Arranged Marriage To The Mafia Boss

"Who was that?" She asks as I come to a stop behind her and put my hands on her waist. I almost expect her to push me away but she doesn't and I don't question that for now.

"Someone you should stay away from." I tell her not wanting to scare her but I'm sure that asshole did it all by himself.

"You know what I realized just now?" She asks and I don't answer her because I know she's going to tell me. "You're one of the worst kind of people out there and I never want to see you with blood on your hands, Xavier." She says and I know exactly what she means but I also know I might not be able to protect her from that.

"I can do much worse than a bullet" I tell her and I don't miss the shiver that runs down her back.

"I don't want to know." She says while turning around and the look in her eyes holds me honesty than I've ever seen. "I don't want to know what you are capable of and I don't want to see you with blood on your hands. I don't think I'll ever recover if I do." She says and just like that she looks more tired than she's ever looked and I find myself regretting not catching the fly with honey.

**Skyler Johnson **

"Okay, so Tristan is having a party tonight, it's a last minute thing cause his parents are going out of town after this. You're coming right?" Natalie asks as she pulls me away from Lauren and towards Mason and Tristan at the other end of the gym.

"I don't know. My dad said something about dinner with friends tonight and I'm required to go." I tell her, looking back at Lauren and giving her an apologetic shrug, she waves me of and walks away, probably to go find her family in this crowd of people.

"But you can come after dinner, right? You're not going to be eating all night." She reasons and I shrug. "Oh, come on. This is probably the last summer we're going to have together. You have to come to every party thrown, you don't have senior year to use as an excuse now." She gives me a cheeky smile before letting go of my hand and jumping into Mason's waiting arms. I don't know if they'll ever admit to each other that they have feelings but their best friend thing seem to be working for them.

"So, are we seeing you tonight?" Tristan asks causing Mason to look up from where he was whispering something in Nat's ear. He's so gone for her and he doesn't even see it.

"I guess." I mutter and the smile that crosses his face makes everything seem worth it for some reason.

"So I ask and you have a dinner and he asks and you're going?" Nat asks and I roll my eyes at her dramatics.

"After the dinner." I tell her, already wishing summer was over. I love my friends but they party a little to much for my taste.

"Sweet. Nat you're going to help set up right?" Mason asks and all three of them drift of in talking about the party while I look around for my parents. I saw them in the seats in the seats while walking across the stage so they have to be here somewhere.

"Sky!" I smile as I spot my mother waving at me. After a quick goodbye to my friends I rush to them and into my father's arms.

"We're so proud of you baby girl." He whispers into my ears and I grin like a cat high on catnip. I've always been more of a daddy's girl and I can admit that with a proud smile. My mother forces us to take photo's and somehow all my friends are dragged into it. By the time we leave I have a graduation picture with the entire graduating class and all my teachers. She's going to make a scrap book out of it, no doubt. I have one for every important event in my life.

"So, who's coming to diner?" I ask as we enter the house. I drop my cap and gown on one of the couches and sink down onto the floor in front of it.

"A friend of your father's." My mother says as she sinks into the love seat and into my father as well. I stare at them for a minute with a smile on my face, proud of where I come from. If it weren't for them I wouldn't have half the things I have in life and I can only hope to achieve half of what they have in life. Hope, because I can't even figure out what I want to study come fall and it's been driving me insane.

We spend the afternoon just having family time, my dad throws some burgers on the grill for lunch and my mother makes a tropical salad with it while I load all the pictures my mother took on the laptop and label the file, ready for when my mother wants to print and start her scrapbook. Later the night I'm in my room, showered and getting ready for the night when my mother knocks on my bedroom door.

"I have something for you." She says as she places a box on the bed. I give her a giddy smile and open the box, finding a beautiful white dress with butterflies on it. It's a design from her current line that she decided to scrap and I'm glad she made it for me because I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. Now I can add it to one of my many originals from my mother's line. "Do you like it?" She asks, as if she doesn't know.

"l love it. Thank you." I say as I put the dress down and give her a big hug? "Do you want to help me with my hair?" I ask and she nods. I sit down at my vanity and watch as she brushes my dark strands, her fingers skilfully moving through my hair and turning it into a masterpiece. As I stare at her I remember the first time I asked her why I didn't look like them. I didn't have my mother beautiful dark skin and neither my father's soft milky tone and I got so upset because I thought I was adopted. I remember them laughing at me and explaining to me how their skin tones mixed to make mine a little bit of both of them. Ever since that day I've been so proud to say that I have parents from different racial backgrounds because it made me who I am.

"Do you know what you want to do yet, after the summer?" My mother asks and I sigh and shake my head.

"I've been thinking about something in dance but I know dad would want me to do something more practical. I don't know. Maybe I should just take the year and think it over?" I ask and she sighs.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with dancing. Your father will get over it, he supports you in everything you do." She says and I sigh. "You have time." She assures and I just nod. It's kind of confusing for me to feel like this. Everything in my life I've always planned out and now I'm stuck.

"Yeah, oh Tristan is having a party later tonight. Can I go?" I ask and she nods with a smile as I pull a face. She knew I was hoping for her to say no and now I don't have an excuse not to go.

"Done!" She says and I smile at the beautiful braids my hair is in. I quickly do my makeup as she leaves the room and then get dressed in my new dress that I wear my silver flats with and then join my dad in the kitchen where he's talking to the chef. When I was little I thought everyone had a chef at their beck and call until Tristan clued me in on that reality. I'm so spoiled it's not even funny but my friends sure found it funny when I was little. It's not like I flaunt our money but I'm definitely spoiled.

"They're here!" My mother shouts from the living room as the doorbell goes of. I grin at my dad and follow him out into the foyer where my mother joins us by the door. She's dressed in a dress similar to mine but it's black with the butterflies and I giggle at that. Her hair is curled and her face is free of makeup making her look fantastic. My dad kisses her on the cheek before opening the door and revealing four faces I have never seen before.

"Gerald!" The man shouts before pulling my father into an embrace. My father laughs and hugs him back as my mother greets the woman. I smile at the girl who looks to be about ten and give an awkward wave to the guy standing behind her. Soon the parents are done greeting and we move into the living room.

"Skyler, I haven't seen you since you were two years old." The woman says as we all sit down and I give her a small smile. "You're grown up into a beautiful young girl." She gushes making me feel a little uncomfortable but I keep my smile on my face.

"Oh, I guess we should make introductions. Skyler this is Zachary and his wife Cecil, their son Xavier and daughter Candice." My mother says and I nod at the people.

"Your dress is really pretty." Candice says, looking at my dress with longing in her eyes.

"Oh, thank you. My mom could make you one too if you want." I offer and by the beaming smile on her face I know she'll like that idea.

"Well, then you can come into the studio after dinner and we'll get you all measured up." My mother says giving me a proud look that I don't really understand but I smile at her anyway.

"Dinner should be done in a few minutes so why don't we all head into the dining room?" My father says and we all follow him out of the living room. My dad sits at the head of the table with my mother on his right and Zachary on his left with his wife next to him. I take a seat next my mother and Candice opts to sit next to me with her brother across form her. My dad and Zachary starts talking as my mother and Cecil starts talking and I try to answer every question Candice has while asking her some too. Xavier and dad start to jump into business and I tune them out because I honestly have no interest in it and before we know it dinner is being served and the night continues much of the same for the rest of the night.