The Syndicates: A Dark Mafia Romance Collection

by Raven Scott

  “How’d you end up getting married after dealing with that?” I couldn’t help the question, and that’s when Jack’s smile stretched to reveal deep, diamond-cutting dimples. Marissa was practically under the table at this point, and my brows rose as anticipation thickened my blood. “I doubt she would’ve taken that laying down.”

  “Oh, she didn’t. This is where it gets bad. She, for some reason I still haven’t figured out, filed an order of protection against me personally. She didn’t read the signs that we have video and audio surveillance at that restaurant, so I brought it in when I contested the order. The judge watched about fifteen seconds of Meredith completely destroying this girl and denied the order and went absolutely ballistic on Meredith. Turns out, that chick was the judge’s niece.” My jaw nearly hit the table, and there were some gasps of surprise, as if everyone was hearing that part for the first time. No doubt, it was an egregious twist in the story, and Jack smiled over at Marissa with fondness and affection as he continued. “Marissa was so impressed and star-struck, she decided to go to law school. She actually came up to me and wanted to piss her mom off, and I wasn’t gonna say ‘no’. Come to find out, she’s really very sweet.”

  “Shut up, Jack.” Grumbling as she shoved a piece of fish in her mouth, Marissa scowled darkly, and I was just stunned. That was one hell of a story, for sure.

  “Every time I hear that story, it gets better and better.” Mikayla sighed wistfully, and I realized this was the first time, maybe ever, that I’d hung out with people that weren’t paid to be around me. And they were good people despite the circumstances. No one questioned me, where I came from; everyone around the table was just relieved the drama was finally over.

  What a mind-blowing concept . . . friends.

  22

  Lucy

  A soft tap on my shoulder tore my eyes off my phone, and I glanced up to find my mom standing in front of me with a somber look on her face, but anger and betrayal swirling in her eyes. Mateo’s plane wasn’t due to land for another hour, but everyone else had already gotten their stuff and headed home. I assumed my mom had, too, to try to avoid the situation, but obviously, I was wrong.

  I turned back to my phone screen to scroll through the news and weather, but she sat next to me stiffly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my mom frowning, and I pulled my headphones over my ears. As if that wasn’t a clear enough indication, I twisted away from her, and Marshal shuffled to readjust himself against my feet.

  The flights from Honolulu to San Diego had been awkward— Seth sat with me and Mikayla sat with Meredith, but that didn’t stop her from talking the whole time. On the second flight out of San Diego, Seth told the pilot and all the attendants that if she opened her mouth before the plane got off the ground, they could kick her off immediately. Surprisingly, Meredith didn’t want to chance that scenario, but once we were in the air, she locked herself in the bathroom until we landed in Nashville.

  Then, promptly, she got arrested again.

  During the total eleven hours of flights, my mom had ignored me, and we hadn’t been seated together. Seth and I had talked about his future, and I knew she heard me say ‘I want to be friends’. I thought that wasn’t inappropriate given the circumstances. Seth agreed before going on a brutal tirade about desperately wanting to be a photographer, complete with tears and more than a few tissues.

  The whole journey made me so sad for him.

  My thoughts were interrupted when my mom pulled my headphone away from my ear, and I tensed as the fine hairs on my cheek bristled. Smacking her hand away, I glared hotly at her as her aged, long face twisted in hurt, and her gasp rang loudly through the terminal. It was ten p.m., and the few people that were milling around were trying their best to get to sleep. Few eyes turned to us, and I twisted to put my back to my mom fully.

  My headphones weren’t connected to my phone, so if she did say something, I’d hear it as a muffled garble. I hoped she didn’t talk, though— my mom had said everything she needed to say and more. Being in a relationship with a good man that I didn’t love was what she wanted for me, and after years of getting the ‘well, you don’t want to be single and miserable’ line forced down my throat, I was done.

  You’re an only child. You’d think she’d care about your happiness. Mateo’s words floated up from the depths of my mind, and I pursed my lips thinly as I scrolled down on my phone. Did my mom care more about my happiness or about how she perceived my happiness? Was she so afraid of me being like her, alone and bitter because she has bad taste in men, that that fear superseded what I wanted?

