You Are Mine

The mother

Nicole.

As the rest of the day went by, I understood why Adrian wanted me to prepare for his mother's visit. Everyone prepared like they were expecting the president of the country. The flowers had been cut and trimmed lower than usual, the silver chandeliers were now replaced with golden ones and a few other things were replaced around the house. There were more than the usual staff up at our wing and I could tell they were trying to get her room in order.

I thought of going to take a peak, but thought better of it and headed downstairs. I walked past the kitchen where Chessa and Marie were wiping the already clean counter for the fifth time.

"She's that scary huh?" I asked after taking a bite of an apple I took from the fridge.

"More like high-handed," Marie shrugged.

"Overbearing might be a more descriptive word," Chessa chipped in and dropped the towel on the counter.

"She likes to have things done a certain way. You do it that way and you know peace."

"Do you think she would hate me?" I asked suddenly feeling nervous about her arrival, "Adrian has not told her we're married yet."

Chessa and Marie shared a look and I knew they did not need to say more. "She might be upset, but Mrs. Davonte is not a bad person, I'm sure she would not take her anger out on you. Adrian though might be in a lot of trouble."

"It's hard to imagine anyone that would give Adrian trouble." despite myself, I felt amused by the thought.

"You're about to find out," Chessa said and went over to rearrange the wine glasses.

I left them to get back to making dinner and continued down toward the large living room. "You look busy," I said to Anders who had his sleeves folded for the first time and a few buttons undone. He had a few pictures in frames and he was hanging them up from a ladder.

"I'm sorry Nic," he said and turned to me, "did you need something?"

"Not really, just wanted to know what I could do to help," I stepped closer, admiring the family pictures.

"I thought you were painting,"

"I am done for the day and I cannot really do much with all the commotion of everyone trying to get the house ready." I moved to climb on the ladder, "allow me to help,"

"I already have a lot on my plate, I cannot handle Adrian sending a bullet through my brain if you fall off from this, so please get down." he turned back to hanging the pictures.

"I am not a child," I pouted and glared at him, "plus Adrian does not own me, I can do what I want." Before the words were out of my mouth, I felt two large familiar arms snake around me. I jerked up in surprise and looked behind to find Adrian, gripping my waist hard and staring down at me with a look of both lust and disapproval.

"You're wrong about two things Kitten," he leaned down to growl in my ear, and despite my mind that just wants to punch him in the gut, I found myself shivering at his next words, "First, you belong to me, all of you, I own and second, You do what I want you to do."

"Has anyone ever told you you're a narcissist?" I tried to prie his hand off with no success of course.

"I hear it all the time," he chuckled and turned to Anderson. "how's everything coming out?"

"Great, mom should be here by dinner, which is..." he trailed of checking his watch, "three hours away, so let me hang these family photos up quickly and check on the others."

"Why were they taken out in the first place?" I asked, looking up at Adrian curiously.

"They're old pictures that only bring bad memories," Adrian said in a clipped tone and released me, "I'll be going back to work, I just had to check up on you." he kissed my neck for a few seconds and Anders had to clear his throat softly to remind him of our company before he let me go and made his way back to his office.

Just like Anders had predicted, she arrived just as Chessa started serving dinner. Since everyone was following Adrian's order to not let me do any chores, I spent the rest of the day bored to death and decided to read a few articles on how to act when meeting in-laws for the first time. All of the things on the list made sense except that they all implied I had to kiss my mother-in-law's ass to get her to like me.

"Do you think this is nice?" I turned to Adrian who had his eyes focused on me. The peach summer dress I wore was light enough for the evening and simple enough for the occasion too. The low cut hand though left my chest and neck bare and I was suddenly thankful for the two neckpieces I had on. One was the collar Adrian had demanded I had on all the time and the other was my mother's lock chain I had taken along.

"You look beautiful Kitten," he reached a handout and pushed back a lock of my hair, "mom would be smitten immediately."

"I doubt that seeing as everyone has gone haywire with news of her arrival," I gave a nervous laugh.

"I would be underestimating you if I said you could not handle her." he chuckled. "You would do fine,"

The moment he spoke a white Mercedes pulled into the parking lot and I steeled myself ready for what was coming. "They're here," Anders announced.

"We have eyes," Adrian growled.

"What, I'm just happy to have my mother and sister back," he chuckled.

"I have barely arrived and you are already buttering me up," A woman that looked like she could be in her late forties spoke as she approached us, "it's terrifying." she faked a shudder. Even with her walking cane, she held her head up high, and she looked like a woman that would carry herself gracefully in a room full of kings. Her skin was pale white and her golden hair stopped just above her shoulders. She was short, like the kind of short that made me feel hopeful, but with the grace and honor she carried herself along with how everyone had gone crazy through the day, it was hard to imagine anyone disrespecting her.

