finally said, meeting her gaze in the mirror. She continued to brush my hair, the sadness evident on her face.
“This is a permanent decision, Aurora,” she said softly. “Even when all of this is over, you can’t undo the choice you make tonight if you choose wrong.”
I released a shaky breath and nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
We sat in silence for a few moments as she continued doing my hair. Our eyes would meet occasionally, her gaze telling me what her mouth wouldn’t. Her solemn face telling me what I didn’t want to admit to myself. I had my own fears about this decision. What if Bennett didn’t hold up his end of the bargain? What if I got more than I asked for? Brittany was right; when everything was done and Wilson was finally dead, then what? Would I be able to live with the decision I would make tonight?
Did I really want to make a deal with the devil?
My mind drifted to my father. He’d worked so hard to protect me from his mistakes and yet, he still paid with his life. I wondered what he’d think about what I was prepared to do. Whether he’d be proud, upset, betrayed. Whether he’d consider it a slap in the face after everything he’d done to shield me from the chaos that was now my life.
I squared my shoulders and sat up a little taller. It was still a price I was willing to pay. Wilson Moreno would pay for destroying my life and having my family slaughtered. Taking Bennett’s offer probably wasn’t in my best interest, but consequences be damned. I wouldn’t stop until Wilson was dead.
Heavy silence cloaked the room as Brittany curled my hair. A part of me wanted to say something to ease her mind, but there was no way I could reassure her when I couldn't reassure myself. I'd been so sure of my choice before, but now that time was winding down, doubt was making a home in my brain.
When she finished, Brittany looked at her watch. “You should get dressed. Bennett will be expecting you downstairs soon,” she said with a sigh. I nodded as I stood from the vanity. She walked into the walk-in closet and emerged with a long, black lace dress. As she rattled off about accessories, all I could think about was the looming task at hand. I was essentially about to sign my life away, an action I couldn’t take back. I had no idea what that entailed. Aside from the documents I signed a few days ago, I didn’t know what else was next. The unknown made fear slide down my spine, anticipation setting me on edge.
“Have you ever been to one of these things?” I finally asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve never had the desire to.” She frowned at me. “You can change your mind, you know.”
“My mind is made up,” I stated firmly.
“You don’t understand. Bennett isn’t—”
“It doesn’t matter in the end. Whether I did this or not, he’s already made it clear that he has no plans of letting me go. Right?”
Her shoulders sagged a bit. “He says that now, but that can change.”
I scoffed. “Bennett is a pretty sure man. I seriously doubt there’s anything that’ll change his mind on that.” When she only looked at me, I crossed the room and took her hands into mine. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. With everything I’ve already been through, this can’t be much worse.”
She gave me a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah,” she said.
The room was silent as I moved around to get ready. Now wasn’t the time to second guess myself. Everything will be fine, I thought to myself as I slipped into the dress. Brittany walked over and zipped it up.
“Bennett sure knows how to pick them, doesn't he?" she said as I examined the dress in the mirror.
"I guess he does," I murmured. The see-through maxi dress had a plunging neckline and two high slits. My tailored bodysuit was nearly invisible under the dress, but it still left little to the imagination. Bennett was a complete asshole and monster majority of the time, but there was no denying that he knew how to dress his woman.
After slipping on a pair of stilettos, I gave myself one last look in the mirror. I definitely looked the part of being his dark princess, but inside I was scared shitless. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself, releasing a long breath.
"Ready?" Brittany asked from behind me. I nodded and followed her out of the bedroom to prepare to make the biggest decision of my life.
I made my way down the stairs, the lower level only lit by candles and the fireplace in the living room. People milled about, waiting for Bennett’s meeting to start. My heels clicked against the hardwood floor as I crossed the living room, heading straight for his office where he requested I meet him. When I arrived, he turned to look at me, leaning against his desk as he folded his arms across his broad chest. He was dressed as
he usually was, a sharp, tailored suit that looked absolutely handsome on him. Bruce, Saint, and Nyxin stood off to the side, their hands clasped in front of them.
“Well, aren’t you fucking gorgeous tonight,” he murmured.
