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“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“The library… the explosion. Ray told me you got caught under some rubble. I would have called earlier, but I just heard…”
“I’m fine,” I interrupt. Brushing my bottom lip, I feel the dried blood covering my wound. Fortunately,, my headache is long gone. Though, parts of my mind are still shrouded in a heavy haze from what just happened upstairs with Sophia.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Is that why you’re calling, to make sure I’m alright?”
“Of course…” she says, hesitating. But it’s obvious there’s more.
“Alright, I’m fine. Goodbye.”
“No! Leo, wait. Fuck, you’re so stubborn.”
“Takes one to know one.”
Valentina can only laugh at that. “I’d never argue that I wasn’t stubborn.”
“And that makes you less stubborn than me.”
“This isn’t a contest to see who’s more stubborn!” Valentina groans. “Believe me, if it was… I’d win.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. Running a hand through my damp hair, I lean back against a dark wall in the hallway. I can still smell the bacon from the kitchen. I can still smell Sophia. I only want to get back to her.
“Why did you call me?” I ask.
“First and foremost to make sure that you were alright.”
“Well, I am.”
“Good. Then let’s get down to business. Ray just stopped by to talk to Nolan. He told me to call you. We have all been invited to the state Senator’s residence…. Apparently, it’s about the bombings.”
My fingers tighten around the phone. Fuck. This is exactly what the Greeks wanted.
“… Do you think he knows?”
“No,” Valentina quickly assures me. “Ray came from Aiden’s office. They took the call together. Apparently, Mr. Prescott Browne, our beloved state senator, is worried that this chaos might hurt his chances at re-election. He wants our help to stop this shit in its tracks… honestly, this is a golden opportunity. He’s been one of our most stubborn holdouts. He’s never accepted any of our bribes or our threats. This could be big for us. A state senator in our pockets… shit, Leo.”
My grip around the phone eases, but a knot forms in my gut. I know where this is headed.
In the end, I’ll be asked to give Sophia back to the Greeks, and we’ll end up coming out of this better than we were before.
But that doesn’t stop me from dreading the very thought—even if it might end up justifying my reckless behavior.
“When is the meeting?”
“We are all expected to be at his residence by eight.”
“What time is it now?”
“Seven… are you sure you’re alright?”
Shaking my head, I try to gather myself.
“Yes, I already told you, I’m fine. I’ve just been… busy.”
“Alright…” Valentina says, her voice lined with suspicion. “Believe me when I tell you that I gave Ray an earful after he just casually mentioned how he found you half-unconscious under a pile of rubble. Apparently, he told Roman first, and he just figured that Roman would tel me. Which reminds me, have you heard from our dear brother?”
