Her Mafia Brothers

Logan

Author Note: Sorry for the quick filler chapter, stay tuned for the next one, it's going to be big. I promise :)  Also.... 100 chapters!! Yay!!! When I first started writing this book I had no idea it would still be going 100 chapters later!!

"I'm not allowed to do anything," I grumbled, somewhat reassured by what Logan had said, but now feeling pretty sorry for myself. "Alex grounded me. He took my phone and credit card, too."

Logan looked at me in disbelief. It was obvious he didn't believe me. But the forlorn expression on my face must have convinced him because he looked at me for a few seconds more then he snorted and burst into laughter.

"You? Grounded? By Alex? What did you do to piss him off? He's never even grounded me before, so you must have done something pretty bad."

I raised an eyebrow. "You've never been in trouble with Alex before? But how?" With me, Alex was strict. He was soft and gentle and caring and kind, but he was also strict. He didn't let me get away with much.

"Yeah I've been in trouble with him," Logan confirmed. "But he's never grounded me. Jack and Damon both have, but not Alex." He was silent for a minute, studying me. "So what did the precious angel do to get herself grounded, by the most lenient of our biggest brothers?" His tone was both curious and mocking and I wanted to punch him. I was hurting, and in emotional pain, and afraid, and he was making fun of me!

"Alex is not lenient!" I exclaimed. "He spanked me on my first day here!" I said. "And plenty of times since!"

"But he's never grounded you before, has he?" Logan looked smug, like he'd somehow won. What he'd won, I wasn't sure. But it annoyed me.

"So are you going to tell me, or what?" Logan asked. So I explained in excruciating detail about my day. Logan listened intently, and grinned. If I had to guess, I would say he was trying to appear disapproving, but he was secretly proud of my mischief-making.

It was good, being friends with my brother again, but it didn't feel the same as it used to. There was still something between us. Some grudge. So eventually, I got off Logan's bed and left his room, going back to my own. Alex hadn't told me I had to stay in my room for the duration of my grounding, but I didn't really want to see any of my brothers anyway, so I turned on my telly and flicked through Disney Plus trying to find something to watch. Nothing held my interest, so I tried a book. Then another one. Then another one. Nothing seems to be what I wanted. Nothing felt right. Everything felt wrong. And I had no idea why.

Eventually, Rocco called me down for dinner. Logan didn't come; Damon sent a tray up for him to eat in his room.

With Jack away, I was the only one sitting along my side of the table and it felt wrong. Nick and Rocco were opposite me, but they weren't really paying much attention to me, they were discussing something between themselves. Alex and Damon took their positions at each end, and they basically ignored me, too. It was clear that they had something on their minds. Something important. The brewing Mafia war, probably, but whatever it was, it didn't involve me. So I just sat there in silence, eating my food. Or playing with it. Whatever.

Damon's phone rang loudly in his pocket and he immediately answered it without even glancing at the screen, stood up and left the room. I heard his voice growing fainter and fainter as he walked away, then the slam of the door as he disappeared off into the forbidden wing.

I squirmed in my chair, my butt aching from Alex's spanking. I fidgeted with my cutlery, flicking my fork against my plate, making it ding.

"What's up with you?" Nick asked, just as Damon returned to the room and took his seat at the table again, resuming eating his dinner as though he'd never even left.

When I didn't answer Nick he asked me again, more forcefully this time.
"Nothing," I mumbled.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Something is," he insisted. "You're playing with your food more than you're eating it."

I don't think Nick's words were actually an accusation or a scolding or anything, but more of a genuine curiosity because he cared about me, but I was grumpy and sad and sore so I rolled my eyes and swore at him under my breath. Except that it wasn't really under my breath.

Nick opened his mouth, probably to tell me off, but Damon beat him to it.

"Carrie!" he said sharply. "Come here."

I didn't want to go to my oldest brother. My butt was still sore from earlier, and I was already in so much trouble. What more was there left for Damon to do to me? But I knew it would be worse for me if I disobeyed my brother, so I quickly apologized to Nick and got to my feet.

"Be careful brother, I spanked her pretty hard," Alex told Damon, but Damon only glared at him. His eyes shot daggers. I don't think I'd ever seen him look quite so furiously at Alex before, or not around me, anyway.

As soon as I got close-ish to Damon, he reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me in close to him. But he didn't whack my butt as he'd expected me to. Instead, he guided me to sit on his knee and he wrapped his arm around me, cuddling me close, before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"What's the matter, Carrie-girl? This whole not eating and swearing at Nick thing, that's not like you."

This isn't like you, either, I thought, because Damon's voice was gentle, kind. Usually, he'd be scolding me, talking sternly.

"Everything," I whispered. "Jack's not here, Logan isn't here either and that's mostly because of me, my butt hurts, I'm in trouble with Alex and grounded. Everything feels wrong."

I started to cry silently, my lower lip quivering, my shoulders shaking, and tears rolling down my cheeks. Damon reached up to wipe them away with his thumb.

"You were punished fairly," he insisted, "and I know you miss Jack. I'll get him to give you a ring before you go to bed, alright?"

"Alex has my phone," I grumbled. "Are you going to give it back?"

Nick and Rocco both snorted, Alex cleared his throat and Damon chuckled.

"No my girl, I'm not giving it back. Alex has it, not me, and he will be keeping it until he decides otherwise."

I pouted exaggeratedly. "Not fair," I pouted.

"Very fair," Damon insisted. "Jack will ring you on one of our phones, don't worry."

He gave me another squeezy hug, then stood me up. "Are you okay now?"

I nodded. "I think so." I tried to smile. "Is Logan going to be okay?" I glared at Nick briefly, before turning my attention back to Damon.

"Yes Carrie-girl, he's going to be fine."