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I stare down at the black velvet box in front of me.

Zach, Brian, and Will should be here any minute for my pre-birthday bash, but all I can think about is Brooklyn.

My amazing, beautiful, deadly girlfriend is spending time with her mother and Aunt tonight for some girl time. Zach told me earlier today that Emery was invited but she declined because she had a meeting with her teacher then she was going to her violin's instructors house to practice a piece that she is planning on playing tomorrow at my birthday bash aka the celebration of me taking over the role as Capo di Capi.

My father is furious with me for knocking him out when Brooklyn was kidnapped, but I do not regret what I did since she is safe and sound. His men's loyalty is now mine and I can threaten him more now than I ever could.

My thoughts get interrupted when Zach, Will, and Brian walk through the doorway of the VIP room of a new club I opened not even two weeks ago. "What I do not get is the fact that you chose to talk to her instead of fucking her!" Will exclaims.

Zach rolls his eyes at Will before looking at me or more accurately the box in my hands. His eyes widen in surprise. "You're going to ask Brooke to marry you?" he questions pointing towards the box.

My lips tilt upwards as I open the box and see the 1.7-carat oval diamond ring with a rose gold band that I got over a week ago in preparation for tomorrow night.

"Wow, you are really going to propose," Will says whistling at the sparkling diamond.

"Yes, I am and no one is going to stop me," I give Will a pointed look since he has tried to get me out of what he thinks is a forced relationship.

He lifts his arms in surrender before waving his hand at a waitress in a matching emerald green corset with a navy blue floral design on where her nipples are, and a very tiny g-string covers very little of her cunt.

She notices him and sways her hips alluringly before leaving the private room to get a whiskey for William. He checks out her ass before sitting down and leaning back in a casual laidback position.

I pick up a glass of bourbon and take a small sip. Zach paces over to a window overlooking the dance floor of the club he rubs his hand over his five-day stubble. Brian sits down and gets out his phone checking messages and emails.

The waitress comes back and leans across Will to place the glass onto the coffee table in front of him. The way she is positioned makes Will get a full view of her large overflowing breasts in her corset.

She straightens her back and goes to leave but Will grabs her wrist and pulls her down so her ear is by his lips. He whispers into her ear and her face goes bright red. He lets her go and she scampers off probably to a broom closet to meet up with Will in 15 minutes.

Will stands adjusting his pants and smirks at us. "I have to go to the john I will be back in a few," he tells us before sauntering off in the direction the waitress went.

"I bet he is going to go fuck that woman in a closet," Zach says coming back to our sitting area. He sits down in the same place William sat.

"That woman's name is Magnolia and she is the daughter of the police chief. She is also only 17," Brian says handing his phone over to me.

I look down and a photo of a girl with long black hair and green eyes stares back at me. I scroll down and read about the girl who William is fucking in a closet at this exact moment.

Magnolia Anderson

Age 17

Born February 14, 2005

Has plenty of DUI charges for Drugs and Alcohol and several public indecency charges.

Parents are both catholic with strong views on what behavior their child should be like.

Mother:

Abigail Grace Anderson

Age: 47

Works as a substitute Kindergarten Teacher

Father:

Jackson Eli Anderson

Age: 55

Police Chief

Brother:

Bennett Cole Anderson

Age: 28

Sergeant for the US Army

Sister:

Alexa Faith Anderson

Age: 25

Nurse

The whole family grew up on the island, but both Bennett and Alexa left.

Alexa lives in Nashville, TN

Bennett lives with a cousin in Pheonix, Arizona

Magnolia is in dept with Igor Ivanov drug lord based in Chicago but works all over America and South America. To pay for her dept she works as a stripper.

Dropped out of high school last year after not going to school for three weeks.

Still lives with her parents in the renovated basement with an exit in and out.

***

As I read through this document a headache forms behind my eyes. I rub my nose and look at brian. "Inform her father about this and tell him I will help her get out of this debt by other means," I inform him.

He nods his head as I give his phone back to him. I know he will get it done before tomorrow when I take my father's crown and place it on my head. I need these alliances to stay intact or else I will have a rebellion on my hands.

"Email Igor Ivanov and see if he is willing to make an alliance. I know he will think about it since he is in danger of having the Russian mobster come after him for betraying his daughter," I tell Brian and Zach.

"Are you sure you want an alliance with him? He is uncontrollable and could wreck the alliances that you already have," Brian cautions me.

