War for Love

CH 2: A Dangerous Bet

Ezra was fifteen when him and Jeremiah became best friends. They were inseparable for a long time, and when Ezra's parents died, father had him placed with a trusted soldier of his. Ezra trained with my brothers, worked harder than anyone to prove he belonged. I could tell my father cared for him, but would treat him differently. I wasn't sure exactly why.

'If only you knew about all the things I want to do to you. I bet you've thought about it too' His words echoed in my head. Of course I have thought about it. He has always been my secret forbidden fantasy.

"Don't even think about it." Joel warned. Jeremiah and Ezra left ahead of us, so we took Joel's Ferrari. I looked at him confused. "Jeremiah might not see it, but I can. He isn't for you. Father would have Ezra’s balls on a plate before he let you get involved with someone like him. Just don't, Alessandra."

"Someone like him? Because he doesn't come from money or a good family name it means he is trash? But Joshua who is pedigree is the perfect option?" I rolled my eyes.

"I love you, sister." Joel looked at me seriously. "I would die for you. I would kill for you. Even if that person is almost like family. Understand?"

"Yes." I clenched my jaw. Being the Mafia princess has its disadvantages. The main one is not having a say in who you love.

The drive into the city was quiet and tense. He sighed and tried to make polite conversation about school, but I wasn't in the mood. "Alessandra, I have fought beside him. There are demons he is still fighting, unresolved traumas. I've seen how cold he is to women, how he disposes of them. You are a kind hearted person, and he is soulless. I'm not saying to stay away just because of father, I'm saying it for your own good. He'll hurt you."

"This may sound like a knife in your ear, but do you ever think that your sister just needs a good f**k after all the vanilla s*x from Mr. Perfect."

"Ah ah ah!" He yelled, covering his ears like a child, and I laughed. "No. My sister is a virgin and will die with cobwebs down there."

"Down there?" I laughed harder. "What are you, five?"

"No, but you are." He laughed with me. "You're my baby sister, and I don't care if you are forty and married with ten kids. You're a virgin!"

The rest of the car ride we joked and laughed. Even though I am closer to Jeremiah in age, Joel and I are two peas in a pod. Isaiah has father, Jeremiah has Ezra, and I have my big brother Joel. He knows more about me than the others, he helped me study, helped me learn my brother's tell signs in poker, and so much more. He's my best friend.

"We're here." Joel parked the car in a tall parking structure next to a hospital. I looked around confused. "There is a basement just that way that we renovated." He pointed. "A few hospital staff know about it, they help patch any fighters up under the table, and the security guards make sure we aren't bothered. It's a smart set up."

"No one wonders what a bunch of fancy cars and people are doing this late at night over here?"

"We have bullshit signs." He pointed. I looked at the door of the place we were going and it read, 'Private Charity Auction. Invitation Only'

When we walked inside, it wasn't like anything I had suspected. Then again, I haven't been to anything like this before, and I have watched too many movies. It wasn't a cold, dirty basement, all dark and daunting. It was clean, bright, there was a nice bar in one corner of the room, in another corner there was poker games going on. There was a boxing ring in the middle of the floor, seating all around. As my brother guided me through the crowd, a few people nodded and greeted him, but he didn't stop to exchange pleasantries.

"No introductions?" I raised an eyebrow. My brother shook his head. He looked so serious. "Joel, I'm not a child. Stop treating me like one."

"Alessandra." He scolded. "You are not a child, but you are a beautiful young woman, practically displaying yourself. I'm not treating you as a child, but I will not introduce you to men who wouldn't think twice about trying to f**k you in a bathroom stall. If I think someone is worthy of an introduction I will allow it, but until then, muneca, chin up. You're too good to be here, and that isn't a bad thing. Now stop smiling like the new girl at school. You're the daughter of the Moretti mafia leader. Our name is respected, look around."

I noticed that the crowd parted for Joel and I. When I saw Jeremiah and Ezra across the room, there was a distinct distance between other people and them. Even when people spoke to them, they were careful not to get too close. I read the room, and I saw that my brothers, even in this kind of circle, carried themselves like my father was in the same room.

"Wherever we go, we represent father. It's not all fun and games like we joke. We are constantly on our best behavior." Joel walked us to our seat next to Jeremiah, and of course, I was in the middle of the two. When I made eye contact with Ezra, I can see that his jaw tensed. I didn't change, and I smirked at his frustration. "You're distracting him." Joel whispered. "If I lose this bet, I'm taking it out of your inheritance."

"Good luck, man." Jeremiah fist bumped Ezra, and he started walking away towards a door by the bar. I was the only one confused and my brothers laughed. "Ezra is our fighter, dummy." Jeremiah playfully smacked my head. "Joel and I dropped seventy five each on him to win tonight."

