Chapter 6: Damien Bradley Foster

Brad finished off his second can of beer, and set it on his coffee table harshly next to the first. It was Saturday night, and not only did he have nowhere to be, but all he could think about was what happened the night before with Lina, and the fact that she was out with Sean at that very moment. It made him sick that Lina would go so far as to willingly put herself in that position. He couldn't believe how stubborn and stupid she was being. For her sake, Brad was honestly hoping that Sean actually for once pulled his head from his ass and stepped up.

Truthfully, he was kicking was himself for what he pulled last. He didn't know what came over him or what he was thinking. This was Lina Anderson, after all.

It was all her fault. She was the one who had to have those pouty lips and flash her eyes at him when she got angry. She was the one who always had to wear shorts, exposing her long legs like that. She was the one who had those haunting eyes. God, her legs ... Brad grunted in frustration, her body felt too right, too good pushed up against his. It had been a while since he felt a warm woman's body pressed up against his like that, but even still ... those didn't compare.

Brad padded over to his fridge and grabbed another beer, fully aware that if he were going to keep up this drinking for the rest of the night, he was going to hate himself in the morning. Fuck it. He didn't care. He needed to numb himself, and forget about last night.

He cracked the can open and looked around his apartment, sighing heavily in disappointment. His life wasn't supposed to turn out this way. What little furniture he had was bought at various thrift stores. He wasn't used to living like this. Brad plopped down on his couch and set his beer down, after draining half of it, and closed his eyes, letting his head loll back.

Bradley Foster, better known to his family as Damien Bradley Foster, came from an exceedingly wealthy family. His grandfather on his mother's side, Anthony DeLuca, was the head of an Italian Mafia based in Cleveland; he made his money selling illegal drugs, underground gambling, controlling some sweat-shops and other extremely cliché odds and ends that Mafia's controlled. Not to mention, having millions passed down from his father's legacy. He knew how it sounded –Mafia ties? But that was his life ... his big oversized life 'baggage' he carted around with him.

His grandfather, Anthony De Luca only fathered one child: Avon Marie DeLuca.

Growing up, Avon had an exceptionally healthy and absolutely normal (as normal as it could be) childhood. Anthony did everything in his power to shelter her from all the illegal activities which he and his family were involved with. He doted on his daughter, yet kept a strict household, demanding mutual respect from his daughter and developed a strong bond.

Avon later went onto medical school to become a nurse, where she met Kevin Foster –who was a few years older than Avon, and in the last year of his residency. They fell in love quickly and Kevin doted on her whenever they had the time to spend together. A year after their wedding, Kevin and Avon Foster moved to New York, where the adorable Damien Bradley Foster was born. Brad visited his grandfather many times over the years; Anthony and Bradley were like two peas in a pod.

It wasn't until Kevin's practice started to falter, did he start showing his true colors. Kevin Foster couldn't handle the pressure or stress, and when Brad was seven years old, his father had beaten him for the first time. Brad suffered a black eye and a couple bruised ribs. Avon said nothing to her father, fearing for her husband's life; she didn't think that it would happen again.

But two months after that, it happened again, and Brad at seven years old began the process of resenting and hating his own father. It started happening more frequently, evolving into more than physical abuse ... but mental and emotional as well. All of Kevin's insecurities, all his frustrations and doubts of himself, he threw onto Brad. And then on the eve of Brad's tenth birthday, Anthony DeLuca received a startling call form the child.

Anthony gave is daughter an ultimatum: "Avon, either let me take my grandson away from your good for nothing husband, or let me get rid of the problem". That night, Avon made a decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She sent her baby boy away, and gave all guardianship to her father.

Brad's life was pampered and happy for seven years, giving his grandfather time to heal Brad and build his self-esteem, self-worth and confidence up again. Then one day, Anthony DeLuca's heart failed him and he passed away in his office; Brad was the one to find him. The newly seventeen year old felt scared and alone for the second time in his life.

A few days after his grandfather's death, at the reading of the will, Brad found out that at the time of his death, Anthony DeLuca demanded that the 'family business' be brought to an end, not wanting the burden to lie on his grandson's shoulders. Brad, at the age of twenty-five would inherit all of his grandfather's possessions. Every last cent.