He's Strong. He's Hot. He's Foreign. (And He's in the Mafia?)

Peter brought all of the luggage in, refusing any help from me. He had gone into town to ‘buy groceries’ a.k.a. park somewhere and check on the business via blackberry.

“Do you need any help with the horses?” I asked, looking down Jeremiah, who was sitting on the porch steps smoking.

“Why are you being so nice now? I just threw a beer bottle at you” he smirked, taking a long drag.

“You know why I’m being nice” I snapped, sitting down next him.

“Your future is in my hands, baby girl, that’s a creepy thought, ain’t it?” he murmured.

“You’re a horrible drunk, Jeremiah” I sighed, hugging my knees to my chest, looking out at the fields.

“Runs in the family, you remember your night with Gabe, dontcha?” he asked, eyeing me curiously, “He almost had you that night, for good”

“That’s what scares me” I whispered.

Jeremiah laughed bitterly, “What you so scared of? You’re set for life with that ruskie. Why’d you even come back here Janey? We never did anything good for you.”

“Why do you insist on being so small-minded?!” I exclaimed, glaring at him.

“I’m a fucking red neck ain’t I? Might as well act like one” he smirked, putting out his cigarette on his shoe. I couldn’t help but giggle, remembering all of the times Jeremiah would do that. How he had being a red neck down to an art form. He raised an eyebrow at me, “What’s so funny?”

“You haven’t changed one bit, Jeremiah” I said, breaking out in laughter.

“Neither have you, Janey, even though you’d like to think so” he said, ruffling my hair, “You can take the girl away from the farm, but you can’t take the farm outta the girl”

“Such a wise saying” I said sarcastically, slumping my head down on my arms, "Wait...where's Aunt Dinah?"

"She lives with Aunt Mary Beth now, she says I ought to have my own bachelor pad" he smirked.

"I'm sure you had something to do with it too" I laughed.

“I’m saying no, you know that right?” he said almost wistfully, looking down at me.

“And I’m not giving in without a fight, you know that…right?” I smirked, nudging him in the side.

“I know you want your picture-perfect ending, but I’m still your brother, baby, and I choose your future in this family” he snapped, “You were always supposed to be with Gabe”

I knew he would be like this. Jeremiah was only ever physically abusive when he was drunk, but he was always playing with my emotions and his abuse of his so called power over me never stopped.

“Gabe means nothing to me anymore” I said through my teeth. This was of course a lie. Gabriel was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and almost my first time. I could spend nights thinking about him. I didn't miss him per say, but he did haunt my memories.

“It’s cute how you pretend, Janey, just like when you’d play princess when you were younger” he murmured, getting up and walking up the stairs, about to go back into the house.

“I thought you needed help with the horses” I snarled, becoming fed up with his heartlessness. He didn't even care that he had thrown a beer bottle at me in a drunken rage less than two hours ago.

“I never asked for your help, now did I? I put the horses away long before you came, baby girl, winter’s comin’ quicker than usual ‘round here” he retorted as I followed him into the kitchen. He looked over at me with that infamous look on his face. The face that meant he was up to no good, “You don’t mind if I have a few people over for dinner, now do ya?”

“It’s not going to matter if I say no or not so I guess…” I mumbled but he cut across me, “Awesome, it’ll be like a blast from the past for you”

Oh great, I could only imagine who was coming over. My greatest fear was Gabriel would come, but I couldn’t know that for sure. Who’s to say he hadn't moved out? I was too afraid to ask Jeremiah, lest my suspicions be true.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help, darashya?” Peter asked, hovering over me as I cooked in the kitchen, knowing no greater joy than to cook for my brother and the family/friends that made my teenage years hell.

“I’m fine Peter, really, just go talk to Jeremiah or somethin’” I muttered. I could hear my southern accent intensifying now that I was back home.

“I would much rather be with you, my sweet” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me and pressing my back to his chest and I mixed some garlic into the mashed potatoes. He kissed the back of my neck lightly.

“I should hope so” I mumbled, blushing furiously.

“Leave the girl alone, ruskie, chicks need their space when they’re in the kitchen” Jeremiah called from the living room.

I could feel Peter’s arms tighten around me, but before he could reply the doorbell was rung and I could feel a lump rise in my throat.

“Janey, why don’t you get the door?” Jeremiah asked, now standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room with that notorious look on his face again.

“I-I don’t wanna” I whimpered, cowering slightly into Peter’s embrace. Peter gave Jeremiah one of his imposing looks. You know, the kind that could make you pee your pants. Jeremiah rolled his eyes and went down the hallway. I turned around and dug my head into Peter’s chest.

“He invited him, I know he did” I mumbled, my voice muffled against his black t-shirt.

“Who’s he, honey?” Peter murmured, stroking my hair.

“Hey Jed! I hear you got my girl!” I heard a horribly familiar voice exclaim.

“Gabriel” I choked out.

