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madpanda75 · 4 years

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“Taking Chances Part 9: Love, Tequila, and Ice Cream”

And we’re back!!!!! So to give you a brief recap, Rafael and the reader left the Carisi house in a huff after the reader gave Sonny “the slap heard around the world.” Find out what happens next in this latest chapter. Words are said, sexy times happen. It’s fluffy, smutty fun....for now 😉💕

NSFW: Sex by the fireplace! Can ya’ dig it??? 😜💥🔥

Rafael adjusted his grip on the steering wheel as he drove across the Verrazano Bridge. Occasionally he would glance over at you sitting in the passenger seat with your head down and your hands gently folded in your lap.

Rafael cleared his throat. “So should we go to my place or yours?”

You grunted out a monotone syllable in response.

“Ok, your place it is,” he said with a sigh, turning on the blinker and making a right turn towards your apartment.

Once back at your place, you immediately went to the living room and started a fire. Your apartment may have been a shoebox, but the wood burning fireplace was a definite perk. When you first moved in, the notion of a struggling artist pouring her heart and soul onto the canvas beside a roaring fire seemed romantic and bohemian.

While you stroked the flames to life, Rafael stood there with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Cold night, huh?” He inwardly cringed at having been reduced to commenting on the weather.

“Mmhmm,” you replied.

“Two syllables. That’s progress,” he thought. Maybe by the end of the night, you would utter an actual word. After several minutes of deafening silence, he made yet another feeble attempt at conversation. “Your mom is a wonderful cook.”

“Hmmm,” you grunted.

“That’s it. I can’t take it anymore.” Rafael crouched down next to you and took your face in his hands, forcing you to meet his gaze. Your eyes were still shiny with tears, your nose bright red.

It was the first time since leaving your parents’ house that you had looked at him or even acknowledged his presence apart from the occasional mumble. “I know this afternoon was a complete disaster, but I can’t take this anymore. Please say something. Anything.”

Your bottom lip quivered before blurting out, “He cheated on me!” As soon as the words escaped your lips, you crumbled into a heap on the floor, sobbing.

Rafael gathered you into his arms, running his hands through your hair, rocking back and forth. You clung to him, wetting his brand new Tom Ford dress shirt. But neither of you could care less. After all, he knew what it was like to be betrayed. Once you calmed down, he asked, “So tequila or ice cream?”

“Both,” you replied with a hiccup and a very loud unladylike sniffle.

Rafael got up and walked over to your kitchen to grab the bottle of Tequila Ocho Reposado you had hidden in your cupboard behind the cheap stuff before rummaging in your freezer for the pint of Haagen-Dazs’ Chocolate Chocolate Chip. He smiled when he saw the post-it note you had left on the frozen dessert.

“This ice cream is the personal property of Y/N Carisi. DO NOT TOUCH OR PREPARE TO MEET A VIOLENT SUDDEN DEATH!”

He handed you a spoon and a glass. “Why do you have a death threat on your ice cream?”

“Sometimes Teresa or Gina crash here after partying or a bad date. They’re notorious for stealing my secret stash of junk food.” You pulled the cork out of the tequila bottle with your teeth and drank straight from the bottle.

Several smooth swigs of alcohol and an unfortunate brain freeze later, you and Rafael sat in front of the fire and swapped war stories. Although he had briefly mentioned being cheated on by his childhood ex-girlfriend, Yelina; tonight he shared more with you than he ever had with anyone. How heartbroken he was. The humiliation. How after such a betrayal he wondered if he ever could trust someone ever again.

Likewise, you felt safe enough to stop skirting around the ex situation and finally tell the truth about Theo. “We were supposed to go to some bakery in Staten Island to sample cakes for our wedding, but Theo told me he wasn’t feeling well and asked if we could reschedule. I didn’t think anything of it at the time.” You snorted a laugh as you scraped the last bit of ice cream out of the container. “How stupid was I?”

“Hey, don’t talk about my girlfriend that way.” Rafael wiped away a spot of chocolate chocolate chip ice cream on the corner of your mouth with his thumb.

“Later on that day, I came home with some ribollita and tea.”

“Ribollita?”

“It’s an Italian bread and vegetable soup. My mom would make it for us whenever we’re sick or sad,” you explained.

