Title: Blood Is Thicker Than Loyalty

Summary: Elena is the only child of a Mob Boss and Damon is the unlucky lackey tasked with watching over her and she certainly doesn't make it easy for him. When secrets about the past bring them closer together, things start to get bloody.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

A/N: *Eminem tune plays in the background* Guess who's back? Back again? Jaybunz is back... Tell your friends! Hi everyone! So, I'm back and not with either of the stories I teased you about! It can't be helped. One look at an outtake from a TVD Photoshoot and a few creative tweets later and this story just needed to be told! Can you blame me? Post TVD inspiration is hard to come by! So, before I get started a must give a huge thank you to Caro and the rest of the twitter peeps who saw those images and demanded Mob!Delena because here we go...


This isn't exactly how I planned to lose my virginity.

We're not in a five star hotel in a massive bed with high thread count sheets wrapped around us. Instead we're on a futon in some crappy frat house with Ninja Turtle bed sheets covering our bodies. Beside me asleep is not someone I loved and cherished, but rather someone I had only met the guy a few hours before. Last night hadn't been some night of passion that left me wanting more as the morning light stirred me awake. It had been quick and decent and left me wanting to get the hell out of here.

Slam. Crash. Bang. Thud.

And my planned version of my first time most certainly didn't involve what is about to happen right now.

The door bursts open, splinters of wood scatter the floor and the man who took my v-card jumps awake beside me and releasing me from the death grip he held on me the whole night. I feel kind of bad for Matthew Donovan as he tries to get his bearings and comes face to face with the man in his doorway. Matt's a decent enough guy- certainly was a few beers deep. He's got gorgeous blue eyes and a pretty face, enough of one to let me know I certainly wasn't his first. But, he's a pretty boy, a good boy, and of no comparison to the man bursting into his room.

"Get. Dressed. Now."

I sigh and reach over for my bra and underwear near the bed, slipping them on under the sheets. Thankfully, Matt is either still drunk or smart enough to not utter a word beside me as the man who broke his door stands there with his arms folded and staring at me with something short of blind rage. It's his default setting when it comes to me and I'm a hundred percent certain that's why my father hired him.

When I first met him I have to admit I was taken aback by how sexy he looks. Even at fourteen years old, I knew. The dark features of his hair and tanned face and the icy blue of his eyes combined with a sharp jaw and muscled physique make that hard to argue. It was merely fact. The man was drop dead gorgeous. But all that went away from the moment my father told me that Damon Salvatore was going to be my bodyguard.

In my underwear I jump up from the bed, causing Damon to avert his eyes and remind my bedmate to do the same. Matt does as he's told and covers his face with his hands. I slip on the tight little number I swiped from some sorority girl who was nice enough to swap clothed last night and try to enjoy one last moment of freedom.

"Matt, can you zip me up?"

Matt's eyes shift over towards Damon, wide and scared. "I, um... yeah."

He does it quickly and efficiently, before placing both his hands above the sheets where Damon can see them. I roll my eyes. Just once it would be nice to have someone actually be brave enough to stand up for me and not leave me under the control of Damon and my father. Why do I always have to be the one to push the boundaries?

"I had fun," I say, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. I can hear Damon seething as my lips make contact with his skin. "Call me sometime."

"He will do no such thing," Damon states.

"You really want me to have a one night stand?" I reply in mock offense. "Whatever will my father think?"

Damon's eyes narrow as he reaches for my arm and grabs hold, pulling me away from the bed and Matthew Donovan. He gets close to Matt's face and speaks in a low voice that's shows how his bark is just as bad as his bite. "You breathe a word of this night to a single soul and I will relieve you of one very important appendage. You got me?"

Matt nods enthusiastically. "Yes, sir."

"Elena drank a little too much and you brought her up here to sleep it off. That's all that happened."

"Yes. Got it."

He pulls back but his eyes are still staring daggers at Matt. "I hear one word otherwise and your door will be in better condition than you will be."

Matt nods in fear as Damon moves to leave. I wave over my shoulder. "Bye, Matty!"

Damon ushers us out of the house to the dazed and confused faces of the other Frat House members. His Chevy Camaro is parked out front and he pushes me into the passenger seat before making his way into the drivers seat. He starts up the car and hightails us out of there, silence deafening the car. I reach over and fiddle with the radio till I find a station I like and ease back into the seat, pulling down the visor to check my reflection in the mirror.

My curls have somehow held on and sit in soft waves down my back. Despite a few smudges of mascara and eye liner my face is otherwise decent. But there is no way I can show up back home in this dress and Damon most know it. Because instead of heading back toward Mystic Falls, he's headed towards the Outlets far out of my father's reach.

