I walked through the house as the maids busied themselves with cleaning and tidying up the little open space I lived in. My thoughts wandered as I plopped onto the couch and grabbed a cool glass of whiskey. My lips parted as I let the drink slide down my tongue and my throat swallowed. My belly warmed as I let the alcohol take effect. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as my blood buzzed with a slight pleasure. I set my glass down and walked over to the window that took the space of my entire wall. My little office was made of wood. The glass was slightly thin with age and the decorative wood work along the trimming of the window was well worn and dull of its cherry color. I suddenly heard the slight knock of knuckles against the door. I turned as Mellionie– my maid– came into the room and dropped off a small letter on a silver platter onto the flat of my desk, near the edge. I took it with a nod of appreciation and sipped a letter opener through the small flap of the paper and tore it open. I slipped out the folded paper and ripped open the seal to read.

Brother,

I am writing to you now to inform your ignorant ass about the damn art gala we have to attend. I know how much you hate these events but it's necessary for us. Be there. If you don't come, I will come for your sorry ass and drag you back myself.  Gala starts at 5:45 p.m on Lux Street. It's a large building, the fourth one down the corner. Do NOT  be late. I suggest you leave your pretty little castle at 5:25. And for goodness sake, don't bring your pet. It's embarrassing to see you with her. 

–K

I rolled my eyes at the snappy little note my younger brother sent me. I toss it in the top drawer of my desk and close it. I fought the urge to fiddle with the simple gold band around my finger out of habit as annoyance and irritation rolled through me. Really? He thinks he can control me? Funny. I walk over to my bottle of whiskey and pour myself three more glasses before I start to get a bit tipsy. I'm suddenly back to when I was a mere child, in the kitchen, as my father drank himself to oblivion. I pause and sigh at the simple but sad memory.

I look up, above my desk and sigh when I look upon my late fathers portrait. I don't let any lingering emotions go to waste as I take in his simple light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. I reach into my breast pocket and retrive the much smaller photo of my late mother. I look at her stunning blue eyes and blonde hair. I take in her round face and curled hair, perfectly styled into a braided crown atop her head. My eyes drift down her silhouette to her slightly swollen belly that's pregnant with me. 

It was always a mystery to me how some women could handle a little alien inside them. How they could handle such a peculiar thing while in their daily lives. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I would find pregnant women at the grocery store, looking for their next craving for themselves or a meal for their husband. When I was a young boy, I would grow curious about the little creatures inside their mothers. It wasn’t everyday I saw a woman with swollen bellies and an appetite that could best my own. It was strange to me. Years later, and I still couldn’t understand why women would actually want to carry a child in the womb. 

Seeing a photo of my mother while pregnant with me was confusing and concerning when I was a child. I had thought she had gained too much weight and when I asked, she had just giggled and kissed my nose. I loved it when she kissed my nose. I remember when she sat me on her lap and told me that I was once in her belly. The surprise of it was a shock to my stomach. My tiny face had scrunched up and let my disgust well known. 

I let my mind linger for a moment of that sweet memory. Before my little brother was born, I had thought that pregnancy was foolish and unnecessary. Now I understand that some people want more from life than just themselves. 

I folded the photo again and slipped it back into my breast pocket as I glanced at the time. It had been an hour since I read my brother's letter. I sighed as I thought about the art gala tonight. What a hassle. I rolled my eyes in annoyance as I thought about his threat to drag me to the event even though he knows who's the boss. 

I sat down at my desk and arranged the paperwork to the side as exhaustion crawled through my muscles and my body began to grow heavy. Nothing was more painful than working on damn paperwork and security files. 

To me, nothing was better than a hard vodka with a side of reading into the late night. My brothers had always thought it was strange of me to read or pleasure myself in fantasies. As the oldest of the Romano family, I was the smartest. Intelligence was never out of my reach, and neither was a good book. Now, my favorite books are politics and the different sides of opinions and how their arguments work. I never was really one for an argument, always tried to get out of them rather than get into them. My father, the brother of the mafia lord, always had something to say about the opinions of others. Opinions are what we think about something, we shouldn't have to change just because other people don't agree. So why do we have to change our opinions to please others who disagree? My opinions are mine and if I believe something, I wont change that way of thinking. 

