by Cala Riley
“It’s okay, Sof. Tell me why I’m here though.”
She pulls me into the meeting room. I freeze as my eyes meet Lo’s. His look sunken in. They have dark circles under them, almost like he hasn’t been sleeping. He’s also disheveled, and there is a stain on his shirt. I don’t examine it too closely, but it almost looks like blood. I shudder at the thought of what he’s been up to.
“We are waiting on Izzy. She should be here soon.” Sofia takes a seat away from Bash, Lo, and Giovanni.
I give her a thankful smile, knowing she did it for me, and take a seat next to her.
“While we wait, why don’t you tell me about your progress at the clinic?” Bash’s voice draws my eyes back to his end of the table.
I look to Lo briefly before fixing my eyes on Bash. “It’s going well. Dr. Fields thinks I should be ready to go solo soon. She’s been letting me treat all the patients on my own under her supervision since I started. She’s going to let me take my own patients by myself starting Monday.”
Bash scowls. “Sounds like Dr. Fields is rushing things a bit.”
My heart sinks. I thought I was doing well, but I hadn’t considered that she has a personal gain from rushing through my training.
“I suppose she might be. Either way, I’m getting a lot out of it.”
He nods and gives me a pensive look. “Do you think you could treat a man with a gunshot wound?”
“I do. We have had three come in this week. I feel confident I could handle it.”
“What about a man who’s been burned?”
I frown. “I haven’t had a burn victim yet.”
“Seems you aren’t as ready as you thought. I will talk to Dr. Fields.”
I nod numbly.
“Oh good. You’re here, Isabel.” Bash acknowledges her as she walks in.
Izzy glares at the three men on the other end of the table before dropping into the chair next to mine. “I was in the middle of my shift. You can’t keep pulling me from work. I need to pay bills,” she snipes at them.
“We will compensate you for your time, Isabel. This is important.” Bash gestures for Giovanni to close the door.
Once he’s seated again, Bash begins to speak.
“We have obtained new information on Fillipo. We know where he resides, but he doesn’t know we know. This intel also indicates he has been having each of you followed.”
I can’t help the gasp that comes out of my mouth. I think back to the past couple of weeks. Have I noticed anyone out of the ordinary?
“We will be assigning two extra guards to each of you. These you will have no choice on. You will also have one reside in your home for the time being. He will protect you from any home invasions.”
My blood turns cold.
Home invasions?
“Do you really think it’s necessary? Do you really think they will come for us?” Izzy asks, looking furious.
I wish I felt a sliver of the confidence she has.
“I do, Isabel. I think they think you’re the way to us. Each one of you has a connection to one of us. It makes you a liability. Someone who they can use.”
“I understand them wanting to use Mia. I’m sure by now they realize she’s going to be your doctor, but why would they think I mean anything? I mean something to Sofia, but that surely isn’t enough.”
“Izzy.” The soft plea comes from Giovanni. I look to him and find regret in his eyes.
“No. No. You don’t get to do this, Gio. You don’t get to ruin my life again.” Tears threaten to fall from Izzy’s eyes.
“Izzy, I have loved you since I was fourteen years old. It’s no secret how I felt for you back then. Anyone with two eyes can see my feelings haven’t gone away. It’s why you're a target. It’s why they will use you if they can get their hands on you.”
“You’re an asshole, Giovanni Catalni. A grade A asshole. Don’t you ever talk to me like that again. Whatever we had in the past is in the past. I’m over it, and you should be too.” She brings her eyes to Bash. “Whatever protections you deem fit are fine with me, but Giovanni is not to be involved. I don’t want to see him or talk to him. Is that understood?”
“You don’t make demands of me, Isabel.” Bash’s tone is cold.
“Bash,” Sofia whispers. “Please. It isn’t a demand. It’s a request.”
His eyes soften as he looks to Sofia. Some unspoken communication is happening between the two. After a moment of silence, he relents.