  It really was a shame that I knew the answers to those questions without having to ask.

  “Lucy!” I jumped as my mom’s shout right in my ear, leaping from my chair and stepping on my dog, and Marshal’s shrill bark of shock jarred my bones. Whipping around, my body stopped but my hand didn’t, and the smack of palm on cheek echoed louder than even my heart beating in my throat. Clutching my phone to my chest, I stared at my mom through wide eyes as she held her cheek, jaw nearly on the floor. Ripping my headphones off, I clenched them tightly in my fist just to have something to hold onto, so I didn’t hit her again.

  “What the fuck! Go away! I don’t know you! Security!” Screaming at the top of my lungs, I made as huge a commotion as I could, and my mom went beet red at my accusations. “Security!”

  “Don’t avoid me, Lucy. I’m your mother, damnit!” Some random dude came sprinting full throttle from the other side of the hallway, and I didn’t stop glaring at my mom as she popped up from her seat. Her red cheek turned tomato-esque, almost purple, and she wagged her finger in my face. “I want to talk to you about the wedding, and—”

  “Security! Somebody, this lady’s crazy!” We were outside the terminal, and the guy reached us as I called out again to position himself between us. He was huge in a bulky, muscular type of way, but no shorter than myself at maybe five-foot-five. Hiding behind him as I grabbed Marshal and hoisted his scared butt in my arms, I backed up while he held his hands up and blocked her way.

  “Lucillia! I’m trying to talk—” She didn’t get another word out before huffing and glaring at the guy between us, and Marshal hugged me as he shivered from what just happened. He was a very sheltered dog. I hadn’t ever so much as accidentally stepped on his paw, and he just got a heel to the ribs. Damnit!

  “Ma’am, back away or we’re gonna have a problem.” Security guards came bustling out from the terminal as the man spoke in a deep rasp, and my mom stomped her foot indignantly.

  “That’s my daughter, and we’re having a conversation that doesn’t involve you!” I must’ve screamed pretty loud for security to react that fast, and we were suddenly surrounded by four more men. Clearly, the situation didn’t need an explanation, and one man told my mom that she needed to leave immediately. Watching it gave me such an ugly sensation, and I looked at my feet as my mom stormed off without much fuss. She was followed by two of the guards, but the guy not uniformed turned to me to scan my terrified dog critically.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think. I just . . . ” My explanation turned to ash on my tongue, but he didn’t seem at all put out as I stroked Marshal’s back soothingly. “I’m sorry.”

  “When anyone screams for help, I just run. It’s nothing to apologize for. You want to talk about it? I heard the word ‘wedding’. That can’t be good.” Rolling my lips between my teeth, I sat down to hold Marshal in my lap, and he’d stopped shaking but wouldn’t stop whining a pained, faint sound that broke my heart. The guy sat next to me, and I inhaled a deep, shuddering breath before opening my mouth.

  “Ten months ago, I got kidnapped and held hostage for seven days. My mom doesn’t know. I told everyone I went soul-searching, but I was locked in a concrete room almost the entire time. There’s been a lot of problems between my mom and I already, for a long time. I’ve been with this guy for almost eight years too long because our mom’s just torture us until we get back toget
her. We were supposed to get married the day before yesterday, but we didn’t. My mom, she told me to suck it up and settle, and basically that my happiness didn’t matter.” Raising thick eyebrows in surprise, he frowned darkly, and I grimaced as I scratched Marshal’s head. His weight was comfortable against me, and he hid his whole head down my shirt before I cleared my throat to continue. “So, I told her that she wasn’t allowed in my life anymore. Anything she has to say, she could’ve said it at any point in the last eight years. She could’ve even not done anything to apologize for in the first place, but . . . ”

  “Ah, shut her up for the moment, but not forever, huh?” Jerking my head in a nod, my chest tightened at that blunt way to put it, and he sat back to cross his knees. “What made you finally put your foot down?”