"He will not be trustworthy but his fear for his life will force him to listen to me," I say thinking about the gruff Russian man with tattoos covering him from head to toe.

"Maybe we should put someone trustworthy in his gang that is higher up, so we can have someone keep an eye on him," Zach suggests.

I nod my head and agree with him. "How is Samuel?" I ask taking a gulp of my drink.

"I think that he is focusing on Riley right now. She is not doing so well and he is very worried about her. Emery went over to her house yesterday and talked with her for a while. Rose also went to her house to give her some comfort food, but don't tell anyone she was there because Brooke does not even know. Brooklyn has offered to go over to her house, but Riley has been saying things that are harsh towards Brooklyn," Zach says frowning.

My heart clenches because I know Brooke wants to talk to Riley to tell her what happened to Anna, but my choice of bringing Anna with us to the cemetery cremated the fact that Anna died. If Riley really wanted to blame someone she should blame me when Brooklyn had nothing to do with Anna's death.

"It is not Brooke's fault that she died if anything it's Declan's," Brian replies putting the blame on the man who made this all go down.

I nod my head in agreement just as Will comes in with swollen lips and unzipped pants.

"This is a good life, Mason. Sleeping with any woman you want and not just one woman who can drive you off an edge of a cliff. I honestly plan to never settle down," he says with a wink.

He sits down beside Zach and raises a brow at the looks we give him. "You are disgusting," Zach tells him as the waiter places a cup of tea in front of Zach.

"Says the man who is probably still a virgin," Will snipes back.

Zach takes a sip of tea before answering Will. "I may not flaunter the women I take to my bed, but I respect them more than a one-night stand or a quickie in a closet. I make sure the woman who I sleep with feels comfortable, and I make sure to not treat them as whores, unlike you," Zach tells him Will rolls his eyes and chugs his drink, and relaxes on the couch.

"Well, I plan to keep fucking any women who come to me willingly," Will replies.

I shake my head and hope that one day Will realizes that there is more to a woman than just someone to fuck and discard. One day he will find his Brooke and I plan to remind him of his words.

I lean over the railing and trail a finger across the water. I think about the first day of school and seeing Mason for the first time.

Back then I would have never thought that the man who I thought was an ass would be my lover and confidant. I 100% would never have thought I would fall in love with him, and I definitely wouldn't have dreamed about him touching my body in ways I never wanted any man to back then.

But here we are in a loving and committed relationship that is blossoming into something wonderfully beautiful. I can think about the future and not worry that my past will come back to hunt me. I can lay in bed and dream about things that I would never have dreamed about in the past.

Today Mason turns 22 and takes over for his father. I look up from the fish pond and see Emery and Rosalie talking to my mother on the edge of bushes that leads to a garden maze.

Emery brushes her hands down her mint dress and fiddles with her pearl purse. Her hair is pulled back from her face showcasing her beautiful hazel eyes that pop out with her teal makeup. Her 4-inch sky blue heels and pearled choker completes her elegant outfit.

Rosalie says something that makes Emery laugh and she does wide hand gestures that makes Em laugh even harder.

Rose fluffs out her black puffy dress and adjusts her Chanel necklace that I gave her for her last birthday. She crosses her feet at her ankles and I notice her 3-inch black heels with thin straps. Her hair is in a sleek high ponytail with two strands framing both sides of her face. A stylist gave her dark eyeshadow and a greyish purple lipstick. She brushes back a strand of her hair that broadcasts her long marbled black nails and her glittery gold earrings.

I look back to the pond and watch a large grey and orange fish swim between two stones. I look back when I hear Emery and Rose greet someone.

Riley stands beside Samuel and smiles weakly at Rose and Emery. I know the pain she is feeling and I have tried several times to call or text or even confront her in person but every time I try Sam or Emery tell me not to.

Even Rose has told me not to get in touch and let her heal. I later found out that she went over to Riley's house and sat down with her to comfort her since she knows the pain she was in losing someone who she loved more than herself.

I understand why Riley does not want to see or talk to me, but I promised Anna to tell Riley that she loves her and I am not someone who breaks their promises even after death.

Samuel smiles at Riley before walking away, but he does not leave as smoothly as she probably wanted because he trips over Riley's train as he leaves to find the boys.

Riley picks up her train and holds it in her left hand. She is wearing a poofy one-shoulder dress that showcases her chest and stomach before ending just below her butt it is a soft pink with a poofy knot at her side that trails to the floor like water. Her makeup matches her pink dress with hot pink eyeliner. Her hair is straight down her back with two daisy clips that keep her hair away from her eyes.

