Chapter Eight
“After I finished showering, Marco had already left the apartment,” Lila complained. She took a sip of her wine. Last she checked, it was only noon. Lila knew she shouldn’t be drinking this early, but she had a special reason. Besides, her wine went well with her carbonara.
“Men,” Sky said with a roll of her eyes. “They can be so insensitive at times.”
“Marco should’ve talked to you first about it,” Lara said with a nod. “Is that your third glass of wine?”
Lila stared at her glass. She had other reasons for wanting a drink. Her phone vibrated inside her handbag again. Not Marco, but someone else she thought she’d finally forgotten. Guilt wormed its way inside her. It wasn’t just Marco keeping secrets from her. John had started texting her three days ago, asking where she was and what she was doing.
Lila did the best thing and deleted all his messages without responding to any of them. How did John even get a hold of her new number? Her old manager, Jim, had this number, she remembered. John probably got it from Jim. Jim was the sort of asshole who didn’t think anything was wrong about giving out information on his old employees. That was how Crane found her.
Since asking for Marco’s help, she hadn’t heard a peep from Crane. Marco certainly had something to do with that. She had every intention of telling Marco about John this morning, but he had to ruin the mood.
“Lila? It’s going to be fine,” Sky said.
She looked at the other woman, who had a concerned expression her face. Sky wore a dress with sleeves today but Lila knew under those sleeves were scars. Everyone in the Familia had their share of them. Even Lara had endured her own share of abuse from an ex before she met Matthias.
Broken people attract each other, she thought.
“You’re smiling,” Lara said.
Lila told her why and Lara curved her lips upward at that.
“I’m really glad Marco and you are together,” Lara said. “You fit in with all of us and it’s clear you’re fiercely loyal to your man.”
Lara had been mistrustful of her at first until Sky told her about Lila keeping her mouth shut even after Marco killed a man in front of her.
“Do you regret it?” Sky asked her. “Your dad did his best to keep you out of this life but you’re sucked back into it.”
“My dad,” she began then blew out a breath. “I was angry at Marco for a very long time but then I realized it was myself I was really pissed off at. I didn’t fix things with him and there were many unsaid words left.”
She looked at Sky then Lara. The strong women she used to admire who stood firm next to their men, men baptized in blood and violence and knew nothing else. “No, I don’t regret it. I’ve never been happier and Marco needs someone who understands him.”
I love him, she realized with a jolt. Her heart thumped savagely at the revelation. She had loved him for a very long time now, despite the initial animosity between them, despite their fight this morning.
“I wish this morning could’ve gone differently,” Lila admitted. “I knew Marco had a lot of things on his mind. Matthias was there too, so I know it’s serious Familia business they were discussing.”
“Stop beating yourself over it,” Lara said. “I spoke to Matthias earlier. He told Marco it wasn’t the best decision doing this without your consent.”
“I hope you’re right,” Lila answered.
She already missed him terribly. Without warning, that night surfaced in her head. She recalled that crazed addict whipping out his gun and Marco planting himself in front of her without hesitation. He’d used his own body to shield her, like her life mattered more. Lila had been a nobody. Plenty of people were depending on Marco. It didn’t seem fair.
She turned to Lara. “Did Matthias tell you what’s been going on lately? With the Familia?”
“They usually keep us women out of the dark. I hate that rule but I understand it’s a precaution so we don’t get implicated if the worst happens…” Lara trailed off.
“Well, lucky for you girls, I’m good at eavesdropping,” Sky declared proudly. Both Lila and Lara looked at her, wide-eyed and impressed. Sky lowered her voice, although she didn’t need to. They were having lunch at Paolo’s, the safest place in the world. “It has to do with the Bratva.”
“They’re crazy, that’s what I’ve heard from the other men talking,” Lara said.
“Dangerous fucks, but we can handle them,” said a new voice. Gino pulled up a chair and joined them. “Ladies.”
“Uncle Gino, you were eavesdropping?” Lila asked. The old mafioso only shrugged and gave her a wink.
Everywhere she went today, she seemed to bump into him. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence after all. Marco probably asked Gino to watch her, which only made her nervous. Sky and Gino started joking. This business with the Bratva worried her immensely. Her trouble with John seemed such like a minor thing now.
Lila’s phone vibrated again. She took it out, hoping it was Marco, but it was only from John. Her heart skipped a beat. Her ex was on his way here. To this city. To her.