Her Mafia Brothers

Pool Party!

Finally, after what felt like an entire year, it was Saturday. The day of the long-awaited pool party! Our friends would be arriving soon, and in the meantime, there was lots to do. Decorations to set out, Lilo's to inflate, food to organize. Damon hired wait staff to wander around with it and keep everything refilled, but there was still lots to do before that, and our normal staff were run off their feet so were grateful for the help.

By mid-afternoon, people were trickling in. Some of them I knew, many of them I didn't. Anna arrived and immediately went out and stood with Jack. Logan's friends arrived all at once in a big group and immediately went to the games room. My friends got dropped off one by one. Kate was first to arrive, then Frankie and Lily soon after, with Petra arriving not too long after that.

I was so excited I could barely keep still! Music blasted through the speakers, a bar had been set up outside with bowls of punch and goodness knows what else. There was food everywhere!

We went upstairs to my bedroom to get dressed into our swimsuits and I hesitated for ages in front of my new bikini. I really, really wanted to wear it. But I also knew that I wouldn't be allowed to.

"Come on Carrie, put it on!" Kate encouraged. "You'll look gorgeous!"

My other friends murmured in agreement.

"My brothers won't be happy," I said.

"Who cares about your brothers?" Lily said. "We'll all support you. Come on!"

I noticed none of them had tiny bikinis, though. Petra had a two-piece but it covered way more than mine did. Still, I put it on. I'd bought it specially for the pool party after all and what was the point in buying it if I wasn't going to be brave enough to wear it?

Quickly, I pulled it on and tied my hair up into a messy bun out of the way. I hated wet hair in my face and as the boys were setting up the volleyball net over the pool, I was pretty sure we were going to get very wet.

Excitedly, we all hurried downstairs, sliding down the banister in our swimsuits. It wouldn't work once we were wet, so we had to make the most of it now while we were still dry, and nobody was watching.

We got all the way outside and into the pool without my new bikini being spotted by any of my brothers. But one of Logan's friends saw, and wolf-whistled, and that was it. I was doomed.

In a flash, Logan was beside me, his eyes blazing.

"You were told not to wear that," he hissed at me. "All my friends are staring at you! Please don't do this to me, Carrie!"

"To you?" Petra said sassily, her hands on her hips. "How is what Carrie's wearing affecting you? It's none of your business!"

"And maybe your friends should learn to control themselves, rather than expecting Carrie to cover up. It's not her fault they have bad manners," Lily added.

I stood there smugly, glaring at Logan, grateful for my friends.

"Rocco!" Logan whined, sounding much like a toddler about to throw a tantrum.

Rocco turned and looked at me and his trademark scowl morphed into the scariest glare I'd ever seen.

"Go and get changed, Carrie," he ordered.

"Why should she have to?" Petra asked. "Are you seriously that sexist?"

Rocco crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles bulging, and glared at Petra, who bravely stared right back.

"Get out of the pool, all of you," a deep voice growled from behind me. Alex. Great. I gulped. Standing up to Rocco and Logan was one thing. Standing up to Alex was quite another. None of us were that dumb.

We turned in unison and made our way to the side of the pool, all obediently obeying my big brother. When I got close enough to grab, Alex wrapped one massive hand around my upper arm and hauled me out in front of everyone, and indicated for my friends to get out and follow him.

I dug my toes in and dead-weighted, trying to stop Alex from dragging me away, but it didn't work. He just picked me up and threw me over his shoulder like I was a sack of coal or something and marched me inside, my friends scurrying after us. The fact that I was dripping wet all over his shirt didn't deter Alex. He carried me inside and around the corner out of sight of the crowd gathered around the pool before setting me down.

"You know the rules, Carrie," Alex said sternly. "Go upstairs and get changed into a more appropriate swimsuit."

"I'm only going to put this one back on again when you're not looking," I told him sassily.

Oops. Big mistake.

Alex grasped my upper arm again and spun me around and landed a wickedly hard slap on the lower side part of my butt, the bit that wasn't covered by my flimsy swimsuit. I shrieked at the fierce sting and reached back to rub it out, but it was too late. The damage was done. I had a rosy red imprint of Alex's hand branding me, and there was no way I could wear this swimsuit again. Or anything less than a full-coverage one.

I glowered at him and he smirked.

Bastard.

"Now you'll have to wear something decent," he said. He looked at my friends sternly. "I will hold you girls personally responsible for making sure Carrie wears a more appropriate swimsuit," he growled. "There are rules in this house for a reason, and I expect them to be obeyed."

None of my friends were brave enough to argue with Alex the way they'd done to Rocco and Logan, and I can't say I blamed them. Alex could be scary. Terrifyingly so.

He pointed in the direction of the stairs.

"Now go!"

We didn't need telling twice, and hurried away.

Then Frankie stopped, staring. So did Lily, Petra and Kate, but they were a bit more subtle. It was Nick, shirtless, getting plates from the kitchen. He looked up, saw us watching, and grinned. Then his grin faded into a frown and he stormed over.

"You better be going upstairs to get changed, Carrie," he snarled. "You know you're not allowed to wear a bikini."

"Why can't she?" Kate demanded.

"She's too young."

Ignoring my friends, he looked me up and down. "Hurry up and go change, or I'll give you a matching handprint on the other side."

I felt my face flame.

"Why are you such bastards?" I whispered furiously. "It's just a bikini, and this is a pool party!"

Nick's expression softened. "You're our kid sister," he said softly. "And we just got you back. Maybe we are over-protective, but it's because we missed you for so long."

He gave me a quick hug, squeezing me tight.

"And it's to keep Logan's idiot mates safe," he said in a bit of a conspiratorial whisper. "If Jack catches them looking at you, he's liable to hurt them."

I shook my head.

"You mean you will," I corrected him. "Jack wouldn't do anything. You're the volatile one." I was grumpy, and I didn't care if he knew it. I didn't care that he was trying to be sweet, either. As far as I was concerned, there was no justification for them refusing to let me wear a bikini at a pool party at my own house.

"Don't be grumpy," he said, giving me a wink and a grin. "You'll still have fun. Go upstairs and put on something that covers Alex's handprint, and then go and thrash the boys at volleyball. I'll join your team, if you like."