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Honestly, it wouldn’t be that bad to get married if Cristo wasn’t such an idiot. Starting a new life and a family seemed like a good thing. God knows, it was what I wanted for myself—with the right guy. She would’ve been free of the pretense of pursuing a career she didn’t care for in the opera, which her family had decided was the only viable option to a suitable marriage. Real opera freaks, that family. Tasa hid it from me, but I knew she’d changed her major to avant-garde modern dance, which was frowned upon by her people, compared to the sophistication of opera.
But to run away? Really, Tasa? Such a drastic move.
Then again, I was a wimp.
Thing was, her family had enemies. Bad enemies.
Thank God the girl had the sense to text her grandmother; otherwise, they’d assume she’d been abducted, and all hell would break loose across Queens. Possibly across all five boroughs of New York City. When Tasa’s father was gunned down on Queens Boulevard, war broke out that lasted over a year. I was only twelve at the time, but I overheard the nightly news my parents watched. Names rattled off by the anchors ending in the “ou” and “itch” sounds. Romanian and Russian names. Didn’t take much to realize the war was between two different mafias.
Finding out that my best friend had absconded to God knows where, I was worried but I wasn’t that worried. My girl was nothing if not clever. Knowing her, she’d planned this break for months, if not longer. It hurt to realize that she’d had to plot behind my back, but I understood why she’d struck out on her own. I couldn’t leave Yo-Yo. Was I saddened by that? Yes, of course I was. But we both knew I couldn’t keep a secret to save my life, and her family was constantly around. I mean, her twin, Nicu came over on a weekly basis.
A flurry of anger flapped in my chest. Alex had led her down this path with his ultimatum. I always tried to look on the bright side when we talked about her looming marriage, but deep down, I was disappointed by his persistence. Her brothers treated her like a princess, so I assumed he’d eventually relent. He was so bossy. While it was a turn-on for me, it would push someone like Tasa to the brink.
Hip propped against the counter, I tapped my fingernails on the delicate porcelain cup with gold filigree as I contemplated what this meant.
With the problems Yo-Yo faced at home, I might as well move back for the rest of the semester. The whole point of this apartment had been to move out of Queens and live with my best friend. The deal was that her family would pay for the apartment and her mother would be given free rein to decorate it. Ugh. It was almost a deal breaker; that’s how much we hated her mother’s taste, but we caved since we both wanted to live away from home.
I may love the woman to death, but her decorating skills? Awful. It would’ve been a perfect fit for a drafty old nineteenth-century castle. Down to the precious cup I was holding to drink a simple cup of coffee out of. One day, when I had my own home, I’d decorate it the way I wanted and drink from cups I’d picked out myself.
I was taking another long sip of my first cup of coffee when another text came in. Picking up my phone, I checked it and my cell phone almost tumbled out of my hand. My first summons from Alex.
Alex. Alex. Alex.
Oh God.
Worrying my bottom lip, I got my first taste of what Tasa went through each time she was summoned by her oldest brother. The butterflies taking flight in my tummy were maniacal. Besides being the imposing head of the Lupu family, Alex was my kryptonite. Whenever he turned his piercing emerald-green eyes on me, I melted into a pathetic puddle. The man dripped with sex appeal.
Seriously, it was obscene.
Besides being hot as sin, he was huge, towering over me whenever I found myself standing beside him. It was as if I had a huge warrior beside me, treating me like a precious, coveted thing he’d protect with his life. Yes, I realized that my imagination got the best of me. Whenever I daydreamed about starting a family, he was the primary star of my fantasies.
Tasa had prodded me to go for him, but the risks were too great. First, she and Alex sometimes acted like each other’s nemesis. Tasa needed me by her side. She was my support system, and I was hers. No man was getting between that. Also, I had no idea if he wanted me. The humiliation would’ve crushed me if he saw me merely as his little sister’s best friend. No, I couldn’t take that chance.
Anyway, like Tasa, the man was obliged to marry one of his own. He was a demanding man. Not only did he stick to the rules, but he also imposed them on others. I could fantasize about him all I wanted, but that was where it ended. My fate was to pine after him from a distance.
Staring at the text with a time (11:30 a.m.), place (his office), and a warning (“Be there.”), I understood why Tasa meticulously kept every detail of her escape plan from me. She knew I’d be summoned and that, once in his presence, I was defenseless. Even thinking about him had my stomach in knots and my panties soaked in anticipation. Damn that man.
Not that he’d do a thing to hurt me, physically or otherwise. There was no chance of that, despite my fantasies of being tied to his bedpost. No need to resort to coercion when he had other means at his disposal. Manipulation being number one. Not that I blamed him. I’d be the same way if anything happened to Yo-Yo.
My best chance of fending off his inquisition was to go on the offensive. I’d give him a piece of my mind because none of this would have happened if he’d been more understanding of Tasa. As a perfectionist, he’d pushed too far, and look where it had gotten us? A shudder coursed through me. Executing this plan while beating back my lust was going to be one hell of a challenge.
