I was sitting at the corner of the bar, ignoring the looks from men who looked like they would catcall me if given the chance.

Aniya was already wasted and cheering on the random strangers doing karaoke. As the song ended she walked up to me. "You should go up there." Her words were slurred.

She slung her arm over my shoulder. "C'mon. Have some fun, Nat."

I stared at her. "You should go up there."

"I think I've had too much to drink." She slid into the chair beside me.

"Yes, I'm aware. You're going to be dead tomorrow."

"Emi wants a son." She rolled her eyes. "This is my last night of freedom before we have to start trying."

I frowned. "Something tells me you don't want that."

"I never wanted kids. Hell, if Emi decided to send Giulia to boarding school I'd pack her bags tonight. I don't want more." She finished off the drink in her hand. "But I don't have a say in that. I'm already that Rivera. I'd rather not be known as Emilio Romano's first wife."

I stared at her. "Did you tell him that?"

She laughed. "That's not the world we live in, Natalia."

She was right. We were the women of the mafia.

We were expected to marry someone with a high ranking in the mafia. Someone with power, then expected to be a perfect wife, seen not heard, cooking, cleaning, and child-bearing.

My mother always said we married the title, not the man.

My mother also said that happiness was rare for women like us.

My mother married for love. She should be one of the happy ones.

She is not.

I realized I'd been staring out the window for a while. I turned to look at Aniya but she was gone. I found her on the stage.

I watched her drunkenly slur her way through Dancing Queen and continued questioning my life choices, then a very familiar man walked through the door. I ordered a shot of vodka.

In the doorway stood 6'5 Prime Accardo, wearing tight jeans a white shirt, and a brown leather jacket. His jet black curly hair was perfectly groomed and his green eyes surveyed the bar as if looking for something, or someone.

Standing next to him was his slightly shorter younger brother, Marco. He was playful, he eyed the mic and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

I sank into my chair.

Most people here wouldn't know I was with the drunk woman making a fool of herself on the stage. I looked nothing like her, and she had only spoken to me once the whole night.

Prime and Marco Accardo, were not most people.

Aniya grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my head. "Your turn."

"What?" I stared at her in confusion as she pulled me through the crowd.

The music was already playing when she pulled me onto the stage.

Green eyes locked with mine and I knew I couldn't back down.

...
I was going to murder Aniya. She saw Prime walk into the bar, no question. It had been about an hour since I finished the song. I managed to not completely embarrass myself.

Now I was drunk. I had Emi come pick Aniya up when she could no longer stand. I was on my fourth glass of whiskey, with an unknown number of shots in between.

A body slid up next to me.

"You're not bad on the spot." The voice was deep, smooth. My stomach did a backflip. I had managed to avoid him all night, until now.

"Thanks, I guess?" My words were slurring together. I turned to look at him, surprise flickered on his face for just a second then it went back to its normal 'I'm in charge' expression. I felt sort of bubbly at that look.

"Oh, you're drunk." He chuckled but looked a little sad, or maybe worried. "Did your sister leave?"

"Yep." I said with a pop on the 'p' then fell forward slightly.

"Do you need a ride home? Or money for one at least?" He looked and sounded concerned, I was more drunk than I thought.

"I'm not that drunk." A giggle escaped my lips. "And I am capable of finding my own ride."

"Are you sure? Someone as pretty as you shouldn't be alone and drunk at a bar. People are dangerous." He looked so serious, he was right but that didn't stop me from bursting into a fit of laughter.

"So let me get this straight, you, offer me, drunk and alone, a ride, then proceed to tell me people are dangerous? Okay, Mr. Mafia." He let out a dark laugh.

"Well, Ms. Mafia, I may be dangerous, but not to women at bars, unless they've done something to me. Even then I don't stoop that low." Is he being serious? I know his father doesn't act that way. Maybe he's a feminist.

"I'm confused."

"How so? Just because I'm inheriting my power from a monster doesn't make me one. Well in that context at least. You're a person, not a plaything Ms. Rivera." My stomach did a few more backflips.

I felt all fuzzy, I'd never been called Ms. Rivera before, it shouldn't make me want to jump on his lap and make out with him until the sun comes up, but then again...

"I should go, I have um, a thing in the morning." I pressed my thighs together, he seemed to notice. A smirk appeared on his face.

"Fair enough, but since you are alone, is it too forward of me to ask for your number? Just in case you run into trouble." His chin was angled slightly up, making it so he had to look down at me. I squirmed absentmindedly.

I scribbled my number down on a napkin, I didn't want to ask for his phone, and I didn't want to give it to him out loud in a bar either.

"My brother is my ride, but he's not here. Do you think you could walk me outside, and wait with me?" My brother was not my ride, but I knew Prime wouldn't let me walk home like this, and I did not need my parents to know about this.

"Of course." His smirk blossomed into a smile. We walked out of the bar together and I called Avox. Thankfully, he was awake and willing.

Prime leaned against the wall behind me. "What's your 'thing' in the morning?"

I smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Pro-tip, if you're going to use 'having a thing in the morning' as an excuse, come up with an actual event." His voice was closer than I expected it to be.

I felt him drape something over my shoulders. It was his leather jacket. I raised an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged and went back to his place on the wall. "You're shivering."

"Am not." I looked down at myself.

He laughed once. "Do you always feel the need to lie about everything? Or is that just when you're drunk."

I frowned at him. "If I told you now, how would you know I'm telling the truth?"

He looked at me with amusement.

Avox's car pulled up. He looked almost disappointed with me. "Why did you choose to get drunk after Aniya left. Do you want to wake up in some random guy's basement?"

I glared at him. "Maybe I just want to give you a heart attack."

He practically shoved me into the passenger seat.

I opened the door again and he was talking to Prime.

I looked up at him. "Do you want your jacket back?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Bring it back to me when you're sober."

Avox shut the door on me. I rolled down the window a little so I could listen to their conversation.

Prime laughed. "I think it was me, she was mostly sober before I walked in."

"Either way, thank you for staying with her. She probably wouldn't have called me if you weren't here, so thank you again for waiting."

"I'm glad I was here then, and I didn't mind. She's snarky when she's drunk. It's entertaining."

Avox laughed humorlessly. "Entertaining is one way to put it. Have a good night."

"You too. See you tomorrow." Prime walked back into the bar and disappeared.

I rolled the window up before Avox would notice that I was eavesdropping.

When he got into the driver's seat he gave me that same disapproving look. "Please be more responsible next time."

"It was one time. You don't need to worry about me."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're fine with him worrying about you, but I don't need to?"

I crossed my arms. "It's hot when he does it, it's annoying when you do."

"I did not need to know that, Natalia."

...
It's strange how much I had to change because I took out one character.

<3