“Fine. Giovanni will not be involved in your protection.” Giovanni growls at his decree, but quiets when Bash shoots him a look. “You will have protection though.”
“Thank you. May I go now?”
“You may.”
I watch as Izzy leaves the room, envying her for her ability to separate herself from this world I have intertwined myself in.
“Mia, you will always have a guard with you at the clinic. He will need to be in the room with you at all times. We have no idea what Fillipo’s plan is. We need to take all precautions.”
“Are they going to be dressed like always? If so, it’s not going to work.”
He eyes me but doesn’t speak. I sigh.
“I’m supposed to be learning. The people are frightened of your men. They showed that today when your men came to take me. If I’m to have any patients to actually work on, your men need to blend. I can find them scrubs and tell the patients they are my assistant.”
Bash ponders on my words. He leans into Lo then Giovanni, each whispering in his ear. He nods then looks back at me.
“We can make that work. Be extra vigilant, Mia.”
“Understood.”
“You may leave as well.”
“Before I leave, may I request Angelo or Dante be the one in the house? I know I don’t have the right, but I would feel better, and I’m sure Izzy would too, where we know them.”
Lo growls as Bash smiles. “Of course, Mia. It won’t be a problem. I will talk to them and figure out which one would be up for it and let you know.”
“Thank you.”
Sofia walks out with me and pulls me into the den.
“What happened with you and Lo? Izzy gave me some of the details, but she doesn’t even know them all.”
I walk to the window and stare out. “I was a fool, Sof. An utter fool. I let myself care too much, and I got burned. You warned me. Izzy warned me. I didn’t listen. I suppose the ending was inevitable.”
“Oh, Mia. I’m so sorry. I know I was cautious at first, but I thought he really liked you. He’s so protective of you.”
“Seems the only reason he’s protective is because of you. Or maybe because he sees me as innocent. Either way, it’s over. No need to cry over spilt milk.”
“Mia, you don’t have to act so strong all the time. It’s okay to break down.”
I finally turn and meet her eyes. Had she said this a week ago, I might have broken down like she expects. I might have cried like I did all those nights into my pillow.
But seeing him again today? It changed my sorrow to anger. My tears are all dried up.
“I’m not going to break down, Sof. He didn’t want me. Did it hurt? Yeah, but not every man is going to want me. I know that. I’m not conceited or vain. Do I want to talk to him again? No, but I know not talking to him isn’t realistic. I went down this road, and now I have to see it through to the end. I’m going to move on. I’ll be cordial because I have to. Other than that, I’m done with him.”
I turn to leave the room. Before I’m fully out, I catch her whisper.
“I don’t know who is a worse liar. You or him.”
∞∞∞
“Good morning, Angelo.”
“Good morning, Miss Mia. How did you sleep?”
Like shit. As usual.
“Great. How is the couch treating you?”
He stretches his shoulders, and I take in a bunch of cracks.
“As well as can be expected.”
“Oh, Angelo. We need to get
you an air mattress. The couch is going to cause permanent damage.”
“No need, Miss Mia. I will be fine.”
“Enough of that. I need you limber so you can protect me. We are getting you an air mattress. Today.”
He rolls his eyes as he picks up the paper. I ordered a subscription when I noticed one of the guys bringing him one each morning.
“Good morning, crew. What’s on the agenda for today?” Izzy walks in looking freshly showered.
“Well, I have the day off, so I thought Angelo and I could go buy him an air mattress.” He starts to speak, but I hold up my hand to stop him. “No arguments.” Then to Izzy. “Then I thought I might go find a new outfit. I haven’t done anything fun in a while. Bash is paying me nicely, so I thought I would treat myself.”
“Mani-pedis, girl. We are going for mani-pedis. My nails are dying for some TLC.”
I chuckle at her. “Okay. Let’s do it. Girls’ day?”
She smiles.
“I’m calling Sof now. You go get ready.”
I go to walk down the hall but turn back to Angelo.
“You too, Angelo.”
