A Mafia Bond

Chapter One - Winter in Queens

Bella Cullen

Winters in Queens were no joke, the wind cut you like glass and the nights robbed people of their sanity and as well as their lives. We were raised the hard way, there wasn't one thing bought for us new other than food, our entire lives we relied on family and those who lived around us to survive, those who knew the life, knew the hardships and faced them every day with us like the nightmare it was. The men in my family worked every job they could get their hands on, my step father Carlisle Cullen owned the bar just around the corner from our apartment building, my eldest brother Edward was a debt collector of sorts when he wasn't in the ring trying to make a few extra bucks for the family pot, my second eldest brother Emmett worked construction and was currently fighting rumours that he had gotten Jones Hale's daughter Rosalie pregnant and then there was my other brother Jasper who took off for New York last week hearing he could make more money there then he could here, leaving my mother Renee a worried mess from the moment he got onto that greyhound bus. As for me I kept my head down just like many girls around these parts, there were girls around here with bad reputations, some so bad that they tarnished their family name and legacy forever.

Carlisle had been my step father since I was eight years old and when he wasn't around my brother Edward was in charge, our family like many around here was that of faith and tradition, my brothers would marry daughters of our father's friends and have many Italian children. I wasn't sure what our parents had planned for my future, not that my option would have mattered much if I voiced it, my dreams of college and becoming a teacher weren't gonna put food on the table or help with the bills. We were raised not to dream but to help the family survive and that's all I did day after day, now I was eighteen and stuck working part time at my father's bar and the other half stacking shelves at the local supermarket. This was all I had ever known, hard work and family.

I stepped out from our apartment building being sure to tuck my scarf around my neck and into my coat so I wouldn't get a chill, the last thing I needed was to get sick and land up working with a fever or worse. My brother Emmett came out after me also buttoning his heavy coat before wrapping his arm over my shoulder and walking me down the poorly lit street as we made our way towards our father's bar for clean up. Our father believed in pinching every penny so he didn't bother hiring staff to tend the bar, he brought all us in instead for free labour some may call it I guess.

The streets were a mess as always but there was no news there, already the garbage vans were making their way through the street, the newspaper delivery trucks were dropping off the papers outside the necessary stores, there were a few homeless men warming themselves by a make shift fire just outside the old shoe store where they slept. The streets were fairly quiet this morning, even so I was escorted to work like a precious jewel when I felt anything but, especially given I hadn't showered yet or combed my hair.

"You didn't need to walk me you know" I told Emmett

"You got a problem you take it up with Edward"

"Why do you always have to listen to him?"

"He doesn't want you walkin alone, you remember what happened to that chick Jessica last week?"

Jessica was around my age and once lived in the building across from us, her family moved a few blocks over after their roof finally caved in on them from all the toxic mould. Last week Jessica had gotten mugged, my brother Edward was one of a few men who dealt with the man responsible. Jessica was grateful to my brother, he never came home that night and when he did he smelt of her cheap perfume from the drug store, everyone knew she wanted to be a Cullen, claiming she had only ever been with my brother and no one else, I suspected my brother Emmett had been the one to take her virginity however, when we were in high school I had walked in on them during a high school dance, but nothing went on between them after that, a week later the Hale family moved down the road from us and Emmett had been following Rosalie Hale like a lost puppy ever since.

Besides I could always tell when my brother spent the night at Jessica's apartment, the next day the girl...well she could barely walk. Which only strengthened the growing rumours of Edward's manhood which I refused to hear about of course, I always kept clear of those types of girls anyway, they wanted nothing more than to squeeze out Italian sons and please their father in laws. At times Jessica would just hang out at my dad's bar hoping to see Edward who wouldn't give her the time of day until he had some use for her, which only seemed to be when he had a bad day or another argument with my step dad.

"You think dad's gonna give her a job behind the bar?" I asked Emmett.

"If dad hires her he'll be fucking her within a week"

"Hey don't talk like that" I warned him "Don't disrespect our own"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talkin about, Carlisle aint the man he use to be, he ran my mother off and married yours within a week"

"They respect each other. Now don't be talkin about them no more"

Emmett tighten his grip on my shoulder as two men past by us then, I kept my chin to my chest the whole time, I wasn't shy of men although I was still a virgin, I just didn't want any trouble, Emmett's temper was that of Edwards, once it was triggered that was a bomb sure to leave a lasting impact. My mom always said it was our job to mind the tempers of the men in our home, keep them in line and keep the dirt far from our front door if we wanted to remain a respectable family around the neighbourhood.

After two strong blows to the front door of the bar it was unbolted and there stood Edward who reached out for my hand and brought me inside first before Emmett followed. Edward keeping his hand in mine as he poked his head out the door looking down either side of the street for any signs of trouble anywhere, it hadn't been an easy winter and there was less cops patrolling the streets at this time of the morning.

