Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas)
The members of his team were rowdy and chatty and tried to involve him in all of their conversations, and though Elijah tried his best to chip in, his mind was distracted. He anticipated the party and dreaded it at the same time because tonight was going to determine the step he would take.
They arrived at the base soon enough and as expected of a Mafia’s manor, the property stretched across several acres of land and spoke of wealth. Was that what Rhea had fallen for? His dirty money? Well, guess what? He had them too.
They packed across several other cars on the lawn and were led to the open space where the party was in full swing. Like the phantom ghost he was, his teammate didn’t even realize when he broke away from them and went in search of Rhea.
If what he had seen a day ago was true, then she would surely be here. This was Lukas’s territory and he would love to flaunt his new conquest, Rhea. Elijah felt a suffocating feeling in his chest when he thought of something.
What if this was a challenge? The same way he had slept with his second in command and cousin, Adele, what if Lukas was doing that on purpose as well. To taunt and rub his victory all over his face – he banged his women, what was he going to do about it? The worst part is Rhea might not even know about Lukas’s intention, the same way Adele doesn’t know he’s fooling her.
Surely, Rhea couldn’t have slept with Lukas, right?
No, Elijah knew Rhea, she was a brave and smart woman and surely, wouldn’t be stupid enough to sleep with the enemy. However, his question was answered when his eyes fell on the crowd of dancers and he saw her.
Not only her.
She was with Lukas and they were grinding against each other to the rhythm of the music with nothing but bliss on their faces and his heart shattered.
Elijah Knew She Was Together With Lukas
Rhea chuckled as Lukas and Victor continued with their chase, notwithstanding their men watching them. But they turned around as if it wasn’t their first time seeing such a scene. Everyone knew Victor tended to taunt and goad Lukas into action.
Mimi giggled as well, leaning close to her to say, “Trust me, when I tell you that he’s secured the video already to his email, so even if Lukas deletes that video, he still has backup. Lukas will never hear the end of it.”
Rhea’s jaw dropped, then she burst into laughter as well. What the hell? She stared at Lukas who was now a blur to her thanks to the distance between them. However, she could tell that he was fucking mad and Victor would probably receive a few blows from him as a lesson before he let go of him. To think he wanted her to stick to his side throughout the party.
“Here,” Rhea turned to see Mimi handing a cup to her and she didn’t need God in heaven to tell her that the content was alcohol.
“Nope, not happening,” Rhea rejected it immediately. She didn’t like alcohol because it muddled one’s sense of reasoning and she needed her brain on track tonight. Moreover, the hangover was hell.
But Mimi was not taking no for an answer because she said,” You convinced Lukas to dance, surely, I would convince you to drink and come on, this is our party, tonight!” She raised the cup higher with a bitchy smile.
“Fine, just one drink,” She gave in.
“Good girl,” Mimi smiled at her and handed the cup to her which Rhea received and swinging her head back, took all of the drink in one gulp. It didn’t burn like the one she had with Lukas, hence Rhea could tell that it was beer, and all of it was alcohol; it was no good for her. Well, whatever!
Mimi was surprised when Rhea snatched the other drink in her hand and chug it down as well and she cheered her, “Woohoo, that’s how we do it!”
…..
Rhea took the third and the fourth… no, she stopped at the fourth drink. She was feeling a bit heady and that can’t be good. She was a smart woman and needed to be able to think fast especially when she had a possessive boyfriend by her side and lustful gazes that had become prominent without Lukas’s presence. Rhea just hoped no one signs his death sentence by walking over and hitting on her. She won’t be held responsible for that.
“Shit! Lukas wants to kill my piccolo leone!” Mimi cursed and dropped her drink when she looked in the distance and found out that Lukas had finally caught up to Victor and tackled him to the ground.
“Wait! What is piccolo leone?” Rhea was curious to know. She couldn’t believe that her friend was now into that language shit as well. God, she had to work hard and catch up to them.
Rhea had flunked her language study at school because she saw no need for it knowing that she’d be stuck with her uncle and his family in this city fighting for the right to her father’s property and trust fund. What was the need then? But now, she saw the need. It just sucked that she had no laptop or phone else she would have signed up for a language course or something.