“When I walked inside, I saw a trail of clothes and heard a girl’s giggle coming from down the hall. I followed the sound, opened the bedroom door, and saw him with Lacey. The 21 year old bimbo who worked at the dry cleaners down the street,” you said in such a bitter tone that Rafael could feel the acerbic bite in his bones. Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.

“It had been going on for months. Apparently, she had been doing way more than spot treatments and pressing his pants. I dumped the soup on his 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, threw the ring at his forehead, and left. He never followed me. He never fought for us.” You shook your head and took another shot of tequila when your phone began to buzz and dance across the floor. It was your brother. Since leaving your parents’ house he had called ten times-- a new record for him.

Rafael watched as you shut off your phone and tossed it over to the couch. While Sonny was not his favorite person by any means, he knew how important your brother was to you. The last thing he wanted out of this relationship was to come between you and your family. Not only did he firmly believe they would despise him for it, but above all else he had a gnawing fear that you would resent him for driving that wedge. “You know, you’re going to have to talk to him eventually.”

You scoffed, “I never want to speak to Sonny again. I hate him.”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

You rolled your eyes. As usual Rafael was right, but that didn’t mean you had to give in and be the first person to offer an olive branch. Sonny was a colossal jerk and he needed to learn a lesson.

“He’s just looking out for you,” Rafael continued. “In his own sick and twisted way.”

You arched a brow at your boyfriend. “So how much did you overhear when Sonny and I were in the kitchen?”

Rafael shrugged and averted his gaze, suddenly incredibly fascinated with the pattern on your rug. “Not much. Snippets really.”

“So pretty much all of it?”

“Pretty much,” he confirmed. “Did...did you ever love him?”

There was a pregnant pause before you responded. Rafael stared into the fire, watching the flames dance and flicker, unable to face you. Of course he already knew the answer was yes. You were a hopeless romantic. But the idea of you loving another man, planning a future with them, made his stomach knot up.

“I thought I did once. But it was different. I can see that now.”

Rafael nodded thoughtfully and grabbed the ice cream carton and bottle of tequila to take back into the kitchen. “How so?”

“Theo and I grew up together. We were childhood sweethearts. The only reason we got engaged is because that’s what people expected of us. It was the next step. But looking back, I realized I was complacent and complacency does not equal love.”

You glanced over at a picture on the coffee table of you and Rafael. You had taken it one lazy Sunday morning in bed, Rafael was kissing your cheek, his bed head sticking out in all directions while you were laughing hysterically. What the picture didn’t capture was that he was tickling that one spot right under your ribcage. You smiled fondly at that happy moment frozen in time. “Love should be scary. It’s taking chances. It’s thrilling. I never felt that with Theo. I feel all those things when I’m with you. I love you.”

Rafael walked back into the living room, completely stunned by your declaration. “What did you say?”

“I love you?” you said with a shrug, feeling a wave of nerves. Perhaps you had jumped the gun.

Rafael plopped down on the rug beside you. He had realized early on in the relationship that he loved you, but always chalked it up to indigestion and brushed his feelings aside. He never believed you would reciprocate so soon. “Are you sure?” He turned towards you and cupped your face. “This isn’t just the tequila and ice cream talking. You’re not drunk or on a raging sugar high?”

You giggled and mimicked his movements, cupping his cheeks. “I promise I am not under any influence of any kind. I love you, Rafael Barba. With every fiber of my being, I love you.”

A tear slipped down your cheek which he brushed away. “I love you too.” He leaned forward and captured your lips with a kiss. Parting your mouth with his tongue, his touch was gentle yet commanding. Your toes were beginning to curl.

A heat crept up your body and you started to undo the top few buttons of your dress. Out of the corner of his eye, Rafael spied a flash of emerald green against your skin and stopped his ministrations.

“What’s the matter?” you asked out of breath.

He ignored your question and tugged your dress aside a little more, revealing the silk emerald green corset. The corset that you had taunted him with when you invited him to lunch on Sunday. The corset that he had envisioned ripping to shreds with his teeth.

You giggled and blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “With all the drama, I forgot I had this on.”

“You mean...you wore this to church?”

You slowly nodded your head. “And to my parents’ house.”

Rafael was already rock hard, but now he was on the brink of coming in his pants at the mere thought of you wearing this sinful lingerie underneath your demure dress all day-- piously praying at St. Thomas; helping your mother with her marinara sauce in the kitchen. “Stand up so I can see you better,” he gruffly commanded.