"Louie call you yet?" Edward asked Emmett his hand still clasped around mine as he used his free one to bolt the door once again.

"No, I didn't think he would, I'll pay him a visit"

"I'll take care of it" Edward explained turning to him with me tucked behind his back

"Look I got this"

"You got this?"

"Yeah"

"Oh yeah you got this?"

"What did I just say?"

"What about what I said last night huh?" Edward got into Emmet's face as I attempted to free my hand from Edward's grip as the pair began to argue.

"What did I do now?"

"I said get Bella here by four it's now four thirty and shit is needing done around here"

"You two gonna stop talkin about me ike I ain't here?" I tried to say over them but was a whisper to their bellowing

"I got her here didn't I?"

"So you think it's alright not to follow my instruction?"

"Listen cock of the walk just cause dad ain't here-"

"He isn't here cause he got business, I got business too, what do you got?" Edward demanded answers from him.

Emmett fell silent as our brother got in his face and reminded him of his place in the cruellest of ways, it always came down to money in this family, as if we knew that and nothing more. Emmett hadn't been putting the same amounts he used too before he began seeing Rosalie Hale and if the rumours were true and she was pregnant then Emmett would face the raft of our father. This type of thing was enough to have Emmett pushed out the door if he didn't put a ring on her finger before she started to show.

With that said Emmett unbolted the door and stormed out leaving us alone, I released my hand from Edward's grip and proceeded to lock the door behind Emmett, sometimes the homeless came in and attempted to steal a few bucks or on occasion some booze, the doors remained locked until opening time which was in just a few hours and there was plenty of work to do already from what I could see. I watched Edward cross the bar to the corner booth returning to the paperwork on the table, with a half glass of some brown liquid and a cigarette in an already crowded ashtray.

He sunk down into back of the booth facing my direction picking up the paperwork in front of him as he balanced the cigarette between his lips. I made my way towards him, Edward looking up at me from above the page as I edged closer to him, lowering the page to see me fully, removing the cigarette from between his lips and blowing a cloud of smoke my way as I reached the table. His dark brown eyes fixed on me, his anger undeniable, his jaw locking up the closer I got to him.

"You got something to say?"

Instead of confronting him I reached down for the glass picking it up and clasping it between both hands, lowering and shaking my head as I turned away from him and headed towards the bar, there was work to be done. I made my way around the back of the bar and placed down the glass before sliding off my coat, hanging it up so it wouldn't get in my way as I got ready to begin cleaning.

"What time you gotta leave for school?" Edward asked

I turned to look his way after retrieving one of the aprons from the hooks in front of me, sliding it on over my head, tying it in the front and back. I met his eyes briefly before taking a glance around at the bar and the mess last nights customers had left it in, I'd seen it worse, especially after a game or around the holidays but it would still need a few hours work.

"I'll go in this afternoon, there's a lot to be done here"

"What about our deal?"

With that I looked over at my step brother who put out his cigarette on the table keeping his dark eyes locked on mine as he licked his lower lip.

"Or do you need reminding of your promise to me?" He asked

"No" I answered quickly "I remember"

I turned away from him then picking up a rag and a bucket.

"It wouldn't be a smart move breaking a promise, especially to me, little sister" He said behind me.

I could feel his eyes burning into the back of my head, he was always like this, it wasn't something out of the ordinary, he was intense, distant and in his mind always in the right. Unknown to the rest of the family Edward and I had an arrangement of sorts, when I turned sixteen I had thought about leaving school and working here at the bar full time, after Edward heard about this from my mother he had pulled me out of bed in the middle of the night and dragged me down the street in my nightgown and shown me what my life would be if I dropped out. I was chilled to the bone as I watched the many prostitutes working the corner wearing even less than me trying to make a living by spreading their legs for cash and lies.

Edward's actions terrified me to the core that night and our relationship had never been the same, he had screamed in my face he had embarrassed me and I had never gotten over it. From that day to this I hadn't crossed my brother once, he was a very smart man but at the same time he was short tempered and very cruel. I understood why he did what he did that night but the memory had repeated on me for the years that followed like a bad dream. From that day to this I hadn't settled for anything less than an A plus on every single test. I would do everything in my power to make sure I was never left alone with him, whenever we were I felt him watching me as if he were trying to intimidate me and he was succeeding in that. I was terrified of my brother and often at a loss for words, he always knew what to say, he was always ten steps ahead of everyone and he knew how to scare people, even his own little sister.

