MIA
My father hadn’t said a word since the Ferraros had walked off to their table. The rest of our group had made a few weak attempts at small talk before giving up and focusing on their plates.
No one wanted to seem like they were eager to rush out of here, lest the Ferraros think they’d managed to scare us, but honestly, I couldn’t wait to leave. The people at our table shot me worried looks from time to time, likely remembering Gino’s parting words. Their attention made me more uncomfortable than the threat itself.
When the waiter came by to ask if we wanted dessert, Dad shook his head and asked for the bill.
Thank the lord.
“I need the bathroom before we go,” I said.
“We’ll wait outside,” Jenny replied, already rising from her seat.
The corridor was quiet, save for the soft hum of the dining room’s chatter. I headed down the hall toward the restrooms. I was halfway there when the men’s room door swung open, and Romolo stepped out.
My lips parted on a breath.
There he was. Alone. Both of us were. But with my father and his team and Rom’s family just a few feet away we couldn’t speak, we couldn’t linger. Still, an invisible thread pulled us toward one another.
Each step felt heavy, my legs like concrete. His haunted eyes locked onto mine, and time seemed to slow.
I wanted to tell him I was okay. That he didn’t need to worry about me. That I didn’t hold him responsible for his father’s actions, just like I hoped he didn’t hold me responsible for mine.
But all I could do was stay mute.
As we passed, our hands brushed. A jolt of electricity raced over my skin. I wanted more so badly that I turned my fingers just enough to let them slip into his for a brief reckless second. Then I pulled away and disappeared into the ladies’ room.
When I came out, Jenny stood at the end of the hall, a strange expression on her face. “I got your jacket from the coat check.”
“Thanks.” I took it from her hands. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” she said, her tone clipped.
We stepped outside. My father and the rest of his team had already left for a meeting across town. Jenny and I didn’t need to attend, so we’d take a cab back to the campaign headquarters.
She flagged one, and we climbed in.
“Well, that could have gone worse, I suppose,” I said, forcing a lightness I didn’t feel into my tone. “Any plans for Halloween?”
Jenny stared out the window and didn’t answer.
Frustration bubbled up inside of me. “Really? You’re giving me the silent treatment now? Jenny, this is getting ridiculous. It was one prep meeting. You have to let it go.”
Her head snapped toward me, her eyes sharp. “I know you’re sleeping with him, Mia.”
My jaw snapped shut. Her words might as well have been a slap.
How?
Did she see Romolo and me as we passed in the hallway? No. She hadn’t been behind me. I was sure of it.
My grip tightened around my purse. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I saw Romolo’s jacket in the coat check. It’s the exact same jacket that was hanging in your apartment when I dropped off the cards that one time.”
Crap!
My mind raced. I needed a reasonable explanation. Or maybe I just need to deny, deny, deny.
I feigned annoyance. “Do you think he’s the only man in this city who owns that jacket?”
Her eyes rolled, like she wasn’t even remotely buying my shit. “Please. He spent that whole unfortunate encounter avoiding looking at you. And when he finally did?” She scoffed. “Jesus, Mia. He looked at you like you were his. I’m surprised no one else noticed.”
The shrill wail of an ambulance siren cut through the air. Anxiety tightened around my throat. If Jenny told my dad, my whole life would implode. Especially after how badly that lunch had just gone—my dad wouldn’t even try to understand. He was on a goddamn warpath.
The only way I could salvage this was if I stayed calm and chose my words carefully.
Jenny clasped her hands in her lap, her knuckles white. “I’m waiting for your explanation.”
“We met at a party. It hasn’t been long,” I hedged.
“Is it serious?” She was in damage-control mode, trying to assess the threat. Depending on her assessment, she’d decide whether to loop in Dad or not.
I needed to defuse her.
“It’s nothing. A mistake.” The lie burned across my tongue.
She huffed. “Bullshit. I know you, Mia. You wouldn’t risk all this over a casual fling. So be honest with me. How bad is it? Do you love him?”
Love. The word dripped from her lips like an accusation.
A lump thickened my throat. The backs of my eyes prickled. I turned away before she could see my face crack.
Do you love him?
It was a question I hadn’t dared to ask myself.
I didn’t know the answer. Or maybe I did, but I wasn’t ready to confront it.
Even now, my body ached for his presence. To press my face against his chest, feel his arms tighten around me, hear that low, familiar murmur against my ear. He was one of the most dangerous men in this city, but somehow, he had become my safest place.
The hardened exterior that masked something deeper. The sharp edges softened by moments of tenderness. The darkness I wanted to believe I’d shed some light into.
He wasn’t an easy person to understand. Or to love.
But I’d fallen anyway.
The street beyond the window blurred.
“Who do you love more, Mia?” Jenny’s voice sliced through the air. She didn’t try to soften the blow. “Him or your father?”
I swiped a tear sliding down my cheek with the back of my hand. “That’s not fair.”
“Lots of things in life aren’t fair,” she retorted sharply. “Romolo Ferraro is an expert in unfairness. Just look at what he and his family do. Last week, there was an explosion at a warehouse in Brooklyn. Three dead. Rumor is, it was his family sending a warning to some gang trying to move in on their turf.”
“That’s a rumor.” My voice shook.
“They’re fucking criminals,” she spat. “You know this, Mia. How can you turn a blind eye to it? I thought you were better than this.”
Impotent fury scraped through my chest. She was right. He was a criminal. And the Mia from a few months ago would have folded under the weight of that truth.
But I wasn’t the same woman anymore. I’d changed. And I couldn’t reduce Romolo to just that single label.
My teeth clenched. “You don’t know him.”
“And neither do you,” Jenny shot back, her anger rolling off her in waves. “If you think he has even a single redeeming quality, you’re deluding yourself. If you don’t end it, I’ll have no choice but to tell your father. There’s too much at stake.”
“This has nothing to do with the election.” If Jenny just kept her mouth shut, no one would find out.
And yeah, I had to end it. Eventually. But I wanted to do it on my own terms.
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to an icy calm. “We both know that’s not true. I’ll have you put on house arrest if I have to. You cannot see him again.”
“You have no right to control me like that!” I snapped.
“I might not have the right, but I have the power. If your father knew what you’ve been up to these past few weeks, he’d give me carte blanche to do whatever I think is necessary to keep you in line. It would be for your own good. When you wake up from this madness—and that’s exactly what this is—you’ll realize just how close you were to making the biggest mistake of your life.”
I felt like I was suffocating. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me this entire year.”
“And it will all be for nothing if you screw up these last few weeks.”
The car slowed to a stop outside the campaign offices.
Jenny’s gaze assessed me coldly, as if she were seeing me for the first time. “You have three days to end it. After that, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect this campaign.”
Then, with a shake of her head, she opened the door and stepped out—leaving me behind. Shattered.
