Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas)
“My God,” Lukas breathed as he focused hard and recovered the other missing fragments of his memories.
“My name is Rhea, what about you?” Her childish voice echoed in his head and Lukas swore under his breath. She had been right under his nose all this while and he failed to recognize her. Goodness, gracious, fate must be fucking with him!
However, unlike Lukas who finally connected the dots, Rhea was finding it a bit difficult to comprehend what was happening. She had been much younger when she chased Lukas as a child, hence the memory was almost lost.
“I don’t understand…” Rhea shook her head in confusion, “How did you get those memories? I never told you -“
“I’m Stray and you are my first love, Rhea,” Lukas figured it out.
“What?”
Lukas cupped her face, looking as if he just won the jackpot with his expression,
“Don’t you remember, Rhea, you promised to marry me if I agreed to be your boyfriend in the end?” He reminded her.
And she did remember, the color draining from her face,
“Oh my God, slap me,” Rhea muttered, the shock apparent on her face, “This is unbelievable.”
“Yes, it is,” Lukas admitted out of happiness, pulling Rhea to his chest and hugging her tight, “I cannot believe that I got to see you again.”
However, to his greatest surprise, Rhea pushed him away with a scowl, pointing an accusing at him,
“You left.”
“What?”
“You promised me that you would be there the next day, but then you left. Do you know how many times I went by our secret place waiting and hoping that you would somehow pop out of the blues and tell me that it was all a joke and you never left? I haunted that house like a ghost for months, Lukas! You didn’t even say goodbye?!”
Rhea remembered at once how much betrayal she had felt at that time. She thought she made a friend – or a boyfriend.
“Because I couldn’t,” Lukas retorted, “I never meant to leave you in the first place, Rhea, not without a proper goodbye. But then, Daniel found me and he took him away without a second thought. I was just a child then and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t fight back.” He confessed the truth to her.
Rhea swallowed down the emotions clogging her throat. Although it felt stupid but that experience hurt her as a child and she had always thought she did something bad and he left her all alone – her first boyfriend broke her heart. Who knew he was the same as her current boyfriend Lukas? This must be a sick joke from the universe. She still found it hard to believe.
“However, that was in the past, Rhea, we are in the present and you are with me now. And no one, not even my father would separate us again,” Lukas promised her, his voice deep with emotion.
He lowered his head and sought her lips and Rhea opened up to him without hesitation. Lukas kissed her gently as if to make up for the heartbreak he caused her as a kid. But then the passion ignited and he was kissing her hard and brutally, as if staking his claim on her and she returned it with the same fervor, moaning into his mouth.
If Rhea wanted him to be her Stray, he would be, gladly, however, no one was separating the both of them again. Not for the second time.
Playing Footsie Under The Table
“Thank you for honoring our invitation,” Natalie smiled sweetly, welcoming Karen who took a seat at the dining table.
Karen was no other than Eric’s baby mama and Rose’s mother. They had invited her for a meal officially, since she already knew of their intention to marry, which was the reason for this big, merry breakfast today.
Since Karen was Eric’s baby mama, Natalie talked with him and felt that it was essential that they keep her in the loop. After all, the both of them were about to get married and it was a big change in the family. Natalie would be Rose’s new mother, Karen deserved to know their plans for her daughter. She should know that her daughter was safe with her and Natalie wished they would become friends. It would be much better that way.
Karen was much younger than Natalie and quite a beautiful woman as well. It was obvious that her daughter Rose inherited her features, although her hair color was clearly from Eric. While Natalie was a brunette, Karen was blonde and clearly belonged to those models on the runway.
With an hourglass shape and her slim structure, there was a sophisticated aura around Karen. Not to boast or something, but Natalie could clearly see why Eric and Karen didn’t work out. While Karen belonged in fashion magazines and camera lights, Eric was all dark and deadly. She could never fit into his dark world, and neither could Eric keep a woman like her down.
Karen needed the spotlight as much as the earth needs sunlight and she could not be an obedient wife to Eric – she was wild. And a dark, twisted piece inside of Natalie was thankful the both of them couldn’t be together.