I lean back in the seat and roll down the window, letting the cool morning breeze tickle my face. As I turn towards Damon he's still driving with a scowl on his face. So, I decide to rile him up even more. "Did you have to be so mean to him?"

"Are you serious?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "Yes. You didn't need to do that."

"Your father will kill him if he finds out what happened. That warning was more for his sake than yours."

I smirk, knowing this is exactly where I want him. "You mean he'll kill you for letting it happen."

"You're the one who ran off."

"But it's your job to watch over me and you failed, Damon. Miserably. Daddy's little girl got deflowered on your watch."

His eyes narrow, hands gripping hard on the steering wheel. "Let's just forget that ever happened and save all our skins, hm?"

"My first time by some stranger in a frat house on a futon. Daddy will love it!"

"You and I both know if he finds out about this you'll Midnight Romeo will get a beat down and you'll be sent away." The corner of his mouth lifts in a smile as he stares at the empty country road before us, book-ended by townhouses and colonials. "It's in all of our interests if we keep last night far off his radar."

"It never would've happened if you weren't so overprotective."

He lowers the radio as we pull on to the highway. "In case you haven't noticed it's my job to be overprotective. I'm tasked with keeping you safe."

I roll my eyes, placing my hand out the window and letting it ride the wind. "You're doing a bang up job of that."

"You don't exactly make it easy for me."

I laugh, bringing my hand inside and rolling the window back up. "Would you have it any other way?"

Damon thinks on it a moment and then gives me a devilish smile. "Nope." His eyes return to the road and there's a smugness to his tone. "There's a reason your father assigned me to your detail. I'm the best."

"All I'm asking for is that you don't promise a beat down to any guy who shows an interest. It's why I had to go to such elaborate lengths just to make this happen. I couldn't stay a virgin forever."

He scoffs and eases up on his death grip on the steering wheel. "All that just to lose your virginity? Why not wait for someone more worthy to come along?"

"With you and my father on my tail? It was never going to happen."

Shrugging, he says simply, "Sometimes it's worth the wait."

"Maybe the next time will be more memorable," I say, silently hoping I'm right.

Damon meets my eyes for a second. "Hopefully when that happens I won't be your bodyguard anymore."

As he turns back towards the road, readying to take the exit for the outlets, I reply. "I can only hope!"

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"Are you going to be much longer in there? How long does it take to try on clothes?"

I scoff, peeking my head between the curtains to see Damon standing in front of the changing rooms with his one hand clasped over the wrist of the other. Knowing him, he's cleared the place out so no one else can be in the rooms while I'm changing. "I'm going for early morning shopping meets late night study session. It's a difficult look to achieve."

"Just hurry it along."

Closing the purple curtains, I button up the jeans and zip up the velour jacket. I turn a few times around in the mirror and decide to throw my hair up in a messy bun to bring the look home. I step out of the changing room and rush over to the mirror beyond the raised platform and inspect my face, brushing away the remnants of last nights lip gloss. I do a little twirl and hold my arms out in question.

"Good enough?" I smile.

"Not worth two hours and full rack of rejects, but at least you finally decided on something."

"Did you have the sales lady hold those other items behind the register." I ask, ignoring his comment.

He follows me to the register and I pay for my things while he stands nearby watching over me and staying aware of the room as always. I collect my bags and we head outside. The sun is bright and shining overhead and I'm too busy admiring the Toy Story clouds in the sky to pay attention to where I'm walking. I collide with someone and my clothes spill out of the bag.

We both drop down and start collecting the clothes and shoving them back in the bag with Damon's help. The stranger and I both reach for the same item and my hand meets hers. There's a quick shock probably due to all the fabric and we both meet each others eyes as our hands spring back.

She looks about a decade or so older than me with reddish blonde hair and a soft, genuine face. Her hazel eyes only grow more wide when she takes in my face. "Sorry!" she says, eyes locked on mine as if she's seen a ghost.

I stumble a bit on my words. "It's okay. I'm sorry I slammed right into you."

Once all my things are gathered, we stand up and Damon takes hold of my bags. I face the woman again and she gives a bit of a laugh before saying, "I'm sorry it's just you look so much like my sister. It's crazy."

"She must have good taste then," I bragged.

"I mean it's obvious you're not her- we lost her over twenty years ago, but you're just the spitting image of her."

Frowning, I offer my condolences. She reaches for her phone and begins swiping through it and hands it over to me and a young woman's face is smiling up at me from the screen. She has her arm wrapped around a young man who's smiling down at her pregnant belly. My heart breaks for the three of them not only for the heartbreak of their story but the pure happiness in their smiles.

