You Will Obey (Rules of Bennett Book 4) Page 5

  “I don’t want to make the family look bad,” I said.

  He grinned. “Well, look at the queen already being protective of her family,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. “It’ll be fine. I won’t overdo the marriage thing. It’ll look fake.”

  Thank fuck for that, I thought to myself. We entered a restaurant, Bennett whispering something to the hostess, who nodded. We followed the hostess to an outside patio where only six other people sat. I looked back at the line outside and then back at the empty tables still on the patio.

  “We have this whole patio booked for the next two hours,” Bennett said, ushering me toward the table.

  Everyone at the table looked to us, the men standing to their feet. I smiled and politely spoke to everyone who shook my hand, the women acting a bit snooty and unwelcoming.

  “Everyone, I’d like for you all to formally meet my wife Aurora,” Bennett said, pulling me closer to him. I gave him a small smile, biting my tongue to keep from snapping at him.

  “Nice to meet you, dear,” an older gentleman said with a nod and a gentle smile. He looked like someone’s cute grandfather, not a dark, menacing mafia boss. The soft wrinkles in his face didn’t make him intimidating. His suit fit a bit snug on his round body, his jaws jiggling whenever he spoke. “Please, both of you have a seat.”

  Bennett and I sat at the last two remaining chairs, the waiters coming out of nowhere with glasses of wine.

  The older gentleman clasped his hands, waiting for the waiters to disappear again before he spoke. “Bennett already knows who we are, so I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Chase Hilcrest, head of the Hilcrest Family. This is my wife Veronica.”

  He gestured to the woman who was at least twenty years younger than he was. She looked at me with what seemed like disgust, only giving me a tight nod in acknowledgement.

  “What a bitch,” the small voice mused.

  Right, I thought, forcing myself to focus.

  A younger gentleman with piercing green eyes, red hair, and freckles spoke next. “Jerry Fabiano with the Fabiano Family,” he said, not even bothering to introduce the young woman that sat next to him. She dropped her eyes down to her glass, her shoulders sagging a bit. Her chestnut hair was pinned up into a messy bun, her black dress plain and not very flattering for her thin body. She didn’t say a word as the next man spoke up.

  “Poor girl,” the small voice said. “I’d be more upset about being married to someone who looks like Carrot Top than being ignored. They had to have been an arranged marriage. She’s way too pretty to be with an idiot like that.”

  I fought the urge to snort as they continued.

  “I mean look at his face. Doesn’t he just have the kind of face that makes you want to sock him? I bet he was bullied in school. What an asshole,” the voice said and tsked.

  Shh, not now. I need to concentrate, I scolded.

  “I’m Jacob McIntyre of the MMD Family,” he said and gestured to his wife. “And this is my beautiful wife Daniella.”

  The saying that “beauty was in the eye of the beholder” was definitely true, as I wasn’t too sure what was “beautiful” about her. Her make-up was caked on to her face that it looked completely unnatural. Her fake boobs were huge and didn’t fit her frame, just as her inflated lips didn’t fit her face. She looked at if she belonged in Los Angeles though, appearing as the usual fake Barbie-types that walked the streets. She smirked at me as she took a sip of her wine.

  “I think I saw you before,” she said, her words coming out slow.

  I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think we’ve met. I don’t get out much,” I said with a small smile.

  “Oh no, I definitely saw you. I think it was a video where your ‘husband’ shot jizz all over your face after you sucked him off,” she said. If this were a group of random people, this would’ve been the moment I ran away to hide my embarrassment. But this wasn’t a group of random people. This group were the bosses of mafia families that Bennett wanted to do something with, and I didn’t want my own feelings to get in the midst of that.

  Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak, Bennett spoke up for me. “I won’t tolerate any kind of disrespect toward my wife,” he stated. Though his expression was neutral, his voice was firm. “You know I think highly of your family, Jacob, but your wife is out of line.”

