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asy order. Being a lesbian only made it a hundred times worse.
Thankfully, the situations I’d been in had never ended the way hers had. Yet. That didn’t include the fact that I’d told him I’d marry the man of his choice after all of this. I knew the stakes if I went back.
“Fuck, Dani,” I breathed out, setting my gun down and rushing froward. If she killed me, then she killed me, but she wasn’t a liar.
“I hate you,” she grumbled, her voice full of relief and sadness as her arms tightened around me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I left you a note,” I said, wincing at how cold that sounded. But what else could I done that wouldn’t have given me away?
“I never got one,” she said, releasing me and searching my face for a moment before some of the tension smoothed out. She knew I wasn’t a liar either. “Those bastards.”
“You know Eros has no issues crossing lines. He probably had both of our places discreetly searched the moment I left. But to what fucking end?”
“Probably so I didn’t come sooner than he preferred. He controls all,” she said ominously, wiggling her fingers like she was casting a spell. She glanced around the room before her eyes locked onto my liquor stash, immediately taking a bottle of whiskey off the top of the fridge, unscrewing the lid, and gulping down a big swig. She swallowed it down like a champ, no wincing or grimacing, and after tonight, I couldn’t help but think she had the right idea.
“So what made now the right time?” I asked, snatching it away and hopping up on the counter, studying her. She looked the same, which wasn’t surprising since I’d only been gone for three years. Her hair still had her signature undercut, the top a bit longer and usually slicked back. Her ripped skinny jeans, black tee, leather jacket combo had been her signature outfit since high school, but the stilettos were new.
“Little Tony told me about a deal that looked like it was going south. Mentioned that if there was ever anything I wanted from Eros, the business partner’s stupid son was interested in me and I could use it to my advantage. He let slip about your bargain, so I made one of my own,” she said, taking the bottle back. She eagerly chugged more whiskey to punctuate that bomb of a statement, a ring shining on her finger. Fuck… that means…
“You agreed to marry the son if Eros told you?” I concluded, my stomach dropping. “Dammit, Dani, no.”
“Too late. But don’t worry, I can handle myself,” she said like that was that. But we both fucking knew nothing was that easy. If she didn’t go through with it, she would die by Eros’ order, but if she did become Mrs. Mafioso, she might as well be dead anyway.
“Tell me it’s not Dante?” I asked, practically holding my breath. He was about as slimy as they came, and his Family was forever trying to ally with mine. She looked away, and that, combined with her silence, meant I was right. Dante was from the Russo Family, one of the worst of the ‘old mafia’ branches. He was a notorious misogynist, and it was one of our world’s worst kept secrets that he was a serial rapist. The Russos didn’t run their city with any sense of morality, even the gray kind. Crime, drugs, all of it ran rampant in Rockland, making it one of the most dangerous and downtrodden cities in the entire country. Of course, when the local government was part of the Family, it wasn’t that surprising.
“I’m fine. You had your reasons, and I had mine,” she said. “I won’t be going through with it.”
“He’ll kill you, Dani!” I said bluntly, the urge to do something, anything, making my whole body feel twitchy. Taking a moment to look away from my doomed cousin/best friend, I pulled out a plethora of takeout menus, weeding out the ones that were closing soon. It wasn’t like I was hungry since her news had made me feel very far from that, but I needed something to do. Distracting myself with the menus seemed like as good a choice as any. Thank god I’d chosen a city that had twenty-four hour delivery places. “Wait… how did you know I lived here?” The thought just struck me, panic gripping me at the realization. Now there were two people who had found me with barely any effort. Clearly, I wasn’t hiding as good as I thought.
“I used my best weapon to get it out of people. Especially since Eros didn’t know your location, something he was quite proud of by the way. I just asked around with your picture and narrowed it down. Had you been at work today it wouldn’t have gone down like this.”
“Wait, so you just threatened people with your Glock until they told you which apartment I lived in?” I asked, eyes wide. Dani could take care of herself, but still, this wasn’t a good part of town to play around in like that.
“No, bitch. My best weapon. I used my tits,” she deadpanned, using her hands to push up and emphasize her admittedly ample cleavage. I snorted at the show, knowing I really should have seen that one coming. “It was quite the trail to pin down. You’re not an easy woman to find. Thankfully, I got lucky and just happened to smooth talk one of your store’s regulars who sent me this way.”
“Of course you did. Let me guess, you got the rest from the guys who think they’re holding up the building downstairs?”
“Yup,” she said, popping the p as she grabbed the diner’s takeout menu and opened it up. “I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries.”
“How are you so skinny?” I whined, snatching the whiskey away as I hopped down from the counter and went into the small living room.
“How are you living like this?” she shot back, following me in and scrutinizing the apartment, her nose scrunched up in disgust. “I won’t be able to sleep on this couch for long. Can we move?”
“We?” I shot back before pulling my phone from my bra and realizing I’d forgotten about the Adrostos in the shock of Dani’s arrival. The sigh that escaped was long and colored with frustration, something she noticed right away.
“I know that sigh wasn’t for me. Gossip? Spill! We have catching up to do anyway, and there’s no time like the present,” she sang out, glancing around before draping herself over my armchair, feet hanging off of one side. It was crazy how easily she got comfortable; she was the most adaptable person I knew. I followed her lead and took a spot on the couch, unable to get as cozy as her even though it was my own damn apartment.
“So... you remember the Adrostos triplets?” I started slowly, her eyes narrowing on me as she thought about it.
“Those intense men who followed you around like lost puppies at Thornhill?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, icy blue gaze locked on me. “Of course I do. We were friends back then, remember?” The barb didn’t hold much heat, but I still hated it even though she had every right to be angry.
“Yes. Well, they found me,” I admitted, my head dropping back. She practically flew off of the chair, leaning into my personal space and eyeing me like she could see the truth imprinted on my body.
“And you fucked them?” she guessed, eyes eager to hear more.
“For someone who likes pussy, you love to hear about my dick conquests,” I teased, her bark of laughter settling over me like a warm blanket. Fuck, I hadn’t fully realized how lonely I was until all of these people from my past showed up.
“Don’t even act like you’re afraid to spit out the details. We all know you’re not into vanilla, Sana,” she challenged, a smirk on her lips as she waited for me to continue.