He just chuckles as I hurry to get ready.
∞∞∞
An hour later and we are sitting in a booth at our favorite brunch place, White Rabbit. Bottomless mimosas all around. Well, all accept Matt and Angelo.
“So, what spurred this impromptu girls’ day trip?” Matt asks.
“Do we have to have a reason, Matty?” Izzy raises her eyebrow at him.
“I guess not, Isabel.”
She throws a biscuit at his use of her formal name.
“Hey! No wasting food.” He picks it up and takes a large bite.
“Here, have some jam with your biscuit.” She takes spoonful and acts like she’s going to fling it. His hand shoots out so quick as he grabs the spoon and spreads the jam on his biscuit.
“Thank you for caring so much, Izzy.”
We all laugh at their antics. These two act the most like siblings between all of us.
“We needed a day out. Away from all the stress. Besides, this is my first day off. I needed to relax,” I share.
“How is it going anyway?” Sofia asks.
“Good. I’m learning a lot. She also gave me her personal medical books. I’ve been reading those in my spare time.”
“She means she has been reading them when she finally comes home and stays up most of the night studying. She’s been running herself ragged,” Izzy pipes in.
“What? Why?” Sofia turns her concerned gaze on me.
“I just want to be as ready as possible to take over. Dr. Fields is obviously itching to leave. She’s so cagey lately.”
Matt and Angelo each give me an odd look but keep quiet.
“Or it has to do with Lorenzo. She’s obviously still hung up on him,” Izzy admits.
“Izzy! Why would you say that?”
“The way you call out for him in the middle of the night when you do sleep.”
My face turns red as I realize my dreams aren’t as secret as I thought. I look to Angelo. He gives me a look telling me he heard them too.
“I call out for him because I’m murdering him in my dreams. I hate him.” I put some poison behind my words, hoping to deflect their attention from the real reason.
The server shows up then with our meals. After the food is handed out, we all dig in. A couple of moments go by before Izzy speaks up.
“I have a shovel. If you ever want to do it for real.” She says it as if she’s talking about how nice it is outside. Then she pops a strawberry into her mouth as if she didn’t just offer to help me bury a body.
“I might take you up on that, Iz.”
Matt and Angelo’s eyes bug out of their head, but they keep their mouths shut.
“Anyway, how are things for you, Sof?” Matt changes the subject.
The rest of brunch goes by quickly and with a lot of laughter. It’s the first time in a while I’ve felt this happy. As we walk out, I get the feeling of being watched. I look around discreetly and see a man across the street who looks familiar. Someone I might have worked on before at the clinic. I narrow my eyes as I try to make him out, but a large truck comes by, obstructing my view.
“What is it?” Angelo is immediately at attention.
“What?” I turn, not realizing he was paying attention.
“You were looking for something. What did you see?”
“Oh, just someone I thought I knew. It wasn’t who I thought it was though.”
“Mia, are you sure?” He grabs my arms and forces me to look at him.
“I’m sure.”
“Okay. You need to tell me these things. I’m here to protect you. I can’t do that if you keep things from me.”
I see where he’s coming from, but I don’t see a reason to worry them when I’m not even sure what I was looking at. It could have been anyone really.
“I will, Angelo. I promise.”
He lets me go, and I join the girls in the back of Matt’s SUV.
“What was that about?” Sofia asks.
“He was just making sure I knew to tell him if I see anything out of place. I told him obviously I would call him. I’m not stupid.”
They chuckle.
“These guards do get a kick out of treating us like children, don’t they?” Izzy asks.
“Hey! I thought we were more than that, Isa.” Matt doesn’t hide the hurt in his tone.
I watch Isabel’s face light up at the use of this new nickname. I don’t know where it came from, but it makes her smile.
“I wasn’t talking about you, Matty. You’re one of us girls.”
He groans. “I think that might be worse. I’d rather be just a guard.”
