Contracted To The Mafia Prince

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled.

The heel of my too-high stiletto caught in the crack of the sidewalk outside of the Post Oak Hotel. I stumbled against the pillar, my clutch in one hand and my other holding myself upright.

This was a nightmare.

I straightened myself and slid my palms down my dress, which belonged to my twin sister Charlotte. She was the reason I stood outside of this hotel in uptown Houston with every indication that I did not fit in.

The women walking into the hotel were all wealthy, which I was not. My sister was a businesswoman. The one that owned a real estate agency that bought these types of dresses. The ones I window-shopped for on the weekend.

I turned away from the sliding glass doors and took a deep, much-needed, breath. This auction was out of my comfort zone. Charlotte was a beautiful, successful, woman in her late twenties. I didn’t understand her need to pay for a date with an eligible bachelor.

However, I’d Googled the man she wanted me to bid on and I understood the attraction. He was Fletcher Hines. The son of a notorious mafia family that owned a chain of Italian restaurants throughout the southern states.

They were loaded, and frankly, under the radar for the most part.

However, I’d heard the whispers throughout the streets and it was enough to keep me away from people like that.

Until tonight.

Tonight, I was bidding on this man with my sister’s cash because she had the flu. It only took her pleading with me for two solid days, and one thousand dollars, that I desperately needed, for me to agree.

And I was regretting it.

This was supposed to be Charlotte walking into this place and bidding on her date with this billionaire. Not me.

I closed my eyes, seeing an image of the eviction notice currently sitting on my kitchen counter. I didn’t share Charlotte’s love for business. I was an aspiring artist who waited tables to make ends meet. Which was the reason I agreed, because I was desperate.

Inhaling deeply, I gathered my courage and strolled toward the glass doors. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection. My blonde hair was braided along the side of my head and pulled into a ponytail that fell into soft curls against my shoulder.

The black dress was low-cut, with lacy sleeves and a silky skirt that touched the floor. My makeup wasn’t remarkable. I avoided my sister’s request for a picture before I left. She’d pick me apart for not looking good enough.

She should be thankful I agreed to go.

I walked into the hotel, which was known for its fancy venues for anything from weddings to conferences. Auctions as well.

Who knew bachelor auctions were even a thing? What happened to meeting someone the old-fashioned way?

I followed the crowd toward the left and down a hall. The tile sparkled like a toothpaste commercial and led us into a giant ballroom with an overhanging chandelier fancy enough for the royal palace.

There were tables set up with nameplates for us to find our seats. I found mine quickly and sat down. Nerves skated down my spine. I placed my clutch beside my plate and looked at the time on a giant clock to my right.

It should be starting any minute …

Other women, who did not bother speaking to me, sat around me at our round table. I didn’t care. I’d mentally checked out before I walked inside.

Someone tapped on the microphone and silence ensued over the room. An older gentleman wearing a tuxedo and a late-night advertisement smile stared back at us. “Hello, Houston.”

His voice was radio DJ-worthy and made everyone chuckle.

“I see many beautiful women in the room tonight. I can’t imagine why.” More laughter enveloped the room and I even chuckled at his playfulness. “The food is being brought around on trays while we begin. This is for the Henrietta Foundation, a charity based on helping children with life-threatening diseases.”

They would use children as an excuse to display a bunch of handsome bachelors.

“I’ll call one bachelor out at a time. Ladies, get your paddles ready because we’re about to begin.”

A server stopped at our table and began to pass out steaks. I was glad Charlotte and I shared the same taste in food. She slid my medium-rare steak and potato onto my plate and my mouth watered.

Steak was a luxury in my world. Maybe this would not be so bad.

I sliced into the first piece and took a bite. I had to keep myself together from moaning, as I wanted.

This alone was well worth the trip here.

“Jacob Henry,” the announcer called out.

A man with dirty-blonde hair and a lopsided smile walked onto the stage. My table began to whisper while I continued to eat. “Jacob is the CEO of Henry Motors which has dealerships across the state. We’ll start the bidding at one thousand.”

Paddles shot up around the room. Most of the girls hadn’t touched their food. What a freaking waste.

I took another bite as two women had a showdown over him. The smug smile on his face made me cringe. The men loved this. It was pathetic.

Several more bachelors came out and went to very excited women in the audience.

I was on my last few bites of steak when they called Fletcher Hines out on stage. An excited whisper echoed across the room.

My fingers tightened around my fork as he walked out into the spotlight.

Even the way he walked was attractive. It was smooth, like butter, and his dark eyes scanned the room as if he were the predator, not the prey.

His dark cherry-colored suit was tailored to fit his lean body. The slope of his deltoids rounded off into impressive biceps that made me squirm in my seat.

He angled his square jaw, as he looked from table to table, as if he was the one choosing a partner and not the other way around. His hair was ebony black with a short length on the sides, and a longer length on the top. Though it was pushed back with a gel that kept it in place.

