Owned By The Mafia Boss

Chapter 3

The moment they stepped inside her apartment, Raven headed straight for the kitchen to make coffee.

After everything that had happened, plus the hangover, she desperately needed caffeine.

While Nicole went for the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of red wine she'd been saving, ignoring Raven's half-hearted protest as Roxane joined her and reached for a wineglass.

Raven could only stare at them, wondering how much alcohol their bodies could possibly tolerate when apparently, whatever they'd drunk the night before still hadn't been enough.

“So... I know it’s still early, but we're still celebrating.” Nicole lifted the bottle with a grin. “With Raven’s expensive wine.”

Raven groaned.

“Seriously?”

Nicole ignored her. Claire eagerly took the glass Roxane handed her.

“Okay, before we forget why we're here...” Claire poured herself some wine and looked straight at Raven. “Tell us everything.”

Raven rolled her eyes and dropped onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter.

“There is nothing to tell.”

Claire raised an eyebrow.

“First of all, I barely remember anything. And yes, the guy was gorgeous. Probably rich, too. But he was an asshole, and I would love to never see him again.”

Claire grinned.

“Yeah, yeah. We already established that he's gorgeous. And judging by the limousine that dropped you off this morning, he's definitely rich.”

She leaned closer.

“What we really want to know is whether he was good in bed.”

Bryan, who had apparently decided this conversation was his business too, poured himself some wine.

Raven sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“Do you think he forced you?”

Roxane's question made Raven pause, but before she could answer, Claire laughed.

“Forced her? Please.”

She shook her head.

“From what I saw of the man Raven was with last night, he doesn't exactly look like the type who needs to force a woman into bed.”

Claire raised her glass toward Nicole.

“Come on, Raven. Give us something. Try to remember.”

Their glasses clinked, triggering something inside Raven and making her stomach twist as her fingers tightened around her coffee cup.

A flash, a voice, a familiar scent, and then another fragment of the night came rushing back.

“Hey! Careful.”

A deep, masculine voice made Raven blink as she remembered accidentally bumping into a man at the bar, nearly knocking the whiskey from his hand.

She hadn't noticed his face at first, only his clean, dark scent mixed with cigarette smoke, but when she finally looked up, she found herself staring at a tall, muscular, ridiculously handsome man who looked like he knew exactly how attractive he was.

“You should at least apologize.”

His brows had drawn together in irritation, but Raven had simply rolled her eyes before stealing the whiskey right from his hand.

“Nah. I'm done apologizing.”

She'd taken a sip and nearly coughed at how awful it tasted.

“I graduated today, and I feel like I can do whatever the hell I want.”

The man's expression had tightened, but Raven had only smiled.

“You know, you're really hot.”

He'd stared at her for several seconds before taking his drink back.

“You're drunk.”

“No kidding.”

“Go home.”

Instead of being offended, Raven had laughed before throwing her arms around him, nearly stumbling as he caught her by the waist, and she remembered looking up at him, liking the feel of his hands on her and wanting more.

“You know...” she'd whispered.

“All my life, I've tried to be the perfect daughter. The perfect sister. The perfect student.”

Her smile had faded.

“But tonight?”

She'd looked into his eyes.

“Tonight, I want to be reckless.”

His expression had changed, just slightly, when Raven leaned closer.

“I've spent my whole life doing what everyone expected of me.”

Her lips had brushed his ear.

“Maybe tonight, I want to find out what kind of trouble I can get myself into.”

Then she'd kissed his neck, and the man's hand had tightened around her waist as Raven remembered smiling at the way he'd reacted.

“Do you want to get the hell out of here?”

Raven nearly dropped her coffee as the memory came rushing back all at once.

“Oh, my God.”

Everyone stared at her, and Claire's eyes widened in surprise.

“You remembered something?”

Raven covered her face with both hands.

“No.”

She groaned.

“No, no, no.” Claire laughed.

“What did you remember?”

Raven lowered her hands and stared at them in horror.

“He didn't force me.”

Her voice came out weak.

“I was the one who approached him.”

She buried her face in her hands again.

“Oh, God. What did I do?”

Claire laughed harder.

“Our parents are going to kill me, Claire!.”

“They don't have to know.”

Claire stood and took Raven's coffee from her.

“Here.” She replaced it with the glass of wine.

“Drink.” Raven stared at her.

“Claire...”

“You should be proud of yourself.”

“Proud? I should be proud? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Yes.”

Claire sat beside her.

“You made it all the way to twenty-four before giving up your virginity.”

Raven's cheeks burned.

“That's not exactly something I'm proud of.”

“I had my first experience at eighteen.”

Claire shrugged.

“And I'm still alive.” Raven couldn't help but laugh.

“And don't worry about our parents. They don't need to know.”

She nudged Raven's shoulder.

“You've spent your entire life trying to be perfect for everyone else.”

Her voice softened. “Maybe it's time you started living for yourself.”

Raven opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Claire’s phone rang, making her glance down at the screen.

“Speaking of parents...”

She answered the call, and after less than a minute, she hung up and looked at Raven.

