Page 63 of Psychological War

“Is that a yes or no?”

“Yes, I’m home.”

“I’m bringing food and wine,” was all she said before hanging up.

Dropping my phone on the dresser I closed my eyes, waiting for the headache that was going to occur.

***

“So you and Zane?” Mila giggled as she took another drink from her cup.

After Aziza got off the phone, I was able to clean up a bit. I told Mila that Aziza was coming over, which brought on a million questions on who she was. I couldn’t tell her exactly, just the fact that she could trust Aziza. It wasn’t long before she showed up carrying a box of six bottles of wine, and three boxes of pizza. Tobias ate a few slices before passing out close to seven, once I carried him to bed and got his white noise playing.

“Wait, what about them?” Aziza asked as she finished off her cup of white wine.

Shrugging my shoulders, I didn’t know how to exactly explain it. I had no idea what we were, or if we were even anything at all.

“Salem, spill.” Aziza tossed a napkin at me.

Looking between the two, they both stared at me like I was a movie they couldn’t wait to watch. But the feeling of panic of sharing my life never came. Instead I wanted to tell them everything.

“We’ve hooked up a few times,” I admitted.

Mila gasped.

Aziza sent me a knowing look.

“Oh my, okay you have to start from the beginning,” Mila half shouted.

Sighing, I leaned back against the couch.

“The beginning?” I asked.

“Oh yes, definitely the beginning,” Aziza agreed. The thing about beginnings, they had no idea how close they were to each other.

“We met four years ago.” I shrugged, wincing as I said the words.

“Wait, four years ago?” Mila cocked her head to the side. “Four years ago as in when…” She looked confused, before it finally dawned on her.

“No, wait, what am I missing?” Aziza looked between us now.

I looked over at Mila, almost asking permission if I was allowed to tell even my best friend that I had known Mila beforehand.

“I should probably start at the beginning first.” Mila sat back against the loveseat on the floor. “Aziza, do you know anything about a man named Matteo?” she asked.

“Not really, actually nothing besides that he’s the leader of the cartel. But he’s dead,” Aziza answered, looking towards me. She knew I killed him, but never knew how or why.

Letting out a long and loud sigh Mila sat back hugging herself. “Yeah, well, when I was sixteen his nephew, who I had no idea were even related at all, raped me. I was a nobody at school really, the weird nerdy girl who was about to graduate school early. I turned seventeen and had been invited to a party and I don’t really know why but I went. Long story short, I was raped. My life turned upside down. I barely did or went anywhere. I ended up getting a job at the local coffee shop we ran into each other at, and one night when I was walking home, I got kidnapped.” Mila swallowed more of her wine before continuing on. “Gabriel had told his uncle about me, but never said what he had done. So they uh, t-thought I was a virgin when I was kidnapped. I was being groomed for Matteo to buy me. I was there for seventy-eight days. When they were bringing me for the transfer, I was um… re-kidnapped by Dimitri.” She laughed at the end.

“Wait Dimitri, as in the asshole who’s always growling and in a pissed off mood?” Aziza laughed.

“Yeah, I don’t get involved in their business, but basically something with his ports was happening. He saw me and took me. It was rocky in the beginning, trust me, but when I finally trusted him, I asked if I could go home. I don’t know why I necessarily wanted to. I mean, I don’t really have parents. They passed away when I was a young child in foster care. But anyway, Matteo found out, and he kidnapped me again.”

“Okay so how does this tie together between y’all?” Aziza asked, pointing between us.

“When I went to Boston, when you found them, I was being followed by someone. I thought it was one of Luca’s men, but it turned out to be Zane.” I cringed, remembering I broke his nose, which he still had no idea about. No one did in fact.

“Wait, what?” both girls said in unison.

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