Those dark eyes shifted to my table and a shiver worked its way down my body. The intensity of the way he looked at me stopped me in my tracks.

The fork in my hand halted inches from my mouth. I instantly understood why my sister was attracted to him. Everything about him was dark and attentive.

He was observant and in charge.

Judging by the ten thousand dollars my sister told me to bid, I knew she saw everything I did standing on that stage, and more.

“Fletcher Hines is the co-owner of Hines Italian Restaurant, a five-star restaurant chain scattered around Texas and Louisiana. He’s thirty-three years old with a Master’s Degree in Business Management. We’re going to start our bidding at one thousand dollars.”

Oh, crap. Here we go.

I grabbed my paddle and nervously kept my eyes on my unfinished plate.

I raised my paddle to one thousand dollars. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn’t dare look. This was the most uncomfortable I’d ever been in my entire life.

The tips of my ears grew warm from embarrassment.

“Two thousand.”

I raised my paddle again, feeling Fletcher’s heated stare on the side of my face. Other women around the room kept bidding until we were at eight thousand dollars.

There were only two more thousand left in the amount Charlotte instructed me to spend. If she didn’t win, she didn’t. I had instructions and I needed to follow them.

“Nine thousand dollars,” the announcer shouted.

I lifted my paddle and the room fell silent. Glancing around, I stared at a room full of angry women. I swallowed the lump of nerves in my throat and dared a look at the stage.

“Looks like we have a winner. Bring your paddle and information to the gentleman in the far corner, Ma’am. He’ll get you set up for your date with Fletcher Hines.”

Scattered applause lingered around the room as I stood up and walked toward the podium. I listened to my heart beating loudly in my chest when rough fingers wrapped around my upper arm and I was turned around.

Fletcher Hines stood behind me, his hand wrapped around my arm and his eyes searching mine. I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t exactly Charlotte Terry, but he pulled a card from his pocket and flipped it to me between his fingertips.

His scent wafted over me like a douse of water. It smelled woodsy, like a man, and was no doubt expensive.

He opened his full mouth and said, “What’s your name?”

“Charlotte Terry,” I lied. He didn’t need to know the details. He’d never know my sister and I switched places.

“Meet me at this address, at this time, Charlotte. Don’t be late.”

He let go of my arm and strolled out of the place like he owned it. I looked briefly over my shoulder as he left and scoffed. Rude much?

Not that I cared. It wasn’t like he was my date.

Have fun with that one, Charlotte.

I’m out of here.

She would do.

She would have to do.

Finding a bride this quickly was a necessity, and not because I was desperate by any means.

It wasn’t as if I’d agreed to this auction because I couldn’t find a date. I had plenty of dates in my life and women who hung around the restaurants with the hope of gaining my attention. It wasn’t every day you ran into the son of a Mafia King or a family with more wealth than they knew what to do with.

This wasn’t for a date.

This was for life. For marriage. For family.

The Capellos had made a pack with my father in his youth. If his eldest son hadn't married by the time he turned thirty-five they would arrange a marriage between me and their eldest, Heidi Capello. I'd rather eat nails than marry that twit.

The number of opposing mafia families in the area that wanted me to marry their daughters was sickening.

Being we were the most powerful family in Houston, it wasn’t a surprise.

However, my father would rather die than have me accept a marriage proposal from one of his enemies. Marrying a random woman from an auction was better than being tossed into the drama of merging families.

I rolled my neck, attempting to release the tightness that I carried from the weight of the day. The life I had wasn’t an easy one by any means. I’d sacrificed a lot of things to follow in my family’s footsteps. My choice of love being one of them.

Because in my family there was nothing more important than one another.

It hadn’t been love at first sight when I first noticed Charlotte Terry. She looked oddly out of place, to be honest, though she fit in physically.

Something about the way she carried herself was off. Her lack of confidence. Her lack of etiquette while eating. The way she held her fork.

I wasn’t sure who bought her that expensive gown or those heels, but my gut told me it wasn’t her. Identifying someone with money was easy for me. I’d grown up in it. It oozed off people we called ‘new money’ and Charlotte Terry didn’t ooze.

My driver glanced over his shoulder and asked, “To the restaurant or are we going home, Sir?”

Unfortunately, we had to go speak to my father. He was most of the reason I attended the auction tonight. Landing a woman at the auction meant landing a woman with class. Someone who knew how to handle crowds and publicity. Most likely, they had a good reputation, which is what a family like mine needed to stay under the radar.

“Take me to Central. Father is there tonight.”

“Yes, Sir.”

He took a left at the red light and traveled down toward the strip. The Central restaurant was my father’s favorite because my mother started it. We lost her when I was a teenager from heart disease. It’d hardened him even more.

My driver parked in front of the corner restaurant. Rain dripped from the overhanging awning from a recent shower as I stepped out.