She was lost in her thoughts when somebody suddenly bumped into her, his hand quickly resting on the small of her back to keep her steady on her feet and it sent shivers down her spine. What the hell? Before Rhea had the chance to look up at him, her thief senses tingled and she felt something being stuffed into her palm that she instinctively held on to.
He was gone before Rhea could turn around and that made her brows crease in confusion, what is going on here? However, her attention moved to the folded paper in her grip and she opened it with interest, hoping to God that it was a romantic stunt pulled secretly by Lukas. How sweet that would be, a smile pulled at the corner of her lips.
However, that smile on her face slowly thinned when she read the note.
[ You look lovely tonight. Miss me? – Yours. E.]
Rhea let the note drop from her hand, the night breeze blowing it away, but those words had been imprinted deep into her head already. She broke out in a cold sweat as her lips began to tremble knowing exactly who that initial belongs to. It was Elijah, the realization dawned loudly on her.
She whirled around at once trying to make out the location he was watching her from. Then it hit her, the man that knocked into her. It was him. Rhea searched round and round but there was no one but the dancing crowd with laughter on their faces as they enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, Rhea was not enjoying herself any longer.
This was a nightmare.
Rhea always had this nagging feeling inside of her that Elijah would come back for her, but to think this soon, it didn’t cross her mind. She barely even started dating Lukas.
Lukas….
Since Elijah pointed out that she looked lovely, that means that he had been watching her all this while and might have seen her dance with Lukas. Unfortunately, that dance with Lukas had been anything but subtle, it was provocative and was enough to send the message home.
Oh my God, Elijah knew she was together with Lukas.
Rhea was so gripped with fear that she didn’t even realize that she was beginning to hyperventilate. Why was Elijah here? Had he come to rescue her and she fucked that up by being together with Lukas? What if he does something to Lukas? Lukas doesn’t even know that he’s here nor does he know what her ex-boyfriend looks like, giving Elijah the perfect opportunity to attack him.
Hence Rhea decided to warn Lukas, but the moment she took a step forward, her world swirled and she lost consciousness, falling to the ground.
She couldn’t Lose Him
Mimi was the first person Rhea saw when her eyes opened and her throat felt parched. She wanted to demand water but her gaze roamed across the room searching for a particular person and when she didn’t see him, her heart began to pound loudly in her throat, hoping to God that it wasn’t what she was thinking.
A sense of unease filled her, there was no way Elijah could have attacked Lukas, right? Nothing happened, she told herself when though her heart continuously beat faster.
So she summoned the courage and asked about her boyfriend and Mimi came to sit on the edge of her bed. Now Rhea thought about it, she was lying on her bed instead of Lukas’s. If Lukas was here, he would want her in her bed, not here.
“W-where is… Lukas?” Rhea swore that she would stay strong and wouldn’t waver, yet her voice still broke off in the end especially when she saw the tears forming in Mimi’s eyes and her sympathetic look. God, this can’t be happening.
Mimi didn’t answer and only squeezed her eyes shut and Rhea felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces even when her friend hadn’t confirmed it with her words. What was there to confirm when she could see written all over her friend’s face, not to mention that she has known Mimi the longest and right now, something was wrong.
“I’m s-sorry, Rhea,” Mimi finally choked out and she let out a wail that sounded like it was a banshee shrieking.
Rhea cried so sorrowfully and loudly that Mimi tried to pull her into a hug but she pushed her away. Right now, she didn’t need her comfort and needed to grieve raw for her loss. She and Lukas barely started, how was this possible? He couldn’t go! He couldn’t leave her just like that! She needed him! Rhea wanted him back, she couldn’t do without him especially now her life just found meaning.
But then, no matter how much she pushed against Mimi, she wouldn’t let go of her and was surprisingly strong. Hence, a struggle began between the both of them as she tried to push her away but Mimi pushed her to the bed and began to shout her name.
“Wake up, Rhea! Dannazione, Rhea! Wake the fuck up!” The ferocity in those words gave her a bit of clarity and she wondered when Mimi began to speak like that? Also, the voice was deeper and rougher and sounded nothing like her friend’s.
…..
Suddenly, as if Rhea gained enlightenment of her situation, she rose with a gasp of life like a drowning victim. The moment she came around, her gaze connected with intense gray eyes, and the breath was knocked out of her lungs.
It was Lukas.