I let out a small chuff as I reached over and started reading over the new security equipment that had just come in. In big, bold letters it stated: Fragile. Are you kidding? Fragile? I needed something reliable, not fragile. I opened my laptop and typed in the password as I started to search for the file with security equipment. I found the brand and compared it to the old one we had before that. I searched for the code on the back and typed it into the search bar. Twelve different models of security cameras pulled up based on the code. I smirked as I grabbed the blueprints of the old model and compared them to the new one. I went through at least four before I found one that came close to matching. Bingo.

Hours later, and I get a knock on the gym door. Sharp and sweet, just like her. I watch as she shyly opens the door and slips in as if she didn't want to be seen or noticed. 

“Nice of you to stop by, Bella.” I smirked as she gritted her teeth at the nickname I’d given her when I was nineteen.

“It would be nicer if I used my real name, Stronzo.” She glared down at the floor as I noticed the bite to her words.

“Rough morning?” I quipped.

“With you? Always.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she kept her gaze down. 

“What's wrong? Don't you like the view?” I teased as my muscles rippled and ached from the heavy weight I was lifting.

I grunted as I pretended to struggle with benching a simple seventy kilos. Sweat beaded down my neck and back from the effort it took to pump my arms slowly. It had been a week since my last workout and it was starting to show. I turned to face my favorite maid to tease, Mellonie, as she kept her eyes to the floor. 

“What's the news with my brother? Anything interesting?” I did my last set before I put the weight back on the rack and sat up to face her as she shook her head. 

“No, I just thought you were hungry and wanted to ask. You haven't eaten all day and it's already four p.m.”

I glanced at the clock with bewilderment. Four? Shit. I stood up abruptly and grabbed my towel to soak the sweat away before I slipped on my black shirt. 

“I have to go. Something about an art gala I have to attend to.” I rushed out in a bit of a hurry as I climbed up the steps to get to my bedroom. I grunted as I missed a step and hurried my pace. The stairs were in a marble corkscrew that went round a large pillar that was a fish tank of exotic fish. Three beautiful freshwater angelfish, Four tiger barbs, two fancy goldfish.

I ran to the bathroom and groaned when I realized that I forgot to grab a tux and shoes. I ran back out and grabbed a tux and ran back into the bathroom to shower quickly. I stripped off all my clothes and turned on the cold water. I got in and chased as the coolness of the water trickled down my heated skin, the water droplets raced down my shoulders and down my large, strong forearms as it washed away the  sweat and tension. I let the sweet caress of the water soothe my soul as I grabbed for the soap and lathered it on my body. I scrubbed every inch of myself as I paused to scrub my short, blonde hair. I barely gave myself time to dry as I slipped into my tuxedo and shoes. I rubbed my hair in a towel and left it a bit messy before I checked my watch. Four-thirty. I checked the mirror to fix up my hair.

Soon, I arrived at Lux Street and turned down the corner to the fourth house, as my brother had said, and got to the private parking lot. I sighed in relief as I get there at exactly five-thirty-five. I open the door to my Lincon and step out with grace and confidence. I sigh as my stomach flutters in excitement, my gun on the inside of my belt, hidden under the coat of my tux. I fix up my watch as I walk up to the large building. The front entrance has large, thick, white columns with more of a roman design. The white building was entirely made of stone with a copper roof, still shiny with its pretty color.

 I smile devilishly as I pop open the trunk to see if Niko, my butler, had remembered to put my pet in the back. My smile turns into a full on grin of malice as I watch Leon and Tina, my Euriasain lynxes, leap out of the trunk with a small growl. My eyes linger on the beautiful gold chain necklaces on their necks that drape beautifully down their muscles. I give a small hand gesture as they heal at my knee and follow in my step while looking around slowly. 

We walk together towards the main entrance with grace and a sense of danger. Before I can reach out a hand to open the doors, a pair of butlers opens it for me. I give off a chilling glare as I strut into the room with my two lynxes at my sides. 

The room goes silent as the people in the room part, giving me a path to walk through with my two cats. I suddenly notice two people I recognize, then five. Anger flares through my soul as I recognize them instantly. The leaders of the mafia. My brothers. I grab a glass of champagne in annoyance of their stares. At least a hundred twenty other people are in the room with us. I gulp down my drink. Spicy. 

I watch as everyone goes back to their conversations with subtle glances at my two pets. My eyes flit over to my younger brother, Ileon, as he smiles at a girl that looks at least nineteen. I let out a small huff of breath in amusement as I notice an older man, what I'd assume is her father, glaring daggers at Ileon. I look over the crowd when I suddenly notice two bright, blue, watchful eyes staring straight into my soul. My heart pounds in my ears as I notice her.