  “The man that was a hostage with me . . . I saw him. Being in that room, I honestly never felt so connected with someone, you know? We went our separate ways, but when I saw him again, it was like we were back in that room. And surprisingly enough, I preferred that over being where I was at the time. My mom always tells me that my ex is the best I’ll get, and being single is miserable and lonely and I’d end up crawling back to my ex anyway, so what’s the point of breaking up? He’s a good guy . . . a great guy. He’s just . . . not great for me.” Self-depreciation soured my grimace, and I glanced over at the guy as a thoughtfulness creased between his brows. “I bet you’re wondering why I didn’t stand up for myself.”

  “Nah, my parents sent me to the military to ‘straighten’ me out because I’m gay. It didn’t work.” He shot me the most charming, saucy smirk, and I couldn’t help but giggle before it fell into seriousness again. “I just happen to love being in the service, but rarely does anyone get that lucky. My dad was actually the one to crack and accept that I was gay, and my mom hasn’t said a single word to me in almost fifteen years. Moms get used to being moms, I guess, if that makes sense.”

  “Yeah, my parents are divorced, and my mom really has bad taste in men, so I guess she legitimately thought my ex was unique in being a good guy. I haven’t seen much of my dad since then.” I just spewed out that information, and the stranger, who’s name I wasn’t going to ask, just nodded knowingly. This is gonna be a long hour.

  23

  Mateo

  “Lucy.” She paused her conversation to look up, her big, blue eyes shining with relief, and I smiled even as concern warped my brow. “Why’s Marshal in your shirt? What happened?”

  “Ah, it’s a bit of a story.” Setting down my backpack, I ran my hand through my hair as a million thoughts raced behind my eyes, and Ketchup stuck himself between Lucy’s legs. He licked Marshal’s back, and Lucy turned back to the man she was talking to with a smile. “Thanks for waiting with me.”

  “No problem. I’ve got another two hours to go. Have a safe drive.” I grabbed her bag and my own, and Lucy cradled her dog as we walked away unceremoniously. Casting her a curious glance on the way out of the terminal, I shouldered my backpack as waited for her to speak up.

  “My mom yelled at me, and I stepped on him by accident. I made a huge scene and got her dragged out by security, and that guy sat with me while I waited for you.” Understanding flooded my veins, but I stayed quiet as we reached baggage claim, and she sighed softly as she turned her baby blues to me. “I just want to get home and sleep in my own bed. The flights were awful. Meredith made such a huge fuss that she got arrested when we landed.”

  “Do you want me to find somewhere else to stay tonight?” Her expression drenched in guilt, but I only shook my head as I reached to caress her cheek. “It’s okay. Travelling is a vicious monster.”

  “Sorry. I really didn’t think the flights would take such a toll on me.” We hadn’t discussed anything about what may or may not happen when we flew back to Tennessee, but I didn’t expect to just live with her from this point forward. Leaning her head on my shoulder, Lucy closed her eyes to sigh, and I rubbed her lower back as we waited for her luggage. “Have you just been living out of rental cars this whole time? Isn’t it expensive?”

  “Sort of. The day I left the hospital, my brother and I went to a used car dealership, but I realized that driving all the way to Nevada was going to be torture.” Smiling when Lucy glanced up at me, I cupped the side of her head, and she huffed softly. Cute. “So, I axed that part and got a plane ticket to Reno, got a rental car, got the dogs, drove into California and rented this month-by-month place until I decided to go to Hawaii. I was there for a week, maybe, before we reconnected. I don’t have a fixed place, though. I told my landlady I was going to Hawaii, cleaned out my stuff—”

  “You threw it all away, didn’t you?” Nodding without hesitation, my smile widened when she laughed a little, straightening to shake out her blonde waves. “You don’t have to answer, but . . . how much did your dad give you?”

  “The same he gave you, I’m guessing. Fifty million. It’s enough to live the rest of my life off of, and I’ve spent a little less than twenty thousand dollars so far. Why?” Lucy’s beige hardcase came tumbling down onto the belt, and I grabbed it as she adjusted her grip on Marshal. The poor lab was horrified, didn’t move- didn’t do anything but cuddle against her with his head down her shit.

