Arranged love

MIA

I STAND ROOTED to my spot in the living room and listen to the front door open and close. The mysterious man bought me, drugged me, and kissed me. And then walked out of my life, knowing I’ll never see him again.

I taste the bourbon from his kiss. I’ve never liked the smell of alcohol, let alone had a drink. He forced some down my throat, and now I lick my lips, savoring the taste.

My knees buckle, and I fall onto the couch, the room filling with my heavy breathing. Reaching up, I run my shaking fingers over my parted lips. Did he know that was my first kiss? Why did he do it? He could have forced me to do so much more. Yet all he did was touch his lips to mine. I wanted to kiss him back. My mind was yelling that would be my only chance at not being myself.

Once again, I’m alone. The fact that he was forward didn’t terrify me. It was the way my body reacted. My skin tingled, blood rushing in my ears, and I couldn’t breathe.

I froze.

Blinking, I drop my eyes to the phone on the coffee table. Opening up the contacts, there’s only one programmed-Dillan. I ignore that number, and my fingers numbly run over the screen, unable to stop myself.

I have no control.

Holding the phone to my ear, it rings once, twice. Just when I think he’s not going to answer. It stops, the sound of silence meeting me on the other end.

“He-llo.” I swallow the lump in my throat and realize I’m shaking.

“Who is this?” I hear the familiar voice, and I feel my heart pounding once again.

“Mia,” I whisper.

“What…?” he trails off. “Mia, why are you calling me?” he growls.

Tears spring to my eyes, and I bite on my nails. “I … he said not to call you.”

“You shouldn’t have,” my brother snaps.

“Luca.” I sniff. “I don’t know what’s going on. He said you sent him. But he … he drugged me.” My throat closes on me.

He lets out a long sigh. “It was the only option, Mia.” His voice sounds pained. “But you need to listen to him.” He lowers his voice to a whisper. “This was the only way I could think to save you.”

“But …”

“Please forgive me, Mia.”

“Luca-”

He hangs up, and I pull the cell from my ear to see he’s no longer there. I feel a tear run down my face as I lean back into the couch and turn the cell off. I won’t be calling anyone, ever. I’m on my own.

BONES

I CHECK MY watch as I’m exiting my private jet back in Vegas. It’s a little after six in the morning. The sun is rising, and I’m finishing my third Red Bull of the night. My blacked-out Lamborghini Reventon waits for me inside the hangar. Getting into my car, I hear my cell ring, and I hit answer.

“Hello?”

“She called me,” Luca growls in greeting.

I sigh. “I’m not surprised. I expected her to reach out to the one person she thought she could trust.” Even though I told her not to, I knew she would. She’s confused and scared. Probably a nervous wreck that I’m going to show up at the house and force her to do unimaginable things.

He lets out a huff. “I don’t expect you to understand, Bones.”

“Why don’t you try to explain it to me, Luca,” I snap at him, hitting the gas and hearing my car roar.

“I did what had to be done.” He goes on the defensive.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” I say through gritted teeth.

Click. He hung up on me.

Sitting back in my seat, I haul ass down the highway to Kingdom, knowing it’s going to be a long fucking day. Just like all the rest.

I PULL INTO our private garage and exit my car. Walking to the elevator, I scan my key card and ride the elevator up to the thirteenth floor. There has always been a dislike and superstition with the thirteenth floor. Kingdom has four towers, and only tower one has a functioning thirteenth floor. The others jump from twelve to fourteen.

The other Kings and I aren’t superstitious in the least. So when we took over Kingdom, we made the thirteenth floor ours.

Getting off the elevator, I take an immediate right, shoving the double glass doors open to our conference room. We’ve got jammers in here, making any electronic device inoperable. We conduct meetings here with some very powerful people around the world. The last thing we want is for someone to use it against us.

My brother already sits in his seat with a Monster and a Crunch bar in his hands. The guy has never cared about what he puts in his body-drugs included.

Cross sits across from him, flipping a Zippo open and closed like always. He likes to burn shit. His girlfriend’s brother sits next to him with a worried look on his face. Derek is afraid of us. For good reason.

Titan sits to his right, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

“Did you just get back from New York?” Grave asks as I take my place at the head of the table.

“Yeah,” I lie to my brother.

“Must have been an eventful trip,” Titan observes, looking over my wrinkled button-up. The guys and I have the Royal Suite on the fiftieth floor, aka the Royal Floor. I’ll run up there after our morning meeting and shower.

“Let’s get started,” I suggest, nodding to Derek, ready to get this over with.

“I was thinking.” My brother places his tatted arms on the black table, leaning forward. “The other day, I asked Alexa to continue running Crown for me until I could find a replacement.”

All four of us Kings run Kingdom together, but the others also have their own responsibilities inside the hotel and casino. Cross has Tit-For-Tat-his tattoo shop. Titan oversees our Queens-our discreet call girls. Men come from all around the world to meet up with our girls. You’d be surprised who will pay to spend the night with a Queen. We have some very high-profile men on our roster. Grave runs Crown-one of our nightclubs. And me? Besides Kingdom, I own several other businesses.

The memory of what he said comes to mind.

We all sit around Grave and April’s formal dining room table. A Sunday gathering that has started to seem more like a tradition for us now. We’ve grown up together, and although we have had our disagreements, we’re all a family that seems to keep growing. Grave has April. Titan has Emilee, and Cross has Alexa. I couldn’t be happier for my best friends and the life that they have found for themselves.

“Hey, Alexa,” Grave starts.

“Hmm?” She looks at him, slowing her chewing.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Do you mind staying on at Crown? That is, until Lucky’s is back up and running, and I can find someone else to take over?”

She looks at Cross, confused, and then back at him. She swallows her food. “I don’t mind, but I don’t want to take that away from you.”

“You’re not.” He reaches over and takes April’s hand, bringing it to his lips. He kisses her knuckles, and she blushes. “I want to come home and be with my wife after a long day at Kingdom.”

Alexa starts nodding. “Yes, sure, that’s …”

A silence falls over the room, and April starts laughing.

“No!” Jasmine breathes, her palms slapping the table. “You got married without us?” she asks in disbelief.

“No, but …” April holds up her left hand and smiles brightly, showing off the massive diamond on her ring finger. “We have a wedding to plan.”