You obeyed and slowly went back to the task of removing your dress. “Stop,” he said and replaced your hands with his. “Let me.”

Your heart was hammering in your chest at his request. A tiny whimper escaped your throat as he peeled your dress off. Rafael’s hands were trembling with each button. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen you naked before, but this time felt different. He was nervous. Locking eyes with you, he could see you were nervous too.

Once your clothes were shed, he drank you in from head to toe--from how that particular shade of green complimented your skin, to your hard nipples poking through the silk and lace, all the way down to the black thigh high stockings connected to your garters. “Eres perfecta,” he whispered, his eyes half-hooded with lust as he began to take off his clothes.

You grabbed his hands, effectively stopping him. “Allow me.” You arched your brow and began shedding layer after layer. You took your time, running your hands over his exposed flesh, feeling his firm muscles beneath your palms.

Completely lost in the sensation of your fingertips against his skin, the clanging of his belt against the floor brought Rafael back to reality. His boxer briefs were the last to go. With a flirty snap of the elastic, you rid him of his underwear, his hardened cock springing free. He toed out of his socks and stepped towards you, nudging his clothes out of the way.

You stared at each other for a long moment-- your chests heaving, bodies pulsating. The tension between you both was electric. Not wanting to wait another second, you pressed yourself against Rafael, kissing him hard, nibbling on his bottom lip. He returned the kiss with vigor. You could feel his throbbing erection weeping onto your inner thigh, brushing against your lace-covered pussy.

In awe of this beautiful man in your arms, you began to work your way down his body, laying wet wanton kisses across his skin. “Oh Y/N, please,” he whimpered. Hearing him beg, you raked your teeth against his nipple, a particular sensitive spot for Rafael. He gasped in response.

You smirked, reveling in the fact that you had reduced him to a begging, quivering mess. Kneeling before him, you took his cock in your hand and teasingly flicked your tongue against his slit.

Rafael groaned at the sight of you looking up at him with big innocent eyes and a wide welcoming mouth. From this angle, he could see the way your garters rested on the luscious curve of your ass.

You wrapped your lips around him, swirling around his crown as if you were sucking a lollipop, tracing every vein.

Rafael threw his head back and groaned, “Ay Dios mío.”

His cock felt hot and heavy in your mouth, you relaxed your throat as you slowly swallowed him down, pushing his head past your tight ring of muscle. Your nose was tickled by his trimmed pubic hair. He held your head there for a moment, relishing in the sensation.

You smacked his ass and grabbed a handful of his flesh before pulling off him with a pop. “Fuck my mouth, mi amor,” you purred while stroking his length. “Don’t hold back. I want all of it.”

He wrapped his hand around your long locks and fed you his cock. “You naughty little girl,” he growled before thrusting. “Going to put that mouth of yours to good use.”

“Mmmhmm,” you moaned. Tears were running down your cheeks as you gagged around him, taking everything he had to give. You loved when Rafael got rough. You craved it. Giving him pleasure brought you pleasure.

One of your hands reached up to massage his balls while the other reached in between his legs, pressing down on that strip of skin between his cock and his ass. That was all it took for Rafael to come undone. His cock swelled and released. His warm seed splashing against your tongue. Rafael came so hard, he was practically bent in half, clutching the mantle, grunting over and over again. You sucked him dry, not stopping until he gently pulled you off his sensitive cock.

“Jesus Christ,” he chuckled. “You have a mouth like a vacuum cleaner.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?” you asked, wiping away some of your smudged lipstick.

“I nearly had a heart attack just now, what do you think?” He had an evil glint in his eye and took several steps towards causing you to scoot back. “I think I need to repay the favor. Don’t you?”

“Only if you insist.” You laid back down on the floor in your most seductive pose.

Rafael knelt down. “Oh believe me”-- he grabbed your legs and pulled you towards him causing you to squeal in surprise--“I insist.”

He ran his hands across your body, pressing against your form through the silk. Wanting to repay you for your earlier torment, Rafael took his time disrobing you--tugging at the laces of your corset, unsnapping your garters, peeling your stockings off. There wasn’t an inch of skin left unattended from the crown of your head down to the arches of your feet.

