Ch. 1 - Oh Daddy

J A D E

"Daddy!" my shrill voice rang out from the second floor.

I was currently arguing with Quintin, my best friend, who was basically like

a brother to me. Even though he was two years older, I still bossed him

around, because well, that was just how things worked between us for as

long as I could remember.

Right now, we needed an important issue settled immediately, so I called

the one person who could provide a resolution.

That person was Dominic Giano Calvetti.

Just saying his name sent shivers down my spine. The Italian man was the

biggest mafia boss in Aelbank City, and we had met him when I was just

six years old.

You see, Quintin and I had been kidnapped and taken to a crime boss called

Enzo. At the time, Dominic had just moved from New York City, branching

out to form his own mafia.

What better way to make a name for yourself than to take out the biggest

crime bosses in the area?

Anyway, seeing the tall, pale-skinned, silvery white-haired man as he

entered the room had been like seeing an angel. Only this angel did not

come with wings and a harp, but rather with a purple pinstripe suit and a

purple Desert Eagle.

Suffice to say, when he had blown Enzo's head clean off in front of us, it

had been love at first sight.

Not love love, but you know, the grateful kind.

Although, I would be lying if I did not openly admit that lately, I had been

curious about what it would be like to kiss him.

When the thought had first popped into my head, the spring semester for

my university was slowly coming to an end, with exams looming around

the corner. I was sitting in my Accounting Analytics class and had ended up

gasping out loud, disturbing Professor Mitchell.

Needless to say, I had been shocked as well as embarrassed, as I had no idea

why I would even consider something like that. Perhaps it was the new

adult hormones as I liked to call them, or just the excitement of kissing a

man as dangerous as him.

Of course, due to the rare skin condition he had, Dominic did not look like a

traditional Italian mafia man. Hell, his appearance I can admit, was

appalling to most people when they first saw him. My best friend Blaire had

given him the nickname Jack Frost the first time she had met Dominic.

However, in my eyes, his unnaturally pale features made him all the more

special.

I blamed this newfound interest on all those erotic mafia romance stories

that Blaire had me reading throughout the semester. It was part of her own

personal extra-curricular activities to help improve her prose writing, since

she was studying for a degree in Literature.

For as long as I could remember, I had always wanted to be a part of

Dominic's mafia organisation, but he had made it clear that he would only

consider my request after I graduated from university. And so, that is why I

had been studying at a private institution for the past year, working towards

my degree in Forensic Accounting.

What can I say, I was not about to let Dominic get caught on tax evasion.

My newfound emotional state had left me very confused, and it was

something that I had been thinking about for the past six weeks, since my

summer break had started.

With my nineteenth birthday fast approaching, I hoped that I could satisfy

this sudden and weird curiosity that I had for him. I felt like kissing him

would help me process these strange new feelings that I was developing.

Dominic had not really been a father figure per se. At least not to me,

especially as I was a girl and the man had no clue about raising children.

Sure, he had taken Quintin and myself in and provided a roof over our

heads. But he had a mafia to run, so it had been up to the maids and tutors

to take care of us, and as children, we barely saw much of him.

To me, Dominic had always been more like that annoying, overprotective

older brother. Even though he aggravated the hell out of you, you still

respected and cared about him.

Quintin and I were the only two children ever allowed to live at the Calvetti

residence, and needless to say, we grew up not wanting for anything.

The lavish property had been built against the curve of the hills, and the

elevation allowed for us to enjoy the beautiful city views. Particularly the

sight of the boardwalk, next to the East Dock in Canary Wharf that stood in

the distance, was one of my favourite things to look at.

The Calvetti residence was a beautiful piece of architecture, with multiple

floors above and below the earth. There were two main entrances, one to

the west and the other facing the east. The residence's inside, as well as the

outside of the compound, were patrolled by a number of heavily armed

bodyguards. Rising above any other structure of the property, a guard tower,

staffed by two men at all times, provided maximum security.