“It’s a special occasion after all, isn’t it?” I asked, noticing how my voice trembled. "Besides, you picked the dress."
He smiled, menacing and calculating, which sent a chill down my spine. “Indeed I did,” he said. He turned and grabbed a small box from his desk. “Come.”
I slowly walked over to him, coming to stop before him. He pushed off the desk and towered over me. His chocolate brown gaze warmed my body as he looked down at me, his mouth in a slight frown.
“Do you vow to give your life to me…wholly?” he asked, his voice low.
Answering his questions were tricky. He gave no context or conditions, just a broad statement that I had to either agree with or refuse. An all or nothing statement. My life, my soul…for the right to avenge my family.
I released a shaky breath. “Yes,” I stated as confidently as I could.
“Do you vow to honor me and La Fedeltà for as long as you shall live?”
“Yes.”
“By taking your insignia, you vow to live for, die for, and fight for me. For this family. Your new family. Do you accept?”
“I do,” I said.
He smiled his sexy, mischievous smile and opened the box. A beautiful, blood red ruby ring sat nestled inside. Small sparkling diamonds were set in the silver band, the ruby setting shaped in a queen’s crown.
“Only the best for my number one,” he murmured. He took my left hand, my heart seizing in my chest as he slipped off my engagement ring I’d gotten from Heath. Noticing my reluctance to let it go, he smiled at me. “Your old life is no more, Aurora. There shouldn’t be anything else left of it. From this night on, your life begins with La Fedeltà.”
I swallowed the emotion in my throat. As I looked at my old ring in his hand, I thought of everything it represented for me. It reminded me that there was still good in the world, that love was still real, that I was once loved by someone. Even though he was gone, that ring had brought me so much comfort in my darkest times. But in order to start my new life, I had to finally let go of my old one. This was what I’d signed up for, what I agreed to in order to get what I wanted.
The sacrifice that I was oh so eager to make.
Bennett looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak.
“I understand,” I finally murmured, fighting the tears burning my eyes.
He smiled. “Good.”
He passed the old ring to Bruce and I kept my gaze on Bennett as Bruce moved over to the fireplace, tossing it into the fire. Bennett slid the new one onto my finger before bringing my hand to his lips, placing a kiss on it.
“All hail the queen of La Fedeltà,” he said with a grin.
“Hail the queen of La Fedeltà,” the other men in the room said.
He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Welcome to the family.”
I looked down at the ring, a mixture of unease and excitement running through me.
The queen of La Fedeltà.
The queen of Hell.
“What happens now?” I asked.
"We'll have the meeting and then celebrate," he said, holding his arm out to me.
I looped my arm through his and allowed him to lead me out of the office. A ball of dread settled in the pit of my stomach, but I couldn't pinpoint why. There was a nagging feeling telling me that Bennett was hiding something detrimental, but I pushed the negative thoughts to the back of my mind.
When Bennett and I arrived in the living room, majority of the conversation ceased. He and I stood in front of the fireplace at the front of the room. The living room was filled with all of his top-ranking men; the first men of the new family.
“I’ve gathered you all here tonight to announce the start of a new era,” Bennett started. My heart sped up in my chest as I listened to him speak, the anxiety of not knowing getting the best of me.
“I refuse to be a part of an organization that doesn’t believe in loyalty,” he continued as Bruce came to a stop next to him, holding a box. “I can’t be a part of an organization that can betray their own.” He rolled his shoulders, his expression hardening. “So as of tonight, we are no longer the Moreno Family.”
Everyone murmured in confusion around us until Bennett raised his hand to silence them. “As you all know, loyalty means everything to me. It once meant something to my father. My father poisoned what a generation of Moreno men created, and I’m severing the tie from him.” He reached into the box and pulled out a gold button and held it up. “From this night on, we are now La Fedeltà.”
“Hell yeah,” someone said from the couch.
“The name means loyalty in Italian. It’s something I want you all to remember. It’s something you’ll all pledge to live for. To die for. To fight for. I’m going to create something Wilson Moreno couldn’t, and I will destroy him with it,” Bennett stated, his voice hard. The men in the room all cheered in agreement, clapping and hooting around the living room.
