The Mafia

Chapter 1

If it were up to her, Raven would have been anywhere but here. A week had passed since the night she and April were allowed to leave their suite for the first time. That was also the night she discovered that her father was, in his own words, a 'no good hoodlum'. Since that night she had only seen him once, and it was a tense and uncomfortable meeting to put it lightly. She wished she could say the same about Celia and Demetrio, however. She and her sister were free to go anywhere on the grounds and it seemed that everywhere she went, the two of them followed. As if that wasn't enough, they were always together. She couldn't remember frowning so often in all her life.

On the upside, she had met Demetrio's younger brothers, Cosmo and Cristiano. While Demetrio was all doom and gloom, his brothers were the total opposites. Cosmo, she found out, was only a few months older than her and was the baby of the family at twenty-five. He was also the most adorable person she'd ever come across, and she often found herself stuck between being amused and exasperated when it came to April's constant flirtations with him. Cristiano was the middle child and at twenty-nine he seemed to be an even bigger Casanova than his older brother was. Raven didn't think it was possible, but she had seen him in action. She'd spotted quite a number of women during the week coming and going in search of him.

"Can't we go somewhere tonight?" April whined. "It's a Friday, for God's sake."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the one in charge around here." As the days went by, April's optimistic demeanour slowly drained away. "Let's go for a walk or something." Raven stood up and looked at the giant of a man, Angelo that Demetrio had assigned as their bodyguard. Only God knew why they needed one when they never left the damn place. "It's okay if we do that isn't it?" she asked him for confirmation. He simply gave them both a nod. Despite the fact that he rarely talked, and his intimidating size, Raven liked Angelo. He had warm, smiling brown eyes and had the most chivalrous bearing she had ever seen on a man. And, as April put it, he was decent eye candy.

"We should sneak out!" April said suddenly, jumping up from the bed.

Raven had to stop herself from smacking her palm to her forehead. "Even if we could manage to sneak out, you just said it loudly enough for the whole floor to hear you, not to mention Angelo," she reasoned as she stared at the man standing less than five feet away from them with his arms crossed behind his back.

"He would have found out either way and we can't do it alone. Now at least he can help us."

A frown formed on Angelo's face, the first she had really seen reach his eyes. "Ladies, you both know I cannot do that. If you want to leave so badly, talk to Demetrio," Angelo said in his slightly accented voice.

Oh yeah, there was the matter of his voice. It was a deep baritone that just made ones toes curl. It was even deeper than Demetrio's... okay she seriously needed to stop thinking about him at the most awkward of moments. "And while we're at it, let's go ahead and roller-skate to the North Pole," April said dryly and plopped back down on the bed, realising how futile the situation was.

Ever the supportive big sister, Raven scowled. "Now hold on! Who says we can't at least try? Lurch leaves this damn hell hole every day, and he tells us over and over again that we aren't prisoners. According to him, we're 'family'. Well I say it's time to exercise our familial rights. Come on."

They both got up and headed towards the door, which Angelo already held open for them. "Do you have any idea where he is?" April asked after they had checked the study to no avail.

"Probably the..." he trailed off when they came across Celia in a winding corridor.

Raven felt her optimistic mood drain into the ground. There was something off about that woman, and it wasn't just the jealousy talking. She smiled at them all as they took in the skimpy bikini she wore with a small towel draped over her shoulders and a big grin gracing her lips.

"Hi guys! I'd hug you, but I'm soaking here." A smiling Demetrio followed behind her... a half naked smiling Demetrio. Obviously they had just come from a swim in the pool. "I finally got him to take a break and come for a dip with me," Celia continued, gesturing to the swimming trunk clad figure. She was completely oblivious to the gaze Raven had fixed on Demetrio. All rational thought had fled from her mind at the sight of this Greek... uhm... Italian God! The droplets of water that trailed down his torso emphasised his washboard abs; was that a six-pack? She counted one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight... yikes.