I loved living here, and while I could have stayed on campus, I chose not to.

If I had it my way, I would never leave, for the people in this building were

my family.

Plus, harassing them was just too much fun!

Leaving Quintin to grumble, I walked to my open bedroom door and stuck

my head out in the hallway and shouted once again.

"Daaaaaddyyyyy!" I screeched with a smirk, knowing how much Dominic

hated when I called him that.

I could just picture him now as he no doubt heard my annoying yells while

sitting in the large living room with Vincent, just below us on the first floor.

Dominic was probably growling and gritting his teeth as he cursed my

name to hell, but I liked to think that he had a soft spot for me.

Vincent was a man of few emotions, and his dark, smouldering eyes were

like bottomless pools of ice-cold liquid. He was feared and respected by

many, having rightfully earned his place as Dominic's second in command.

I could just imagine his dark eyebrows arching as my yells reached his ears

also.

My attention was pulled back into my room as Quintin shouted at me.

"I will ask you again, Jade, what the hell did you do to your hair?" he

exclaimed, his 5ft 10in frame rigid.

"Can you just relax, Quin?" I replied, using my nickname for him, trying to

calm him down.

"I can't! Have you seen your head?" Quintin gestured, his voice getting

louder, "Why would you think that this would be a good look?"

"What does it matter? It's my hair and I can do whatever I want!" I

screamed back.

In that moment, Dominic barged into the bedroom, "Children, children,

enough with the fighting..." his words died down as his gaze settled upon

us.

Upon his entry, my green eyes lit up, "Daddy! Do you like it?"

"Jade! What the hell did you do to your hair?" Dominic's question mirrored

Quintin's as he stood there, his pale face contorted in confusion.

My once long, caramel-brown hair was now a vibrant purple.

The glossy strands framed my delicate face, while the rest of the thick

tresses cascaded down my back. It had been hard to find the exact shade of

purple that I wanted, but after months of searching, I had found a salon that

carried it.

"I dyed it, obviously! I did it for my birthday party later. I will be nineteen

in a few hours and you told me a few years ago that I could colour my hair

purple once I turned eighteen. I figured a year late wasn't too bad," my

smile was wide.

Dominic's blue eyes bulged, clearly surprised that I had even remembered

that conversation.

"I was obviously joking! I didn't think you were serious; that was over a

decade ago for crying out loud," he sputtered.

"Aaaand with that, I take my exit!" Quintin said before quickly adding, "I'm

going to go over some of the preparations for the party with Jee-min. Try

not to kill each other too much," his laughter could be heard as he began to

make his way out.

"Send Jee-min in here for a minute before you leave," Dominic commanded

before Quintin left.

Poking his shoulder gently, "Well..." I said while twirling around playfully,

"Do you like it daddy?"

He took a sharp breath as his eyes narrowed, "Jade, how many times have I

told you not to call me that? You know how much it irritates me!"

"Exactly..." a soft snicker escaped me as I continued, "Besides, using the

names Dominic or Mr. Calvetti just isn't as much fun and well, I wanted to

have something else to call you besides plain old Dom..." I paused and

pouted before adding, "Be grateful I didn't decide to call you Daddy Dom

instead. Although, I have been thinking about Dom the Dom, kind of has a

nice ring to it no?"

Dom the Dom.

Just saying it out loud caused me to giggle some more. I had come up with

it based on the preference of his sexual appetite, well at least based on the

rumours I had heard.

Certainly, Dom the Dom was much better than Daddy Dom Dick, and as I

compared the two, the thought caused me to snort as I tried to stifle my

laughter.

At the mention of Dom the Dom, Dominic growled softly, "Jade..."

I loved it when he said my name.

My real name was Martha Miller, but I hated it, for it reminded me of my

past, and it just sounded too boring. So, in the end I had it changed.

Dominic had recommended the name Jade, stating that the intensity of my

green eyes reminded him of jadeite. I had immediately fallen in love with

the designation.

