Page 37 of Fatal Scheme

Bringing a girl home to meet my mother is so far out of my realm that I’m afraid I’ve landed on a different planet.

Still, my father was clear, and even though I’m nervous, a strange sense of excitement is radiating through my bones, like I’m finally taking new steps in my life that weren’t previously possible.

Of course, Carter isn’t just my girl, she’s Ty’s too, but for the sake of normalcy, she’ll belong to me tonight.

Awkward isn’t even close to describing the situation, but Tyson is a good sport, and Carter has promised to make it up to him, something that wasn’t a hard sell in the slightest.

“Carter, we have to go! My father doesn’t accept tardiness!” I call out for the third time, her leisurely pace beginning to grind my nerves, and I’m seriously considering offering her up to Ty for a punishment.

The attire is always ‘dress to impress’ at the Masseria household, whether my mother is hosting cocktail hour, fancy dinners, or book club, and tonight is no different.

Between the two suits I own I’ve chosen the black one, a statement to how I think Carter will be dressed.

I’ve also covered my tattoos, an ode to my mother who hates them, and slipped on our Family ring in order to appease my father.

Overall, I’m not actively trying to cause chaos, which is a dramatic turnaround from my previous showings at the Masseria household.

This isn’t Tyson’s first rodeo, and he’s decked out in his usual jewelry, a suit to match, and wearing his mother’s necklace after hearing that his father will also be in attendance.

Never one to back down from a fight, my father is pulling out all the stops, leaving Tyson and I to fend off whatever it is he plans to throw at us.

“Carter! So help me God, I will come up there and throw you over my shoulder. You have one minute!” I yell, the anxiety surrounding the evening beginning to get the best of me.

“Re-fucking-lax, Jasper. I’m coming!” She snarks, her heels clicking against the wooden stairs, and when she finally descends the staircase, my jaw drops to the floor.

She let her hair down, the dark curls flowing over her shoulders and bouncing while she walks, her shoes giving her at least four more inches.

In true fashion, her dress is black, with lace ribbons on the sides tied into little bows. Right between her breasts lies a silver zipper with a loop, almost begging to be tugged on, while the hem rides dangerously high up her toned legs, leaving little to the imagination.

“Well, boys? What do we think?” She purrs, spinning around the kitchen like a little grim reaper fairy princess, ready to eat her victims alive.

“Absolutely beautiful, baby girl,” Tyson smiles, kissing her cheek and taking her hand while she does another twirl.

“I think I’ve died and gone to hell, Principessina, because you are fucking stunning,” I tell her, snatching her wrists and pulling us chest to chest.

“Are you going to call me your girlfriend?” She teases, standing on her tiptoes until our lips are millimeters apart.

“Would it bother you if I did?”

“Only if you take it back afterwards,” she whispers, a hint of vulnerability in her voice as I’m nearly suffocated by her perfume.

“No take backsies.” I snake my teeth along her lower lip, tugging slightly as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Alright, love birds. We should get moving,” Tyson interrupts, and she smiles against me, her ice-blue eyes shimmering under the dim lighting.

“Aw, Tyson, do you wanna be my boyfriend too?” She asks, looping her arms through ours, allowing us to escort her outside.

“Whatever you want, baby girl. You already have me wrapped around your little finger,” he says, a genuine smile on his face, and it warms my heart to see him happy.

For so long, he was locked inside of his own mind, his past trauma, and staying at the college has helped, but not as much as Carter entering our lives has.

She’s a beacon of light for him, and me, too, which makes bringing her into the darker side of our world a little easier.

Taking a deep breath, I pile into Tyson’s truck, his father never allowing him to drink at these dinners, making him our designated driver.

Of course, by the end of the night we’ll probably kill a fifth and beat the shit out of the workout equipment in the basement, our usual routine after facing off with our fathers.

Carter’s tense next to me, likely never experiencing this situation either, so I drape my arm over her shoulder, pulling her close.