"Demetrio I need to talk to you," she said, finally tearing her eyes from his midriff to look right into his. "Actually, we need to talk to you."

She noticed April staring inquisitively at her. She could practically hear the coils in her sister's head turning.

"This sounds serious," Celia said before Demetrio could reply. "Can't it wait until after lunch? I just got him to relax."

The glint in her eyes said otherwise. She just wanted to keep Raven as far away from him as possible. She scoffed mentally. She didn't even want him. She didn't!

"I'm going stir crazy!" Raven blurted out to Demetrio, completely ignoring Celia. "April's in danger of losing her mind and I'm not far off. We need to go out somewhere, at least for a little-"

"No," Demetrio cut her off before she could finish. "I can't trust the two of you to go out without me, and I simply don't have the time to babysit."

"Hold up, Lurch. Did you just say babysit? Do I need to point out the fact that I don't want to be here? I'm a grown woman! I shouldn't be asking a man I barely know – one I don't even like, mind you – to allow me to come and go as I please. You know what? Forget it, I'll just tell Cris to take us."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned in a soft tone, accepting a towel from one of the housemaids and proceeding to wipe his hair out vigorously. Raven found it creepy that they were always just standing around waiting for one of them to ask for something.

"Well, you aren't us," April commented snidely, always one to get the last word in.

"Yeah, I mean what have we honestly got to lose?" Raven winked discreetly at her sister. Everyone in the room knew Cristiano wouldn't hesitate to take them both out for a night on the town. Demetrio, on the other hand, hand no intention of conceding to the sisters. He was accustomed to everyone around him taking orders from him and expected them to be carried out. So when they dragged Angelo away he did not bother calling them back, fully expecting them to give up on the silly notion and go back to their room.

***

A mischievous grin lit Cris's face when Raven asked him if they could tag along when he made his usual nightly venture that evening.

"You do realise the big guy will blow a gasket when he finds out, right?" he asked in a falsely concerned tone.

"Well, that's what we're counting on. But if you don't want to get yourself in trouble, we totally understand," April said although she couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

He chuckled. "Please! I'm not worried. All he can do is scold me. How long do you need to get ready?"

"You'll go with us?" she squealed. "Are you serious? I love you so much right now."

April quickly requested suitable outfits for both if them to be brought to their suite. She didn't waste another second on conversation, grabbing her older sister's hand and rushing out of Cris's room with glee.

"Lighten up," Cris said to Angelo when the girls left.

Angelo scowled at the shorter man. "This is not going to end well," he warned.

"Don't I know it," Cris responded. "But you know I can't keep myself out of trouble to save my life. Besides, if I make a good impression on them I might get lucky." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"If you touch either of those girls both their father and Demetrio will have your head."

Cris snorted. "He won't kill me if I leave Raven alone. He wants her for himself, even if he doesn't know it yet."

The big man withdrew his phone from his pocket and popped some headsets in his ears. "I don't want to talk about this, he muttered, scrolling down his playlist as he made his way back to the girls' suite.

He shrugged nonchalantly and raised his voice in hopes of the retreating figure overhearing him. "Be that as it may, we both know I'm right. And I wouldn't want to be in that girl's shoes when brother dearest realises how much he does want her."

***

"I can't believe I've been here for a week and this is the first time I'm seeing this place. It's beautiful! Where are we going?" Raven hadn't sat still since they drove out of the mansion's gates a half hour earlier. Cosmo chuckled when he saw her press her face against the dark tinted windows of the limousine to gawk at a particularly ancient and towering building.

He pulled her away from the window. "Is it acceptable to stare at people where you come from?" he asked with a grin.

"No, but I'm a tourist so I can stare all I want. It's like an unwritten rule. So where's this place we're going to..." she trailed off, wanting one of them to give her an idea of where it was.

"It's a fairly new nightclub, since it's been open for less than a year," Cris supplied helpfully.

"It's also where Cris spends most of his time. He meets all those women you see looking for him there."

