Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Are You In The Mafia?

Brianna

David asked about my friend back in Buguma and he just figured I had a boyfriend there for whatever reason. I told him I didn't want to talk about it and he dropped it. I asked him if he had a girlfriend, he had to be at least in his middle thirties. When my phone started ringing, I moved back from where I was leaning towards the front seat to chat with him.  I saw it was Jane.

“Hey,” I answered cheerfully.

“I am sorry, I had to call.” She said.

She began telling me about this guy she has been sort of hooking up with but not actually dating and she gave me the whole drama series which I wasn't complaining about. It felt good to have a friend like this, it took the rest of the car ride home and me getting into the apartment, I changed my clothes before she was through with her gushing. She saw the guy on a date with another girl when she went to this trendy restaurant with friends. I asked if she was upset and talked through it with her.

I had noticed Bryce and Callan when I walked in but I didn't stay to say hello to them since I had been on the phone. Once we finally hung up,  I walked out and by the way the two men were lingering, it sort of felt like they had been waiting for me.

“What?” I said right away.

My stomach dropped like something might have happened, Bryce looked at Callan and then me. Shit, did he find something out? My heart rate picked up.

“Tell her,” Bryce waved at Callan.

“Oh, I thought you would want to.” He realized that Bryce was waiting for him. My brother decided to step forward and tell me whatever the hell they wanted to tell me.

“You have an internship with the stylish woman you meet at the party.” He blurted the news, my jaw dropped and my heart raced for a whole new reason.

“What?” I was stunned but so excited, he grinned at my reaction and I was suddenly barreling towards him, jumping around and giving him a hug in excitement.

“I didn't do anything, Callan did.” He chuckled.

Without even thinking about it, I threw myself into his arms instead. He caught me easily, he didn't hug me the way he probably would have if my brother wasn't here. But I didn't care. I pulled away from him after I squeezed him and thanked him a million times.

“She really said I can intern for her?” I held Callan at arms length and looked up at his handsome face that was stone serious, not giving anything away.

“I showed her your portfolio like I told you I would and she really likes you.” He said to me, I clasped my hands under my chin and grinned from ear to ear.

“Oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting to get my foot in the door so soon. Tell me everything.” I waved for him to start talking.

He didn't much yet, he said she reached out to him and agreed to intern me. She works as an independent stylist, so she isn't tied down to just one place. It means I can basically network and meet more people. That is how I will get my foot into the right doors, she styles for magazines and for rich people, who knows who else. This is big, really big for me. She wants to meet me again and sort out the details with me starting next week.

“Oh, I probably have to quit Bizzyaski, right?” I muttered.

“They won't mind. They knew it was temporary.” Bryce assured me.

I rode that bite for the rest of the night, and I ended up calling Jane back and telling her all about it. She screamed like a banshee in excitement for me. She followed my fashion page after meeting me and hearing me talk about it, so she saw some of my sketches and even some clothes that I have made with my own hands. She called me talente and it felt good to hear that. My father said I wouldn't make it in the industry. He told me I wasn't talented and for a little while, I believed him. I almost stopped learning how to draw so I could create looks. It was because one day, I want to be a designer. Not every stylist needs to know how to draw or anything but that is my own little niche. I can make clothes, style the looks  of clothing and design clothes ideas. I am not calling myself super talented in the slightest but it was a craft I have curated over the years. So Jane being impressed just felt nice, it also felt genuine. In fashion school, we were all secretly in competition with one another, so even though they always complimented me, I didn't always believe them. She wasn't surprised that it was Callan who had the connection I needed.

“You know how he is.” She said to me, I wasn't actually sure what she meant so I aske.

“People always want to stay on the good side of rich men and Don. He is both, so imagine double the respect.” She explained, I stopped dead in my tracks and went over her words one more time.

Don? I called him a gangster once, but convinced myself that wasn't true. I told bruec that he was probably involved in shady business but I didn't mean large scale Don type stuff. It all started falling together like little puzzle pieces, I swallowed hard, unsure how to even feel about this. I was suddenly afraid but of what? I am not afraid of Bryce, but maybe I am afraid of what he might have done to get to where he is now.

“Brianna?” She checked if I was still on the line. 

I wanted to know more, but I worried if I told her I didn't know, she would flip up.

“Well, I don't know the extent of his reach, I suppose. I never really asked.” I played it off, she laughed at that for whatever reason.

“I mean, he is kind of the boss, Brianna. What do you think?” She said in the duh voice.

A Don would have a ton of reach, that is why she was giving me that tone. I was shocked, I literally couldn't speak because the wheels were turning so quickly in my head and I became frozen. If Callan is a Don then what the hell does that makes my brother? I told her I had to hang up as I noticed I was trembling in my hand from the sheer amount of adrenaline this news gave me. I didn't know what to do with this information, I didn't even think this stuff still really even happened, but now everything makes sense to me. The limitless money, the people whose spines would straighten, bowing their heads at him or Bryce when they walked into a room or seen on the street. The guns, oh my goodness. I am an idiot for not seeing this, maybe I didn't want to see it. On a small scale, if Bryce had to do a few shady things to his success, I understood that. I had a few seedy years myself while trying to get by. But this, what should I do? Do I pretend I still don't know? I was suddenly freaking out.

In the sheer adrenaline that was coursing through me, I ended up busting out of my room and calling out for Bryce. He was in his own room and came out quickly when he heard the sound of my frantic voice.

“Are they in the mafia?” The words just came right out of me. His brows shot up to his hairline and I could see I threw him off balance.

He is usually stone with his expression when I interrogate him, but with this, he seemed surprised.

“Why the hell would you think that?” He lied right to my face and that got me angry.

“Don't lie to me, Bryce. I am sick of you and Callan lying to me about who you are and what you do. I know you are in the mafia, Jane told me. So you can't lie to me anymore!” I yelled at him.

I was overwhelmed and that is how my body decided to react, yelling. He huffed a breath past his lips and fisted his hair for a second to think.

“Listen, calm down and talk like a regular person.” He began.

“Calm down? Who the hell are you, Bryce?” He swiped a hand down his face and approached me. I held my hand out to stop him.

“No, stay there.” I warned him.

“What? Are you afraid of me now? What the hell, Brianna. I would never do anything to you, it was bullshit if you even think for a second that I would.” He was starting to get mad.

“You wouldn't do anything to me, I know that but what have you done to others? What have you been up to the past several years here with Callan Harold, huh?” He huffed and puffed and decided to call Callan.