by Zavi James
Despite the fact I was brimming with questions, I refrained from asking Luc about it. The phone and Gabe’s note had tipped him into a bad mood, and it was easier for all of us if I waited patiently. Luc was solid in his belief that it was a dud and there was a small part of me that believed him. Gabe might have sent something with the intention to waste our time and send us on a wild goose chase, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Luc. Plus, another part of me wanted to believe that Gabe had some morals that his dark and twisted conscience played by.
He hadn’t handed us anything on a silver platter. From what Tori had told me, they potentially had a number that he called them from. It would’ve been easier to hand that over. Maybe he was playing us. The thoughts had me running around in circles all night until I exhausted myself and fell asleep.
It was only because Luc saw Katia’s name flash across my screen and raised an eyebrow that I decided to pick up. The man was ready to go to war and I didn’t think Katia deserved to face his wrath.
“Hi,” I answered the call.
“Mia! Hi. How are you?”
The last thing I wanted was a casual chat over breakfast but Katia usually texted so there was something more to the call. “Fine. Is there something I can help you with?” I couldn’t help how clipped it sounded.
“Actually,” Katia drew out the word and there was instant regret at even asking the question. “I was wondering if you were free to come around to mine later?”
Luc watched me closely, swaying my decision. “Sure,” I told her. “I’ll be there after breakfast.”
“Fantastic! See you then,” she said cheerily and hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?” Luc asked as soon as my phone hit the table again.
“Nothing.” The look on his face made me reconsider my answer. “I’m just tired.” It was less of a lie. The last few days had been a struggle to get out of bed with Link being the only reason I got up as early as I did. It felt like my energy had been robbed and I was scrabbling to try and pick myself up again. “Katia wants me to stop over and see her.”
“It’ll be good for you to leave the house and not cause trouble,” Luc said to me and I shot him a look. “And it’ll be a good way to ease Franco back into work.”
“Franco?” I asked, spluttering on my orange juice and feeling the burn in my nostrils. “What do you mean, Franco?”
“He called a few days ago,” Luc informed me. “Asked to get back into work.”
“He didn’t say anything to me.”
“I assume he wanted to see if I’d allow it. I can’t see the harm, considering he’s the reason you’re alive.”
I didn’t have an issue with Franco working for us. I’d told him that the job would still be his when he was ready to step back into the role, but it felt too soon. It was only a few weeks since he’d been rushed to hospital. “He should be resting and healing up.”
“I’m not forcing him to work, Mia. He asked and I obliged. If you don’t want him to overdo it, then keep your nose clean and give him an easy ride.” Luc sipped from his mug and added, “I’m glad he’s back. You need someone that doesn’t bend to your whim so easily.”
“It wasn’t Dom’s fault,” I told him. Things had been frosty between the pair of them after Luc lost his shit at Dom. It didn’t matter how many times I professed that it was all my idea to see Chas, Luc hammered home the point that Dom worked for him and not me and one more misstep would be the end of that.
Luc got up from his seat and leaned down to kiss me. “I know, princess. It was all your twisted mind, leading people astray.”
I reached out to hit him but missed. “I’d like to remind you that you were the one who led me astray in the first place.”
“And I’d be flattered if it wasn’t putting you into dangerous situations.”
The reminders to stay out of trouble weren’t because Luc didn’t trust me but because he didn’t trust everyone else. A little bit of danger was okay — you learned from it but these days we were up to our necks, and Luc couldn’t be around constantly to bail me out. And I should have known better than to land myself in a situation that could have taken me away from my family. I hadn’t banked on Tori spilling our conversation to Gabe. I hadn’t banked on Chas getting so upset. I needed to tread more carefully.
“Have a good day,” I said as he said goodbye to Link and left the kitchen.
Finishing up breakfast, I got myself and Link dressed and ready to visit Katia. Even though Luc had told me Franco was back to working for us, I was surprised to see him waiting for us in the hallway when I came down the stairs. Michael had been returned to his previous post, and my most efficient and serious member of security tipped the world towards normal again.
“It’s good to have you back,” I said, coming off the bottom step and joining him and Dom. The way Franco held himself would have made you believe that nothing had happened. Then again, all of these men had been trained to never show weakness.
“It’s good to be back,” he said, but it didn’t hold warmth in the same way it would if someone else said it. It was firm and monotonous and eased my anxiety. This was what I had grown used to. “I was getting cabin fever at home doing nothing all day.”
“Lucky for you we’re seeing one of your favourite people this morning,” I said. Franco, who had glanced down at Link brought his eyes back up to me and they narrowed. “Katia.”
“Fantastic,” he deadpanned but made no more comment as we left the house.
∞∞∞
“Do you mind?” Katia asked as I pushed Link’s stroller over the lip of the door.