You couldn’t catch your breath. “Payback is a bitch,” you thought as he sucked a mark onto your right hip. Rafael saved your thong for last, opting to tear it off you with his teeth.

He parted your folds, revealing your glistening pink pearl, stroking your soft, wet, sex. You spread your legs wider, feeling his hot breath on your pussy, arching your hips toward him. He clucked in disapproval. “So impatient.”

“Please,” you whimpered. “I need you.”

Unable to resist any longer (after all, he was only human), he began to worship your core. Offering his tongue as a prayer as he swirled around your lower lips and traced patterns on your clit.

You grinded against him. “More,” you pleaded.

With a loud squelch, Rafael stopped and lifted his head. “You have such a perfect little pussy. I love it so much”--he playfully bit down on your inner thighs-- “and it’s all mine. Isn’t it?” With an intense, heated stare, he spit on your pussy. The sensation of his saliva on your swollen clit caused you to jump.

“Yes, it’s yours,” you wailed.

“That’s right,” he cooed while slowly making concentric circles on your bundle of nerves, watching how his spit mingled with your dripping juices. “And you’re gonna come all over my face, aren’t you?”

You arched your back and gasped. “Oh God, yes! Yes!

“Shhh, that’s my good girl,” he said with a smirk before devouring you once more. Your moans of “More” and “Don’t stop” spurred him on.

With his mouth wrapped around your clit, he penetrated you with his fingers, stroking that spot deep within you that drove you insane. One crook of his finger had you coming with a shriek.

Feeling your core pulse against his tongue as he fucked you through your orgasm unleashed something savage within him. He buried his face against you, groaning, his lips and chin completely coated in your arousal. Already hard from eating you out, he rutted against the rug, desperate for some relief.

His tongue was relentless while he fucked you with his fingers until he ripped another orgasm from you. By the third time you had come, you melted onto the floor. And yet you wanted more. With Rafael, it was never enough.

You pushed him off you and straddled him, kissing him with such fierce passion he toppled back to the floor. “I want to show you how much I love your cock.” You nuzzled your nose with his before sitting up and dragging your center against his length. Hovering over his cock for a moment, you lowered yourself onto him.

Rafael grabbed your hips to keep you in place as he rotated his pelvis, wanting you to feel every inch of his cock. Your whole body shuddered. Digging your nails into his chest, you began to rock against him.

Rafael groaned, watching you fuck him. “Look down, querida. Look at how fucking sexy you look riding me.”

You followed his gaze down to where you were being impaled by him. Biting back a whimper, you experimentally flexed your muscles, squeezing against his cock. Rafael choked out a sob which only encouraged you to speed up your movements.

You lifted almost completely off him before slamming back down.

Flames licked at your flesh as you continued to bounce on his cock. Rivulets of sweat dripped off of you, one drop running down your chest. Rafael sat up and caught it with his tongue, holding you close as he latched on to your nipple, suckling against the hardened bud before repeating his actions on your other breast.

Your bodies worked in tandem, pushing and pulling. You were reduced to a wild animal, clawing at Rafael. Red streaks covered his sweaty skin. He loved it, wanting nothing more than to be claimed by you, his own ethereal goddess.

“Rafael!” you cried out in a hoarse voice. He cut you off with a searing kiss.

“I love you,” he moaned against your lips.

“I love you too.” Tears began to run down your cheeks. Your heart was beating fast, blood pounding in your ears, pressure mounting. You were too far gone by this point. Can you die from pleasure? Oh...but what a way to go.

He pulled back, forcing you to lock eyes with him. His eyebrows furrowed, mouth slack, panting and whimpering with every thrust. You pressed your forehead against his, your breaths mingling. This was beyond the physical. Your souls were melding, transforming one another.

You simultaneously erupted, swallowing each other’s moans and grunts, stroking each other through your respective releases. When you finally floated back down to earth, you collapsed on the floor, your bodies still connected.

“Holy shit,” you sighed.

“I know,” Rafael panted.

“If I knew saying ‘I love you’ would lead to mind blowing sex, I would’ve said it a whole lot earlier,” you teased.

“I knew you were only after me for my body.” Rafael let out a breathless laugh and tickled that one spot on your side. Exhausted and not in any hurry to move, you both laid there as the fire weakened until only a few dull embers glowed.

