Page 67 of Fixation of the Mind

“Rin, I don't think you should be worried about another man in front of us. Ever.” His hands gripped my waist so hard I knew I would see a bruise later, but I wasn't afraid of Ravi. “It's not wise for anyone involved.”

I rolled my eyes as I bit out, looking around, “I'm not technically worried about him. I'm worried that you’ll get yourself in trouble because of him.”

He closed his eyes, taking a long inhale. “Don’t worry. Roux is taking care of him. We’ll be fine. You look beautiful, by the way. I love the roses on your nails.” Of course he would notice even the small details while in the midst of threatening to cause mayhem.

“Lay? Where are you?” Cin’s voice came from the other side, and I pushed at Ravi's chest.

“Go. I’ll finish my meal then go home.” He glared at me, his hands balling into fists, but I had promised myself I wasn't going to have my girls’ day ruined.

Cupping his face with both hands, I gave him a kiss on top of the mask and quickly pulled away as I whispered, “Please, Rav. I just want to finish my meal with my friend, then I’ll go home. Promise.”

Her steps came closer, and panic ran up my spine. “Please,” I said, trying one more time. Finally, he stepped away and around the opposite corner, missing Cin by a few seconds.

“Hey! I think our food is going to be done soon.” Smiling at her, I grabbed her arm and tugged her toward our booth. She looked over her shoulder but didn't say anything.

It didn't take long for a different waiter to drop off our food and rush away. “That's weird. Is that idiot waiter too scared to face us now?”

Stuffing my face, I shrugged. “Don’t know," and I didn't, but I was curious to know what the guys did with him. Maybe roughed him up a bit?

My mind raced with how to change the subject, but evidently, I didn’t need to worry about it. Cin’s fork landed on her plate with a clank before she cried out, “Oh, come the fuck on! Can’t I just have some fucking peace?!”

Luca and Elio were walking toward us, the former handing a phone to Cin as soon as they arrived at our table. “Mother needs to talk to you.” Cin took the phone, pausing to look at me, asking silently if it was okay. I waved her off with a smile, understanding that family was calling. Luca quickly took her spot. “Don’t worry. We can keep Layrin company.”

Taking another bite, I scooted over to make room for Elio since Luca had taken Cin’s seat, even taking a bite of her meal and nodding. Guess he likes it.

“So, how are you guys?” It was weird being alone with them now since I was technically higher up in the food chain, being an heir and council chair holder. With Cin, we already had a special relationship, so my bond with her transcended any of the changes that might come with my new power in Foedus. The guys were still a bit of a mystery even though I knew I could count on them as allies to some extent.

Luca shrugged, not giving anything away, but Elio was the opposite. He leaned into me, taking a deep inhale. “Oh, sweets, I missed you. I don't even go to class anymore because you're not there.”

I smirked. “Well, that's stupid. Don’t be dumb. Stay in school.”

He laughed, slapping his knee as he scooted closer. His hand captured mine, turning it around so he could lay a quick kiss along my wrist. I gasped, ready to yank my hand back, but his eyes went wide before he jerked us both forward. The front window shattered, and a thud hit the table. A bullet was lodged in the cushion behind where Elio's head had been. I looked out the open window before another one came at us, hitting right next to where Elio was sitting.

Luca grabbed my hand and dragged me out the other side of the booth fast, bullets landing right in front of him. Over the chaos, I yelled, “What the fuck did you do?”

Luca looked back, expression wild, then pulled me in tight to shield me from the open window. “Me?! I haven't done anything!”

“Well, it's not me. They seem to be very attentive to your and Elio’s positions.”

Who the fuck was this now? Was this how my life was going to be forever? Someone always just a hair breath away from hurting or killing me?

With a growl, he ordered Elio to follow us, and we slipped through the kitchen doors. As we ran through the kitchen, I took the opportunity to tell the chefs that their food was amazing. Elio rushed alongside me, smiling like a loon, while Luca pulled me through the back door. We ended up in an alleyway just in time for Rion to screech up next to us. “Get in the car, Layrin. Time is up.”

Looking at Luca and Elio, their jaws clenched and muscles tightened, like they were getting themselves ready for a fight. A part of me felt honored that they would fight Rion for me. The Riccis definitely weren’t as bad as the boys always claimed.

Turning to Luca and Elio, I let go of Luca’s hand. “Thank you guys for protecting me. I think I need to go with Ambros now. Please tell Cin that I had fun and will see her tonight.”

“We’ll see you too, right? You're not just Cin's friend, right?” Elio’s declaration had Rion glaring at him, but I nodded.

“I’ll see you all later. Bye!” I waved before climbing into the car.

Rion hit the gas, and watched the Ricci boys go the other way. “Who do you think was shooting at them? Do we need to be worried?” When Rion didn't say anything, I stared him down.

Still not saying anything, I got the feeling he was purposely leaving something out. There was no way Rion wouldn't know what was going on. He pulled over and two men, completely dressed in black, wearing baseball caps and face masks, jumped in the back seat, both of them armed with long-range sniper rifles. “What the fuck, Rion?!” His lips wobbled like he was fighting a smile.

“See? This is why I didn't want you to go out. Men are dogs, and we have no trouble putting them down.”

Sitting back with a huff, I glanced back at Roux and Ravi, the two expert shooters, in the back. “What would you have done if you actually hit them? I thought it's against the rules to kill.”

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