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I sit at my table waiting for Lorna and start to believe Dario was telling the truth as I scan my eyes over the extensive gelato selection. I’ve decided that being pregnant earns me the right to skip any entrées and get straight to the good stuff. Once I’ve decided what I’m having I check the time on my phone again and when I see a text from her telling me she had to go pick her brother up from school, I decide I’m excited enough about the gelato to eat without her.
I sit in the peaceful restaurant and smile at the couple beside me who keep staring at me. The more I think about it, the more I notice that everyone here is looking at me. The waiter was so on edge when I first arrived that he almost spilled the water he poured into my glass for me.
“You know what? You can all fuck off!” I hear shouting come from the other side of the room, and when I crane my neck over one of the fancy plants to see what's going on I’m surprised to see Dario’s brother, stumbling away from one of the tables toward the bar.
“I’ll have a scotch, please.” He slurs his words and I quickly pick up the menu and bury my head back inside it before he recognizes me. The men, I’m assuming he was sitting with, all look embarrassed as they shake their heads, and I feel a littlerelieved that everyone else's attention is on Cassio instead of me now.
“Madalina.”
My heart drops when I hear my name.
“Ahhhhh, Madalina. My brother's beautiful wife.” He heads straight for me, pulling out the chair opposite me and dropping into it. “You don’t remember me, do you?” He tilts his head and grins.
“Of course, I remember you.” I place down the menu and smile politely, very aware that everyone here is watching me, again.
“No, you were far too busy looking up at my brother with those big, doe eyes. I see he wasted no time in getting to business.” He looks down at my bump and laughs bitterly. “It seems your husband can do no wrong.” He swipes his drink off the tray that the waiter brings over and knocks it back.
“Cassio, you're drunk, maybe you should call your driver,” I whisper over the table, not wanting to embarrass him, at least not any more than he’s embarrassing himself.
“My driver,” he chuckles. “Sweetheart,I’mthe bastard son. I don’t get a driver. I don’t get a pretty, little wife and a big house to fill up with children. I don’t even get a district of my own. I have your perfect husband to thank for that.” He raises his glass as if he’s toasting the fact.
“Maybe that's because it’s quarter after one in the afternoon and you're drunk.” I don’t know why but I suddenly feel defensive. I’m starting to understand why he wasn’t happy to see his brother at that party.
“What else am I supposed to do, sit around and wait for Golden Boy to fuck up?” His words come out spitefully and I decide I’ve heard enough and stand up from my chair.
“Are you going somewhere?” He laughs and I choose to ignore him. “Come on, we were having fun.”
He calls after me as I head for the door, and when he stands up like he’s going to follow me one of the men Dario has guarding me, steps forward from where he’s standing at the entrance and marches toward him while the other one takes my elbow and guides me outside.
“I’m fine.” I take a deep breath of fresh air and stand him down. Cassio isn’t a threat to me, he’s just an asshole and I’m over-emotional these days. I barely feel like I can keep up with my thoughts.
The other guard steps outside and shakes his head at his friend.
“Did you call Dario?” he checks.
“There's no need to trouble him. I’m fine, and Cassio’s just drunk. I’m going home now, anyway.” I stand him down and head toward Lucian who’s already standing by the back passenger door, holding it open for me.
“Didn’t like the gelato?” he winks.
“It was more the company that wasn’t to my taste.” I roll my eyes at him as I slide into the backseat.
“Boss won’t be happy.” He shakes his head.
“You're right about that.” I sigh, knowing that there’s already enough tension between Dario and his brother. This incident is going to make it so much worse.
“Where to, ma’am?” He lifts his kind eyes up to look through the rearview mirror at me. I know being a driver isn’t the job Lucian is supposed to do. I’ve heard other members of staff talking in the halls and, second to Vito, he’s one of the best men Dario has. I’m sure he gets no pleasure out of being my personal chauffeur, but he never lets me know that.
“Home,” I sigh heavily.
“How about we stop somewhere and get you some gelato on the way home? I know a good, little place,” he suggests as I rest my head back and relax.
“That would be perf–”
The loud bang that comes from nowhere takes the rest of my words and turns them into a scream. All I see is red as blood splatters against me and the windows, and I grip the door handle when the car starts to spin out of control. Lucian’s head flops forward onto the wheel, and just as I notice the hole in the side of it we get shunted hard from behind. Another jolt comes from the side, crunching the bodywork and my head slams so hard against my window that I black out.
I blink as I come to, and with my body aching and my head pounding, I realize that I’m lying with my back on the tarmac.
“Madalina. Wake up!” Dario’s brother is hanging over me, tapping my face with his fingers as I stare up at him. His voice sounds so distant and all I can hear among the echoes in my head is the constant sound of a horn in the background.
