Martinis

"Do you want to get a drink?", I said to Miraj.

"Aren't you underage?"

"Oh, come on. A mafia prince worrying about the law. Priceless... It's my party. I am getting a drink and you're joining me."

We walked to the bar and ordered two apple martinis.

I couldn't help but ask, "I thought you would order pure hard liquor. I thought martinis would be a little beneath your status."

"Just because I am a guy doesn't mean I have to assert my masculinity every second. Besides, I love martinis."

"So, whatchya doin' at my bachelorette? No more enemies to exterminate?"

"Your bachelorette? Oh, one female suitor and multiple male suitors. Makes sense. And no, no more enemies to exterminate." He smiled and continued, "After the news came out about what I did to the Zaveri family, all my enemies sort of backed off and a truce is being maintained with everyone."

Miraj was 21 and famous now but two years ago, no one knew this guy. Everyone knew there was a Miraj Moretti but nobody had seen him in years. Either he had never showed his face to the public or he had actively made sure that anyone who saw his face didn't know he was Miraj Moretti.

So when he went undercover in the Zaveri family at the age of 18, no one knew his real identity except his family. Two years later, the Zaveri family was destroyed to the extent of never recovering from their losses. Every Zaveri who was involved in any illegal businesses in our world was dead regardless of their gender or age. As far as I was concerned, most of them deserved it.

That family was knee-deep in the most heinous crimes one could commit against a human. From extortion to human trafficking they did it all and enjoyed doing it. Most of us did what we did because we were born into it. We even killed to survive but taking pleasure in someone else's pain required being a special kind of bastard.

Miraj's reputation should scare me from getting close to him just like it scared the other people at this party, but I knew the control and precision required to maintain an act for years and slowly taking your revenge. You have to value your goal enough to not kill any unknown fly around you in case it jeopardizes your mission.

Right now his mission was to be present at this party to honor the invitation he received from my family. He had no interest in seeing me dead.

"Cheers to no extermination then."

"Cheers", he replied.

***

I was sort of tipsy, we had been at the bar for more than a half hour and I was on my third martini. So was Miraj but he still looked perfectly fine. Jared and Mikhail had finally decided to cut the shit out and were sulking in different corners with ice packs. Thanks to my company right now, very few people bothered us with conversations.

"So why are you doing this? Just because your father asked you to or are you actually looking for a husband at 19?", Miraj asked me.

I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I am doing this for the alcohol."

He chuckled.

"Yeah, I should have figured that."

"So are you interested in me?"

"Point blank questions. You really know how to put someone on the spot."

"Hey Eliana!", I heard a cheery female voice. I turned around to see Siara, Sira's younger sister, calling my name. Dang! Couldn't she have arrived after the hot guy answered my question? She was the worst best friend ever. I tried to glare at her to make her go away but she was too drunk to get it.

"Hey Eli! What happened to your eyebrows? Why are they so...?" She put two of her crooked index fingers in front of each other and moved them in an attempt to make my eyebrows out of them. Fuck, she was hammered.

I turned to the man beside me and said, "I am sorry I have to take her inside. She is too drunk to be left alone."

"Oh it's alright. I'll help."

I didn't need his help but I welcomed the company. So I nodded and put my arm around Siara's waist.

"She can't walk straight. You'll both fall in those heels. Let me take her."

The three martinis were affecting me so I relented. He took her in his arms and my eyes were focused on his arm around Siara. I wanted it around me.

"Eliana."

I looked at his face, he was expecting a reply and I had no idea what he had said. Embarrassing.

"Sorry. I am tipsy. What did you say?", I smiled awkwardly at him after saying that.

"Do you need help walking? Or maybe you should just stay here while I help her inside."

"No, I can follow your lead. I'll be fine."

Heck if I am letting you go alone with my best friend. I lusted after him but I didn't trust him.