  While I was glad that he’d taken up for me, I was angry all over again that he’d really leaked the video. Even though it felt as if it was so long ago, apparently it was still fresh in some people’s mind.

  “I apologize about that Bennett,” Jacob said and looked to me. “I’m sorry about that Mrs….”

  I glanced at Bennett, who still had his eyes trained on Jacob and Daniella. “Moreno,” I finally said. “It’s Mrs. Aurora Moreno.”

  Bennett grinned at me and rested his hand on my knee under the table before training his eyes back on Daniella. “Is there anything you’d like to say to Aurora, Mrs. McIntyre?” he asked.

  Jacob ground something out under his breath, which forced a tight smile on Daniella’s lips.

  “I’m sorry for offending you,” she said tightly. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

  I didn’t respond, only picking up my wine glass and take a sip from it. Chase clapped his hands to get our attention and gave us a small smile. “Now that everyone’s well acquainted, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  “Sounds good,” Bennett said with a nod. “So, I’m sure you all have seen the announcement by now, but I’m no longer apart of the Moreno Family.”

  Chase nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve been hearing many rumors about Wilson, rumors that aren’t good and are bound to cause unrest with multiple families. You got out at a good time,” he said.

  The news didn’t surprise me in the slightest. Wilson had managed to get himself into shit without even trying most times.

  “I haven’t heard of everything he’d gotten into lately, as we’d been dealing with in-house issues,” Bennett said. “But thank you for informing me.”

  “Of course,” Chase said.

  “My wife and I,” Bennett said, gesturing to me, “decided to go our own way and create our own family. I have no doubt that Wilson is going to have a target on my back for leaving his organization, so I want to create an alliance with three families that aren’t sworn enemies and who also have just as much power and connections as I do.”

  “We already did a lot of business with you, so you have our alliance without question,” Jerry said.

  “Thank you for that,” Bennett said.

  “I’ve worked with the Moreno Family for many years,” Chase started and sighed. “Your grandfather and great grandfather were great men. I don’t know what happened when your father took over. Things seemed to go downhill quickly and never recovered. I couldn’t associate with the things he did.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Bennett said. “Now you can understand why I had to separate myself from that.”

  “Of course, of course.” Chase ran his hand along his fat jaw. “I can see that you aren’t the same man as your father. I won’t put you in the same category as him until you give me a reason to. You have my alliance.”

  “Thank you for your good faith, Chase,” Bennett said with a nod. “What do you say, Jacob?”

  “The only thing I’m concerned about is the inevitable war that will happen between you and the Moreno Family,” he said. “We’re recovering from a war ourselves and can’t afford to be pulled into another one so soon.”

  “I don’t bring other families into my fights,” Bennett said. “Besides, there’s already a war with my father.”

  “He said it’s because you want to kill him for his spot,” Daniella quipped. I rolled my eyes. As I looked around the table, I realized I was the only one wearing a pantsuit. The other women wore dresses, Veronica and Daniella’s dress looking as if they were going to a club after the meeting.

  “I’m sure that’s what he said, but he and I know
the facts,” Bennett said, coolly.

  “And what are the facts?” she continued.

  I cocked my head to the side. “Are you in the mafia?” I asked her.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m married to a boss,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “But are you a member of the mafia? Like a sworn in, pledged member?”

  She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “The mafia is no place for a woman.”

  “Then maybe you should be quiet while we’re trying to conduct business,” I stated, my voice firm.

  My fingers itched to wrap themselves around her throat and squeeze until she was lifeless. I envisioned her covered in blood after I stabbed her over and over again, her big wide eyes open but staring at nothing.

  “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You’re no better than any woman sitting at this table,” she snapped.

  I smiled. “I’m Aurora Moreno, queen of La Fedeltà. I’m not just his wife; I rule alongside him as the head of our family as a member.” I looked to Bennett. “On second thought, I don’t know how I feel about having an alliance with the MMD Family. With a talkative wife, there’s no telling what kind of information we can trust them with.”