Damon looks over my shoulder and even he takes an intake of breath at the likeness.

"Wow, she really is beautiful. I'm so sorry. They're a beautiful family."

"And all three are gone." She shakes her head, pocketing the phone again. "Oh, look at me. Revealing everything to a perfect stranger. It's just you look..."

"It's okay," I smile out awkwardly. "I'm Elena. If you tell me your name then we won't be strangers anymore, will we?"

She smiles gratefully. "I'm Jenna. Jenna Sommers."

"It's nice to meet you, Jenna." I gesture to my bodyguard. "This is Damon. My-"

"Friend," he finishes. "Nice to meet you."

I give him an odd look but let him continue on with the charade. Jenna gives him a wave. "Likewise."

"We do need to be going though. Elena?"

My eyes narrow at him but I decide to take his hint. I've pushed my boundaries with his patience enough in the past forty-eight hours. Plus, after everything Jenna has been through I don't want Damon's wrath to fall upon her just because I'm curious.

I look at my watch. "Oh, look at the time! He's right. I'm sorry but we do have to go."

Jenna just reaches for my wrist- momentarily causing Damon to stand alert- and smiles at me. "It really was nice meeting you, Elena. Goodbye."

She waves goodbye to Damon and heads back along her way. With my hands on my hips, I turn and face Damon. "Why the quick brush off?"

"Because we're outside your father's reach and the last thing I need are rival families knowing you're here."

I release a huff knowing that he's right. We're vulnerable here and I don't want to press my luck. I know just how much danger I am in because of who my father is and what he does. My family has suffered enough because of it. Even though I like to rebel from time to time doesn't mean I want to actually put myself in danger. If Damon's concerned than I have reason to be too.

"Fine. Take me home."

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I collapse on my bed after shoving in my new clothing into my walk-in closet. My room is on the top floor of my father's mansion, practically a tower that I'm kept away in. A bay window and reading nook is situated beside my bed, an entertainment center with all my favorite movies alphabetized across from me. Either would occupy my mind from the weird run-in with Jenna Sommers but I can't seem to make myself do them. Her sisters face is plastered in my mind along with her sad fate and that of her small family's.

I never even found out what happened.

But that doesn't mean I can't.

Grabbing my laptop I flip it open on the bed and open up the search engine. I type in Jenna's last name and the town of Grove Hill. Multiple articles come up about a woman named Miranda Gilbert. One article mentions her maiden name being Sommers and I decide to go with that one. I read up on the horror that became of Miranda and her family. The brutal murder that befell their quiet house in my own hometown of Mystic Falls.

A murder that took the life of Miranda, her husband Grayson, and their unborn child. It's still unsolved but it's said to be the most brutal murder this town has ever scene. And given my father's business I'm a little shocked by the claim. I've seen the remnants of my father's lust for power. But maybe he's never gone after a pregnant woman before.

It's nice to know even my father has limits.

A knock on the door has me closing my laptop shut. "Come in."

The door opens to reveal Damon in his usual suit and tie. I relax my shoulders as he steps further into the room, keeping the door open. "Your father called to tell me he'll be busy tonight with work. Are you having dinner at home or are we leaving for the evening?"

I run my hand over my laptop. "I think I'll stay home tonight."

Damon's hands cross over his body. "What are you up to?"

"Up to? I'm not up to anything."

His eyes narrow and he moves to shut the door to my room. "Elena, I've been on your detail for the past seven years. I know when you're up to something. Just spill."

I stare him down. "You don't need to know everything."

"Elena..."

Sighing, I open the laptop back up and turn it around so he can see. "Do you ever remember hearing about the Gilbert Murder?"

His brows furrow. "I was only about six or seven at the time. Anything I've heard is in passing. Why?"

"This is Jenna's sister. Miranda Gilbert."

He looks at me with an emotion I can't quite name, simply because I've never seen it on his face before. "Her story got to you."

"Can you blame me? You know what happened with my mother. That could've been me."

"I know, but your father saved you."

I frown. "No one saved them."

The comparisons between this unborn baby and myself are too similar to ignore. The scalding difference being my father being able to save me when no one was able to save them. All these years later, Jenna's heartbreak is still very apparent. Not having answers to something so dark only serves to deepen that pain. At least my father was able to avenge my mother's death. Until this gets solved no one can do that for the Gilbert's.

"Do you think my father could look into this for me?"

Damon studies me for a moment. "This happened within his borders, Elena. I'm sure he already has."

"Maybe when he see's how much it means to me he'll look harder."

He sighs. "Your father doesn't allow any crime without his knowing. The person who did this was either punished by your father's means or went on unpunished because your father wanted it done."