You nestled against his chest, having never felt so happy. As cheesy and cliché as it sounded, you wish you could stay that way forever. That is until the events from earlier in the day came floating back into your mind. You had no idea what you were going to do with your family, especially Sonny.

But that wasn’t a question for tonight. Right now you were perfectly content being wrapped up in your own little world. Just you and Rafael.

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#rafael barba #rafael barba fanfic #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba fic #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba fan fiction #barba #barba imagine #barba fanfic #barba x reader #sonny carisi #law and order svu imagine #law and order svu fic #taking chances

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manglefic-a · 6 years

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Hell Hath No Fury

Summary: You had been betrayed for the last fucking time.

Pairings: Tommy Shelby x Reader (formerly), Tommy Shelby x Grace (mentioned), Luca Changretta x Reader (main)

Words: 949

Notes: Spoilers for season four, female reader, I should be working on other things but instead I’m doing this. Drag me.

CHAPTER ONE

As the wife of Thomas Shelby, there were times when your choice in a husband was called into question.

For one, there was Thomas’s dangerous reputation. This had been especially concerning for your mother, who was already a nervous creature. But the prospect of her daughter, her only child, running around with a Shelby, any Shelby, almost sent her into full blown hysterics.

“He has blades in his cap!” She had hissed, eyes flitting around the kitchen like she was expecting Tommy to appear out of nowhere. You wouldn’t be surprised if she truly did believe that. “I don’t want you around him!”

“I love him mum.” You had told her, which at the time had been true, more than true even. Being around Tommy was like being lit up from the inside, like walking on air, like breathing in heaven. You had never felt happier. “And he’s good to me. Like dad was to you, I swear.”

That had softened her, untensed all of her muscles and smooth out her brow. She had never stopped loving your dad, and all she had ever wanted was for you to find someone like him, someone who adored you and let you be imperfect. And to you, Tommy fit the bill.

At least at the time.

Ever since the announcement of the vendetta, you had been on edge, jumping at the smallest of sounds and flinching whenever a shadow wavered. It wasn’t a good look on the wife of Thomas Shelby, and normally you wouldn’t be this jumpy, but with Michael in hospital and John dead, every bit of you was on high alert.

One hand was always in your bag, fingers resting on the hilt of your gun, ready to pull it out at the first opportunity. You had carried a gun ever since Tommy first made you his girl. “I won’t have you walking around Small Heath unprotected.” He had said, offering you a pistol. “So either take the gun or I’ll have my boys following you everywhere you go.” Of course after you were married he had Blinders following you whenever he was gone, which you had tolerated purely because it could get lonely at times. But now seeing them made you feel even worse, almost as if they were an omen of death.

For your own safety, Tommy had kept you virtually housebound, which was something you didn’t entirely mind. It would be easier for you to detect intruders, and with a small platoon of Blinders watching every second of the day, your safety was practically guaranteed. But that didn’t stop you from jumping when you heard a knock at the door.

In the tense few seconds that passed, you were able to tell yourself that the Italians weren’t likely to just knock. Besides, there had been no sound of a commotion outside, no gunshots or yelling, so whoever was at the door was clearly not a threat.

All the same, you kept your gun behind you as you slowly opened the door, ready to pull it out and shoot at the earliest given opportunity.

The relief that washed over you when you saw that it was just Lizzie felt like a blast of fresh country air.

You smiled and relaxed your muscles, already feeling your heart going back to beating normally. “Lizzie! Good Lord you gave me a fright.” You hugged the other woman tight, closing the door behind her.

There were some people who found it odd that you were so accepting of Lizzie working for Tommy, given her past. But you had known Lizzie longer than you had known Tommy and viewed her as an older sister. She was beautiful and tough and got far too much shit from everyone. During her brief engagement to John, you had been the only supportive voice in an otherwise displeased chorus. And when Tommy went behind your back to sabotage the relationship between Lizzie and John, you were more angry with him than her. You knew that for Lizzie it would just be business rather than anything personal, and you had never held it against her the way everyone else seemed to.

“It’s good of you to come.” You said, ushering her into the main room. “I’ve been going crazy cooped up in here.”