  “I can assure you my wife won’t be a problem,” Jacob quickly interjected, but I shook my head.

  “You can’t even keep her mouth closed right now and you expect for Bennett and me to trust you with information that you could use against us?” I asked.

  Bennett squeezed my knee under the table in what felt like a warning. But when I looked at him, he grinned. “She has a point,” he said.

  “Allow me to have a word with her for a moment,” Jacob stated, his voice tight. He roughly grabbed Daniella by the arm and walked away a few feet. They weren’t completely in earshot distance, but we could still see them.

  “I don’t know why he won’t drop that bimbo,” Jerry muttered before picking up his wine glass. “Her mouth was why an important gun deal fell through.”

  “So, you’re in the mafia, are you, dear?” Chase asked me, completely disregarding what Jerry had said.

  “Yes, sir,” I answered.

  “Well, good for you,” he said with a nod. “It’s not very often that I meet women who are in the mafia, especially when they are married to the boss.”

  I cut my eyes at Bennett with a slight frown. It wasn’t like I willingly married this asshat. I’d just wanted to join the mafia to help kill Wilson, not make a matrimonial vow to Bennett. Either way, it was something to fight about later, not in front of families we were trying to align ourselves with.

  “She’s something special,” Bennett said, his hand moving up my thigh. I discreetly slapped it away, but it didn’t stop it from moving into dangerous territory.

  “My father used to work for his, so I guess it’s just a family tradition,” I said with a tight smile.

  “Oh? Who’s your father?”

  I swallowed hard. “Sergio DuPont,” I said, praying my voice didn’t tremble as my emotions threatened to strangle me.

  “Ah, I knew that was why you looked so familiar. Good man, he was,” Chase mused with a nod. “How is he these days?”

  “Dead,” I said, my voice flat. Bennett’s hand on my leg stopped moving, but I didn’t dare look at him. I couldn’t bear to see him gloat or appear proud that he was the reason my parents were dead. It was hard enough having to accept that I was married to him; I couldn’t deal with him boasting about what he’d done without even having to say a single word.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Chase said, shaking his head. “I knew it was only a matter of time. There was a bad war when he was working for Wilson and a lot of his men were dropping like flies. But it’s good to see that his legacy will continue. Much luck to you, young lady.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured, guzzling down the rest of my wine.

  After what felt like eternity, the waiters reappeared, pushing a cart with plates of food. I watched Bennett as he requested a pancake breakfast platter, telling them everything to put on the plate. Another waiter turned to me and smiled.

  “What would you like, ma’am?” he asked.

  I looked over the options. “Is that French toast?” I asked, pointing to the fluffy bread lined up on a platter.

  “Yes, brioche French toast,” he confirmed.

  “I’ll have that, bacon, and fresh strawberries, please,” I said. He nodded and filled my plate before putting it before me.

  “Enjoy,” he said and moved on to the next person.

  Jacob returned to the table, his face red as Daniella scurried inside the restaurant in the direction of the bathroom.

  “I apologize on behalf of my wife,” he said, his tone sharp. “It won’t happen again. I can guarantee that.”

  Bennett looked to me but I only shrugged, cutting into my French toast. “It’s your call, babe,” I said.

  “I’ll think on it while I eat,” Bennett finally said.

  Jacob nodded. “Understandable. Thank you,” he said and relaxed a little. The table filled with small talk around me, but all I wanted was to finish eating and get the hell out of here. The sun was high, and while the pantsuit made a statement, the blazing California sun made it so uncomfortably hot. I’d wanted to take off my jacket, but seeing how the men hadn’t removed theirs, I kept mine on. I just prayed I didn’t die of heatstroke.

  Daniella finally returned to the table, her eyes puffy and her makeup a little smeared. She didn’t say another word after she requested her food, keeping her eyes on her plate the whole time. Even though I thought she was a bonafide bitch, I could only imagine what he’d promised would happen to her when they got back home. I knew the monster Bennett could be; I’d be terrified of going home if the shoe were on the other foot and I’d ruined a potential meeting. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, but maybe it was a lesson she’d have to learn, one I’d had to learn time and time again.

