His smile is calculating.
“No catch, Mia. You will belong to the family. You will be on call at all times. If we need you, you come, no questions asked. You will need to ask permission before you leave anywhere, even on vacation. You will not be able to just leave this position. Anyone you decide to commit to”—his eyes slide to Lo, and I feel the tension roll off of him—“will need to be vetted through my men.”
“So pretty much I give up my life to you.”
I appreciate the respect in his eyes at my bluntness.
“Yes, but have you not already done so, Mia? It seems to me you're already in deeper than you realize.” He nods his head to Lo. “I’m not saying you should take this, Mia. Don’t misunderstand me, I trust you more than I trust Dr. Fields over here. I would much rather keep this business in the family as much as possible, but out of respect for mytesoroand you as my family, I won’t force this upon you. This is a decision you will have to make yourself.”
I bite my lip. Could I go back to this? I look to Sofia, and she gives me an encouraging smile. She saw how I took care of Matt. I admitted to her I love the medical aspect. She probably thinks this is perfect for me. She doesn’t know my dark past though.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course. Lo, will you show Dr. Fields out?”
He finally let’s go of my hand, and I feel pinpricks from his tight grasp. I hadn’t realized how tightly I had been holding his hand. Or maybe it was him holding mine.
Once they leave the room, Sofia turns to me.
“Take your time, Mia. You don’t have to do this, but if you want to, I’ll support you.”
I nod at her.
“This needs to be your decision, Mia.” Bash’s voice flows over me. “This is a lifetime commitment. I’m giving Dr. Fields an out now only because I meant what I said. I trust you, Mia. I trust you way more than I ever trusted her. I see this as a benefit for the family. You will not be afforded the same luxury of resigning from this position.”
I take a deep breath as I stand. “I think I need to go home and think.”
“I’ll take you.” I jump as I hear Lo’s voice from the door.
Sofia comes and hugs me before Lo takes my hand and leads me out the front door.
Coming in here, I thought I had done something wrong. Now I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I walk out. Bash trusts me, which should make me happy, but instead it causes me to feel guilty. How can he trust me when he doesn’t even know me? I’ve lied to them all since day one. If I come clean now, will I keep my life?
∞∞∞
Lorenzo
I dropped Mia off, but she isn’t herself. I offered to take her back to my place, but she asked me to take her home to think. I don’t care for the dark look on her face. It makes me not want to leave her. An angel shouldn’t have darkness in her eyes.
I park across the street and watch the house until her guard shows up. I told him to take the evening off since I had her, but I didn’t expect her to want to come back here. Izzy’s guard is here, but I can’t leave without knowing Mia is also protected. Izzy’s guard would protect them both, but there’s a reason we have a personal guard for each girl.
One is, of course, if they separate. The other is so each man only has one objective. To protect their mark.
I let my eyes scan the street as I think about the events of the afternoon. I could kill Bash for springing everything on me and her like that. I don’t want her involved with the family, but I can’t say that to her. It’s not my place, even though I wish it was.
The curtain covering the front window moves, and I see Isabella standing there. She’s talking, and I assume it’s to Mia. She flips me off, and I chuckle. Isabel has a hatred for all of us in the mafia. If it were up to her, we would all disappear. She won’t leave her best friends though, and each seem to be tangled into the life. Sofia will never leave Bash, and now Mia is about to make a huge decision that might intertwine her fate with the family more than committing to a man ever could.
Isabel: If you’re going to sit outside, you might as well come inside.
I smile as I read the text from Isabel.
Lo: Mia wanted time to think. I’m giving it to her.
My phone rings in response. I pick it up with a smile.
“Hello, Isabel.”
“She’s in her room. Can I come out and talk to you?”