“Mom wants us home for dinner.”

Raven's stomach tightened at the thought.

Of course, one phone call from the people who had raised her was enough to make her anxious, just as it always had, perhaps because some part of her still felt like she was waiting for them to tell her that she didn't truly belong.

They left together later that evening, and since Claire’s condo wasn’t far from Raven’s apartment, she waited while Raven changed before they headed to the De Vera residence.

By the time they arrived, it was nearly eight, and Raven remained still in the passenger seat for several seconds, taking one slow breath after another until Claire noticed.

“Hey.”

Raven looked at her.

“Whatever happens in there tonight, remember that I've got your back.”

Raven managed a small smile.

“I'll be fine.” She opened the door.

“But thank you.”

Claire reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Always.”

Raven stepped out of the car, her gaze settling on the familiar De Vera home, a place she'd known for most of her life.

Caleb and Rowena had taken her in when she was seven after her parents died, and with Claire only three years older, the two of them had naturally grown close over the years.

From the beginning, Claire had been the one person in the family who made Raven feel like she belonged.

The others had never made it easy, with Rowena and her two daughters always treating Raven differently, while only Shawn, the eldest of Rowena and Caleb’s children, and Claire had consistently stood by her.

Raven had spent years trying to earn an acceptance she should never have had to beg for, and tonight was no different as they entered the house to the warm, inviting scent of dinner, only to find the entire family already seated around the dining table.

“You're late.”

Rowena's voice was cold, and she barely spared Raven a glance as Claire walked over and kissed her mother's cheek.

“Sorry, Mom.”

Raven said nothing and simply followed Claire toward the table, where Caleb greeted her with a warm smile the moment he saw her.

“Raven.”

He reached for a paper bag beside him.

“Congratulations on graduating. We're proud of you.”

Raven hesitated before accepting the gift.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was quiet. She barely had time to sit before Rowena spoke.

“Don't misunderstand the reason for this dinner.”

Raven froze.

“This celebration isn't for you.”

Claire's expression immediately changed.

“Mom...”

“Shawn got into one of the best law firms in the country.”

Rowena continued as if Claire hadn't spoken.

“And soon, your sisters will be lawyers too.”

Her gaze settled on Raven.

“If you hadn't insisted on studying Business Management, you could have been a lawyer as well.”

There it was again, the comparison she'd heard countless times before, yet Raven still lowered her eyes because, no matter how often she heard it, it never stopped hurting.

“Mom.” Claire's voice was sharp.

“Seriously?” Rowena glared at her.

“You don't get to dictate what Raven does with her life.”

Ashley scoffed.

“Don't talk to Mom like that.”

“I'm not.”

Claire leaned back.

“I'm telling the truth.” Claire said, annoyed, she gestured toward Raven.

“She graduated. That's something you should be proud of.”

Then she pointed at herself.

“And if we're handing out lectures, maybe start with me.”

She smiled sarcastically.

“Hello. College dropout.”

“That's your choice,” Blaire, one of Claire’s older sister snapped. “You chose modeling instead of finishing school.”

“And?” Claire's smile disappeared.

“Have I ever complained?”

Silence.

“Have I ever blamed any of you?”

She looked at her sisters.

“No.”

Her voice hardened.

“So why do you care what I chose?”

Shawn finally stepped in.

“Enough.”

Caleb rubbed his temple, but Rowena clearly wasn't finished.

“This is your fault.”

Her eyes turned toward Raven, making Raven's stomach drop as she instinctively lowered her head.

“I'm sorry.”

“No!”

Claire shot to her feet.

“Raven, don't apologize.” She turned toward their mother.

“None of this is her fault.”

Rowena stood.

“She will never be one of us.”

The words struck harder than Raven expected.

She pushed back her chair.

“I'll go.”

“Raven...”

She shook her head.

“I don't want to cause another fight.”

She looked at Caleb.

“I'm sorry.”

Then Raven turned and walked away, with Claire immediately following after her.

“Mom, no.”

Her voice shook with anger.

“The moment you and Dad decided to adopt Raven, she became part of this family.”

She pointed toward the door.

“And she will always be my sister.”

Raven stopped walking and closed her eyes, unable to listen to another word, before forcing herself to keep going as Claire caught up with her outside, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

They ended up back at Claire’s condo, just as they always did whenever Rowena hurt Raven or the rest of the family turned against her, because Claire was always there to defend her.

And whenever Raven tried to apologize for simply existing, Claire reminded her that she had nothing to apologize for.

That night, Raven couldn't sleep, so she eventually got out of bed and headed to the kitchen, where she found exactly one thing she wanted in the refrigerator.

A beer.

She grabbed a bottle, settled onto the couch, and was halfway through it when Claire joined her.

“Everything will be okay.”

Raven gave a humorless smile.

“I don't think it will.”

Claire opened her own beer while Raven stared at the bottle in her hands.

“The night my parents died, your father was the one who pulled me out of the closet where I was hiding.”

Claire went still. Raven had never really told her or anyone about the night her parents died, and for a moment, she could only swallow past the lump in her throat.