  “The house across the street from me is up for sale.” My brows rose at that, and Lucy blushed furiously at the heavy suggestion lacing her tone. “My place is small. My granddad bought and fixed it up for me since I’m the only grandkid. It’s really not big enough for three dogs and three people. But the house across the street is a four-bedroom, two-point-five-bath with a backyard bigger than my entire property. I just think it’s an idea.”

  “Okay. I’ll consider it.” Her eyes sparkled with happiness and satisfaction, and I glanced at both my dogs before she took the lead. This airport was just like all the others, and I shook my head away from that part of my life before speaking up. “What about you? What have you done since then?”

  “I redid my front yard. I told you that. I put in new grass and a nice, little walkway. I didn’t want to skimp on my backyard, though. I extended my back patio that stretches from the back door to the garage. It’s like, maybe, twenty-five feet, and now it’s six feet out instead of four. I scaled down my garden and put in a pond that irrigates my garden. It’s really nice. I also got the hammock. I’m not gonna lie, it was an impulse buy.” Lucy started to ramble, but I more than enjoyed listening as her voice thickened with achievement and pride. “I bought some new cookware and stuff, my stuff was getting old, and I didn’t have some lids, or they were getting warped. I got some really nice cast iron stuff.”

  “Sounds like you had a nice time.” We exited through the doors farthest on the left, and Lucy nodded as she looked around. “Are we taking a cab to Jackson?”

  “Mikayla drove me, but she left a while ago. It’s fine as long as the dogs go to the bathroom first. It’s about a two-hour drive.” Lucy started digging her phone out of its pocket on the side of her bag, still on my shoulder. “I’ll get a Lyft. It’s pretty late, and Nashville’s got some awful drunks. I’m sure if I tip enough, it’ll be an easy choice.”

  “I’ll cover the tip if you pay the mileage.” Nodding again at my compromise, Lucy tapped away on her phone, and I rocked back on my heels as a stream of cars sat on the curb. Even at near midnight, the airport was fairly busy, and I glanced over at her as the bright lights illuminating the sidewalk made her hair shimmer. Her flight might’ve been awful in the traditional sense, but mine was wracked with anxiety.

  What would happen when the gold dust settled? If it ever did? Was this clawing, burning need going to drain away once the monotony of life started to drag? Even if this sensation never died, would Lucy and I have a life that would satisfy us both?

  “Lucy?” Her head whipped up, and I was caught in her eyes when they met mine. My mouth dried, and, for a split second, all the noise around us went silent in my ears. “Let’s bring the dogs over there.”

  There was a bench, a
patch of grass, and some doggy bags hanging in a box off a pole. She nodded, and we shuffled the few yards over to the island of green in a sea of concrete. Marshal would not take his head out of her shirt, and my dogs sniffed around the patch. When she sat down, the dark lab whimpered, and I set all our stuff in a pile while she wrestled him out of her shirt.

  “I can’t believe she did that. I must’ve been ignoring her for a good minute. I had my headphones on, and she just screamed in my ear. I feel so bad. You know that Meredith initially tried to not get him to come at all, but I found out he was small enough to be able to ride with me. He’s so not used to all this.” I dropped down next to Lucy, and she managed to get her dog on her lap to pick at her shirt with a frown. “He stretched out my shirt.”

  “I got my dogs registered as support animals. Most places don’t care, but it’s just easier this way. They’re really well-behaved, too, which helps.” Ketchup sauntered around the bench to sniff around Marshal, still curled up and scared, and Lucy reached to pet him. Seeing the pit get attention, Marshal lifted his head and perked his ears, and Ketchup grabbed him by the side of the face to pull him off her lap. “Ketchup is a sweetheart with everyone. Especially animals that are smaller than him.”

  “I can see that.” Marshal dragged his body, becoming liquid dog in an effort to stay on his owner’s lap, and I smiled slightly. Ketchup was very gentle, but we had time before the Lyft arrived, and I leaned back to rub my head furiously. “So, I was thinking . . . do you want to come over tomorrow for a while?”