Jealous and possessive were never the words I’d used to describe myself but I’d never had anything to be jealous and possessive over until Luc and Link came into my life. However, I was a guest and couldn’t deny Katia time with my son.
“Go ahead,” I told her, pushing the reluctance away before it could sour the words.
She dove into the stroller and picked out my wriggling boy. “Hello, handsome,” Katia said, securing him in her arms. “Mia, he’s becoming more of a heart breaker every day.”
“I know.” The pride crept into my voice. Every day, Link was becoming more his own person. Correction. Every day, Link was becoming more like Luc. There was no running from the fact that I’d birthed a clone and any hope I had that Link might take after me or inherit something from the Griffin side of the genes was quickly fading away.
“Come through,” Katia said, bouncing Link gently as he started to cry. As gorgeous as my son was, his temperament was awful at times.
Katia’s living room reminded me of something out of The Great Gatsby. Dark mahogany furniture and rich velvet curtains and upholstery gave the room a vintage feel. There was no doubt what era Katia wished to live in when you saw the way she had designed her home.
“I’m surprised you said to stop by the house,” I commented, taking a seat in a chair. It wasn’t often Katia entertained company at home, preferring to meet somewhere public. I think she loved the idea of being seen and the envy she could induce in others. While I felt almost embarrassed by the wealth Luc had and was still getting used to using it freely, Katia was a different breed. This was the life she’d been raised in and she loved nothing more than showing off what she had. “Is Rosalie joining us?” I asked, noting the missing member of our trio.
Katia shook her head, getting comfortable with Link. I rummaged in my bag and pulled out a rattle, passing it over to her. Link had become obsessed with everything that made sounds and flashed. After a few minutes, Link’s unwarranted tears subsided, and he became distracted by the rattle Katia shook.
“I wanted to speak to you alone,” Katia said.
“That sounds ominous.” My insides knotted uncomfortably. Nothing good followed those words and I prepared myself to go home and tell Luc whatever Katia was about to deliver.
“Nothing bad,” she assured me. “I just wanted to share the news with you first.” Katia looked up fr
om Link, setting her blue eyes on me and momentarily stopping the shaking of the rattle. “Jonah and I found out that I’m pregnant.”
The irritation and frustration I felt towards her melted away. I pushed myself out of my seat and dropped myself beside her, hugging her tight. “Congratulations! Katia, that’s amazing news!” It’d only been a few months ago that she’d divulged that she and Jonah wanted to start a family.
“Thank you.” She beamed. “Six weeks. We found out a few days ago.”
That would explain why Katia’s champagne glass was left untouched during our wedding dress trip and gave her a partial excuse as to why she’d listened to Gabe and left when he’d turned up at the boutique. She had a lot more to protect than friendship and business deals. I would have done the same thing.
“That’s still early, Katia. You’re planning to tell people?”
“No. I’m only letting you know, and I assume Luc may find out the news from Jonah.”
“You don’t plan to tell Rosalie?”
“Not until the twelve-week mark.”
But she’d told me. Whether it was a way of apologising or, more likely, a way to gain some favour, Katia had shared her secret with me. She had let me into her circle of trust and expected to be in mine, but I was a little more hesitant about that. A little more aware that people could turn their back on you if things became difficult and Katia owed me a lot less than what Jonah owed Luc.
She handed Link back over to me for his feed and ran through a literal list of the questions she had about pregnancy. I answered her the best I could but the months I’d had before Link made his entrance into the world were a blur, and Carmen held my hand through the majority of it.
By the time we finished, I was more exhausted than when I left the house. I sagged in the backseat of the car as Franco drove us home.
“A delight as usual?” he asked me. He watched me in the rear-view mirror.
“Next time we can swap roles,” I replied.
Dom laughed. “It’s less dangerous in our role.”
Katia’s reputation was well known throughout the family and I’m sure people were surprised at how close we were. I’d rather have her close than as an enemy when I knew how sharp she could be, and she kept me close because she knew the potential I held.
Franco chuckled at Dom’s comment. Something, however miniscule it was, had eased in him. From the conversation in the hospital to his willingness to talk today, I hoped this was a small turning point in our relationship.
“Franco,” I said. “I was wondering if you’d like to come over for dinner later in the week. It’d give me a chance to say thank you properly for everything you’ve done.”
“I’m not sure Luc would be best pleased by that. It’s not in my job description.”
“Forget the job for a second and let me worry about Luc. Please.” I wasn’t sure the guilt over the incident would ever subside, but a dinner was the smallest way to show my gratitude.
“Okay,” he said eventually. “Let me know when.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket and when I pulled it, Luc’s name appeared on the screen. “Speak of the devil,” I muttered and answered his call. “To what do I owe the pleasure, love.” He was most likely checking in to make sure I hadn’t gone rogue and convinced everyone around me to follow me.
