Taming My Mafia Stepbrother

Cara’s pov

“You know you could have just asked your fiance to do this with you.” I said as Gina and I waited in the lobby of Eva Bridals.

Gina threw me a chiding look over the catalog she was perusing. “How could I bring him here? You’re more helpful than he’d ever be, besides he is so busy these days.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course, how silly of me to suggest a made man accompany his fiancee to choose her wedding dress. There are probably much more fulfilling tasks like perforating people with bullets and discussing world domination plans.

She had whisked me from my apartment and brought me here, completely ruining my plan to sleep in. Today was my free day, not day off but free day. There was a huge difference between the two.

Day offs only grant you freedom from your job but doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have other things to attend to. Things like chores, school, grocery shopping, dentist appointments and so on.

With free days, you’re left completely idle, free from all engagements and tasks. Your plans are limited to sleeping or binging Netflix or surfing the internet or playing your big vibes playlist on loudspeaker.

I stared across the unfamiliar, unhomely decor of the lobby and a stab of longing hit me. It was a shame really, when else will I be opportuned to have a free day?

I caught Gina’s gaze and she flashed me a smile. She really reminded me of her brother sometimes, she can just be as pushy as him. I mean, I was out here and not curled up in bed like I was supposed to.

Two ladies dressed in the same beige uniform walked in all smiles.

“Miss Salvatore, Miss Torello, if you would please follow us.” The taller one said with professional courtesy.

I didn’t even bother to wonder how they knew my name and just followed behind Gina as they ushered us into a corridor and up a grand, curved stairway.

The space upstairs was decorated with more warmth than the lobby. Everything about the theme screamed bridal; floral patterns, soft colours, ribbons, flower vases.

However, the pleasant vibes were causing an opposite reaction in me. I couldn’t get into high spirits about the wedding when the dread of marrying Cadain still loomed over my head like a dark cloud. I had asked Gina about it and she knew just as much as I did. Women really weren’t involved in plans until they were finalized.

“Bienvenue mes chers.” A male voice called out when we entered a large room that looked like a walk-in closet for a member of the British royal family.

“I am Louis, your dressmaker.” The man who had greeted us said animatedly, the dramatic frills on the wrists of his bright yellow dress shirt shaking about. I winced, he looked rather animated too.

Tons of pretty wedding dresses hung on mannequins in show glasses. They all spoke of elegance and sophistication and whatever adjective rich people used to distinguish themselves from the rest of us. My eyes settled on a low neckline dress with a corseted bodice, now that was more like my style.

“You are so jolie.” The man who greeted us gushed at Gina. He turned to me, “oh la la, tres belle.”

I blushed. I didn’t know what he said exactly but I knew he was calling me pretty.

His fashion choice might remind me of a canary but he was an obvious sweetheart. A handsome one at that I reckoned, taking in his pretty green eyes and androgynous facial features. Plus, his hair game was topnotch. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him how he kept the ginger shoulder length waves so luscious and flowy. Lord knows I needed a tip or two.

“Mademoiselle Gina,” he literally sang, his eyes scrutinizing Gina’s form with the passionate spark that had been there since the moment we met him.

“Now we will choose the wedding dress of your dreams.”

Gina grinned and my heart was full to see her this happy. It was really marvelling how she looked forward with bursting excitement to the same thing that sent every nerve ending in my body into a state of anxiety.

Each dress she tried on was so gorgeous it was an extremely challenging task to choose.

I suggested we go with a lacy fishtail dress with silver details but Louis suggested a silk ball gown with a shimmery train and we spent a good amount of time arguing about it.

Gina was fed up with our rather funny bickering so she decided on going with my fishtail dress and Louis’ shimmery train.

Louis relayed the details of the dressmaking and when it could be available and when Gina was negotiating the delivery date, I wandered away from them, my curious mind taking me around the room and out of it.

I walked along the spiral hallway, watching other happy brides gush over the dresses they had on. They were really making this wedding of a thing seem great. I wouldn’t know because the idea had been sitting in the dark, dusty corner of my mind until I got involved with the Salvatores.

I didn’t know what to make of it but I knew I would be terrible with marriage. Marriage meant commitment and I could barely even commit to the shows I declare as my favorite. Last month it was The Vampire Diaries, this month it was Bridgerton. Next month, it’ll be another show.

However, I still tried to picture myself as a happy bride which was hard considering the fact that there can’t be a happy bride without an honored groom. But I found myself picturing one, not a faceless conjured groom of my imagination but a real person, a real man, one that shared a striking resemblance to my stepbrother. I’ve never shook off a thought as fast as I shook this one off, ice seeping into my veins and numbing my fingers and toes.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Aloud, bent over my knees as the laughter pushed up my throat and out of my mouth. I was hysterical.

“Is that Cara? Oh my gosh, it is her!” A voice I didn’t recognize gushed behind me.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

I stood straight again, my body going stiff at the unwanted company. I plastered a performative smile before turning on my heel to meet three strange faces I didn’t recognize.

“Um…” I said, cocking my head.

I didn’t miss the scoff of the middle one.

“You don’t remember us?” The one who called out to me said, aghast. She pointed at herself, “it’s me Suzie,” then to the other two, “Anna and Bree.”

