Gerard smiled, holding my hand. He has been in a much better mood recently and I was thankful for that, he had been pretty torn up before about losing his scholarship. Now that I've had Jamia's friend start tipping him, he's been worrying less about his tuition.

Although in the past Gerard had been able to buy extra luxuries or be gifted them without worrying of his tuition, he was no longer escorting men or being some kind of dominatrix now that we were together. He got a lot of money for that. Thankfully the tip money seemed to be doing okay for him.

"I have been making so much money lately," Gerard said. "The tips have been ridiculous."

"I'm really happy for you," I said.

He smiled, wrapping his arms around me. He ran his fingers through my hair in a way that made my heart spin with happiness.

"God, I am so high," he muttered.

"I am too," I said, feeling the room spin around me.

There was a slight fog in the air from us smoking and I giggled. I held his hand up against mine, smiling when I saw it was the same size yet I was smaller than him.

"I got big hands," I sang. "Isn't that supposed to be, like, a good thing or something? Big guy with big hands is...hot or something?"

"Are we gonna do gifts like this?" He asked. "While we're high out of our minds and going fucking insane?"

I smiled, nodding and holding my hand out for the gift. He reached into his backpack and grabbed something slim and rectangular wrapped up gift. It was flat and flimsy, it felt like just pieces of paper. I opened it and frowned in confusion before I realized it was a drawing of me. Actually, it was a comic of me. It was of me being a normal teenage boy in college going to parties. It showed me doing everything I've always wanted to do if I hadn't been in this stupid business.

"This is so cool," I said, rethinking my gift to him. "I-I didn't get you anything yet."

"You told me yesterday you were so excited to show me the present," he said.

I sighed and got it out of the closet. He smiled, looking through the basket. I felt stupid for suddenly getting him something so impersonal and cold. It was stupid getting him candies. You get him candies for a mini anniversary, not for the holidays. It was so impersonal, I could have gotten him such a better gift if it weren't for the price limit he put on it. I could have gotten him a rolex or a new car or something. That would have been a big, meaningful gift.

"Oh, this is awesome," he said. "It's every college student's dream. Thank you, Bunny."

I knew he was just saying that but it didn't work. How could he possibly like it? It is such a shitty gift idea. I should have gotten something better. This was just humiliating to myself.

"It's not enough, it's not meaningful enough," I said. "I don't like it. I'm sorry, it was hard working with the budget and not getting you anything stupid. I didn't know what to do but I can get you something else, something better if you let me go over the budget."

"Well, if you want me to give you something more then I may have something in mind," he said, wrapping a hand around my throat. "On your knees."

I smiled, getting down onto my knees in front of him. He let go of my neck and tangled his hand into my hair instead. He gave a small tug that made me smile and groan. I loved a little bit of hair pulling. I undid his jeans, pulling them down. My hand ran over the bulge in his boxers.

"Little Bunny wants to play," I said. "Can I please, sir?"

Gerard smirked, running a hand through my hair. He pulled again and I smiled. I stuck my tongue out and he leaned down to give me a kiss instead.

"You're such a good little bunny," he said. "So polite."

I bit my lip up at him when someone tried to open the door, wiggling the locked doorknob. There were shouts and yelling downstairs, making me flinch. I pulled off my collar and grabbed the fireplace poker.

"Don't you have a gun?" Gerard asked, pulling up his pants as he stepped back.

"Jamia took it from me," I said.

"Why?" He asked.

I shook my hand, dismissing the topic. I opened the door and gasped when I saw Jamia. She gave me my gun, pulling me aside.

"Business emergency, you're needed," she said.

"What am I being called for?" I asked. "Where's my dad?"

She shoved me out the door and I ran down the hall to the winding stairs in the foyer. People were bustling around and they froze when I came down. The room was spinning a bit as I took deep breaths to try and lower my high.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Your dad was shot," Marco said.

I got into the car with some of my men, being driven to the hospital. Everything was going so fast and so suddenly. Maybe that's just because I was high. I tucked my gun into the back waistband of my pants. We hurried in and I talked to the receptionist.

"Frank Iero," I said. "He's my father. I heard he was in the hospital for a gunshot wound."

"He is in surgery," she said.

"We need guards on him at all times," I said. "Get the sheriff here, he'll know what to do. No one leaves him alone."

She started calling the police and I sighed, going to the corner.

"Do we know who it was?" I asked.

"Not yet," Marco said.

"Keep an eye outside of the hospital," I said. "Tell me if anyone suspicious walks in or out or anyone from any of the other families."

I was still a little light headed but thankfully sobering up pretty fast. We went back to the house and I went upstairs. Gerard watched me as I got on a pair of slacks and black socks.

"What's going on? What's happening?" Gerard asked putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Dad was shot," I said.

"Oh my god, Bunny, I'm so sorry," he said.

I buttoned up my shirt, tucking it into the pants. I put on a tie, looking into the mirror to make sure that everything was okay. I wavered a bit before shaking my head and taking a deep breath.

"He's okay, he's in surgery," I said. "He's gonna be okay."

"So what are you doing then?" He asked. "Who shot him? Shouldn't you be with him or talking to the police or something?"

"Taking over the business," I said as I pulled on my jacket.

"Are you serious?" Gerard asked. "You hate the business."

"I have been preparing for this moment my entire life," I said. "It's my job. It's my destiny."

Jamia came into the room, fixing my tie. My hands were shaking with nerves and she held my hands as I took a deep breath. She smiled, cupping my cheek. She rested her forehead against mine.

"Remember, you're doing this for our babies," she said softly. "You're ready, you've been training for this forever. It's for our babies."

"This is a bad idea," Gerard said. "You shouldn't be doing this."

"This is the family business, you wouldn't understand," Jamia said as she pulled away.

"I do understand that but it's illegal," Gerard said.

Jamia picked up my gun. She looked down at it and turned it over in her hand. She seemed to be really contemplating something.

"Can I trust you with this?" She asked.

"What does she mean by that?" Gerard asked.

"Yes, you can," I said, taking the gun from her.

Jamia left and Gerard walked over, grabbing my hand.

"Bunny, what is it that you're not telling me?" He asked.

"Now isn't the time," I said. "My dad was just shot. I'm taking over the business. Oh shit, I'm taking over the business."

Panic began to set in as my hands started shaking again. Gerard took the gun and set it down on the dresser, holding me to his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair gingerly as I whimpered.

"I can't do this," I whispered. "I-I can't take over the business, I'm not ready yet. I can't do it. Oh god, oh fuck. I'm only nineteen. I'm not supposed to take over until my kids are born."

"Then don't, just don't take over," he said.

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks.

"Frank, we need you," Marco said in the doorway.

I pulled away from Gerard, grabbing my gun.

"Stay up here?" I asked. "I'm gonna need you after all of this."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right here," he said. "I won't leave this time, I promise."

I nodded, giving him a kiss before I went downstairs.

"What do we do now, Boss?" One of my workers asked.

It took a second to realize they were referring to me and I sighed. I went to the office, sitting down on the large chair behind the desk that was now my throne. And then that's when it hit me, my life really was already written for myself by my parents and it was set in stone. I had a destiny to be a mafia don. There wasn't another choice, there never was another choice. I didn't even make it to my twenties before I had to take over for my father. But here I was, now I was the one they refer to as boss.