"So stop distracting." Joel whispered again.

"I'll do you one better, I'll help." I grinned. "Who is he fighting?"

Joel pointed to a big guy at the bar when Jeremiah was distracted with a blonde to his left. "His name is Marcus James."

"The heavy weight champion four years in a row?!" My eyes grew wide. He proudly displayed his belt slung over his shoulder. "I have an idea. Take me to get a drink." Joel shook his head. "Trust me. Come on, please. It's innocent I swear!" I was completely lying.

Joel gave in and we headed to the bar. Luckily, Ezra was coming out from the door, changed and wearing a robe. He eyed me up and down, but said nothing. I looked at Ezra's competition from across the bar and I could see Ezra didn't like it. I shooed my brother away and he rolled his eyes, taking a few steps away for privacy.

"Ezra." I said without looking away from the other fighter. I tilted my head to the side, exposing my long neck to him. "I really like that belt he has."

"What?" He cleared his throat and took a sip from his glass. I'm guessing bourbon.

I turned my body completely towards him, grabbed his drink out of his hand and took a sip. It was smooth and warmed my chest from the inside. "I said I like his belt. If I were to make a bet, would you play?"

"We can't Alessandra." He wouldn't look at me. "Your father, your brothers, would kill me."

"You're so dirty minded, it's not that kind of bet." He listened. "I hear that Mr. James over there is recently divorced. Which is probably why he is doing these underground fights. Undeground cash means no alimony for the ex wife." He turned towards me, curious. "I'm going to make a bet with Marcus James personally. If you win, I get his belt."

"And if he does?" I said nothing, and just smirked. Letting make his own assumptions. "That's not funny, Alessandra."

"No." I shrugged. "But, Joshua was boring. I'm ready for some fun and excitement." I stood up and winked at Ezra. "So, good luck." I walked off to the other side of the bar. "Mr. James?" I introduced myself, of course after asking Joel if it was okay. He didn't know my plan either. "I'm Alessandra Moretti." He shook my hand gently, and looked at me amazed. "I just wanted to wish you good luck, you'll be fighting a friend of mine."

"Ezra isn't a good enough man to call a beauty like you a friend." He flirted openly. "You're Joel and Jeremiah's sister, which means-"

"I'm here to make a bet of my own." I interrupted him and his eyebrow peaked with interest. "I am a collector of things and I believe I would love that belt." I pointed to it on his shoulder. "So, three hundred grand if you win, the belt if you lose."

"Alessandra!" Joel scolded me quietly. I held up a finger to my lips. This is the kind of reaction I needed from them to make Ezra believe it.

Mr. James smiled huge. "That's a bit of a hit in your inheritance isn't it, Alessandra?" He tried to joke.

"That is Miss Moretti to you. You'll be smart to remember that." My voice was stern and unforgiving. He apologized quickly. "Don't worry about my inheritance, it's not even a dent, but I hear alimony is a bitch." Macrus turned sour at my words. "So, deal?"

"Deal."

On the way back to our seat I winked at Ezra and I could tell he was seething mad. "What did you just do?!" Joel tried to calmly confront me by grabbing my elbow and spinning me around. "Father will know something is wrong if that kind of money is missing from your account!"

"Joel, I have a suggestion. Go bigger on your bet." He looked at me with such anger. "Look, you're right. There is tension between Ezra and I. You know I have had a crush on him since I met him when I was thirteen! But I'm not a kid anymore and Ezra is attracted to me. I just implied that if Ezra lost then I was going home with Marcus James." Joel looked at me with wide eyes. "You really think Ezra is going to let me go home with him?"

"This is a dangerous game you're playing with him. I'm not saying he would ever disrespect you, but you're not thinking about the consequences." Joel warned. Then he sighed. He looked around and called over a person carrying a ledger around. "Raise the Moretti bet." The man opened the book and waited with his pen. My brother looked at me and I reassured him. "Three hundred thousand total." The guy swallowed hard as he wrote down the new bet. As we were walking back towards our seats, Joel stopped me one last time. "I sounded like father in the car and I shouldn't have. You're a grown woman and I have said it before that we can't protect you forever. But I'm warning you Alessandra, your brothers might one day get over this little attraction between you two, but father will never forget it. We are the only family Ezra has, you would be taking that from him because father will exhile him."

I sighed and nodded. After tonight, Ezra and I need to stay away from each other. "I understand."

When we sat down, I saw a familiar face in the crowd walking my way with a huge smile. "Oh God, please kill me now." I gripped both my brothers' arms. "Alessy!" I hated that f*****g nickname. "She looked at my left ring finger and did very little to hide her disappointment.

"Sara." Joshua's older sister.