“Yes, Tommy was saying.” Lizzie’s voice sounded smaller than usual, but you attributed that to the adrenalin that was still pumping in your ears. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

“Don’t be. The fact that you came at all is wonderful.” The two of you sat on the sofa and you deposited your gun back into your pocket. Had you been in a more generally relaxed state, you probably would’ve noticed how rigidly Lizzie sat, how nervous she looked. But you didn’t, all that mattered was that your dearest friend had come to see you. “Would you like some tea? Something to eat?”

“No, no, I’m alright.” Lizzie tried to smile, but it seemed to stop halfway. “I can’t be here long, I’m on my break, I just came by to tell you…” She trailed off, looking down at her hands with an expression that could only be described as ‘worrying’.

“What’s the matter Lizzie?” Seeing her like this wasn’t something that happened often. You got the feeling that she abhorred showing vulnerability or weakness in any capacity, and you couldn’t entirely blame her. Small Heath wasn’t kind to you if it knew you were soft.

There was a brief pause, and in that pause every bad thing that could’ve possibly happened ran through your head, bringing back your earlier sense of alarm. You put a hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Lizzie?”

“I’m pregnant.”

#tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #luca changretta x reader #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders imagine

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darkeraven22 · 4 years

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DC Harley Quinn 2013 #19 Review

We wrap up the Robin Williams Popeye With The Cable Glwing Eyes story, as hell hath no fury like an Italian Mother on a rage quest to save her daughters (who make up half of the Gang of Harley).

By the way just figured out Big Tony here? He’s probably who they had in mind when they created Dr. Psycho for the 2019 Series… Height wise. Otherwise completely different personality and a metahunan.…

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thisislakewood · 5 years

Photo

→ IN CHARACTER INFORMATION

Character Name: Aurelia Rinaldi

Character Age: 47

Faceclaim Choice: Gillian Anderson

Gender and Pronouns: Cis female, she/her

Birthplace: Messina, Italy

Birthday: August 13th, 1971

Occupation: Owner of Sicliana, the Rinaldi jewelry store

Family: De facto Rinaldi, in favor of the Reyes Cartel

→ BIOGRAPHY

Aurelia lives up to her name, both the first and the last: the golden child blessed with the textbook Rinaldi features and thick, blonde curls, once referred to by her Sicilian godfather as the brightest diamond of Messina. The true heiress of the family by birth and in spirit, she captivates with her wit, grace, and intelligence, but underneath that porcelain doll exterior boils what could only be described as raw Italian blood: ruthless, proud, passionate. All the head of the Rinaldi family should be. All the head of the Rinaldi family will be, once she has had her say.

MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER

Aurelia was born in Messina, Italy, the only child of the infamous Santino Rinaldi, better known among the Italian folk as Il Principe. The king who never was, he made the family greater than it’d ever been, and marked the beginning of the Italian cartels in Texas. But one twist of fate was enough to cause a disarray, and, in the long run, throw the Rinaldis into a downward spiral: a drug deal on the outskirts of Rome went wrong, and Santino was shot by a member of a rival family, leaving behind his young wife and a little girl.

Aurelia doesn’t really remember her father—just glimpses of his smile as he hoisted her up on his hip and gestured across the sea, towards everything that would be hers someday—but she does remember the wrath of her grandparents and that of Aunt Giada when, not even six months after the funeral, her mother announced she was leaving. There was another man, and now another child on the way. Aurelia and the memories of her first husband had already paled in comparison. Overnight, she was left in the care of her aunt and uncle—the new King and Queen of the Rinaldi family. When, a few years down the road, her mother, her new husband, and their child—a half-brother or a half-sister, Aurelia never cared enough to ask—all died in a very convenient accident the seven-year-old had been allowed to help plan, Aurelia felt no remorse. She counted it as an important lesson, and her first big victory.

She grew up a feared, willful diamond heiress, alongside her uncle’s two children, who she thought of more as siblings, but as they one by one entered their teenage years, the differences between them became more prominent. She delivered, they did not. They (unnecessarily) defied their mother, she did not. Still, they were family, and family came first, so Aurelia did all she could to stay on good terms. It was the Rinaldi way after all: family, loyalty, excellence.

