Heir’s Redemption

Chapter 2

Three Year’s Ago — Third Person POV

Life had been smooth sailing since the men ascended the throne. Vinny has ruled with virtue and strength, not playing any games.

The twins have kept close to Vinny and have learned from him. They protect their brother, but most importantly, they protect their family legacy.

Rámon has also stayed close to Vinny, considering they were good friends. They did business together and protected each other from lingering threats that were always creeping around the corner.

Since Rámon and Vinny started working together, they’ve made more connections and have brought in more money.

Níkolai and Valentina are so proud of them.

The business side of things have been peachy, but everything else has been going to s**t.

Vinny is running out of patience and is having to control his carnal desires when it comes to Sage. He knows he has more than a year until he can make his move, but it seems to be longer than he expected.

Especially when temptation is right in his face.

He tries to stay away from her so he has better control of himself, but he feels his control slipping— slowly but surely he will break.

Once he breaks, everything else will follow.

Rámon hasn’t been doing any better. Caterina has been doing everything in her power to get under his skin and make him hurt in every way possible. He knew earning her trust would be difficult, but it’s way more harder than he thought.

It’s like she gets pleasure from seeing him suffer.

“You going to the homecoming game tonight?” Vinny asked out to Rámon as they washed their hands of blood.

They just got done torturing one of their enemies who tried to sabotage their shipment. They made sure to make it hurt, so the man knew not to even try and cross their family in his next life.

“Of course not, I don’t waste my time with childish s**t like that.” Rámon muttered back in annoyance.

Rámon’s been on edge since last month when Caterina commenced the start of their own personal war. Not only that, but she bet him to stop sleeping around for these next six months until she turns eighteen. If he can refrain from sleeping around, then she’d give him another chance. If he couldn’t, then he’d lose her all together.

Of course he promised he wouldn’t sleep around, but it’s seeming to be harder than he thought. The man has needs and his beastly side was hungry.

If he couldn’t get it from the one he wanted, then he’d settle for the lesser— but now he can’t even have the lesser.

It’s not like the s*x with the lesser women meant anything to him, but Caterina felt differently. To her, he was deliberately choosing them over her, but to him, it was just a quick release.

He always thought about her when he laid down with those women. He never looked those women in the eyes or made sure they got off. All he cared about was getting his orgasm and wishing it was Caterina under him while he did it.

Then once it was over, he would leave and never look back.

He’s been missing her for so many years, trying to stay away to appease her father. He would never cross Níkolai Gambino, but he also wasn’t gonna give Caterina up either.

She was it for him, even if he did lay down with whores just for the fun of it. They were just a moment of lapsed judgement, but she was way more than that.

She was his heart.

His soul.

His everything.

“My sister is gonna be cheering tonight. I just thought you would go and keep an eye on her.” Vinny said out, pulling him away from his jumbled thoughts.

“Caterina?!” Rámon questioned with furrowed brows. “What the f**k is she doing cheerleading?! She doesn’t do that s**t!”

Vinny smirked at his untamed anger, knowing the thought of Caterina always got Rámon worked up.

“Sage has her filling in for a girl who broke her arm.” Vinny explained, “You know Sage is the cheer captain. She talked Caterina in to filling in for her.”

Vinny smiled to himself as he thought about how amazing his future wife was.

She was cheer captain, and captain of the catholic band team. She was also captain of their dance team and even brung them to first place of state last year.

He was proud of her and lucky to call her his.

Even though they couldn’t be together yet, they’ve been spending more time together. Vinny has been taking her on dates and they’ve been sharing more intimate moments together— just without the s*x.

But the s****l tension was off the charts and Vinny was struggling to keep his hands to himself.

It didn’t make it any easier when Sage tried to kiss him when they were alone. She was a naughty girl, considering the young and innocent persona she portrayed herself to be.

Vinny was struggling with his morals, but he knew he couldn’t cross that boundary.

Not yet at least.

“Your sister really wants me to kill her.” Rámon muttered in annoyance, “Why can’t she just stay home and stop putting herself in the spotlight?!”

Vinny chuckled, knowing Caterina had lots of admirers. It wasn’t just Rámon who was competing for her heart— and he seemed to be loosing right about now.

“You know Cat loves every chance she can get to piss you off.” Vinny replied as he dried his clean hands off before handing the tattered towel to Rámon.

“Thanks.” Rámon took the towel and dried his hands off with a scowl on his face.

His thoughts were always occupied by Caterina. Even when he should be thinking about business, she seemed to occupy every ounce of space in his brain.

He hated it but he also loved it at the same time.

“I don’t understand why she has to make this harder than it has to be.” Rámon sighed, “She’ll be eighteen in less than five months. We’ll finally be able to be together, why can’t she just wait for me?”