The dim lighting and tinted windows gave the place a romantic vibe that people enjoyed. I strolled in through the front doors and made my way past the host and toward the swinging kitchen door.

Father’s office door stood cracked when I made it down the hallway. His salt-n-pepper hair glistened from the gel holding it back from his big, brown eyes in the crappy fluorescent lighting. He looked up over his caterpillar eyebrows and sat back in his chair.

“Well?” he asked. “Who did you find?”

Straight to the point. I kicked the door shut with my shoe and sat across from him. The top few buttons of his button-down were open with wild hair spilling out and a necklace that cost more than my car.

“A real estate agent, Charlotte Terry bid on me.”

Dad attempted to read my face while writing down her name. Most likely to run a background check on her. “Will she fit in?

I wasn’t exactly sure about it. She didn’t look too submissive when I handed her my card. She looked almost repulsed that I hadn’t spoken to her any more than I had.

“I’m not sure. We’re meeting at the restaurant on Friday night.”

Dad nodded, and sat back in his chair, swiping his palm down his face. “Giovanna called tonight. The package needs to be picked up at the warehouse by midnight. Are you up for it or do you want me to ask your brother?”

“Ask, Levi,” I said, waving my hand. “I have a headache. Those lights blinded me on stage tonight.”

Dad cleared his throat. “We’re doing this for the family, Son. We can’t allow another family into our lives. I don’t trust any of them enough to marry either of my boys. This will be good for you, for us. It’ll get them off our backs, and kill the idea of merging. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to persuade this woman to marry me. “I’m not sure how easy she will be to marry,” I said.

Dad chuckled. “Look at you, Fletcher. She’ll marry you. With the contract, she’ll have no choice but to say yes. Look at everything she’ll gain.”

“She already has money. Why would she need mine?”

He gave me a knowing look. “She’s in real estate you said? She may have money but she does not have our kind of money. Why do you think she bid on you? Besides your good looks, it’s because of your money.”

Maybe he was right, but there was something in the pit of my stomach that said she wasn’t materialistic. It rested in those green eyes of hers. There was something secretive about her. What was she hiding?

“We’ll find out Friday,” I said, standing up. “I’m going home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We have a delivery tomorrow morning. I’m hoping you’re up for that one?” he said, lifting a brow at me.

It was the look of ‘do what I say and don’t argue.’ Like I had a choice.

“I’ll be here at seven.”

The restaurant was full when I walked out and onto the sidewalk. My driver got out and opened the door for me while I slid into the dark, silent backseat and rested my elbow against the door.

“Home, Sir?”

“Yes.”

He pulled out into the Houston traffic and started downtown toward my house. It’d been passed down in my family for generations. The secluded area was perfect for our business and the fact we didn’t want anyone in it.

The first neighbor was three miles away.

My driver pulled up to the iron gate and typed in the code. It swung inward and he followed the cobblestone driveway to the front steps. The fountain my dad put it was flashy for my taste, but I didn’t dare pull it up.

My mother loved it.

“Thanks, Stetson. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 7.”

“See you then, Sir.”

I stepped onto the moonlight path and up the steps to my house. Walking between the two center pillars, I unlocked the double doors and stepped inside.

The sparkle of the checkered tile floor glistened in the overhanging chandelier in the entranceway. A grand staircase circled the room and led toward the second floor, which I hardly visited.

My mother’s library was up there, and frankly, we hadn’t touched it since she passed. Father didn’t stay in the house long after because there were too many memories.

I couldn’t see my brother take over and wreck it, so I moved in when I turned eighteen.

The vastness of the place was lonely most days, but I spent most of my time outside of the house to distract myself from the memories.

“Lucinda, it’s me,” I called out to my housekeeper.

She yelled something from the back while I keyed in the alarm code and found my way toward the master bedroom.

It was hard to think I’d have a woman living with me soon. If she agreed, I had no choice according to my father. We needed to be married as soon as possible. The Capellos had been on my father’s back for the last six months about the arrangement. He kept pushing them off until he couldn't any longer and agreed to a meeting this weekend which meant I needed to be married before then.

Dad knew they were attempting to buy a chain of nightclubs in downtown Houston and wanted our money to help fund it.

Over my father’s dead body apparently.

I groaned, sat down on my ottoman, and began to take off my shoes and loosen my tie. Stretching my legs out, I slid my palms down my thighs and let the image of Charlotte roam in my mind.

Imagining her in that dress and the way it hugged her small frame made it hard to think about anything else. Despite her unimpressed face, she’d called to me. A woman hadn’t done that in many, many years.

There was something about her that I couldn’t put my finger on.

In two days, I’d meet with her and offer her a deal of a lifetime.

Become my bride and have everything she ever wanted.

Or … there wasn’t another alternative. Charlotte Terry was to become my wife and deal with it.