Penelope Levine has been "promised" to notorious mafia boss, Brock Rumlow, in order to pay a family debt.
The night before her wedding, she meets James Barnes, the owner of Underworld, one of the most infamous nightclubs in New York. Their spark is...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CW: Kidnapping, mentions of death, stabbing, blood play if you squint, and a little bit of Stucky content for you since I did y'all dirty as hell in Oleander.
James needs something to take his rage out on. He storms down the hallway, his mouth set in a thin line. She bit him. She fucking bit him.
Bitch.
No, that's not fair. He can't call her that. It feels wrong to call her that. The thought makes his guts twist. How could be be so cruel?
But on the other hand... He did all of this for her and this is how he's treated? It's not right. James grabs his phone, and dials Steve.
"Ahoy-hoy! How's your little ray of sunshine in the basement?"
"She bit me."
Steve starts to laugh. James frowns.
"It's not funny, Steve!"
"It's pretty damn funny."
"Where's that fucking cop who owes me money?" James spits. He cracks his knuckles by pressing his fingers against his palms with this thumbs, hearing loud pops echo through the hallway. "I need some stress relief."
"He's tied up in the basement. Says he doesn't know anything. He's crying a lot. You know the whole thing, 'Stooooop, don't! I have a family!'" He scoffs. "Nobody gives a shit."
"I certainly don't. He owes me 15 million in heroin. Where the fuck is it?"
"That's a question for him, brother. Not me."
James sighs.
"I'll be there in five. Send Sam down to Penelope's room to check on her. I don't want her restraints to be too tight. Have him deliver the news about her mother, too. She deserves to know the truth."
"Shouldn't she hear it from you?"
"Nah, she might bite me again," James replies as he runs his tongue along his bottom lip, tasting copper.
He's going to turn her around on him. He just needs some time, and patience, which he sorely lacks.
Steve chuckles.
"Alright, I'm in the room with him. You know Hoskins is looking for him, right?"
"Well, I kind of figured," James snorts. "He'd be a shitty Chief of Police if he wasn't."
"You want me to get Zemo?"
"No, this time I want to get my hands dirty," Bucky whispers. "Got an itch I can't scratch any other way."
"Gotcha. Well, hurry it up. He's starting to wake up."
James can already hear some grumbles and groans in the background, and then the sound of Steve's hand connecting with someone's jaw. He smiles to himself and hangs up, bouncing down the hallway as he whistles to himself. Funny how these things can cheer him up in the blink of an eye.