April laughed outright. "You know, for a player, you're not very smooth." When he simply raised an eyebrow she went on, "All I'm saying is, if I were a guy with your looks and I wanted to play around, I wouldn't have to sneak around my own house to avoid a bunch one night stands."

Raven and Cosmo gave him a look that said 'she's got you there'. Normally Raven wasn't a club person, but after being forcibly stuck in one place for as long as she had, she was willing to take what she got. She still had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that Demetrio's threat would come back to bite them. As if he read her thoughts, Cosmo looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, although even he couldn't completely hide the fact that he was just a little worried over what his oldest brother would do when he found out they had helped in sneaking them out.

Cris and April, on the other hand, had no such worries on their minds. Her sister's cheerful attitude seemed to come back to her, full force. "This is gonna be so fun, Ray! I can't wait."

Raven winced. She had gone out clubbing with her sister twice in her life and it was more than enough for a lifetime. The first time April was determined to get her laid! The girl had practically shoved her in the arms of every available good-looking man they had crossed paths with. The time after that, they had been kidnapped. "Maybe we should have a buddy system," she suggested softly, careful not to hurt her sister's feelings.

A crestfallen look came upon April's face. "I mean, I'm a novice at this kind of thing, and so is Cosmo. This way we can't bite off more than we can chew and you two won't have to be slowed down." She turned her attention to Cristiano. "But you better take care of my baby sister or I swear to God I'll-"

"Okay, okay! We get it, damn!" April cut her off before she could go into full big sister mode.

The sisters were then shocked into silence when they came to a stop outside the club. They didn't even notice the chauffeur holding the door open for them. A steady thumping beat reverberated from the inside steadily and one of the longest queues they had ever seen trailed all the way to the back of the large building. By the look of things they'd be lucky to get in around the same time next week.

Cris smirked at their expressions and grabbed hold of April's hand just as Cosmo did the same with Raven's. They passed each and everyone on the line, yet no one seemed to object like Raven had expected. The huge bouncer they came up to, nowhere near Angelo's height, gave them each a friendly smile and stepped aside, waving them in.

"How the hell did that happen?" April shouted over the loud music, taking the words right out her sister's mouth.

"Girls, you're family! This place is a family establishment."

For a moment, Raven remembered exactly where she was, and who she was with. Despite Cristiano's charm and outgoing ways, and Cosmo's easy smile and adorableness, they were both dangerous. They were two of the most dangerous men on their side of the hemisphere. God, she hated the way they said 'family'. It almost made her sick to her stomach that her father had once been involved in all this.

"You okay?" She looked up to see Cosmo watching her with worried eyes. Raven offered a smile and linked his arm with hers. She determinedly pushed her other thoughts aside. Now was not the time to worry about any of it.

She admitted to herself that when they left the house, she was hoping that no one knew who Cris and Cosmo were. Judging by the way their path cleared like the Red Sea in a semi-crowded place like that; however, she knew it had been false hope all along. April offered her a wave and practically dragged Cris to the bar. She chortled merrily when she saw his panicked expression. She also didn't miss the many disappointed stares that followed the pair all the way to the bar. As frequent a patron as Cristiano was to the club, he obviously didn't make a habit of bringing a woman with him. He must have preferred to leave with one.

"I'll feel like an absolute heel if I don't offer to dance with you," Cosmo said as he pulled her to the dance floor. The two spent the better part of the night dancing than doing anything else. Once in a while April or Cris would come in their line of vision, but they were each having too much to do more than smile, wave at each other and carry on.

Later into the night, Raven plopped down onto a lush seat in the VIP section, far too tired to admit. She took a sip of a red-coloured cocktail Cosmo had brought to her a little earlier. At the corner of her vision, she saw a familiar towering figure. When Angelo met her gaze, she waved him over.

"How long have you been here?" she asked pulling him down to sit beside her. If it were up to him, she knew he would have remained standing. The man took his body guarding duties to very seriously.

"All night, he admitted.