But then, just because they can’t be together, doesn’t mean Eric wouldn’t want her. Karen was hot and Natalie was trying hard not to feed her inferiority complex. Not that Natalie wasn’t attractive, but what man in his right senses wouldn’t want a younger, attractive woman’s company to an older one, and Karen carried herself so well it was as if she was attending a fashion show instead of a simple family breakfast.
Thankfully, Karen was married to her celebrity husband and Natalia didn’t have a reason to suspect that she was still after Eric even though she literally had everything. Nor does her husband-to-be, Eric hit her as a cheating spouse, Natalie truly hoped so.
Because this was the last time she was attempting to give her heart out. She can’t escape from a psychopathic ex-lover in the past only to launch herself into marriage with a chronic liar who chased after her for years. She can’t afford to experience that. Hence, let this be her insecurity speaking.
…..
“The pleasure’s mine,” Karen said just as her daughter Rose took the seat beside her with a full grin that exposed her incomplete teeth.
“Mummy look,” Rose tugged on her arm, drawing her attention to Natalie, saying, “You’re with my other mommy now, and that makes it two mummies! I’m the luckiest kid in the world!” She announced dramatically.
“Yes, you indeed are,” Eric answered her question, coming to take his place at the head table. He said to Karen in particular, “Isn’t she adorable?” Referring to their daughter.
“Of course, she is,” Karen said with pride, “She’s her mother’s daughter, after all.”
Natalie didn’t say anything, smiling wryly instead. That comment hit deep inside of her and she couldn’t help but think about her own daughter. The girl wouldn’t be as proud of her as Rose is of her mother thanks to her option and she had to live with that. However, Natalie doesn’t regret it, what she did gave her the chance to live. If Natalie was given another, she wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again.
“I’m sorry for my lateness, I had some issues to settle on the phone,” Eric apologized to both of them to be precise.
“It’s alright, the food’s already here,” Natalie said in understanding.
“You still do that commission shit?” Karen asked with little respect for his work. She had never favored his line of occupation and was never subtle about it.
“If you mean if I have taken over my father’s position in the commission, then yes. However, it would please me, if you mind your language, there’s a kid with us,” He warned her, reigning in his anger. Karen has always been a self-centered bitch and it seems that even time hasn’t changed that about her.
“Well, I forget that it’s generational.” Karen took a deep breath of relief, digging her spoon into the salad that had been specially prepared for her. Before she was invited, Natalie got her diet schedule and prepared it accordingly.
“Thankfully, Rose is a female and wouldn’t have to take up such a bullshit position. My daughter would live happily without the gore and death, ” She turned to Rose who had no clue what they were talking about, and smoothed her hair proudly.
Eric said nothing to her taunting comment nor did he attempt to correct her that the position of the head of the commission wasn’t generational and was obtained through hard work and wiles. Sorry to ruin her hope either, but Rose had his blood running through her veins and he had seen great strength in the girl. She was made for this.
However, if Rose grows up and doesn’t want his position, Eric would not force her and would let his nephews take his place. His brother and twin Ephraim were already procreating like rabbits, one of his sons would rule in his stead then. Or he could adopt, a lot of options were opened for him.
Knowing that each time Karen opens her mouth to answer Eric, it will be nothing but disaster, Natalie interferes and draws the attention to herself instead before World War III breaks out. The whole breakfast thing was her idea, and she wanted it to succeed.
“Tell me about yourself, Karen,” She said, having noticed the woman loved being the center of attention, “What are your latest projects? I’m interested to know about them.”
And just like that, Karen’s eyes lit up as if someone fed her chocolate. Yolk! Not that she would actually eat chocolate, the calories in there for crying out loud! But then, you know, they say chocolate is a woman’s best friend. So you get the point.
Karen began to talk, going on and on and on and on while in reality, Natalie looked to be listening when she wasn’t because she was playing footsie with Eric under the dining room table.
No Standing Down