“Are you with Dom and Franco?”
“Yes,” I said as a crease appeared in my brow. The temporary ease that had settled over me was disappearing fast.
“Where are you? Are you still at Katia’s?”
“No. We’re on the way home now. What’s wrong?”
“Hand the phone to Dom.” The words were direct and sharp, and my heart sank to my feet as I pulled the phone away from my ear to hand it over to Dom. He took it from me without question.
Something had happened. Something had spooked Luc so that he called me first before going to Dom and Franco. He wanted to know first-hand that I was alright. Had there been another attack? Had Xavier pulled more strings without showing his face? I tried to listen, but Luc’s end of the line was inaudible, and Dom’s side of the conversation was agreeing to whatever Luc was saying to him.
When Dom handed the phone back over to me, Luc had hung up. “What’s happened? Is Luc okay?” As I asked the questions, I pulled up my texts ready to message Luc and ask him myself.
“He’s fine,” Dom answered. “We’re going home and staying there.”
“Why?” I asked. I hit send on the message and watched the screen as instantly three dots bounced along it.
“Because it’s what Luc ordered,” Dom told me. There he was again, balancing the fine line between friend and employee. Dom didn’t have to tell me though because Luc’s response came through, short and to the point.
I’m fine. Silas found dead. Home late.
The hairs on my arms rose as I processed the message, and all I could think was what the hell had Gabe done?
Chapter Seventeen
Dante
My usual routine of crashing at Mia and Luc’s after work had been disrupted. It was no one’s fault but my own. Instead of spending time with my godson, I’d taken up babysitting of a different kind. It wasn’t because I was worried about Angelo if he didn’t meet the deadline set for him but because I felt responsible for my cousin. His work felt like a reflection on me and what I could offer to Luc and Mia.
It felt even more imperative to find answers after the stunt that Gabe had pulled. I was vaguely impressed. He’d taken after Xavier in keeping his hands as clean as possible, but Silas’s death involved no other person. If we were friends, fuck, if he wasn’t such a dick, I’d congratulate him on finally stepping up and proving he had some worth.
That was the concern. If other members of the family saw Gabriel as proving he could handle business more effectively than Xavier, then he might actually persuade people to think he was meant for the position he’d landed. We couldn’t afford that. So, each night for the past week, I came home and watched Angelo as he worked, which inevitably led to arguments between us.
“If you worked a little more efficiently, then you wouldn’t have to be watched,” I pointed out to him.
“I worked efficiently,” he argued. “You landed me with two jobs, and I gave you answers from the first one. I should have taken the half of the money and ran,” he said, limping across the kitchen. It was a reminder of why he hadn’t gone anywhere. Exorbitant medical bills added to his student loans tethered Angelo to us until he finished the job. We’d wipe the debt in one rather than him scrambling for smaller jobs that paid a lot less and let the interest add up.
“If you wanted a one-way ticket to the grave,” I mumbled, thinking about the repercussions if he decided to pull a fast one.
“What are you on about now?” Luc said, following Mia into my kitchen where we were standing.
“Nothing,” I told him. I wasn’t in the mood to clean up a fight between the pair. Luc hadn’t appreciated Gabe’s bold move either and it pushed him from bad mood to something more akin to feral.
“I hope you have some news for us,” Luc directed at Angelo as I kissed Mia on the cheek.
“Should she even be here?” Angelo asked, eyeing her up. Mia raised an eyebrow and I considered whether we should have cut his tongue out the first time he opened his mouth rather than let him keep running it.
“It’s not really your concern who I bring with me to business, Angelo,” Luc snapped.
“Only the rules are a little unclear when it comes to her,” Angelo shot back. He down looked at Mia who didn’t buckle under his gaze. She’d dealt with worse than my idiot cousin and his god-like complex. “Are you involved in this or are you under the thumb as a trophy wife?”
“Fuck me,” I breathed, turning on my cousin, ready to tear a strip off him for that comment. “You—”
“I’m a trophy wife who’s involved,” Mia said smoothly, twisting the negative into something that would suit her. She’d become an expert at refle
cting snide remarks. It worked in Angelo’s favour that she stood in front of Luc, blocking any attack at the risk of hurting her. “And I’m hoping this isn’t a wasted trip because I’m beginning to think that you’re all mouth and no trousers.”
Angelo clamped his mouth shut. He hadn’t expected tiny, quiet Mia to fire back at him. She carefully collected insecurities and pulled the cards when she was backed into a corner. It was hard to miss Angelo’s narcissism and it made him an easy target.
“Let us worry about who’s involved and you just tell us what you know,” I said.
“You have answers, right?” Luc asked him. If possible, his tone had darkened from when he’d originally walked in.