Mafia Love (Faithfully Yours)

Chapter 4

Caleb watched Reese navigate his car through the affluent streets of Manhattan and smiled to himself, he could not believe that ten years had gone by since he and Derek had brought her home.

He had just picked her up from the airport, she was finally finished with college and was home for the summer. She didn’t look anything like the frightened little girl they had dropped off at boarding school to start of her eighth grade. She had grown into a striking beautiful young woman who was starting to slightly resemble her mother Leona. She had become very bold, responsible and assertive and you could see it in the way she carried herself and handled life and what it threw at her.

“So how does it feel to be a graduate of the University of Southern California?” He asked her.

“Do people generally know what it is they are supposed to be doing with their lives at the age of twenty two?” Reese joked making Caleb laugh out loud.

“I don’t think anyone out there knows what they are doing.” He chuckled. “You’re a smart one kiddo, you just graduated with an honours, you will figure it out.” He chuckled.

“Dad said the same thing over the phone.” She sighed. “But he wants me to wait till summer is over before I start looking for an architectural job.”

“I agree with him, you need to have a little fun. You have been an exemplary student.”

“Fun is spending summer by the beach in Cali, not being back in a house where I have to dodge Amanda’s mood swings.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like Amanda is still happy with me, we’re not going to be eating crumpets and sipping on tea or champagne at some fancy high tea party.”

It bugged Caleb that Reese had never been able to completely be free at home, most of the time when she was in boarding school and had to come home for summer she would opt to stay at his loft just so she didn’t have to deal with Amanda’s temper tantrums.

“Your stepmother surprisingly has toned down a lot when it comes to her attitude. I think it has something to do with not having any allies in the house including her own son.” Caleb said thoughtfully. As Kayden became older he started to realise that his mother was unreasonable and always looking for an argument.

Reese looked at him doubtfully, she really wished her dad hadn’t insisted she come home for summer this time.

“Well whatever you are going to be busy with, save me a little time will you so that we can hang out like old times.” She smiled at her uncle.

“Anything for you Reesey bear.” She blushed at his term of endearment for her that he still insisted on using even though she felt like she had grown out of it. “Take a left here, I have to do something quickly before I can take you to the house.” He instructed her.

They drove into the Salvatore estate, Reese was taken back to when she had been twelve years old and her father had dropped her and Kayden of at the same place for a party. It was still as beautiful and well kept as it had been all those years ago, Reese couldn’t help but look at the mansion with new found appreciation now that she had so much knowledge when it came to architecture.

“I’ll try to be quick, do not get out of the car.” Caleb said sternly and quickly took off. She turned on the radio and connected her iPod, John Mayer’s Neon started to fill the car making her smile as she sang along.

Twenty minutes later Reese was still waiting by the car and she needed to use the loo. She thought about her uncle asking her not to leave the car but he was taking too long. She kept contemplating about whether to go and look for him or just wait. She finally decided to get out of the car and slowly start walking in the direction she had seen him go.

The path he had taken seemed to lead her behind and further away from the mansion to a separate building that looked like a storage facility of some sort. There was a stonewall surrounding it and a slightly wide entrance that had a path way, Reese was fascinated by it as she kept walking. When she got there she started to hear loud groaning and yelling like someone was being beaten up.

She frowned, the sounds came again. She walked through the entrance and just outside the building by the yard, her uncle was standing over a bloodied man who seemed to be kneeling on the ground. He yelled something at him then punched him hard on the face. There were men that were standing around doing nothing, they just watched as Caleb continued to pummel into the man’s face. Shock reverberated though Reeses body as she slowly began to back away, she turned around and she began to run.

As she ran she was spotted by a guy who began to chase after her, her heart began to race. For some reason she was terrified and felt like she needed to get away.

“Hey! What are you doing here?! Hey stop!” Reese took off in a different direction to the one she came from, sprinting as this guy chased after her.

Why was Caleb beating up the one guy? Why was everyone standing there just watching? He had asked her to stay in the car, clearly he hadn’t wanted her to know why they had come to the estate. What would happen to her if she actually got caught?