Suzie, Anna and Bree. Suzie, Anna and Bree. Suzie-

I went rigid. Suzie, Anna and Bree. Recognition gave way to malice as I stared at the girls that had made my middle school days more worse than it was. All that evil they embodied had aged them a ton, no wonder I couldn’t recognize them.

What were the chances of running into your middle school bullies at a wedding dress shop?

“Oh my God, how are you?” Bree cooed, scanning my frame.

Anna, the one in the middle and the ringleader of all of their atrocities then just stared at me with hostility. At least she was real enough to not act like we were long lost friends.

I gave her a smirk before answering. “I’m good. I’m so excited to see you guys again.”

Suzie smiled and I didn’t know if she ignored the sarcasm in my voice or was just dumb.

“Us too, ” she said, nudging at Anna who shot her a look.

The megatron bitch looked back to me, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The smile looked stiff and I honestly wondered why she would bother with face fillers at such a young age. We were all still in our early twenties for fuck sake.

“It’s really surprising to see you here.” She said and I shrugged.

“Getting married already?” She asked sweetly, giving my stomach a pointed look.

I scoffed. “If you think a baby was going to make me tie the knots then maybe you really didn’t know me Anna.” I said dryly.

Her face twitched in annoyance and I was genuinely happy that it could.

Another too sweet smile appeared on her mouth. “So you already have one?”

“I never said that.”

Suzie and Bree shared a flicking glance before Suzie spoke. “Come on, Anna. She might just be here for someone else. Like us.” She faced me. “Anna’s big sister is getting married.”

Anna’s sister was another mean bitch who was practically the belle of Oakland high. She spent her highschool years winning every inter-school beauty pageant that there was and succeeded with most.

She would have been perfect if not for her shitty personality. Her sister too.

“Congratulations.” My tone was drier than the Sahara and Anna obviously didn’t like it.

Her eyes darted, showing her discomfort. “If I knew I’d run into you like this, I might have carried a spare invite.”

I couldn’t stop my eyebrow from lifting in amusement. The girl was bold to assume I would give a fuck about the wedding, I wouldn’t even go for a million dollars. Or maybe I will, a million was a lot so let’s say a thousand bucks.

Plus who was she to invite anyone? It wasn’t her wedding.

“That’s so sad.” I said, “I’m sure it’s going to be a blast.”

Bree looked away to hide her chuckle and Suzie just stared at me. She probably was trying to connect the Cara from middle school to the one before her.

I was done with their unpleasant presence, “if you will excuse me, I have to get back.” I said and I went around them to leave.

But Anna obviously wasn’t done. She reached out and grabbed my arm, dropping it when she saw the look on my face.

“I just wanted us to talk more, it’s been years since we saw each other after all.”

“I promise you, there isn’t a thing I want to say to you.” I said, crossing my arms.

Her gaze turned sinister. “How’s Diego, are you guys still joined at the hip?”

My entire body froze, my heart stopped working for a second before dropping to my belly as panic took its stead.

Memories that were now nightmares flashed through my head in snapshots as cold claws scratched at my throat.

A sardonic smile curled up Anna’s lips, satisfaction oozing from her. Suzie and Bree chuckled into their fists.

The malicious bitches.

I wanted to scream at her, claw at her eyes and pull her hair from the roots but the weight of my panic held me immobile.

You’re nothing but a fucktoy

You can never be worth more than a fuck.

Say cheese, Cara. You don’t want to disappoint your fans now, do you?

I shut my eyes to shut down the evil voice, a voice that tormented my nights, a voice that I will never be free from. A pulse pounded in my ears, my belly twisted with a sickening feeling. My head spinned and numbness was taking over my limbs. I could feel my panic attack kicking in.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to meet friends.” Gina’s voice said out of the blue.

I slowly turned to her, my head feeling heavier. She strode to me, her bodyguards behind her. She pulled me up and I hadn’t even realized I had been bent over.

A dark laugh left me. “‘Friends’ is a bit much.”

Gina’s gaze was dark. “I see.”

“Hi, we are Cara’s old classmates.” Anna said but Gina only stared at her like she had bird poop in her hair.

“We were just catching up for old times sake.” Suzie interjected, eyeing the men around us.

Gina stepped in front of me. “Doesn’t look like it.”

Anna’s smug look was now flickering with fear. “Well it seems like we’re late to meet my sister.” She turned to me, looking like she just wasn’t taunting me like she always did. “It was nice seeing you again Cara.”

Suzie and Bree flashed me a frightened smile and the three of them scurried off, not stopping until they completely disappeared.

Gina turned to me, “are you okay?”

I gave a stiff nod, suddenly feeling embarrassed that she had almost witnessed me having a panic attack. “I’m fine.”

Gina’s eyes were full of worry. “Are you? You seemed really affected by who they mentioned.”

My smile was small. “I’m fine, really.” I said, hoping to God that she doesn’t push the subject.

I could talk about literally anything but him. I couldn’t even bring myself to say his name. The mere mention of it brought a chilling darkness to my soul. My very own tormentor.

It’s been three years but I was still very much crippled by the experience. I was a slave to it.