Smiling, I moved even closer to him and hugged his left arm.

With a sigh, I rested my head against his shoulder, his 6ft 4in stature

towered over my 5ft 7in frame. Like always, he smelled so good, and I

could not help but inhale the scent of his cologne.

Pouting my lips, I looked up at him, "So, do you like the colour, Dom? It

matches your favourite shade of purple."

As he was about to answer, someone knocked on the door.

Jee-min entered soon after. He was a slender Korean man of average height

with flawless, blond-dyed hair. He had a phlegmatic expression on his face,

making his features even more attractive, as his dark monolid eyes flickered

back and forth between Dominic and myself.

"You called for me, boss?" Jee-min asked.

"You're her personal bodyguard! You're supposed to keep me informed of

everything she does! Why the hell did you allow her to do this?" Dominic

asked in annoyance, gesturing to my purple hair.

Jee-min's eyes suddenly widened in realisation, "Aw Shit! I only saw the

colour after her hair was rinsed out. She told me that you were okay with

it!"

"And you believed her?" Dominic's face contorted in disbelief.

"Come on boss, you know what she's like! She barely listens to me as it

is..." Jee-min sighed in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair.

Shaking his head, Dominic muttered, "Get out, I'll deal with you in a

minute."

I watched as Jee-min gave me a pointed stare, letting me know that he

would get his revenge on me during training. The thought made me cringe.

Shit, I was in for it later.

Even though the Korean was of average height and build, he was as deadly

as they came with his fists, as well as with any weapon that he could get his

hands on.

This was one of the reasons that Dominic had chosen Jee-min to watch over

me, as opposed to one of the other larger men. Seeing as he was the same

height as me and had a youthful appearance, the unassuming man blended

into crowds effortlessly. This made it easier for him to watch over me as he

could pass for a university student and would follow me around to every

class.

Let me tell you, that could really be annoying at times!

As I looked back at Jee-min, my eyes conveyed a silent apology. I tried to

put on my cutest sad face, in an attempt to manipulate him. But Jee-min

knew me too well and his frown only deepened as he closed the door

behind him.

Immediately changing my face into a smile, I turned my attention back to

the striking man standing in my bedroom.

Biting my bottom lip in a brief pout, I asked again, trying to get my voice to

sound as innocent as possible, "So... What do you think?"

Dominic's favourite colour was purple and I had done this as a tribute to

him.

The mafia boss could never stay angry at me; no one really could for that

matter, and I used that to my advantage. They did not call me the 'Master

Manipulator' for nothing. I should be ashamed at the way I schemed my

way to get things, but it was be a useful skill to have. Especially if I had

plans of joining Dominic's organisation.

"It looks nice," he replied, as he ran his gloveless hand through my long

hair, "however, I'm not sure how the dean of your faculty will take it, seeing

as you have that photo shoot for the university magazine coming up. You

know how uptight that man can be."

Shrugging, I let go of his arm and walked towards the portable rack where

my designer birthday outfit hung, still hidden in its black garment bag. My

fingers played with the zipper as I pursed my lips.

Turning back to face him, I said, "Don't worry, Mr. Thompson is afraid of

you, he won't say anything. Besides, Blaire dyes her hair all the time and

she's on the cover of the current Humanities faculty brochure!"

"Jade..." his voice disapproving.

Even with his tone, I could see in his eyes that he was a little proud of me. I

was never one to be easily daunted.

"What have I told you about intimidating other people?" Dominic asked

before he went on to say, "I don't want you acting like a gangster. As for

Ms. Harris, that girl is such a bad influence!"

"How many times have I told you, just call her Blaire, she isn't one of your

mafia associates. As for being a bad influence... Really Dom? This coming

from the biggest crime boss in the city?" I retorted, a frown forming on my

brow as I added, "As for acting like a gangster, I'm just trying to fit in. I

mean, you let Quin join your mafia, and he didn't even need to go to

university as a requirement! Why are the rules different for me? I'm as

much a part of this organization as everyone else in this house!"

