“Does Sofia know?” the grave sound of his voice gives me no hope.
“No one knows. I was going to take it to my grave. If I’m going to be working for you though, we need transparency. I understand that.”
“Look at me, Mia.”
I take a moment to collect myself before I bring my eyes to his. He stares into my eyes as if he’s trying to read my soul.
Good luck with that. My parents sold it to the devil when I was a child.
“Bash,” I catch Lo’s deep, husky voice grit out through his teeth.
Bash bursts out laughing then. Lo follows shortly after, and I look between the two of them, completely confused.
Are they really so fucking excited about my imminent death? My heart aches as I watch the man I have grown to care about laugh at my predicament.
“So much for protecting me from everyone, even yourself,” I mumble.
“What’s that,mio piccolo angelo? I didn’t hear you.”
I’m already dead so why not yell at him?
“I said,” I turn and face him fully, “so much for protecting me from everyone, even yourself you dick sucking twat waffle.”
His laughter fades away, but Bash’s only grows as he’s now falling out of his chair trying to catch his breath.
“Watch your mouth, Mia. You might regret what you’re saying.”
“I won’t have time for regrets, Lo. It’s obvious that he”—I point to Bash—“is going to fucking kill me, and you’re going to enjoy it as much as he is. Why the fuck would I regret anything I might say now? When within minutes I will be another rotting corpse?”
Lo doesn’t respond. He just stares back at me. I don’t avert my gaze. If this is how I’m going to go, I’m going to go out the strong woman my mother taught me to be.
“She called you a twat waffle, dude.”
Bash is finally catching his breath. I continue to stare at Lo, but speak to Bash.
“Actually, I called him a dick sucking twat waffle. Get it right.”
“Fuck, she’s a feisty one. Now I know why you’re so enamored with her. She doesn’t usually act this way around me.”
I finally tear my eyes from Lo’s and turn to Bash. “Can you just kill me already? I’m bored with you two.” I pretend to pick at my nails to accentuate my point.
“I’m not going to kill you, Mia.”
My gaze shoots to his.
Fuck. I hope he doesn’t plan to torture me instead. Why did I not consider this before?
“I can see those wild eyes going crazy,mio piccolo angelo. He isn’t going to harm you. I promised you my protection, and I meant it. No one will harm you as long as I’m still breathing.”
“I’m confused.” I look between the two of them.
Lo is the one who speaks.
“We know who you are and where you come from. For Christ’s sake, I have a whole fucking file on you. I know about your father and your mother. I know about what your father did and who he worked for back in Chicago. I know what he did for other organizations back when he had been in middle school and through his teen years. Hell, I know what your mother craved when she was pregnant with you. You thought you were hiding this big secret, but you weren’t. Well, maybe you were. We didn’t know about what your mom did for your father. Everything else we already knew.”
I look to Bash, and he nods his confirmation.
“I can’t believe it. How did you know?”
