Arranged love

I nod, knowing she’s right. I just have to get through dinner, and then I can see him tomorrow.

Haven returns to her seat, and Dillan pulls out a chair, gesturing for me to sit down. I slowly lower myself to the white leather, trying to position my dress properly and cross one leg over the other. The double-slit up the front isn’t the most convenient. “Thank you,” I say softly.

He takes the seat next to me. “Mia, you’ve met the ladies, but you haven’t had the chance to meet Titan, Grave, and Cross.” He points each one out.

I nod at each one, making eye contact even though I want to crawl under the table and hide until this dinner is over. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Titan smiles at me while Cross nods. Grave just glares at me, and I swallow nervously. This is going to go exactly how I imagined-terrible. I don’t miss the fact that Nite isn’t here. Wonder where he’s at tonight. Maybe he’s with Luca since Haven is here with us.

Dillan slides his hand under the table and once again slips his fingers between my crossed legs, resting them on my thigh. I take in a deep breath, deciding that tonight will be my first night to willingly drink alcohol.

BONES

I CAN FEEL how tense she is. My hand rests between her legs on her thigh. The cool satin has fallen to the side, covering my hand. If I wanted to, I could slide my hand up between her legs to her pussy. Finger-fuck her right here at the table and then lick my fingers clean as if she’s my main course. But I won’t. If she were any other woman, I would, but Mia isn’t just any other woman. She’d probably jump up from the table. Right now, she’s a timid cat, ready to run and hide at any given second.

I’ll fix that. It’ll just take time.

She’s sipping on a glass of champagne. I ordered it for her. I was watching her very closely and could tell she was lost when she stared at the menu for a few minutes, trying to decide what to drink.

She brings the glass to her lips when my brother speaks. “So, Mia, have you been to see Luca?”

I narrow my eyes on Grave. He knows she’s not allowed up there.

“I-”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Not yet,” I interrupt her.

Mia lifts the drink to her lips again, taking a bigger sip this time.

He leans back in his chair, and April taps his shoulder. “Grave-”

“I just figured you would want to see him since you’re the reason he’s there.” He cuts off April.

Mia chokes on her drink.

“Grave!” April snaps at him.

“That’s enough,” I growl at him, sitting up straighter and pulling my hand from her thigh.

“What?” He arches a brow at me. “Was that supposed to be a secret?”

“What does he mean?” Haven looks at me, and I sigh. “Bones?” she snaps, her eyes going to Mia, who is finishing her drink. She’s going to be drunk if she’s not already. I know the girl never drinks. “What is he talking about?”

Jasmine hangs her head, and so does Emilee. As far as the women go, I’ve only told Jasmine, so I’m guessing Titan has filled his wife in on the situation. April pulls her hand from Grave and slams her napkin down on the table, getting to her feet and storming away. Grave gives Mia a smirk before he gets up and follows his fiancée.

“Someone better start explaining what he meant,” Haven orders.

Mia takes in a shaky breath. “I-”

“This isn’t the place,” I say before she can tell Haven what’s going on. I’m not sure if we have eyes on us right now. The last thing we need is all of us fighting all over social media tomorrow with a headline about Luca being shot and it being his sister’s fault.

“Not the place?” Haven gasps. “My husband is in a coma, and Grave is blaming Mia.” She looks over at her sister-in-law. “Tell me, Mia,” she demands. “What the hell did he mean?”

She licks her lips. “He-I.” Mia clears her throat. “Matteo and the twins…”

“That’s enough,” I bark, making her jump. “We will not discuss this here.”

Silence falls over our table, and Haven glares at Mia, expecting her to finish, but Mia’s watery eyes are on her empty champagne flute. After a few seconds, Haven stands and storms off.

“Haven?” Mia jumps to her feet.

“Don’t.” I stand, grabbing Mia’s arm to keep her from running after Haven.

She spins around to face me, her eyes swimming in tears. “She deserves to know.”

“I disagree.” Titan is the one who speaks. “Her knowing won’t change what happened. It’ll just have her upset at you over a situation you have no control over.”

“But I did. That’s the problem,” she whispers. “I could have prevented this.”

“Mia.”

“I need a minute.” She rips her arm from my hold and grabs her dress, picking it up off the floor, and I watch her enter the bathroom on the other side of the restaurant.

“Will you…?”

“Yeah.” Jasmine and Emilee are already up and going after her before I can finish my request.

“Well, this is a disaster,” Cross states, picking up his scotch and throwing it back.

“I’ll be back,” I announce and start walking off.

Titan stands as well. “Bones, don’t,” he rushes out, but I’m already walking toward the elevator.

Grave and April both have their backs to me as they wait on it.

“Why would you do that?” I hear her ask my brother when I approach them.

“It needed to be said. Haven deserves to know,” he answers her as the door slides open. “She’s using him. Mia has him fooled-”

I come up behind him and shove his back, pushing him into the waiting elevator, cutting off whatever bullshit he was about to say about me.

“Bones,” April squeals, reaching out for me, but Titan had followed me and grabs her while the door closes with Grave and me inside before she can enter.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I get in his face.

He fixes his suit jacket that I managed to knock off his shoulder. “You think I’m going to sit back and let her ruin our lives? What we’ve worked so hard for?”

“She didn’t do this,” I shout, fisting my hands and trying not to knock his ass out.

“Luca could die.” He presses his hands into my chest, pushing me back, and I stretch my neck. It’s been a while since my brother and I have physically fought, and I really don’t want to hit him. “Because of her. Don’t you understand that?” He shoves me again, knocking me into the wall. “And then who do you think they’ll come after? Huh?”

“Jesus, is that what this is about?” I snap at him. “I’m an adult, Grave. I don’t need you to look out for me.”

“I finally have a life.” He points at his chest. “I finally have a reason to live. I love April with all I have, but I can’t lose you, Bones.” Shaking his head, he drops his eyes to the floor. “I can’t …”

“Hey.” I grip his face and force his eyes on mine. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise. But I have to do what I need to do to save her. Please understand that.”

Grave has always felt things more than anyone I know. That was why he was an addict. He always said it was to feel alive, but I think it was to numb everything. To forget our mother died when we were young and the fact that our father acted like he didn’t exist. Grave always had a death wish. That’s how he got his nickname. The drugs were going to help him live up to it. He’s clean now, and I’m just realizing how it’s affected him. How much he worries about losing what he’s finally come to realize he has.

“Even if it means ruining all of us?” he asks. “Because that’s what they will do the first chance they get.”

“It won’t come to that.” I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure she’s taken care of without the Bianchis touching the Kings and their queens. Even if that means surrendering myself to them. “I-”

“You can’t promise that, Dillan,” he interrupts me. “And even if you believe it, I don’t.” He steps back, and my arms fall to my sides again. “You need to let her go again. Ship her off.”

“I can’t do that,” I say honestly.

He stares at me, his blue eyes hardening and his jaw sharpening. “You’ve fucked her.”

It wasn’t a question, so I don’t respond to it.

Throwing his head back, he gives a rough laugh. “Can’t fucking believe it.” His eyes meet mine again, and he pushes a finger into my chest. “Explain to me again how she’s not using you.”

“She’s not.”

“Bullshit!” he screams.

The door slides open just as the identical elevator beside us dings. April comes running into ours the next second. Titan comes into view, standing right outside of it.

“Grave.” She breathes his name.

“Let’s go home.” He drapes his arm over her shoulders and exits the elevator.

Titan steps onto mine, and the door closes once again. He presses the button for the restaurant. “Not going to lie. I expected him to be knocked out on the floor. Thanks for saving me from having to deal with a distraught April.”