Audibly groaning, he replied, "Because he's a man. I don't want you getting

hurt."

With my hands on my hips, I argued, "I'm more than capable of taking care

of myself! I know my way around a gun, plus Jee-min has been teaching me

to fight since I was nine!" I paused to go into a Wing Chun stance before I

relaxed and continued, "Besides, Raeni is the head of the Jamaican Mafia

and she's as badass as any the of the other leaders! You have no problem

doing deals with her and she's a woman, why am I different?"

Sighing deeply, he took a moment before he spoke, "First of all, Ms. Dixon

is a real adult. Just because you turn nineteen tomorrow doesn't mean you're

ready for such things! Secondly, while you might be good at Kung-Fu and

using a gun, you aren't bullet proof!" Dominic's hand moved to gently

caress my cheek.

I almost purred as I felt his fingers against my skin. Not being able to help

myself, I leaned into his touch, wanting more.

It was a big deal to be touched by Dominic Calvetti's bare hands.

You see, he never touched anyone unless he had his gloves on. And even

then, he was still specific about where he put his hands.

Dominic was very particular that way, even more so where touching him

was concerned. Many people thought that it may have been because he had

mysophobia, and that he had a fear of germs and an obsession with

cleanliness.

However, in reality, it was an unfortunate consequence of the trauma of his

past, and as a result, no one was allowed to touch the mafia boss.

Well, no one except me.

I was the only one who Dominic ever allowed to touch the bare skin of his

hands and face.

Of course, such actions mostly took place in a private setting, which is why

I thought that he had a soft spot where I was concerned. I never knew why

he allowed me to, but I never questioned it.

His deep voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"I don't know what I would do if you ever got hurt. Can't you just stay safe

and hidden?" Dominic urged with a dazzling smile while pulling his hand

away.

My mood immediately changed, and without thinking, I lashed out.

"No!" I said as I suddenly kicked his shin before turning my back on him

and stalking towards the window. Pressing my forehead against the glass, I

muttered, "Perhaps I really should just move out..."

Though I could, we both knew that I would not.

I suddenly felt his hands on my shoulders. Dominic roughly turned me

around to face him, a deep grumble started low in his throat as he dragged

me away from the window and pushed me up against the nearest wall. His

blue eyes darkened as both his palms smacked the solid surface on either

side of my head simultaneously.

"Careful..." Dominic sternly warned before asking, "What have I told you

about those temper tantrums, hmmm? And if you want to move out, I

cannot stop you, you are free to do as you please, but don't expect me to

leave you unprotected."

Rolling my eyes at him, I said, "I don't need you; I can take care of myself."

I knew that I was being rude and ungrateful, but sometimes I really just

could not help what came out of my mouth. My tongue was reckless and I

often took advantage of the fact that I was the only person who could talk to

Dominic in this manner.

Although, I had to admit that I sometimes overstepped my boundaries, and

when I did, he never failed to reinforce who was in charge. After all, I knew

the rules, but sometimes I needed reminding.

Smiling darkly, his nostrils flared as he looked down at me.

As his blue gaze infiltrated mine, I admired the rage that I saw smouldering

within his penetrating stare. Dominic's angry eyes always held a strange

power over me. I silently hoped that perhaps one day he would let me

experience the torrent that I knew resided within him.

It was hard to ignore this electric pull that I suddenly felt whenever I was

near Dominic. The feeling was new and it scared me, but I had always been

fascinated by dangerous things.

Perhaps that was why I was finding myself looking at Dominic in a new

way.

I was attracted to his chaos. I supposed one might say that I was a bit

messed up in the head, but then again, who would not be, given what I had

gone through as a child.

With him standing so close to me, I bit my bottom lip, trying my best to

stifle the moan that threatened to escape.

Dominic was about to say something when his mobile phone suddenly rang.