"I hope it's the latter," I reply. "I won't know until I ask him."

"Elena, you know your father doesn't like it when you ask about his business."

"Damon, I don't know why but I just feel connected to this family. I want to get them answers."

He's quiet for a moment probably weighing the options and the impact this will all have on him. By bringing this to my father's attention we're also bringing to light the fact that we were in Grove Hill. He'll have to face the wrath of my father for bringing me outside his boundaries and for even losing me in the first place. Something that could very well bring Damon to my father's bad side and put their relationship in jeopardy.

With a steely gaze, he finally says, "Let me be the one to breach the topic with your father."

"You would do this for me?"

"I'm tasked with protecting you," he assures. "Sometimes that means even when it's against your father."

"Thank you, Damon."

He rests his hands on the edge of my bed and levels his eyes with mine. "You have to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"You won't look into this again until I say so. I have to wait until a certain crisis is dealt with before I approach this and I don't want you getting impatient and trigger happy."

My eyes narrow. "My father taught me how to handle a gun."

"Then you know you have to make sure your aim is precise before you shoot."

I settle back on the bed and extend my hand. "It's a deal."

He shakes my hand, firmly. "Deal."

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"Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Bonnie."

"Like I need an excuse!"

I shake my head laughing as Bonnie wraps her arm around me. We're out a crowded bar outside of town celebrating my night with Matt. Not like it's much to be celebrated but my friend has been waiting for this particular night to happen since she lost hers. I was just up for any excuse to party and see my best friend, even if it means celebrating some sub-par sex.

She cast her eyes to the doorway where Damon stands surveying the room and watching over me. "Does Damon know?"

Smiling, I respond, "Of course. Who do you think dragged me out of there? I couldn't shake him for long."

"Did he lose it on him?"

"He was shockingly calm which may have been more effective."

Bonnie shakes her head, her cropped black hair dancing. She looks amazing tonight in a royal blue number that is doing amazing things for her figure. "I don't know why but I always thought you'd lose it to the bodyguard."

"Damon?" I balk. "Whatever would make you think that?"

"Cause you have this tension when you're together. I don't know."

I down the shot in front of me and Bonnie follows suit. "That tension is because he has me on a leash. I can't go anywhere without him shadowing me."

Bonnie rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Listen, Damon may be hot as Hell but he works for my father. That's a huge no in my books."

I watch as she cringes. "I always forget he's on your Dad's payroll. No mobsters for my best friend. That's a rule."

"If Daddy even lets anyone else get close to me. He probably has me betrothed already."

"Then that's settles it!" she announces. "That just means you'll have to have all you're fun tonight."

The bartender slides two more shots in front of us and we down them. I cringe at the fire burning my throat and smile at my best friend. "Whatever did you have in mind?"

"Boys, booze, and bad ideas?" she giggles.

I had a feeling she would be heading for the three B's when she made plans for tonight so I dressed accordingly. A strappy little black velvet dress wrapped around the waist in purple satin. It stops mid-thigh to give my long legs plenty of view before thick straps wound their way around my ankle and toes.

"Booze? Check! And I think boys and bad ideas can go hand in hand."

Bonnie searches the room for a suitable conquest and points out two at the end of the bar. They're already checking us out and when they catch us staring they make their way over. As they make their approach I look behind me to see Damon looking more alert and ready to pounce and I plead with my eyes for him to stand down. He steps back but his gaze doesn't waiver from us.

The two boys introduce themselves and I barely hear their names as they offer to buy us drinks. Bonnie greedily accepts and we small talk with them and take more shots. It isn't long before I'm swaying on my feet, dizziness causing my brain to get fuzzy. The bar has only gotten more crowded and I can't seem to spot Damon but I know he's here. He's always here.

"Do you want to get some air?" the boy I've been chatting up says.

I nod and he guides me through the crowd and towards the employee exit. We're in a vacant alleyway with the noise from the bar being muffled from the door and the own fogginess of my head. The boy says something about the lack of air conditioning and we're laughing and then without preamble he's kissing me. Bruising kisses against my mouth and then he's sucking at my neck and pushing aside my clothes with his hands.

I'm trying to push aside his hands my actions seem delayed and he just seems so much more overpowering. He's not letting up and I can't seem to find anyone to help me. The alley is vacant just like he wanted.

"No," I cry out. "Stop."

But no matter how many times I repeat it or try to push him away he won't stop. I don't want this but I can't seem to make it stop. Of all the times for Damon to listen to me, he chooses tonight. Where is he?

The boy turns me around so that my chest and face pressed against the wall and his hands are everywhere I don't want them to be. He begins to slide my dress up mumbling my ear about how he can't wait to tell all his friends how he fucked a Mafia Princess.