“I was seven.”

Her voice trembled.

“We'd just finished dinner.” She stared somewhere beyond the room.

“Mom had asked one of the maids to make popcorn because we were going to watch Cinderella.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“I remember sitting beside her.” Her eyes grew glassy.

“I remember her holding me.” Then the smile disappeared.

“I was watching the movie when I heard cars outside.”

Her fingers tightened around the bottle.

“Then came the gunshots.”

Claire didn't interrupt.

“A maid collapsed in the living room.”

Raven's breathing became uneven.

“My father came running in from the garage. He grabbed me from my mother and gave me this old teddy bear.”

Her voice cracked.

“He told me to hold on to it.”

She swallowed.

“He said, 'No matter what happens, never let this go. And always remember that your mother and I love you more than anything.'”

Raven looked down. “Those were the last words he ever said to me.”

Claire's eyes filled with tears.

“My mother carried me to my room and hid me inside a cabinet.”

Raven's voice became barely audible.

“And from inside that cabinet... I watched them kill my parents.”

Silence filled the room.

“I stayed there for hours.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “Then the police came.”

She laughed bitterly.

“The next day, I was at the police station.”

Another tear fell.

“Two days later, I was at my parents' funeral.”

She looked at Claire.

“And the day after that, I was in your family's house.”

Her voice broke.

“For years, the sound of those gunshots was the first thing I heard when I woke up.”

Claire reached for her.

“So no.” Raven's tears finally spilled.

“Everything isn't going to be okay.”

Claire pulled her into her arms, and Raven finally broke, crying against her friend's shoulder as she allowed herself to grieve for the little girl who had spent years pretending she was fine.

They stayed that way for several minutes before Raven finally pulled away, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and forced a small smile.

“Feel better now?”

Claire smiled softly.

“Yeah.”

Raven took another sip of beer.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into the negative side of me.”

Claire immediately smacked her arm.

“Ouch!” Raven glared at her.

“What the hell was that for?”

“Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault.”

Claire's expression softened.

“None of what happened to you was your fault, Raven.”

She squeezed her shoulder.

“Not your parents. Not the way my mother treats you. Not my sisters.”

She smiled.

“And you don't have to apologize for telling me how you feel.”

Raven looked at her.

“That's what sisters are for, right?”

A small smile finally touched Raven’s lips as she realized that Claire had never failed to make her feel like she belonged, maybe they weren't sisters by blood, but somewhere along the way, Claire had become the sister Raven had always needed.

“Okay,” Claire said suddenly, clapping her hands together.

Raven blinked at her. “Okay, what?”

“Enough depressing memories.” Claire grinned. “Let’s talk about the man you slept with.”

Raven groaned. “Oh, God. Again?”

“Obviously.”

Raven stood and gathered the empty bottles. “No. I’m not telling you anything else. I’m not going into full detail about which piece of clothing I lost first to that insufferable man last night!”

Raven carried the bottles into the kitchen, but Claire followed close behind.

“Why not?”

“Because there’s nothing to tell.”

Claire leaned against the counter with a knowing smile. “You told me about the worst night of your life.”

Her grin widened.

“You can tell me about the most interesting night of your life.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m your best friend.”

“Unfortunately.”

Claire laughed. “Fine. Just answer one question.”

Raven sighed. “What?”

Claire’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “How big was he?”

Raven froze. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“I did not.” Claire pointed downward. “I mean... was he big?”

Heat rushed to Raven’s face.

“Claire!”

“What?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Which means yes.”

Raven groaned and turned toward the sink, but the memory of the hotel room suddenly came rushing back, his bare chest, his hands, his mouth, and the way he'd made her breath catch.

She hated how easily her mind could still conjure his image, and she swallowed hard as she tried to push the memory away.

“Let's just say...” She leaned against the counter.

“The second I saw him, I wondered how the hell I'd ever survive him.”

Claire's jaw dropped.

“That big?” Raven immediately shook her head.

“That's enough.”

Claire laughed.

“I knew it!”

“I'm never telling you anything again.”

“Fine.” Claire reached for her phone.

“But I can find out who he is.”

Raven frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Claire's expression changed as she stared at her screen for a moment before slowly lifting her gaze to Raven.

“Raven.”

“What?”

“Your guy isn't an ordinary guy.” Raven's brows pulled together.

“What are you talking about?”

Claire turned the phone toward her, and Raven stared at the screen as her stomach dropped.

There he was, the same man with the same unreadable expression and those same eyes she'd spent the entire morning trying not to remember, making her heart pound all over again.

Claire looked at her.

“He's a billionaire.”

Raven blinked. “What?”

“A business tycoon.”

Claire scrolled. “One of the youngest and most successful businessmen in the world.”

Raven barely heard her, unable to tear her eyes away from his photograph.

He was the man she'd slept with, the stranger she'd sworn she'd never see again, and the man whose name she hadn't even known until now, until Claire's expression suddenly changed as she looked from the screen to Raven.

“Oh, my God.”

“What now?”

Claire slowly raised her hand and mimicked a gun with her fingers.

“He was shot.”