Prized Possession Sneak Peek - Marcus #2
The Morellis, under my father Maximus’ control, took ownership of the East, while the Santoros, led by Jacob’s father, Caleb, ruled the West. They’d have regular Council meetings where they’d make decisions for the city together, whilst each retaining their own portion of power.
Me and Jacob were raised as our father’s heirs, and we grew up together, knowing we’d be expected to rule as a team when we took over.
Though it was drilled into us both that whilst it’s important to maintain the peace treaty, we’re still rivals, and should the time ever come, we’d need to take the other out in a heartbeat, or risk them doing the same to us.
Despite knowing this, Jacob still became my best friend. Although our friendship was initially forced on us as a result of familial obligation, it quickly turned into something so much more. We had a lot in common, and we bonded over the pressure we were under.
It wasn’t long before I stopped seeing Jacob as just a friend who was forced on me, and instead he became like a brother to me.
So when he started going off the rails these last few months, of course I’ve been covering for him, hoping like hell too many people don’t notice before I’m able to find out what his problem is and set him straight.
Unfortunately, the wrong people have taken notice before I can sort him out, so now I need to do everything I can to cover for him.
“I’m aware that Caleb and Jacob don’t get on well, and he assures me that he’s handling the issue, but I seem to be hearing new reports of his behaviour almost daily now,” he responds, and I have to bite the inside of my lip to keep from cursing aloud.
With as much composure as I can muster, I ask, “Reports, like what?”
“This weekend, he was seen in our club—Caged—snorting cocaine out of one of the dancers belly button, before trying to fight three security guards who asked him to leave,” he states, disgust dripping from each word.
Both my father and Caleb have always had strict rules, not just for us but all of their employees. The big one is that we’re not supposed to sample the products we ship. Our job is to sell drugs to others, not get hooked on the stuff ourselves.
It was also drilled into us from an early age that the public’s perception of us is everything. The only reason anyone should ever be talking about us is if they fear or respect us.
Airing our dirty laundry in public, or causing a spectacle the way Jacob has lately, has always been strictly prohibited. I’m actually a little surprised his father hasn’t tried to stop him before now.
“I didn’t know about that. Look, it’s our monthly poker night on Saturday, so I’ll talk to him about it then,” I reply, cringing as my father’s nose wrinkles in disgust once more. It really is a wonder he doesn’t have more frown lines.
“You two still do that?”
He sounds like I just told him we take turns shitting on the table while the other watches, as opposed to the innocent gambling night it actually is.
When Jacob and I started taking more responsibilities from our fathers, and our roles as rulers grew, we knew we needed to find a way to work together, whilst still holding on to our friendship.
Although I see Jake as more like my brother, and we bonded over the commonalities we have in life, when it comes to our personalities, we couldn’t be more different.
While he’s funny, out-going, a relentless flirt, and a genuinely nice guy, I’m almost the opposite. I’m quiet, broody, and I have a ‘stay the fuck away from me’ aura that I give off at all times.
I’m the one who looks like I’ll kill you in your sleep if you piss me off, when in actuality, Jacob’s the hothead with the bad temper. I’m more likely to bide my time, plotting my revenge out thoroughly, before striking when you least expect it, and when I know I’ll make the biggest impact.
Because of how different we are, we don’t always agree on how to handle things. So to stop arguments from escalating, we created our monthly poker night.
During the event, we bring up any issues we have disagreed over, and we play for them. The winner gets to deal with the issue however they choose. Then when all the problems are sorted, we play for fun.
Our fathers hate the idea, but it's the best thing we could come up with to deal with our differences, without risking our friendship. And so far, it’s been working well, but if Jake continues on like this, it won’t be long before I can’t protect him anymore, and his father will step in.
“You know we do,” I reply, trying not to sound sarcastic.
“Well, clearly it’s no longer working,” he snaps, glaring at me.
Oops, guess he picked up on the sarcasm.
“I’ve told you, I’ll sort it out this weekend,” I respond through gritted teeth.
Father lets out a huff followed by a long sigh. “It might be too late for that. It brings us to the reason I called the meeting in the first place. I think Caleb might be putting things in place to replace Jacob as his heir.”
My eyes snap open wide when I hear that, shock rippling through me like ice in my veins. “How?”
There are only a couple of ways that Jacob could be replaced, and I’d hate any of them. My heart races as my father sits there for a moment, looking like he’s trying to find the right words.
“Caleb made the announcement earlier. In six weeks, Chloe will marry Scott Caprillo, uniting their two families together. I’m guessing he will be looking for Scott to take over from Jacob, if he doesn’t get his shit together,” my father growls.
My stomach flips and my heart sinks as he confirms my worst case scenario. I try to focus on my work, pushing all thoughts of her from my mind, the way I’ve been doing my whole life.
Chloe Santoro is the very definition of forbidden. She’s my best friend's little sister, the girl I’ve been picking on since she was in pigtails, the daughter of our rival family. She’s also the bane of my fucking existence—temptation at its finest—which is why I hate her so much.
“What the fuck is Caleb thinking? The Caprillos have been vying for power for years. If Scott and Chloe unite the two families, and that fucking prick, Scott, is made leader, it’s only a matter of time before he tries to overthrow us,” I grumble, trying to focus my anger on the business implications of this stupid fucking decision. Nothing more.
“I don’t know what Caleb is thinking, but you need to sort this before it goes too far. Jacob has to remain as leader or our peace treaty will fly out of the window. It’s on tentative ground as is,” he replies, far more calmly than I feel.
“How the fuck do you expect me to sort this? If their marriage has been arranged and announced…it’s final.”
The words feel like ash on my tongue, but I know it’s true. Very rarely in our world are the contracts of an arranged marriage nullified. Once you give your word and commit…there’s no going back.
“I don’t give a shit what you do, but you need to do something. I don’t think there’s much to be done about the arranged marriage. Like you said, usually when these things are announced, they’re final. You’re gonna have to work on fixing Jacob.
“Caleb would only ever hand over the reins to someone else if he was sure Jacob couldn’t fulfil the role. He wants him to be his heir, so I suggest you focus on making Jacob aware of what he’s going to lose.”
As the words echo on repeat in my head, I know how tough this task will be. I may hate the pressure of being in the role I’m in, but I actually love my job, whereas Jacob has always hated it. The threat of him losing his status won’t bother him one bit, but I need it to.
A million plans, all more elaborate than the last, run through my head. I have no idea what I’m going to do, but as I make my promise to my father, I know I mean it.
“I promise you, I’ll sort this. The Caprillos will not get a single strand of power, if I have a say in it. No matter what I have to do, I’ll ensure our peace treaty remains intact, and our family continues to reign with as much power and influence as we do now.”
My fathers lips twist up into a smirk, a hint of pride visible that I rarely see. As I leave his office, my mind is whirling a million miles an hour.
Not only do I have to save my best friend from himself, I also have to do something to stop that arsehole Scott from gaining any power or influence.
My first thought is to find a way to stop the wedding before it happens, but I can’t do that. If Chloe marries that wanker, she’ll become his problem. I won’t have to see her as much as I do now, which means she’ll have less opportunities to drive me fucking crazy.
The part of me that’s screaming to ruin her wedding needs to be silenced. I try to tell myself how much I’ll enjoy her misery, watching her pretend to like the man her father is forcing on her.
I know she’ll despise having her marriage arranged for her, and the sadistic side of me takes pleasure from her misery. So why is there a part of me that hates the idea of her marrying him?
I push the irrational thoughts to one side and focus on the assignment my father set for me. Talk about a fucking impossible task, and I have no idea where to start.