Her Mob Boss (Book Three Of The Brave Series)

13-Tears

"And then she placed the knife to his throat and told him that if he tried it again that she'd basically cut his dick off." Rysen said excitedly. His father had been watching him with barely contained amusement as Rysen recounted the days events. That is until Rysen finished his story and his father's stare turned blank, before he threw his head back and laughed. Rysen stood surprised as his father's deep laughter echoed within the study. He hadn't seen the man laugh like that in far too long. His father stood, walking around the desk and up to Rysen, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, my dear son, I think you've definitely found the one you need." he chuckled, making Rysen feel guilty for lying to him.
"Yeah." was all he could say as his father turned him and they walked out of the study together.
"All of that aside, though it is good she is standing up for herself and you, be ready for the retaliation. A kid like Ronny? He'll want to get even since she embarrassed him in front of his people." Rysen nodded, understanding exactly what his father was getting at.
"Of course, she is beginning to understand how this world works." Though she won't have to worry for long about it. Rysen thought to himself as they both turned the corner and froze. Rysen looked to his father in shock and found his father's eyes reflected his surprise. Their shock came from the image in front of them. What caught Rysen's attention first was Elena, who sat, her legs crossed delicately on the kitchen chair, a school book and homework in front of her. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, thin framed glasses on her nose. She had changed from her school clothes into sweats and a t-shirt, her entire look saying relaxed.
She's absolutely beautiful no matter what she wears or does with her hair. Rysen had to mentally shake his head to clear his thoughts as his confused gaze stretched over to both Harry and Chase who had their noses in books. That was what brought shock to both him and his father.
Since meeting the two, Rysen had never seen their face in a school book, until today anyways.
"Never thought I'd see the day." Rysen's father said with a chuckle causing all three of their heads to shoot up. Elena's eyes met Rysen's and she smiled widely at him, nearly causing his heart to stop beating. He didn't know what the hell was going on with him, but he really needed to stop reacting like this to her. She lifted her hand then, gesturing for him to come over to her. Without hesitation, he went to her side and she looked up at him.
"You have homework?" she asked and he chuckled, shaking his head.
"Yes, but I am not doing it." he said. She narrowed her eyes at him with a glare before moving. Putting her feet on the chair, she stood, finally eye to eye with Rysen.
"Homework is important." she stated simply, making Rysen smile crookedly at her attempt to be firm with him.
"Not to me." he replied simply and she huffed, crossing her arms. Rysen raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to talk back. And damn if she did.
"If you don't do your homework you won't be ready for tests, if you're not ready for tests, you'll fail, if you fail, you get held back. Wanna be a 20 year old senior?" she finished with a huff. Rysen stood there wide eyed as he tried to process everything she said so quickly. He glanced at the guys and they shrugged their shoulders and went back to their schoolwork. Damn traitors. But Rysen wasn't going to give into her so easily. He looked back at her and shrugged causing her to narrow her eyes even more.
"Fine, if that's what you want." she said, before sitting back down and focusing back on her school work. Rysen smiled triumphantly, that was until Chase looked at him with pity in his eyes while shaking his head.
"Poor bastard." Harry sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Rysen asked them, confusion taking over his triumph.
"She won't talk to you until you do your homework." Chase answered before nodding towards Elena and then going back to his work. Rysen scoffed. She wouldn't dare ignore him. He looked down at her to see her nose in her books as she scribbled on the homework sheet. He nudged her shoulder gently but she kept her head down.
"Hey." he poked her shoulder. She ignored him.
"Heeey." he poked again, and she continued to ignore him.
"Elena, can you help with this problem?" Harry asked her and her little head popped up, looking over at Harry's book.
"Oh, here, just put this here, and minus this. Bring that oveeer here, and done." she smiled at Harry and he responded with a thank you, as if Rysen wasn't standing there trying to get her attention. Rysen felt his eye twitch and he reached over, grabbing her shoulder to turn her to him. What he hadn't expected was her reaction.
     The moment she felt the hand on her shoulder, Elena reacted, her shoulder shooting behind her, making contact with Rysen's body. He groaned out before he fell to the ground, holding his privates. He looked her in the eyes, a fire in them as he reached out to her. She squealed, and jumped up, running to Mr. Santigo who had been watching the scene unfold in joyous chuckles the entire time. She ran behind him, using him as a shield as Rysen glared at her as he tried to stand once again.
     "Oh, Elena, you're just what he needs." Mr. Santigo said, looking down at her before patting her on the head with a smile. Elena smiled back, feeling awful for knowing she was openly lying to him. There was nothing between her and Rysen, and there never would be. Mr. Santigo leaned down then, kissing her on the top of her head, the sweet gesture hammering the guilt into her heart as he walked away. She felt a burning in her eyes as the ache in her heart increased.
     "Elena?" Chase's voice caught her attention and she looked up to find all three of them looking at her, gentle expressions on their faces.
     "Are you okay?" Harry asked. Elena nodded her head, rubbing her eyes. She walked back to the table, and started packing her schoolwork back up. She couldn't keep staying here, she needed to get a move on with getting the lie over with. His family were good people and they didn't deserve to be lied to or to waste their time and effort on someone like her. She hooked her bag over her shoulder and looked to Chase and Harry.
    "Please finish your homework?" they both nodded, not saying a word as she turned and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. She quickly changed into a more professional outfit and brushed her long hair out, before putting her shoes on. She just put her hand on the door to leave when she heard her name being called.
     She turned to see Michael coming up to her, putting on his jacket. The large man moved quickly and quietly as Elena watched him grab a set of keys from the rack.
     "Okay, let's go." he grunted out. Elena shook her head.
    "I can go by myself." he scoffed.
     "Little thing like you would get snatched up by the rivals in seconds. You are not to be alone so long as you are in this family. Now, let's go." he said, opening the door for her and gesturing for her to go ahead. She sighed.
      I won't be in the family for long, so why worry? Elena thought to herself as she crawled into the passenger seat of the SUV. Michael hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. He looked towards Elena then.
     "Where to?" he asked.
    "The mall please." she responded. That was her best bet if she wanted to get a job and start making money. She couldn't keep lying to these people any longer.
  