She looked behind her and realised this guy was not going to give up until he caught her, he had a determined look on his face as he chased her and he was gaining on her. It didn’t help that she didn’t know her way around the estate, there seemed to be a stable a few yards away from her. She needed to find somewhere to hide, behind a hedge, a big tree or maybe one of the stable cubicles with the horses…Anything at this point would be welcome.

She had just reached the stable entrance when the guy tackled her and she fell to the ground. She quickly turned around to look at him.

He looked at her and frowned like he was confused. She backed away slowly as he got up too.

“There was no need for you to push me to the ground.” She moved forward and shoved him hard on his chest. She watched him stagger backwards and she got the weirdest feeling of deja vu like this had happened before.

“Excuse me but you are trespassing and snooping around! He looked at her like he was trying to figure something out as well. He didn’t even seem like he was out of breath when she was slowly trying to catch hers.

He watched her as she started to brush off the dirt from her denim dungarees. “You know you look kind of familiar.” He said looking into her piercing green eyes.

“That’s what dodgy people say as an entry to a stupid conversation.” Reese retorted still quite annoyed but still frightened because even though this guy didn’t seem to know what she had witnessed before she started running he could still cause trouble for her.

He chuckled at her response. “Says the girl that was caught snooping around my estate.”

“Your estate? boy please!” She looked at his ripped jeans and dirty sneakers and rolled her eyes at him. “And for your information I wasn’t snooping, I was looking for someone.” She said as a matter of fact.

“Who were you looking for? How did you get in here?” The guy had stormy blue eyes and he was quite cute if she had to admit to herself.

“Excuse me I don’t know you, I don’t need to tell you anything.” She pursed her lips and put her hands on her waist.

He couldn’t help but be amused by her sass even though clearly she was caught in quite a predicament. “If I take you back there to the owner you will be in trouble so you better tell me something, a dangerous man lives in this estate you know.”

She looked at him assessing what he had just said to her, after what she saw she could definitely believe it. What she didn’t understand was her uncle’s involvement in all this.

“I thought it was your estate.” she rolled her eyes at him again. “You don’t look dangerous to me.

He threw his head back and laughed. The light seemed to catch his handsome face, his hair was cut in a low fade cut and the top of his head was full of short curls, the cut accentuated his strong jawline and made his gaze intense as he stared at her.

He placed his hands in his denim pockets making her look at the rest of his rock hard body and the way his white t shirt was pressing up against his chest and torso which made her blush as she slowly acknowledged to herself that he was really good looking.

A man appeared out of nowhere and walked up to him, he whispered something in his ear and the cute guy smiled before he turned to look back at her.

“You are too much of a smart mouth for your own good.“ He grinned at her slowly. “I will let you go just this once but if I see you snooping around here again I’m going to have to deal with you.” He warned her.

“Like I said I wasn’t snooping.” She reiterated but he shrugged and stood aside so she could walk past him. He looked her up and down and winked at her then smiled again.

She sneered at him before she walked off quickly back to the car. When she got there Caleb was just coming from the other direction, he frowned at her. “I thought I told you to stay in the car.

“You were taking too long so I went looking for you.”

“What I had to do took longer than I expected.” He said nonchalantly and got into the driver’s seat. She quickly jumped into the passenger seat and turned to look at him.

“What you mean is beating up that man took longer than you thought it would.”

Caleb was about to start the car but he paused and looked at her.

“f**k! your father is going to kill me, I told you to stay in the car Reese.” She was a little surprised that he had just snapped, her uncle had never snapped at her ever.

“How was I supposed to know that you were out there doing… you were. I needed the loo.” She snapped back at him.

“That man is, he’s a bad guy.” Caleb tried to find the words to explain to her.

“Which makes you what? You were pummelling into his face and he was so bloodied.” She began to get choked up. He reached for her to calm her down and she inched back towards the door. He dropped his hand and sighed.

“Reese I don’t know what to say to you, we should probably have this chat with your dad around.”

“You mean he knows about all this?” She was shocked.

“You still want to use the loo…?” He asked slowly but she folded her arms and turned to look out the window.

“Reesey bear…” he tried to get her attention.

“Not here I don’t. I want to go home.” She said quietly.