As Edward returned to his business I made the bar my own as I began the morning cleaning. In the backroom of the bar I filled the bucket with hot steamy water and squeezed the juice out of yesterdays lemon wedges to it. I began cleaning by de cluttering the entire bar, every used glass was collected and taken into the backroom, every empty wrapper was disposed of and every ash tray was emptied and sent into the back for a proper scrub. I hated the smell of cigarettes more than anything and Edward knew this, in fact he seemed to double his daily intake from the moment this became knowledge to him.

With my bucket and rag at the ready I began my work, scrubbing the entire counter surface of the bar, every table top, the legs of each bar stool, every spill tray and window surface. In the back room I emptied all the used bottles and rinsed them thoroughly, I scrubbed each individual glass by hand, I gathered all the serving trays and scrubbed them, all the ash trays were left to soak in the sink while I returned to the bar. I glanced over at Edward to find his eyes lifting from the page in his hand to look my way as if he had felt me looking his way, I quickly turned my attention back to the work picking up the new pack of napkins from below the bar, I made my way around the tables and restocked the napkins before gathering the ash trays from the back room and returning them too.

"I have a match tonight" Edward announced from across the room stilling me.

"Good luck" I replied only after clearing my throat

"I want you there in the front row"

"I don't think I can make it, we might be busy at the bar and-"

"Emmett and my father are working at the bar tonight. You'll be at the match with me"

"I'll just get in the way"

"Are you trying to piss me off because I'll gladly bend that tight little ass of yours over that table and remind you of who is boss around here"

I didn't know how it was possible for my body to turn bitterly cold at the same time as I felt a rush of warmth ripple through me causing a tightness between my legs that I had never felt before. I was so grateful in that moment that he was across the room and unable to see my reaction to his threat. Had he known what he had done he would have been repulsed by it. I closed my eyes in an effort to control my thoughts and body that was suddenly not my own. How could a threat cause my body to practically spasm out of control? I couldn't even get control of my own breathing and to make matters worse I could hear Edward getting up from his seat now and coming towards me.

I gripped at either side of the small rounded table I stood before slowly opening my eyes as Edward's footsteps grew ever closer to me. My lip quivering as he brushed the hair back behind my left ear bringing his lips as close to my ear as they could get without actual contact. He remained there, perfectly still and confident, completely oblivious to what this sudden closeness was doing to my body. I could smell the scent of cigarettes lingering on his clothes but also whatever scent he put on for whatever girl he had been with the previous night, he smelt like sandalwood, beer and vanilla all at the one time.

"If you continue to disobey me I may have to do just that" Edward hissed into my ear causing my neck to begin sweating in response of his closeness.

I wanted to respond and push back at him and warn him that he was going too far with his threats, that deep down I didn't believe he'd harm a hair on my head, he refused to pick up debts owned by women in our neighbourhood, he'd rather take on a man twice his size than take money from a woman trying to feed her family. So why was I any different to him? I should have held some meaning to him and yet at times he seemed to look through me, if he ever looked at me at all which was not that often. He hated me, he hated my mom, he was twelve when our parents married, he had a life before we came into the picture and now we were just another set of mouths to feed and nothing more.

"And I don't think you want me to do that do you hmm?"

I held my breath then as Edward wrapped his hand around my wrist, his nose brushing against my cheek as my eyes remained closed unable to look at him as he edged closer to me. I shook my head in response making him chuckle beneath his breath and I imagined with a tightly closed jaw.

"Answer me" Edward instructed.

I found the strength to open my eyes then, keeping my attention focused on the table below and nothing more.

"No" I finally answered him

"No?"

"No" I answered louder this time in an effort to stop him from teasing me anymore, hoping to put an end to it here and now.

"Let me tell you what's gonna happen tonight" I felt Edward's fingers brush through my hair, his thumb gently tracing down the edge of my ear.

I held my breath in an effort to steady myself hoping he wouldn't take notice to it.

"You're gonna come to my match and then you and I are gonna go somewhere together"

"I don't want any trouble with your business" I told him then.

I didn't want any involvement in Edward's debt collecting, whatever his plans were for tonight I wasn't going to play any part in them.

"I've got something different in mind" Edward explained

"No" I answered shaking my head this time as well.

Edward edged closer to me then, this time bringing his lips to my ear, my skin glowing hot from the uninvited and sudden contact, as I blushed beyond my control and hated myself for it.

"You'll come or I'll bend you over right here. Right now. And I won't stop until I make you scream." He whispered gently into my ear

"For mercy?" I asked swallowing hard

"Or til you scream my name, whichever I prefer" He whispered his lips firmly against my ear

With that there was a hard knock at the door and Edward left my side.

It was the delivery to my relief for it took Edward's attention from me allowing me time to grab my things and duck out the back entrance to the bar before he was any the wiser. I had no intentions of going to his match that evening and that was just bound to piss him off...

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