"Last chance to run," Anders muttered and jogged down to her to give her an embrace. "I just missed you, mama,"

"And yet you did not do so much as call once," she frowned but hugged him anyway.

"That is a blame Adrian should take," he said defensively, "he keeps loading me up with so much work to do. I feel like I would die any minute."

"My poor baby," she cooed and cupped his cheek, giving him an appraising look through her glasses.

"I'm right here and yet you make me a villain," Adrian stepped forward to greet her too.

"Even I do not believe him," a slim, and curvy girl with red hair stepped forward with a pair of AirPods in her ear and her phone in one hand.

"Chelsea!" Anders cried, and hugged his sister. "my favorite sister,"

"Your only sister," she bit back sarcastically and slid under him to avoid his hug, "and no, I did not miss you." being one, I did not need anyone to tell me she was just another teen being a teen.

"Still so mean," Anders rolled his eyes.

"Ciao mamma," Adrian said as he lowered to hug his mother.

"Amore Mio," she cried and I was thankful for the few Spanish classes I had attended in high school that helped me understand a little of what they said. I watched from where I stood as she let him wrap her in a warm embrace, "mi sei mancato,"

"I missed you too mom," Adrian said as he released her.

"You break my heart when you lie to me," she frowned, "you and your brother." she wagged a finger at them both.

"You know I've just been very busy mama," he chuckled.

"How is your father doing?" she asked with a sad smile.

"Let's just go in." Adrian offered and took her hand.

They took a few steps toward me and I took a deep breath ready for what was coming next. She had almost walked past me to the front door when she stopped abruptly. "Who is she?" she raised her cane to me as the two brothers halted next to her too. Chelsea was behind texting on her phone and too busy to even look up. "If you're a maid I want you fired right now for having the wrong outfit on," she frowned. "I have barely stayed five minutes and you all want to give me a heart attack already," she mumbled.

"Mama!" Adrian chastised, "she is not a maid."

"Mamma mia!" she howled, "do not tell me you got her knocked up," she took my hand and spun me around swiftly. "I am gone less than four months and you have a girl pregnant." she placed a hand on her head and sighed dramatically, as she spilled a few curses in Italian.

"Mother!" Adrian cried as Anders laughed his stomach out next to her. "Would you calm down,"

"Your father would be so disappointed, and god she is such a beauty. Look at those big blue eyes."

"He would not be since she's his wife," Anders said proudly.

Everyone froze as soon as the words left his mouth. "Wife?" his mom almost screamed, as she shot Adrian a death look.

"You got married?" Chelsea looked up from her phone and eyed me for the first time since she walked in.

"Yes and thank you, Anders, for telling everyone before I got the right chance to," Adrian said with a forced smile.

"Hello Mrs. Daviobre," I said with an earnest smile, the first thing on my list of pleasing your inlaws.

"Do you care to explain to me how I do not know about her?"

"Can we go inside?" Adrian demanded.

"You do not get to make demands, who the f**k is she?" she said in an authoritative tone.

"Nicole Davonte Peters," I said with surprising pride before Adrian or Anders could say another word. I stepped forward and stretched my hand out. Please do not use that cane on me. Everyone in this family seemed to have a knack for punishment.

Everyone else looked at me with surprise but she gave me a long thoughtful look with an unreadable look on her face. I thought of withdrawing my hand back, but finally, she took my hand and shook it firmly. "Evelina Davonte," she said in a polished accent and smirked. "There's tenacity, I like you already."

A weight I did not know I was carrying on my shoulders came off at her words, and I gave her a small smile full of gratitude. "You though," she turned back to Adrian, "have so much to explain to. I'm only accepting her because she is an exceptionally beautiful girl—I'm entrapped in your eyes already love— and with a boldness to match. We would have a great relationship, I can see it already."

"I was going to tell you," Adrian explained.

"I'm starving," she said in a bored tone, and took my arm looping it in hers. "come tell me all about you and how you agreed to marry this jerk of my son."

"I am standing right here," Adrian growled.

"That I can see, but I'm sure you can also see that I give not one f**k," she shot him a sweet smile and let me lead her inside, with everyone else following behind me. I could not hold back the snicker at how harsh she sounded towards him, or the way he pouted like a troubled toddler.

"Now dear tell me everything about your wedding," she asked in an excited tone.

"Um," I turned around to look at Adrian not knowing how to answer We hadn't exactly planned for a situation like this. "Adrian thought we had to keep it simple so we got married at a registry," she turned back and scowled at him, "Asshole," she mouthed and went on with more questions for me.