She is wearing a pair of 5-inch platform heels with a few daisies on the straps and a matching daisy choker, handbag, and nails.

I look around to see if anyone is watching me before making my way over to my friends. Riley notices me coming over before Emery and Rose. She glares at me and whispers something to Emery and Rose.

I stop in front of them and smile at Emery and Rose before giving Riley a meek smile. "How are you, Riley?" I ask wanting to know if she is okay.

Her nostrils flare before she opens her mouth to snap. "I would be doing fantastic if you did not kill my best friend."

It is like the surrounding area goes quiet at Riley's outburst and my emotions go crazy. On the outside, I am emotionless..numb, but on the inside, I am a riot of anger, hurt, and sadness that Riley thinks this.

"Maybe you should leave Brooke your just going to make Riley hurt more," Emery says as kind as possible, but it still hurts.

"Riley, I am so sorry if you think I personally killed Anna with my bare hands, but if it weren't for her I would be dead, or my little brother who has his whole life ahead of him could be lying under the ground in a box in the dark. Not a day since she died have I thought of her negatively even after I found out she betrayed my trust.

"I may not be someone who shows their emotions to everyone I come in contact with, and the reason for that is I live in a world where if you so your emotions they can be used against you. But do not believe for a second I have belittled Anna. I will remember her just as much as you will, but her last words were about you.

"She told me to tell you that she loves you. Riley, she loved you more than anything in the world everyone who saw you together knew that you were sisters maybe not by blood but you were sisters non the less.

"If I could go back in time I would, but unfortunately I can't and I am sorry for your loss," I finish and watch the tears fall down Riley's face.

Her mouth parts in a sob and Emery wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go to the bathroom to clean up," she offers and pulls Riley in the direction of the bathrooms.

Rosalie turns to me and grabs two champagne flutes and passes one to me. "I think you need this."

"Thanks," I tell her taking a sip of my glass.

She looks me up and down and smirks. "You look sexy B."

I look down at my outfit and smile. I am wearing one of my own designs that are similar to one of the dresses going out in this spring's fashion catalog with a few special changes to make it unique.

Like the light cream underskirt with lacey floral tulle skirt and bodice. The skirt reaches two inches above my knee showing off my tanned Italian skin. The bodice has a floral design with white petals and green vines that flows into the skirt of the dress. The shoulders of the dress are tied into two bows allowing the dress to stay on my body. There is a small plunging neckline that shows a little cleavage, but not enough to be called slutty.

Yesterday, I got my nails done with my mother and Aunt and I got a white stripe design that I absolutely love. My make-up was done by a hired professional same with my hair. The makeup artist put on a light foundation and used some liquid that made my cheeks glow rosy. My eyeshadow is a light pinkish beige, and I chose my own lipstick that has a rose gold tint to it.

My hair is in a sleek low ponytail with two strands on either side framing my face. Rosalie bought me a pearl headband for today that matches my small pearled necklace Emery gave me when we were getting ready this morning. My 4-inch strappy white heels were also gifted to me by Zachary which surprised me since he does not have a good fashion style when buying women gifts for holidays and birthdays.

"Thank you," I tell her thinking about how Mason will think about my outfit.

She looks around at the people in different elegant attire before looking down at her tapping fingers on her glass flute. "I have to tell you something B," she says.

"What is it?" I ask my concern growing as she continues to tap the glass in a way that is nothing like the no-bullshit Rose I know.

She stops her fidgeting and looks up at me. "I moved out of my parent's house," the words just fall out of her mouth and she parts her lips in surprise.

My own mouthparts but instead of being shocked into silence questions fall out of my mouth. "Why? Where are you going to live? Why did you tell me now? When did you move out?-" Rose raises her hand to stop me from talking and it works, surprisingly.

She looks to see if anyone is listening before talking. "You know how my parents and I have been getting into more fights?" she asks and I nod my head even though it has been a while since she told me that.

"Last night they called Scarlet and talked to her for an hour before dinner. I was forced to watch Keegan and Poppy while they had this chat. My sister is not easy to look after. They are spoiled brats that think they can get whatever they want when that is not how the world works."

"I just need my parents to not neglect me I know that Scarlett is getting a degree in business to take over when my father retires. She has told me a million times that she will work for your father and become more powerful than myself.