“By accepting this new insignia, you’re pledging your life to La Fedeltà. You will live and die by our new motto: la lealtà è onore, which means ‘loyalty is honor.’”
The living room erupted in cheers again, and I couldn't help the smile that pulled at my lips. I had to admit that it was hard to not feel proud of being a part of something so much bigger than myself. My mind drifted back to my father, wondering if he’d felt similar things when he first joined the mafia. It was a sense of pride on a level I hadn’t felt in a while, not since having to give up my cosmetics company. Despite the pride I felt, there was still something nagging me about this whole arrangement.
“I don’t think Bennett was 100% honest about his intentions,” the voice in my head said. I frowned. What else could he possibly do to me? I was now a part of the mafia; it didn’t take rocket science to know that being a made woman wouldn’t be easy. But it felt as if it were more than that, as if I’d opened a can of worms that I wasn’t prepared for or warned about.
Bennett pinned the new insignia on all twenty-five men gathered around the living room and held his hand up to silence them again.
“With the start of a new family, I want to also take a moment to introduce a new member to our ranks,” he said and took my hand, meeting my gaze. “Aurora here has pledged her life to La Fedeltà tonight as well.”
I gave Bennett a small smile as the room erupted with applause. Brittany stood on the staircase, her hands covering her mouth as she looked at me with tearful eyes. Before I could even begin to process what that could possibly be about, Bennett continued speaking.
“With that being said, Aurora will rule our new empire alongside me as the queen of La Fedeltà.” He smiled at me, sending a spark of fear gliding up and down my spine. “And as my wife.”
It was as if time slowed as I processed his words. His…wife? My face fell as cheers and hoots filled the living room. “W-What?” I exclaimed. This wasn’t a part of the fucking deal. He’d said I had to join the mafia, not fucking marry him! I looked to Brittany again, who only looked at me with sad, apologetic eyes. Was this what she was trying to warn me about?
“How else would you be queen?” he taunted. “Besides, the requirement was to give yourself to me wholly. Mind, body, and soul. And since I have all of that, it’s only right to make it official and have you as my wife.”
My mouth opened and closed for a few moments, still in shock. This couldn’t be fucking real. There was no way I was legally married to this asshole. I flipped through my mind and tried to remember the documents Bennett had me sign. He only winked at me as his men surrounded him and congratulated us. Despite all the noise going on around me, I couldn’t hear much of anything over my own heartbeat. I was married? And to Bennett no less?
“All hail the new queen,” Bennett said and smiled at me. �
�My queen.”
“Hail the queen of La Fedeltà!” everyone exclaimed and cheered. Dread filled me and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.
What the hell have I done?
I was a wife.
I was Bennett’s wife.
What in the goddamn fuck did I do?!
Women dressed in skimpy black dresses walked into the living room with trays of champagne, handing everyone a glass. I pursed my lips, fuming as Bennett made a toast to a new beginning, to La Fedeltà, to us.
“I told you something didn’t feel right,” the small voice in my head reminded me.
Fuck off, I snapped back. There was no way we could be married. I would’ve had to sign some kind of marriage license, right? Bennett stepped into my line of vision with a smirk, tipping his flute of champagne to his lips.
“We should be celebrating, so why do you look so upset?” he teased.
I frowned at him. “You know why,” I ground out.
“I don’t, actually,” he said and shrugged. “No one forced you into anything. You made your own choice.”
“You didn’t say shit about marriage!” I hissed, trying to keep my voice down as people milled about.
“I asked you if you wanted to read what you were about to sign. What did you say to me when I asked you that?” he asked.
I thought back to that day, my body tensing involuntarily at the memory.
I stood in Bennett’s office along with Bruce, Saint, and Nyxin. Bennett sat behind his desk, rubbing his growing facial hair as he looked over the documents before him with a sigh.
“I’ve made up my mind,” he finally said. “We’re cutting our ties from him. I can’t do this anymore.”
“What does that even mean? Are we out of a job now?” Saint asked.
You Will Obey (Rules of Bennett Book 4) Page 1