Beautiful Trouble: A Dark Mafia Romance

“Typical. You’re such a martyr, Darren.”

“Penny and Erin wouldn’t want this,” I said quickly, before he could give in to his anger. “Your mother wouldn’t want this. Anthony doesn’t want this.” I looked back at his brother and all my pleading died in my chest.

Anthony was ghost-white and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Why the hell was he crying? Now of all times? When I needed him the most? Anthony might be able to talk his brother out of this violence. He was the reason for everything, the catalyst for Darren’s ceaseless war against Roman, and now he was crying instead of trying to save his brother’s life.

What was happening?

“You’re a monster,” Darren whispered, raising the gun slightly. His finger trembled on the trigger. Just a little more pressure and it would end. “My only regret is that Liv isn’t around to hear about this. She hated you more than I did. We all hate you for what you did to our brother. Fuck you, Roman, and I hope you rot in hell. I’ll be with my sister.”

“Don’t,” I shouted.

“Cassie,” Roman said.

“Stop!”

Anthony threw himself forward. I screamed as he crashed into Darren’s shoulder, knocking the gun aside. It went off, but the bullet lodged in the wall harmlessly. Darren struggled against Anthony, and it was pure luck that Roza didn’t kill them both. By all rights, she should have.

“He didn’t shoot me!”

Everyone stared. Roza’s gun drooped and her mouth dropped open.

Anthony’s face was drenched in tears. He showed his teeth in a horrible grimace of pure agony. Darren looked confused then pushed his brother away. The pair of them stood opposite each other, a gun between them.

“What are you talking about?” Darren asked, glancing at Roman.

Roman stood with a stony expression, his hands keeping Cassie behind him.

“Roman didn’t shoot me.” Anthony was crying again and the sobs made it hard to understand him.

“Explain yourself.” Darren seemed more confused than angry. “What’s going on?”

“You don’t have to,” Roman said and it sounded like years of sorrow weighed down his voice.

Anthony shook his head. “You’ve done enough. You never had to protect me the way you did.”

“You’re my brother.” Roman took a step forward. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Shut up,” Darren growled, aiming the gun at him again.

“Stop, Darren.” Anthony walked to him and gently pushed the gun down. “He didn’t shoot me. He saved my life back then, and he’s been covering for me ever since.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m so, so sorry. I can’t take the lying anymore. I just can’t do it.” Anthony touched Darren on the cheek. “You won’t forgive me and I won’t deserve it if you do. But I hope you can understand.”

“Understand what? Anthony, what happened?”

Anthony took a deep breath and began.

30

Anthony

Ten Years Ago

I loved being a Servant.

Not like, servant servant, but my family. I loved my family and the status that came with my name.

Doors were opened. People looked at me like I mattered.

It was so cool.

Mom and Darren and my sisters always tried to make me understand: Servants were different. We had privilege and money and whatever. There were things I didn’t really know about, but Darren was involved somehow.

My big brother was the coolest guy in the world. A lot of the other guys at my school thought that about their big brothers or whatever, but I was actually right. Darren was the strongest, smartest, coolest guy I’d ever met, and he was my brother.

I didn’t see him much on account of him being away at college. I missed him and stuff, but whenever he came home, we’d hang out. He’d teach me stuff, like about cars and shooting guns or whatever, cool and fun stuff that mom and my sisters didn’t like all that much.

One day, I wanted to be just like him.

“You know this is a bad idea, right?” Erin frowned at Darren and put her hands on her hips. “He’s ten, dude. He can’t go to Monica’s party.”

“He’s a Servant.” Darren grinned at me. “That means you’re good, right, little man?”

“Yeah, Darren, I’m good.” I didn’t know what it meant to be good. I wanted to be good desperately though.

Erin rolled her eyes and looked at me. I loved Erin, she was my big sister, but she could be a real pain in my butt. And she was kind of weird sometimes. Like mega weird. Everyone said she was smart. Like a super nerdy genius or whatever. She tried to hide it, but I noticed. Things came easy to her.

“If you come with us, you can’t wander off, okay? Stay close to me.”

“Yeah, whatever.” I rolled my eyes. Darren laughed. I loved making Darren laugh. That made me roll my eyes harder like they were gonna burst out of my skull.

Erin sighed, but eventually we all got into Darren’s truck and drove over to Monica Green’s mansion down near the lake.