They drove to the house in a very uncomfortable silence as Caleb contemplated what his brother would say to him and what they were both going to say to Reese about what she had witnessed. Ever since the night that Derek had decided to send Reese to boarding school, his relationship with her had improved.

He would drive up to her school to spend some time with her and take her out for shopping and lunch before driving her back and when she came home during summer both he and Derek would take turns hanging out with her, sharing some family history from when they were younger. She didn’t mind that neither of them never talked about the terrible incident that had brought her into their lives because she felt like that would make her ask her a question that her father had told her never to ask again. A question about her mother.

Finn watched the young woman he had chased down walk away and smiled to himself. So that was Kayden’s little sister Reese, he knew she looked familiar even though she wouldn’t say who she was. He had not seen her at all since his fourteenth birthday which was probably a good thing because he had been such a jerk back then. If it weren’t for his grandmother who had tirelessly given herself to the course of “reforming” his soul back from the cold ruthless world that his father had introduced him to as she loved to put it… he would probably still be a brassy spoiled brat who never spared a thought for anyone but himself.

Reese was not so little anymore, but she was still as tough and bold as she had been back then. She looked beautiful with her dainty hourglass figure that she had tried to hide in the long blue denim dungarees with a white t shirt inside, her hair as long as he could remember it. The only girl to ever challenge him and the only person to ever beat him at something.

He hadn’t been impressed back then but right now looking at her still challenge him he couldn’t help but be amused by her and her sassiness. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing, he looked at the caller ID and sighed… It was Carolina, his fiancé.

(Hughes Residence)

“A family of of criminals! That’s what we are!” Reese was still arguing with her uncle as they walked into the house. She ran up the stairs to her room and shut the door.

Derek walked towards the hallway to see what the commotion was about, he saw his brother pulling Reeses suitcases and raised his brows in question.

“I f****d up, she knows.” Was all Caleb said and Derek knew exactly what he was talking about, he cussed under his breath and sighed.

He walked up the stairs taking them two at a time, when he got to his daughter’s door he knocked gently but no answer came. He had known that at some point in time he would have to tell Reese what he was and what he did for a living but he thought he would at least have a little more time to spend with her before he had to really break it to her.

“Reese? Open the door honey.” He knocked again.

He heard her feet shuffle then the door opened, she quickly walked back to her bed, sat down and crossed her arms on her chest. He wanted to smile because through out the years thats how she had shown her displeasure to anything that she didn’t like. At least that much hadn’t changed.

“Hey bear.” He said softly. He couldn’t believe how grown she was even though she was pouting which reminded him of the first time he had gone to visit her at boarding school and she had pouted because he had refused to buy her some short hello kitty skirt that seemed to be the in thing with her friends at school.

He had appeased her by letting her pierce her ears finally and getting her a “cool” age appropriate biker jacket and earned himself the cool dad points not only with her but her friends too.

That day he had also realised how free she was becoming with him, she would smile more often and laugh at his lame dad jokes and when he dropped her back at school she had run back to him giving him a long big hug.

Reesey… I was going to tell you honey I was just waiting for the right time.” He said as he sat on the bed next to her.

She looked at him and her pout turned into a frown. “Is there ever a good time to find out that we are a family of criminals. You work for a mafia boss?” She sulked.

Sweetheart, maybe it’s time I tell you about where I really come from and what it was really like before I met your mother. I grew up with nothing, my mother… your nana was dirt poor and too sickly. She could barely afford to feed her three kids… breakfast was always grits, we were lucky if we got a piece of bread for lunch and any supper at all.”

“Three kids?” She looked her father in his eyes waiting for him to explain.

“Caleb and I had a sister… Meredith, she was best friends with Amanda. She was only thirteen when she died in a drive by shooting in my neighbourhood, a place that was g**g infested because that’s all the children there ever grow into… gangsters.” He spoke like he was taken back to that moment. “I was supposed to be watching her while mama was sleeping off her meds but I left her at a park with her friends telling myself I would only be an hour as I tried to hustle for money to buy us dinner, I took uncle Caleb with so that he could be my look out.”

