Page 43 of The Mafia’s Girlfriend

And Luke? I was sure I could count on him to avoid me all day again. That seemed to be his pattern. Help me out of a bind, then tease me, and bolt.

Checking the camera footage on my phone, I felt calmer that no one trespassed in my condo last night. No one came to the door. No one broke in through a window. Nothing. With the beach surrounding us, there weren’t any trees and natural places to hide behind either.

A day of rotting on the couch was in order. I headed to my condo and did just that, napping and bingeing a show I’d had on my list for a while. I didn’t pay much attention. I couldn’t when I kept thinking back to Luke. How he kissed me. How he teased me and pushed my buttons. But the skillful way he played me so well, making me come...

I sighed and closed my eyes to fantasize about it all over again. It almost seemed like a dream or a figment of my imagination, but it wasn’t. I felt the slight ache between my legs. I recalled, with clarity, the sweet release that soothed my soul and warmed my heart. When Luke made me come, I felt it everywhere all at once. Any touch from him felt like a whole-body experience, and now I knew how explosive an orgasm with him could be.

My lazy day of hiding in my condo passed quickly. Before long, it was already nighttime. Krista checked in with me via texts, but it seemed she changed her mind about going to that party. Her period started, and she just wasn’t in the mood any longer.

I waited for a bag of popcorn to finish popping when my phone buzzed again.

I picked it up and accidentally scrolled too far back on our thread, showing texts from several hours ago.

Krista: I swear they make tampons different nowadays.

Emma: If you’re not going back to the pool, just use a pad.

Krista: I hate pads.

Emma: But if you’re just staying in, who cares?

Krista: Fuck it. I’m running to the store for some. Want anything?

Emma: No. Thx tho.

I smirked at our chat. We were more like sisters than best friends, but I was glad she wasn’t my sibling. If she was, she’d have to deal with an arranged marriage too, and I’d hate for her to endure that kind of hell.

The new notification that popped up wasn’t from her, though.

An unidentified number had texted me, and I furrowed my brow as I opened the message. A video was attached.

Krista! All this time, I thought she was right next door, being lazy on the rag. This short video was proof that she wasn’t. Lying slumped on a couch I didn’t recognize, she slept away. My first thought was to dismiss this as a prank or rude joke. With all those AI programs altering any digital file, it could be fake.

Those thin tan lines over her shoulders were definitely not fake. She got it just a few days ago when be both fell asleep under the sun. This video was new, recent as of tonight.

In the short video, I saw that she was breathing. Just out of it.

Was she drugged? Drunk again? Knocked out? I hurried to get over the surprise that Krista wasn’t where I thought she’d be. She clearly wasn’t next door.

Unknown Number: If you want to come get your friend, you can find her at the boss’s house.

Unknown Number: Antonio will be glad to see you stop by.

“Fuck!” He had her. The damn Marchese men took her. She must have gotten bored and headed out to stop in at that party after all. I assumed they saw her and moved her, and it had to have happened after she was already drunk or high.

She knew better than to go to a party hosted by the Marcheses. While she enjoyed hitting on Justin, the one guards she called her favorite eye candy, she didn’t get close with anyone from their organization. Looking at Justin from afar was one thing. But willingly showing up at a Marchese party? Hell no. She wouldn’t.

Is that why those spies were here yesterday? Trying to get to me and when they couldn’t, they resorted to taking her and using her to lure me out?

It had to be a trap. A ploy to get me out there.

But I’d be damned if I fell for it. I paced, thinking this through while doing my best not to cave to the anger swarming within me from their sneaky maneuver. How dare they take her? How dare they try to ruin my life before I was stuck with them?

I couldn’t leave her there. It killed me to consider going to any Marchese property, but this was different. I refused to abandon my best friend.

But...maybe I don’t need to go there alone?

Luke’s scowling face came to mind, and I didn’t waste another moment of debating.