"Did you have fun? Or at least a beer?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She adamantly told him she wouldn't have a conversation with him if he didn't at least order something to drink. He sat back down beside her a little while later with a pilsner in his hand.

"Happy, now?" he asked dryly.

"Very."

Angelo took a swig of his beer. "We have to go soon."

"Why? Seems to me the night's just getting started.

"Demetrio just found out about you sneaking off. He's on his way." He studied her silently before turning his attention to his phone to type out a message. "A piece of advice: next time you sneak out make sure you're back in time."

"Oh, crap." In record time, Raven got to Cosmo, who was all the way across the room. She told him what Angelo had just relayed to her and had a hard time keeping a straight face when he almost spit his drink out in panic.

"We have to go," he gasped, still trying to catch his breath.

She rolled her eyes. "I already figured that part out. We have to find April and Cris."

When he pulled out his iPhone Raven looked at it longingly. She hadn't touched a phone or a computer since they had been kidnapped. For a techno-freak like her, it was the worst form of torture she'd had to endure while she was there. His fingers flew over the sleek surface quickly and efficiently. The phone beeped not long after the message was sent.

"They'll meet us outside. Come on, let's get going."

They both shot Angelo nasty looks when he grinned at them as he led the way out. "From now onwards, you'll listen to me," he said smugly.

"What're you so happy about? He'll be mad at you too," Raven spat.

"Oh no, dear. Technically these two idiots are superior to me. Even as your bodyguard, I had no choice but to acquiesce to their orders."

She wanted to wipe his smug smile off his face so badly. "Ain't that a b***h," she murmured instead.

On their way out they passed by a claw machine. It was situated a little bit away from the long line of people still waiting to get in. Raven came to a halt as soon as she saw it and stared at it wistfully. "What's wrong?" Cosmo asked, as both he and Angelo stopped beside her.

"It's nothing. Just that I've never been able to win anything from these things," she admitted reluctantly.

Cosmo hesitated before he dug into his pockets and fished out a couple of coins. "Watch and learn."

After he slid the coins in, he grabbed hold of the handle. In a few minutes he walked back to them with a triumphant smile, holding a plastic black box in his hand. "Piece of cake."

"I wanted a teddy bear," she joked, trying to snatch the box from him, curious as to what it was.

He swatted her hands away, pried the light box open and withdrew a plastic ring from it. "That's it? I thought it'd be a map to a treasure island or something. Oh, well..." Cosmo trailed off as he got down on one knee in front her, clearing his throat loudly and dramatically.

Raven laughed out loud; so sure was she that he wouldn't do what she thought he was going to.

He took her hand. "Raven, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? I promise you won't have to cook for anyone, but me. And as a bonus I won't invite either of my brothers or Angelo to the wedding."

"Well now who can say no to that? I've never heard anything more romantic in my life! What the hell. Let's get married," she managed to get out through peals of laughter.

He squeezed her finger through the plastic ring with an outrageously big fake ruby in the middle. She looked at it while wiggling her fingers, mock admiringly. "Not bad! Not bad at all."

They were both so distracted by sharing laughter in something so silly that neither of them noticed Demetrio striding to towards them. When they did see him standing before them, though, the furious glint in his coal black eyes encompassed his whole face.

"Oh, boy," she whispered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he raged.

Before either of them could answer, he grasped Raven's upper arm in an unbreakable grip. Not that she'd bother trying to push him off. He was obviously in some sort of mood.

"Demetrio, stop." The glare he shot her shut her right up.

"Go to the car. Right. Now." He pointed to an expensive looking Range Rover. She didn't even think of disobeying or questioning him. Raven rushed to climb into the car and shut it after her. She saw Demetrio yelling at his brother, none-too-subtly from her vantage point through the darkened car window. She silently steamed over the embarrassing way he'd treated her in front of Angelo, Cosmo and a bunch of strangers. When he joined her in the car, she crossed her fingers, hoping the ride back to the mansion would go by quickly and silently. She was dreading it.