“Too late, Matty. You have been accepted as one of our own. No way out now. Unless….” She trails off and winks at me and Sofia.
“Unless? Don’t leave me hanging.”
And he walked right into it.
“Unless you like body bags, Matty boy.”
“There’s only one way out of this exclusive club, Matt. Once you join, the only way out is through death. Sorry, babe.” I chuckle as I watch his face fall in the rearview mirror at my words.
“Why? Why do I do this to myself?” he mutters to himself, and we all laugh. “Here you go, ladies. The perfect place to get your nails done. Nico and Oscar are going to check it out first. Hold tight.” He jumps out and heads around the SUV to stand outside our door. We wait ten minutes before Nico comes out and talks to him. Matt nods then opens our door.
“Hustle inside, girls. It’s clear. You have a personal spa day, courtesy of Bash.”
I groan. “I was going to pay.”
Sofia laughs. “Give it up. The man is beyond generous. Besides, if you complain, he would just say he needed to make sure the place was safe and the only way to do that is to buy out the whole place.”
I narrow my eyes at her as we walk through the front door of the spa. “Does this happen often?”
She shrugs.
“Good afternoon, ladies. We have the entire spa available for your use. What would you like to start with? A massage? Hair? Nails?” The woman in front of us is an older lady. Her name badge has the name Rose with the word Manager underneath. I guess we’re getting the real VIP treatment today.
“What do you think, girls?” Sofia turns and gives us a small smile.
I chuckle. “Well, if Bash is paying, I say we do all three. Might as well make the most out of it.”
Izzy frowns, but relents. “Fine, but I want it noted that I do not appreciate the charity. I’m only doing this for you guys.”
“Oh, like it’s such a hardship,” Matt teases. “I’ll pay for you, Isa. You can accept my charity. Call it an early birthday gift.”
“My birthday is in May, Matt.”
“So, I’m ahead of the game. Perfect.” He wraps his arm around her neck then musses her hair.
“Asshole!” She struggles until
she’s out of his grasp.
“You love me.”
“Hate. You mean hate.”
“Go get your hair done, sis. It’s looking ratty.”
She flips him off and turns back to the manager. “Hair first, please.”
We all laugh as Rose leads us back to our stylists.
∞∞∞
Lorenzo
“What the fuck? This is not the time, Bash.”
I slam my fist down on the table. What were the girls thinking?
“Calm down, Lo. Don’t make me do something you will regret.”
His stern look does nothing to calm my inner beast, but I try anyway. I respect Bash. It’s the only thing saving me from flying off the handle.
“I think what Lo is trying to convey is, what do they think they’re doing planning a party while we are still knee-deep in Fillipo’s shit?” Gio adds.
I nod to him, letting him know it’s what I meant.
“I don’t really know, but as long as it’s somewhere we can control. I don’t see the need to deny them.”
“Fine. I’m running point on security though,” I demand.
“No can do, Lo. You and Gio are specifically not allowed to go.”
“Seriously? What in the ever-loving fuck? Why not?” Gio calls out.
“Isabel doesn’t want to see you, and Mia doesn’t want to see you.” He indicates to Gio before swinging his gaze my way.
“Tough shit. I’m going. They can’t keep me away,” I proclaim.
“Me too. Who the fuck do they think they are?” Gio echo’s my sentiment.
A chuckle brings our gaze to Matteo, who had remained silent so far.
“Something funny, Matteo?” Bash asks.
“Not at all. In fact, you guys are acting ridiculous.”
I growl at his words. “Watch it, Matteo.”
“I mean no disrespect, Lorenzo. You guys are clueless. Here you are, making decisions about their lives, and you don’t even think about the fact that maybe you should clue them in. Then you have the audacity to wonder why they would exclude you? Lorenzo, Mia’s in love with you. You have a woman who would do anything to be with you, and you keep telling her no. Then, when she tries to move on and have a little much needed fun, you want to ruin it. Either claim her or let her go. You can’t have your cake and eat it to.”