I'm trying to use leverage against the wall to push him off but I'm so weak from the drinks I can't gather the strength. I don't stop fighting though. I can't. My father raised me better.

"Get your fucking hands off of her!"

I twist my head towards the end of the alley where a dark figure begins to emerge from the shadows. My vision may be blurry but I know the voice of my savior.

"Get your own, asshole," the boy yells, gripping my body hard.

Damon's face emerges from my clouded vision and he looks murderous. There's a reason Damon has been assigned to me since he was twenty years old and I have a feeling I'm going to get a first hand look into why right now. His stance is lax but I see the tautness of his jaw and frame. He's seconds from pouncing.

"This is the last time I'm saying this, dick. Remove your slimy rapist hands off her before I break them."

The guy has the nerve to laugh and that's when Damon springs into action. He throws the guy against the opposite wall and I hear the sound of bones snapping in tune with his cries of agony. I twist myself around and fix my dress, clutching myself and feeling exposed. I watch as Damon lands shot after shot against this guys face and stomach. He's being ruthless and I'm so thankful for having Damon as the person responsible for keeping me safe.

I watch as Damon reaches for sharp piece of metal and position it at his crotch. "I'm going to let you live, prick, but you'll be short one very small dick."

Just as he's about to impale him I yell, "Stop!"

Damon whips his head around. "Elena, this guy was trying to have his way with you."

"No," I say, shakily stepping towards him. "Let me."

His eyes go wide. "No, you shouldn't have to. This is my responsibility."

"Let me do it, Damon."

Damon hands over the piece of metal and I bring it right over his body. "You will never hurt anyone again," I say with vile in my throat. "Never."

And then I slam the sharp piece of the metal hard down into the apex of his thighs. He cries out in agony and I smile at the pain in his eyes. He'll never again be able to do this to anyone eve again.

I feel fabric wrap around me and look up to see Damon placing his coat on my shoulders. "I need to make a phone call to handle this. Do you want me to walk you to the car."

"I'll wait," I respond with a shake of my head. Then I remember something. "Bonnie! I have to get Bonnie. What if his friend-"

"I got rid of him, too. He was smart enough to listen to first the threat. I told her to head home and that I would find you."

Damon gives a kick to the guy on the pavement. I'm just happy to know Bonnie is okay and far away from this mess. The only thing that could make this night worse is if this had happened to Bonnie too.

"Damon?" I say, snapping his attention from his phone. He finishes typing a message and meets my eyes with an arched brow. "He knew who I was. He called me a Mafia Princess."

He places a hand on my shoulder. "I have it from here, Elena. We'll handle this."

A car pulls up the alley and I momentarily freeze in fear until I notice how relaxed Damon seems. Two men I recognize from my father's crew step out of the vehicle and approach us. "We'll handle it from here, Damon," the bulkier of the two states, stepping towards the body still writhing on the floor.

"He knew who she was," Damon states. "This may have been an attack on the family."

The man nods, his grimacing deepening. "He'll be dealt with as such."

"Thank you," Damon responds, shaking his hand.

Damon's arm wraps around me and ushers me from the alley. His car is waiting and he eases me inside before making his way to the drivers seat. Just as he starts up the car his phone rings with a knew text message. He stares down at it before looking at me.

"Your father's home."

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With Damon's jacket still wrapped around me, I step into the formal living room and see him there waiting for me. Damon's walking just behind me, there to catch me if I trip or lose my footing. I'm still swimming in the daze of alcohol or whatever was given to me. My father is stands when he sees me, looking full of regret and pain and disguised anger at what almost happened tonight. His arms open wide and I fall into them.

"Daddy!" I cry, crumbling into his arms.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, princess."

I let the tears fall now that I'm in the safety of his arms. "If Damon hadn't showed up..."

"But he did. I knew I picked the right man for the job."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't get there sooner."

His voice is full of regret and pain but I can picture him standing before my father the picture of professionalism. Back straight, arms clasped in front of him. The perfect protector for my father's most prized possession: me. If it wasn't for my uncles, I'm almost certain my father would select Damon to be his right hand man. Seeing as he's one of his most loyal henchmen.

"We'll discuss this all in detail later but first things first." He pulls me to the side to allow his arm to be extended. "Thank you, Damon. I'll owe you my sincerest gratitude for what you did for Elena."

I look up to see Damon bow his head- a sign of respect for the Boss- and give a solemn smile. "Thank you, Klaus."

"Now," my father states, bringing us down on to the couch and gesturing for Damon to sit on the love seat across from us, "let us discuss what you've been up to while I've been away."