Stepbrother's Lust: A Forbidden Mafia Romance

Rose’s POV

I spent most of the morning lying in bed.

Not sleeping.

Just... existing.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing.

Reagan.

His face.

His voice.

The way he’d looked at me before walking away.

A soft knock sounded against my bedroom door.

"Rose?"

Mom peeked inside before I could answer.

She smiled the moment she saw me.

"There you are."

"I’ve been here the whole time."

"I know."

She walked over and sat beside me on the bed.

"You’ve hardly left this room."

"I’m just tired."

She studied me for a moment before gently brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"You’ve been saying that for two days."

I looked away.

She sighed.

"I don’t know what’s bothering you, sweetheart, and I won’t force you to tell me."

Her hand rested lightly over mine.

"But I hate seeing you like this."

I managed a small smile.

"I’ll be fine."

"No."

She stood and folded her arms.

"You are getting dressed."

"What?"

"We’re going shopping."

"Mum..."

"No excuses."

"I’m really not in the mood."

"That’s exactly why we’re going."

She gave me that look every mother somehow mastered.

The one that wasn’t angry.

Just impossible to argue with.

Half an hour later, I gave up.

---

"I told you she’d say yes."

I turned toward the familiar voice.

"Sierra?"

She hurried across the mall with that same impossible amount of energy she always seemed to have.

My mother laughed.

"I should’ve known."

Sierra hugged me before stepping back to inspect my face.

"...You look terrible."

"Thanks."

"I mean emotionally."

"That somehow sounds worse."

She grinned.

"It is."

Mom chuckled quietly.

"I’ll leave you two to catch up."

She wandered toward another store while Sierra immediately linked her arm through mine.

"So..."

She leaned closer.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"I’m serious."

"You’ve been staring into space for the last five minutes."

"I was thinking."

"You were brooding."

"I don’t brood."

"You absolutely brood."

I couldn’t help laughing.

"There she is."

"What?"

"That smile."

She pointed at my face triumphantly.

"I knew it still existed."

I rolled my eyes.

"I missed you too."

"I know."

We spent the next hour wandering from one store to another.

Or rather...

Sierra dragged me from one store to another.

Every dress she picked seemed shorter than the last.

"Sierra."

"What?"

"I’m not wearing that."

"Why not?"

"It barely exists."

She held it against me anyway.

"It exists enough."

"No."

"You’re no fun."

"I like being clothed."

"So overrated."

Even my mother laughed at that.

Eventually we settled on a black dress.

It was shorter than anything I would’ve chosen myself, but at least it looked elegant.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, Sierra’s mouth fell open.

"Oh."

"What?"

"...You’re buying that."

"I haven’t even looked in the mirror."

"You don’t need to."

"I do."

"Nope."

She turned me toward the mirror anyway.

"...Okay."

I hated admitting it.

It looked...

Good.

Too good.

"I don’t know..."

"Oh, stop."

She folded her arms dramatically.

"You’re acting like showing your knees is a federal crime."

"I’ve never worn something this short."

"Exactly."

She pointed at my reflection.

"And that’s criminal."

Mom smiled from behind us.

"I think you look beautiful."

I felt my cheeks warm.

"It’s a little much."

"It isn’t."

Sierra grabbed both my shoulders.

"Rose."

"What?"

"Tonight..."

She smiled mischievously.

"...you’re coming to a club."

My head snapped toward her.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"I’ve never been."

"Exactly."

"I don’t even drink."

"You don’t have to."

"I don’t dance."

"I’ll fix that too."

"I don’t—"

She clapped both hands over my mouth.

"Enough."

I peeled her hands away.

"My answer’s still no."

She looked toward my mother.

"Auntie."

Mom looked suspiciously amused.

"What?"

"Help me."

She blinked innocently.

"I think you should go."

I stared at both of them.

"...You’ve planned this."

"Maybe."

"Mum!"

She laughed.

"You’ve spent days hiding in your room."

She squeezed my shoulder.

"Go have fun."

I looked from her...

To Sierra...

Back to her again.

Neither looked like they were going to change their minds.

I let out the longest sigh I could manage.

"...Fine."

Sierra actually squealed.

"I knew you’d say yes!"

"I literally fought you for ten minutes."

"And yet..."

She pointed both index fingers at me.

"...I still won."

---

An hour later she was standing in my bedroom, turning my wardrobe upside down.

"No."

She tossed one dress onto the bed.

"No."

Another.

"Absolutely not."

Another.

"Do you own anything remotely illegal?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I don’t think clothes can be illegal."

"They should be."

She finally held up the black dress we’d bought earlier.

"There."

"I knew you were going to pick that."

"Of course I was."

She shoved it into my arms.

"Bathroom."

"Bossy."

"Go."

When I finally walked back out, she froze.

"...Wow."

"What?"

She slowly circled me once.

"I hate you."

"What?"

"Do you know how unfair this is?"

I frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You put on one dress..."

She gestured helplessly.

"...and suddenly every woman in a ten-mile radius has competition."

I laughed.

"You’re exaggerating."

"I wish I was."

She grabbed my wrist.

"We’re leaving before you change your mind."

---

The music hit us before we even reached the entrance.

Lights flashed across the packed dance floor.

People laughed.

Someone somewhere was already singing off-key.

"This..."

I looked around.

"...is louder than I expected."

Sierra smirked.

"You’ll get used to it."

"I don’t think I will."

"Oh, you will."

She led me to the bar.

"What’ll you have?"

"I don’t know."

"Perfect."

She ordered for both of us.

The drinks arrived a moment later.

I took a cautious sip.

"...That’s actually nice."

"I know."

She bumped my shoulder.

"I’ve corrupted you already."

We talked.

Laughed.

For the first time in days...

My mind stopped wandering back to Reagan.

Maybe Mum had been right.

Maybe I just needed to get out of the house.

Sierra leaned closer.

"See?"

"What?"

"I told you."

"Told me what?"

She nodded toward the room.

I followed her gaze.

Several men looked away the moment they realized they’d been caught staring.

Others didn’t even bother pretending.

Heat crept into my cheeks.

"They’re not looking at me."

"They absolutely are."

"No."

"Rose."

She laughed.

"You have no idea how pretty you are."

I looked down at my drink.

"I think they’re looking at you."

"Oh, please."

She rolled her eyes.

"They’re definitely looking at you."

Before I could argue again, she grabbed my wrist.

"Come on."

"Where?"

"The dance floor."

"I told you—"

"No excuses."

She pulled me into the crowd before I could protest.

A minute later...

I was laughing.

Actually laughing.

"This isn’t so bad."

"I know!"

The music swelled around us as we danced, laughing whenever one of us completely missed the beat.

For a little while...

Everything felt normal.

Then something changed.

The man dancing closest to us suddenly stopped.

He looked over my shoulder.

His face paled.

Without saying a word, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Another followed.

Then another.

Within seconds, the space around us had begun to clear.

I frowned.

"...That’s weird."

Sierra looked around.

"What?"

"Everyone’s leaving."

"They probably just—"

She stopped.

Her eyes drifted past me.

Past the lights.

Past the crowd.

Toward the balcony above.

Every trace of color drained from her face.

"...Sierra?"

She didn’t answer.

"Sierra?"

Slowly...

Without taking her eyes off whatever she’d seen...

She raised one trembling finger.

I turned to follow it.

And froze.

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