As he said this, Caleb walked into the room and sat by the chair that was across Reese’s dresser.

“Iv been poor before you know and I know what it’s like to have money and let me tell you something Reesey, rich is better. I had to watch my mother slowly die of a broken heart crying over the loss of Meredith every single day.” Caleb said, his eyes clouding with tears. “We had to bury our mother and sister and evade the system while trying to survive in the streets.

“And yet you let my mother go through the same thing by herself!” Reese snapped at both of them. “I always thought we had no other family.” She couldn’t help but get angry.

“And I regret it every single day Reese, I am trying to make up for it. When I think about what could have happened to you that night.” Derek clenched his jaw and his fists. She put her hand on her father’s arm to calm him down then she hugged him, her own anger dissolving.

“I don’t understand it all.” She sighed.

“And I don’t want you to, I don’t want this life for you Reese. That’s partly why it took me a long time to tell you, you spend the summer with us but I actually got you an architectural internship overseas in Europe.” Derek informed her.

She gasped as she pulled away from him. Caleb smiled, “You are going to love it, it’s a big very well known company.”

“This doesn’t change anything we still have to talk some more about this.” she frowned at them.

“And we will but right now give me a moment to celebrate that my daughter is finally home.” Derek pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight, kissing her forehead.

“I missed you baby girl.” He sighed.

“I missed you too daddy.” She smiled at how close she had gotten to him considering her first impression of her dad when she first met him.

“Don’t I get a hug?” Caleb joked and she walked towards him and hugged him too. “I’m sorry you had to find out that way but I promise we will tell you everything soon enough, we have the whole summer.”

They talked more about her internship in Europe, telling her about the company. Derek didn’t add that the favour actually came from Caterina Salvatore who still inquired about Reese once in a while. Derek had been reluctant to take the scholarship but the idea that Reese would be far from New York and away from the mafia life made him feel better.

Later on that day as the three of them sat in the kitchen while Caleb volunteered to make supper, Kayden came home and walked into the kitchen. He looked at Reese and smiled genuinely at her.

“Welcome home little sis.” He said.

“Uhmm thank you…?” Reese didn’t know whether to smile back.

“Don’t worry, Your big brother is now grown and doesn’t hold a grudge that he is no longer the only child in the family anymore.” He joked. Derek and Caleb quietly watched this interaction.

“Give us a hug won’t you?” He walked towards her and hugged her tightly then let go. I owe you an apology.” he said.

Caleb smiled, his nephew had changed over the years, it was probably because he was no longer under the influence of his mother and he wanted so badly to please his father. Derek smiled at his children and walked towards them.

“To demonstrate how sorry your brother is, he is going to hang out with you tonight, where ever he is going you will be going too.”

“You really like to make me a babysitter old man.” Kayden joked and laughed.

“I don’t need to be babysat.” Reese piped in not sure she wanted to be subjected to the same situation she had been in ten years ago.

“You don’t need a babysitter but you need friends.” Caleb added.

“I have you and dad.” Reese scoffed.

Kayden threw his head back and laughed. “These two old men here? I don’t mind letting you hang with me so long as you don’t embarrass me. Please tell me that you have overgrown that awkward ‘I will beat anything that’s in front of me’ phase.” He continued to laugh.

Reese swiped his shoulder playfully and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh gosh here we go, still at it.” He pretended to shake his head in disdain.

As they all laughed, Amanda walked into the kitchen and looked around. Her eyes landed on Reese and she rolled her eyes.

She looked like she had just come from some high tea party, Caleb looked at Reese… remembering her words in the car and laughing. Derek gave him a stern look and he quickly kept quiet which made Reese and Kayden snicker at the two brothers.

After dinner which was just the four of them because Amanda opted to stay upstairs, Kayden’s girlfriend Bonnie showed up. Derek and Caleb made an excuse and left the house knowing that Reese would be fine with Kayden.

“Kayden is a douche for not introducing us sooner! You are just so gorgeous.” Bonnie hugged Reese who was really not used to this much contact with anyone. “You are not going to the club dressed like that are you?”

“Uhmm, no I was going to wear jeans and a top?” Reese said and Bonnie furrowed her brows.

