Darkest Seduction

Aria

You know you drink too much when the hangovers don't even affect you anymore. 

My head hurts as I roll over, I sit up and look at myself in the large mirror opposite my bed, well done Aria you took your makeup off. 

I didn't manage to change into my pyjamas or anything I just passed out naked. 

I was right about what had gotten Helen so freaked out last night, she had kissed a man she shouldn't have and while she was yelling at him outside she saw Julian and Theo drive past the club and make eye contact with her through their car. 

I really am surprised we managed to get so far away from our bodyguards in the first place. All we had to do was supply them with alcohol and bribe two pretty girls to talk to them. Well, we didn't really need to bribe them they would have gone over to them eventually. 

It's not like Julian or Theo were facially challenged. 

I groan out loud thinking about last night, thinking about him. 

His deep voice, those black eyes, his calloused hands on my back. 

I cannot believe I was going to kiss him. 

I cannot believe he was going to pay thousands for it. 

"ARIA DOWNSTAIRS." My mamma yelled and I groaned again and quickly washed my face and changed into a simple black dress. 

I knew Helen would never admit to our parents where we were but Julian or Theo might have admitted they lost us for two hours. 

I walked downstairs and frowned when I didn't see anyone in the kitchen or at the dining table and then my confusion turned into dread when I realised everyone must be sat in the dining room. 

We only ate there when we had guests or needed to discuss important matters. It was a beautiful room with white walls, a huge diamond chandelier with a  gorgeous black table adorned with crystal centrepieces taking up most of the space in the centre of the room. 

I'd be okay dying in there. 

Papa and Mamma sat on opposite sides of the table and Helen sat in the middle, surrounded by empty chairs. The table could easily seat twelve people and there were only four of us. 

I sat next to my sister as I glanced at the food in front of us, Papa was smoking a cigar and reading the paper while Mamma stared at him. She looked sick.

This was bad.

"We have important matters to discuss," My papa finally said as his eyes slide to Helen and I realise what he means. 

Wow, he really wasted no time.

Helen didn't say anything, she only sipped some water but I noticed her hand was shaking and I felt my heart pull. 

I had been told since I was a little girl I would marry the person my father chose for me, it wasn't uncommon within mob families. I couldn't be upset it was just the way things were. 

Except that wasn't exactly true our Papa hasn't married our Mamma for politics or money he married her out of spite. 

He had gotten into a terrible argument with his own Papa and gone out for a walk at a park where he met Mamma and decided then and there that he would marry her. 

It wasn't unheard of for children of a mob family to marry people who weren't involved in the mafia or other sub-crime organisations, granted they did always marry into rich families, but it was unheard of for them to marry outside their race as well as marry someone with no ties to the mafia, gangs or anyone their parents did business with.