“Like you waited for her?” Vinny mused while giving Rámon a pointed look.

He loved Rámon, but he also loved and respected his sister. He understood why she was acting this way.

If Sage knew he loved her but decided to venture off and not wait for him, he would probably act the same way. He wouldn’t be able to stomach Sage choosing someone else over him and making that man her first.

That would just kill Vinny.

“You’re right.” Rámon huffed like a child, “But your father gave me no choice.”

“No, you chose to sleep around, even though you still could have waited for her.” Vinny countered, “You chose to make those decisions, not anybody else. If you really want to be with Caterina, then own it and do better.”

Rámon released a deep breath, knowing Vinny was painfully right.

“You’re lucky I love you.” Rámon chuckled, “I think I would’ve killed you a long time ago.”

“Yeah right, you need me.” Vinny smirked, “Your businesses wouldn’t survive a month without my guidance.”

Rámon rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Vinny before following him out of one of their warehouses.

“Game is at eight, you don’t want to miss it.” Vinny hopped into his red Porsche and drove off with his men following behind him.

Rámon rubbed his temple, knowing Caterina was gonna give him a heart attack before he reached the age of twenty five.

“My sweet, sweet Caterina. Why do you love to make me suffer so much?” He whispered to himself as he climbed into his own luxury car and drove off.

…

“Caterina come on.. just put the uniform on!” Sage whined as she coaxed her bestfriend to change into her cheer uniform.

“When I agreed to this, I didn’t know I had to wear close to nothing as I shaked my ass in front of the whole school!” Cat protested, making Rowan giggle.

Rowan sat on Sage’s bed and scribbled on her sketch pad, while also listening to the two of them bicker back and forth.

The three girls were as thick as thieves. They spent most of their time together when they could, considering they were so close in age.

Caterina was the mother of the group and the more reasonable one, considering she was the oldest. Rowan was the shy one and always the mediator since the other two girls seemed to clash at times. Sage was the sociable one and the most popular girl at school, besides Caterina.

Sage attracted attention everywhere she went— she was just special like that.

“Caterina is just a skirt and crop top.” Sage complained, making Rowan giggle some more. “You already promised me that you would cover for Amber, so no backing out now.”

Caterina rolled her eyes and snatched the uniform out of Sage’s hands.

“Fine you annoying slut.” Cat countered, making Sage smirk.

Sage didn’t get offended by Caterina’s words, considering Caterina always turned to insults when she couldn’t get her way.

She knew her better than Caterina thought.

A couple of minutes later and Caterina was wearing their schools cheer uniform. It was a tiny black skirt and matching long sleeve crop top with their school’s mascot and initials.

Caterina pulled at the back of her skirt, trying to pull it down as far as possible, but it wasn’t budging.

“Why does everything have to be so little?!” She complained, making both girls laugh.

She hated the uniform, but little did she know that she looked drop dead gorgeous in it. Her long-tan legs were on display, along with her sexy curves and slender body.

Sage looked at her masterpiece, knowing she chose right for their cheer teammates replacement.

“Stop complaining Cat, you look good.” Sage praised.

“Better than good.” Rowan chimed in from the bed as she stuffed her face with popcorn, “I wish I looked like you. Maybe then more boys would come and talk to me.”

“Maybe if you stopped wearing baggy clothes to school, then more boys would come and talk to you.” Sage countered, making all three girls laugh.

Rowan wasn’t like Caterina and Sage who exuded natural feminine energy. She was more reserved and modest. She didn’t like showing much skin— it was just her preference.

She was still beautiful— she just didn’t have the confidence to coincide with that beauty.

“Rámon’s totally gonna flip out when he see’s you like this.” Sage snickered as she put on a little bit of makeup.

“Please don’t bring him up, I hate him.” Caterina complained, making the girls laugh.

“You totally love him.” Sage teased, making Rowan chime in. “Yeah Cat, you’re totally in love with him.”

“No I’m not! I totally want to kill him!”

Rowan and Sage shared a knowing look together.

No matter how much tension was between Rámon and Caterina, they would always love each other and find their way back to each other.

“I’m serious!” Cat whined, “He lied to me and I can ever forgive him for that.”

Caterina thought back to the past and how close her and Rámon used to be. She remembered the promises they made to each other, holding onto them like precious treasure.

Now, they were all just useless memories.

Those memories made her heart and soul hurt,— like poison that seeped into her body and corrupted her.

She was done trusting Rámon.

And she sure as hell was done loving him too.

“Come on, it’s almost eight. We got to go.” Sage reminded them, making them grab their things and start to leave the room.

Tonight was just supposed to be another night, but it would be the start of something explosive.

We just didn’t know how explosive.