“Hey baby, it’s been a while hasn’t it?” Gabriel stepped into the kitchen, his sharp grey eyes watching Peter as he put a hand on the back of my head, holding me to him protectively. Gabe, unlike Jeremiah, had changed. He wasn’t as muscular as he used to be, back in his baseball days. Now he was just…slim. His face was hollow and a cigarette hung from his lips. He wore a trucker cap and old worn out jeans along with a Rolling Stones shirt. I searched for the scar on his right hand which had resulted from climbing over a metal fence, trying to run from the sheriff. It was faded, but still there.

“I thought you said family was coming over Jeremiah” I muttered, moving away from Peter, letting go of all of him but his hand.

“I never said no such thing, baby sister, and besides, ain't he like family?” Jeremiah laughed, ruffling my hair before going in search of beer in the fridge.

“We used to be more than like family, lots more” Gabriel growled, a smirk playing around his lips.

“I’m Peter, Jane’s fiancé” Peter said, standing in front of me, his face as hard as stone. He put his hand out to shake. Ignoring it, Gabriel proceeded to say, “So I guess you’re the guy who stole my girl from me?”

“I never stole anything from you, last time I checked, I have never met you before” Peter said politely with a hidden bitterness.

“Okay…if there’s no one else coming then why don’t we eat?!” I said, my voice becoming high-pitched with nervousness.
The only thing verb I could use to describe dinner was…awkward. Very awkward. Jeremiah, who was sitting at the head of the table like he thought he was the patriarch, was the only one oblivious to the tension. That, or he was absolutely enjoying it.

“Adding garlic to these mashed potatoes was a great idea, Janey, gives ‘em a real kick” Jeremiah complimented me with that stupid smile on his face. He took a long swig of beer. I was pretty sure how this night was going to end.

Peter and Gabriel couldn’t take their eyes off each other…in a menacing kind of way. They were watching each other’s every move, like one was going to lunge at the other any second.

“Is this some kind of staring contest, or what?” Jeremiah snapped, “Does the winner get to marry my sister?”

“Jane is not a prize” Peter said simply, taking a sip of some vodka I found in the back of the cabinet, “Some people are just immature”

Gabriel smirked, “Or maybe you’re feeling threatened, me and Janey have a lot of history, don’t we, girl?”

I didn't answer. I didn't even acknowledge him. I played with my meatloaf, staring at my untouched wine glass.

“She’s still shy, ain't she? Janey used to be so shy…she would never even look me in the eye…always had her eyes closed when we were in the back of my truck…” Gabriel pondered.

“Shut up!” I exclaimed, slamming my fork down, “Stop talking about me like I ain't here!”

“But always headstrong when you weren't supposed to be” he whispered, his brow furrowed.

“Sorry I didn't submit to your every whim!” I shot back, “Maybe you shouldn’t have been so fucking controlling”

Gabriel smirked and looked over at Peter, “You really changed her”

“Jane is capable of changing herself without my assistance” Peter said, standing up and taking his dishes into the kitchen.
“Hey Jane” Gabriel said, coming up to me an hour later while I was reading “Being a Mafia Wife for Dummies”. No, I’m just kidding. I was reading a cook book. Not most people’s ideal literature but for me it was better than a young adult vampire romance novel.

“What?” I snapped, keeping my eyes glued on my book.

“Can we talk…alone?” Gabe said, catching glances at Peter, who was sitting at the kitchen table and drinking with Jeremiah. It was about the only thing they had in common. Peter didn't say anything, just gave me a wary gaze.

“Yeah whatever Gabe” I snapped, clasping my book shut and following him out the door.

“We looked up at these stars every night, baby, don’t you remember that?” Gabe said, looking down at me as we walked through the corn fields.

“Can you please not call me that? I’m with Peter” I whispered, looking around at the tall corn stalks surrounding me.

“So has anyone else left besides me?” I asked, letting out an involuntary yawn.

“Nah, Mitch and Diane got married though, right after they graduated, they got two kids now” Gabriel said, “That coulda been us, y’know”

“Stop living in the past, Gabe, it’s kind of pathetic” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

His hand suddenly gripped my collar, lifting me off the ground, “Don’t you ever talk that way to me!” he spat menacingly, “Not many people get what we had, Janey, but you just threw it all away and went off to make cakes and bone with that fucking alien!”

“Gabe…I…I can’t breathe” I spluttered, gasping for air.

He sighed and set me down, whispering, “I loved you, Janey, I really did”

“You had a funny way of showing it…getting me drunk and trying to force it on me” I snapped, smoothing out my shirt.

“But I saved you from your brother didn't I? Those nights were I’d pick you up and we’d go out to Sanders’ apple orchard, spend hours running around…how you loved to run from me, Janey, but I knew you liked it even more when I caught you, I’d see how your eyes lit up when I pinned you to the ground…” he held my chin between his thumb and forefinger, his grey eyes threatening.

“I love Peter now” I sighed, “And that’s never going to change”

“I’m not gonna give up, honey, you know that” Gabe smirked, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

Great, here was yet another person who was against my marriage to Peter. I couldn’t wait to hear what the rest of the family had to say about Peter.