Entering the business in Sicily was different for a woman than it was for the heir apparent, though: she was taught how fire a gun, sure, and how to conduct negotiations if need be, but the priority was handling the family matters, hosting galas, and greeting most beloved Italian guests, with occasional trips to the horrid little town of Lakewood, Texas, where her father’s jewelry store, Siciliana, was waiting for Aurelia to take over one day. At first she traveled together with Ravenna, but then, when her cousin defected and starting picking clubs and parties over things that mattered, it was mostly the still-teenage Aurelia who observed and learned how diamonds were cut, how one was tell them apart, how transactions were to be orchestrated, what jewelry sold best and why, all the secrets of the business that had once upon a time made the Rinaldis what they are today. It was something she had a natural gift for, and, for the time being, she was pleased with what the future held.

KEEPER OF THE FLAME

When Lorenz tainted the bloodline by marrying a random white trash and permanently relocated his new family (and Ravenna, now smitten by her new sister-in-law to the point where it became laughable) to Lakewood, Aurelia was enraged. He ruined everything. Utter embarrassment aside, those two idiots took the Rinaldi Cartel for themselves and limited the Sicilian branch of the family, leaving her, the trueborn heiress, with nothing but a fancy residence in Messina, and that one matchbox-sized jewelry store in Lakewood. Not that she wanted to live in Shithole, Texas, God forbid—who in their right mind would?—but being tossed aside like that again, well, it opened a scar or two. And, more importantly, it left her powerless. And Aurelia wasn’t thrilled with that.

There was an upside to the situation, though: once her children disappointed in such a cruel manner, Giada Rinaldi poured all her energy into educating her niece, and that, for Aurelia, meant new opportunities. New privileges too. For example, it took very little convincing to be supported in her decision to enroll into the University of Messina, where she studied Economics, all in order to be fully prepared for the role she was to assume. She proceeded to get her PhD, after which she focused on improving her language and business skills, and, of course, attending parties, meetings, and getting involved with the old Sicilian Mafia families, side by side with Aunt Giada. She had become her soulmate, the mother she never had. You’re the only daughter I ever needed, Giada said once, and to Aurelia, it meant the whole world and more.

Only one matter existed upon which the two disagreed, and that was her staying unwed well into her thirties, and then as she was nearing forty as well. Having seen how an arranged marriage between her parents had worked out, how a gold digger had wrapped Lorenz around her finger, and how Ravenna ended up with someone as unworthy as Alessandro Leone, Aurelia had allergic reactions to the mere prospect of getting married. Short-lived relationships with women and men who weren’t on her level, but provided entertainment and distraction when necessary were all she wanted. All she needed, too.

Until she met a man in Lakewood, that is. It began as yet another fling during one of her stays in the town, but Seran Brenek turned out to be the only person who could hold her attention longer than a week. The only one she could be herself with, and, shameful as it is, she fell in love. So deeply she risked Aunt Giada’s disapproval by agreeing to marry him, so genuinely she considered adding his last name to hers, for God’s sake. She started travelling less and spending more time in in Lakewood, finally giving Siciliana all the attention it deserved. The business in the store thrived, and so did the marriage. Lakewood was by no means Aurelia’s dream home, and she didn’t plan on staying there forever, but for a while, she was happy. Until... her husband left her too. Just like that. As if the past five years hadn’t happened. As if she was truly the nothing her cousins had sentenced her to be. But she wasn’t. She was a Rinaldi, the Rinaldi, so she picked up what was left from her pride and her heart, packed her bags, and returned to Italy with her dignity intact and head held high.

HELL HATH NO FURY

Ultimately, the divorce is the best thing that has ever happened to her. So she told herself. So she keeps telling herself, for the moment the papers were signed, she was back in Sicily and in her aunt’s good graces. The year spent at home in Messina—her one true home—helped her come to her senses, and remember what was really important: the family legacy, the family business, and, for once, her.

Once the murder of Colleen Stone led to a conflict between the four cartels, Aurelia returned to Lakewood with a plan that had been long brewing. She took over Siciliana again, bought a new lavish mansion in close proximity to her cousins, and used her wealth to secretly invest in the Reyes and the Almeida Cartel, all in exchange for the Rinaldi territories once the war is over. She’s done settling for breadcrumbs. This time, she’s going to take everything that’s rightfully hers, and make it great again.

→ PERSONALITY SUMMARY

+ intelligent, devoted, courageous - obsessive, vindictive, judgmental

#gillian anderson #oc rp #mafia rp #crime rp #gang rp #taken #reyes cartel

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