     Rysen's foot tapped restlessly as he glanced at the clock for the hundredth time. It had been nearly four hours since Elena left with Michael, the look on his face before she left, still prominent in his mind. The moment his father had said you're just what he needs, her smile had faded into a dull fake of the original one. If that hadn't made Rysen's chest ache enough, the moment he saw the tears form in her eyes when his father walked away, he thought his breath was knocked from his body. Then she left in a hurry making him worry.
     "Jesus, can you stop sighing like a love-sick puppy, just text her already." his mother scolded him as she walked into the living room where he sat with the TV on silent.
    "I can't. She doesn't have a damn phone and Michael isn't answering his." Rysen snapped back, annoyed. The guys had left once they'd finished with their homework, leaving Rysen extremely bored.
    "Here, take this." she said handing him a debit card.
    "What's this for?" he asked.
     "I can't stand the sighing, go get the girl a damned phone, for my peace of mind, please."
     "But-"
   "No buts! Go! Get out!" she said, shoving him off the couch and out the door.
     "Jeez, so mean." he stuck his tongue out to her childishly and she reached behind the door, coming out with a big ol' phone book and chucking it at him. He ducked just in time as he ran away.
     "Okay, okay I'm going already! And why do we have a phone book in the house, it's not 1990!" he yelled before jumping into his truck and heading out. He didn't have long before the store closed so he'd have to hurry.

     Elena and Michael got back to the house after dark. To her luck, a little bookstore in the mall had needed a night time and weekend clerk, so she had pretty much been offered the job on the spot. To celebrate Michael had taken her to see a movie at the theater in the mall.
    "That was fun, thank you Michael." Elena said as he opened the front door for her. She may have been scared of him days before but having spent some time with him, she felt like he was a nice person. He smiled at her then as they walked into the house.
    "Anytime, Little One." he said as they both came to a pause in living room.  Sitting on the couch, TV on but silent, Rysen's gaze caught theirs.
     "Hey, Boss." Michael said, his smiling dropping as he looked at the young man. They were in trouble.
     "Do you guys know what time it is?" he asked, his voice deadly low.
   "Sorry Boss, I know it's late, we were just having fun." Oh, maybe he shouldn't have said it like that, Elena thought worriedly as Rysen's stare turned dangerous.
    "Leave. Now." Rysen said to Michael. He nodded stiffly before shooting Elena an apologetic look, leaving the room silently. Elena watched him leave, feeling bad that he had just gotten into trouble. Why had Rysen been so mean to him? He was just celebrating something good that happened to her. Feeling angry, she looked at Rysen.
     "You're such a jerk." she said before turning on her heel and heading up the stairs and into the room. She could hear him, hot on her heels as she opened the door. Moments later he was closing it behind him.
     "I'm sorry, I must not have heard you correctly." he said. She turned around on him, noticing they were a mere three feet away from each other.
      "I'm pretty sure you did hear correctly. But just in case, you are a jerk." she repeated. His eyebrows lowered in irritation.
     "How am I a jerk? You are the one coming home after midnight with our bodyguard!" Elena paused.
    "What are you suggesting?" she asked, suddenly reminded of Jackson's response to her hugging Mitchell. Rysen shrugged.
    "You tell me. I'm sitting here waiting for you for eight hours and where are you? Screwing around with the bodyguard?!" he said taking a step towards her. aggressively. Fear gripped her as she was suddenly sent back to the moment Jackson had attacked her. Her chest started heaving up and down as she began to hyperventilate.
 
      Rysen's eyes widened as he watched Elena's personality change entirely, the look of pure fear on her face taking his anger right out of him. He went to reach out to her, to hug her to him and help her calm down but she backed away from him so quickly that she tripped and fell to the floor, tears falling down her cheeks silently.
     "Elena, Elena." Rysen repeated her name, kneeling down to be level with her. His chest throbbed as the tears trailed down her face.
     "Elena, baby." he whispered, gently resting a hand on her cheek. She flinched and his heart broke. He couldn't take it anymore. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her, and pulled her to him.
    "N-no please, please don't hurt me." she whimpered.
   "Elena, I won't hurt you, I'd never hurt you, I swear on my life." Rysen murmured in her ear. She tensed up and let out a choked sob, before wrapping her arms around his body, her shaking fingers gripping his shirt tightly.
     "You promise?" she whispered out weakly.
     "I promise you, never ever." he replied, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things. I guess I really am a jerk." he said. She didn't respond, she just held him tighter.
    "I did my homework." he said, trying to get something from her. She merely muttered, "That's good." before going silent again. He hugged her tighter to him, unable to think of what to do to bring her back to the person that smiled at him, that dared to give him the silent treatment.
     He stood up then, her in his arms and pulled the blanket down before he sat on the bed and lay down. He pulled the blanket over them, her head tucked under his chin and that's how they stayed, until they both fell asleep.
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Hey guys, sorry for the late update and if it's a little rushed. I wrote this in an email to myself while at work. Lol
J. Vas