  “I’d like to align with you, Jacob,” Bennett finally started, “but I’d prefer your wife not be present amongst business.”

  “Trust me, she won’t be. She’s proven time and time again that she has no business coming to any meetings,” he stated, cutting his eyes at her. She kept her eyes glued to her plate and didn’t say a word.

  “Then I’m willing to give you a try,” Bennett said with a nod.

  Jerry nodded. “That settles it,” he said. “My family looks forward to working with you.”

  “How does Wilson feel about you moving on without him?” Chase asked as he finished off his wine.

  Bennett shrugged. “I don’t care how he feels about anything I do,” he answered.

  “Fair enough,” Chase said.

  Bennett pulled out a folded stack of papers from his inner jacket pocket along with a pen. “If everyone is in agreement, I’d like for the bosses to sign on a couple of contracts. I don’t need them back today; take time to read them,” he said, smirking at me.

  I rolled my eyes. Bastard, I thought. The men reached for the paper.

  “I’ll have this back to you in a couple of days,” Jacob said, folding the contract and putting it in his inner jacket pocket.

  “I’ll get back to you as well,” Jerry stated as he did the same, Chase following suit.

  Bennett looked at his watch. “Well, if that’s everything, Aurora and I have to get going. We have another appointment to get to,” he said.

  I didn’t care where we went to next as long as it wasn’t outside in the heat. We stood from the table, shaking hands with everyone except the women before Bennett ushered me back through the restaurant and out of the exit. He pulled his phone out and sent a text message, putting an arm around my waist.

  “Are women not allowed to talk in the meetings? The other women hardly said anything,” I said with a frown.

  “No,” he said idly, typing away on his phone. “The only ones allowed to talk are the people conducting business. The wives aren’t usually present, but since it was a brunch, it was
n’t too inappropriate for them to be there.”

  “I see,” I said as the car arrived in front of us. The driver got out and opened the door. I quickly slid in and immediately took my jacket off, the air conditioning cooling my heated skin. Bennett got in next to me, eyes still glued to his phone. The driver closed the door and went back around, getting in the car and pulling out into traffic.

  “What do you want for dinner tonight?” Bennett asked idly.

  I furrowed my brow in confusion. “Bennett, we just ate breakfast. Why the hell would I be thinking about dinner right now?” I asked, my voice flat.

  He looked up at me. “Is it a crime to plan something in advance?” he asked, matching my tone.

  “Actually, what I want for dinner are some answers,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.

  “About?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to establish myself as your ‘equal’ and your ‘queen’ when people saw you violate me?” I snapped. “If she’s seen the video, I highly doubt she’s the only one.”

  He sighed deeply. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Aurora. I can’t change the past. All you can do is demand respect from any and everyone that you come across.”

  “Oh, right, because my husband has already shown the whole underworld how much of a whore I am for him,” I said sarcastically.

  The video wasn’t new to me; I’d known he was sending it when he filmed it. Anger rolled off me in waves as I thought back to that day. After he’d dangled me out of the moving plane, beat me with a belt, shocked me over and over, and forced me to give him a blow job, he humiliated me in front of the whole world with no remorse. He had to have known that the video would eventually come up. Who in the hell would take me seriously or respect me when Bennett proved just how much he didn’t respect me?

  I wiped away a stray tear that I hadn’t even realized had fallen. The more I settled into this role, the more I realized I was in way over my head.

  BENNETT

  Aurora stormed into the house without another word to me. I didn’t blame her for being upset. I hadn’t thought about how my previous actions would come back to haunt me and the relationship I was trying to build with her. It didn’t make it any better that the video I’d made of her was brought up at the table. I was sure if the others hadn’t seen it, they’d go looking for it.