“What?! No way, with that body and your hair you need a freakum dress.” She looked at Kayden then got up from the couch and pulled Reese to her feet. “It’s a good thing I couldn’t decide what to wear so I brought three dresses, where is your bedroom. One of them will definitely look good on you, what did you wear when you went out in California?” She teased as she pulled her towards the stairs.

“Uhmm…” Reese looked at Kayden who just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

Bonnie was a tall slim beautiful black girl with a curly bouncy and unruly afro, her chocolate brown eyes were so friendly and full of mischief and her voice was loud and giggly. She definitely looked like a people’s person, Reese somehow knew that by the end of the night they would become very good friends.

“Take off those dungarees, take a shower and we can do our makeup. I cannot wait to get my hands on your hair.” She clapped her hands excitedly.

An hour later Bonnie was dragging Reese back down the stairs very pleased with her work. Kayden was playing a game on his phone but when the girls walked into the lounge he put his phone in his pocket and looked up.

Reese felt awkward as she walked in Bonnie’s nude Saint Laurent heels.

“Dad is going to kill me.” He looked at Reese in shock.

“Okay that’s it, I’m going to change.” Reese was about to walk away when Bonnie sneered at her boyfriend and held Reese back from walking out.

“No, don’t. You look good little sis, I meant I am going to have to keep you by my side all night or dad will kill me. You both look amazing.” Kayden said looking worried. “Maybe we should just stay home.”

“And waste these outfits?” Hell no! We are going out.” Bonnie smiled. “My work here is done.” She beamed.

Reese walked to the mirror on the wall of the lounge and looked at her reflection once again not believing what she was seeing.

She had on a champagne coloured sculpting satin mini dress, it was backless and strapless and instead of being clubby looking it looked very elegant on her, showing off her hour glass figure. Her hair was tied up in a sleek ponytail. Her make up was light to complement her beautiful caramel skin tone with a subtle rose pink lipstick colour.

Bonnie had on a red slinky cowl neck scoop back ruched bodycon dress and beautiful black six inch Versace block heels.

When they got to the club, Kayden led the girls to a private VIP section. The section was guarded by four men but when they saw Kayden they stood aside and let him go through. Reese looked at Bonnie in awe who just smiled at her and took Reese’s hand in hers.

As they walked into the private area, five other people were there, three guys and and two girls. Reese already knew one of the guys. He had a blond girl sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck as she whispered something into his ear. He chuckled and kissed her as he held on to her waist.

He looked up and Reese’s eyes locked with his stormy blue ones. It was the guy who had been chasing her at the estate. He looked her up and down and his eyes dilated. Reese couldn’t help but frown at him.

“Reese, you remember Finn right? Remember the party we went to all those years ago?” Kayden introduced her. “Finn you remember my sister Reese?”

“How could I forget her.” His eyes looked at her like he was drinking in the sight of her as he looked back into her eyes. “Just this afternoon I caught her breaking and entering into the estate.” He chuckled.

Reese frowned at him and rolled her eyes. “I told you I was looking for someone.” She felt a little embarrassed that he had been right about being the owner of the estate.

He smiled at her. “Always looking for a fight.” He laughed. “Calm down little Reesy and have a drink.” Finn mocked her. He couldn’t help himself around her. Something about her fighting spirit made him act a little bit like a jerk around her.

Carolina noticing how much attention Finn was giving to Reese got up and pulled Finn up to his feet. “I want to dance.” She looked Reese up and down and then turned to kiss Finn before dragging him out of the private section.

Kayden and Bonnie sat down, Bonnie gesturing for Reese to sit down next to her.

“Well you met Queen Carolina and her King. The rest of us here are just mere peasants.” Bonnie joked making everyone laugh. She introduced Reese to everyone before drinks started to flow freely.

A few minutes later Bonnie grabbed Reese’s hand and dragged her to the dance floor. The girls were giggling as they started to dance, Reese was actually having way too much fun. She had never been to a club before. As she danced she turned around and her eyes landed on Finn who was watching her quietly from across the dance floor, Carolina was facing him… oblivious to the fact that his attention was on Reese.