Page 134 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

Maybe he wouldn’t if he knew this was Bethany’s fault.

“Here you go,” I said once I found something suitable that wasn’t five years old, way too big, or already stained. “I’ll leave so you can get changed.”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” She giggled, tearing off her shirt and taking mine. “Who was that woman anyway? She sure seemed to have it out for you, like you had killed her dog or something.” Her red curls bounced as she pulled my shirt over her head. “Like crazy, crazy.”

“She’s”—I scratched the back of my head—“my friend’s friend.”

“Does your friend know how she treats you?” Poppy asked.

I gulped. Fuck.

“That’s a yes,” Poppy said.

“It’s complicated,” I whispered, crossing my arms and pacing the room.

So freaking complicated.

Not that I would ever break my contract and tell Poppy that I was the Mafia boss and his wife’s sex toy, but if I had to ever explain it … how?! Sex with benefits with a husband and wife who kill people for a living and sell drugs?

That would go over well, especially with friends and family—NOT.

“I promise that I’ll take you out soon to make it up to you,” I said.

“Sage, please.” She grabbed my shoulders. “It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t, and it would never be.

Bethany wasn’t only antagonizing me anymore; she’d now attacked my friend.

Someone knocked on my front door, and my heart leaped. I glanced over my shoulder to my bedroom door and drew my tongue across my teeth. If this was Bethany back to hurt me more, I swore I would tell her off this time.

Maybe.

“I’ll be right back,” I said.

Leaving Poppy in my bedroom to finish cleaning herself up, I jogged to the front door and pulled it open. Laila and Constantino stood outside, Constantino’s arm was wrapped tightly around Laila’s small waist.

“We have news,” Laila said with a smile. “We’re—”

“Sage!” Poppy shouted from the bedroom. “Do you have deodorant?”

Suddenly, Laila’s face dropped, and she snapped her mouth closed. Poppy peered out from my bedroom, dressed in my old clothes. She stiffened when she spotted Laila and Constantino in the doorway.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know you had company.”

“Who’s this?” Laila said tensely.

“This is Poppy,” I said, shifting uncomfortably on my feet.

Was I supposed to have friends over the place? She wasn’t meant to stay that long, but I had needed to give her a change of clothes after what Bethany did to her. Maybe I should’ve asked before I brought her over.

“Hi!” Poppy said with a smile, her red curls bouncing on her shoulders. “Sorry. I’ll be out of your hair. If I had known you were expecting company, I wouldn’t have agreed to come over. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“It’s okay.” I nervously glanced over at Constantino and Laila to gauge their reaction.

Like usual, when he met new people, Constantino was stoic, like Riccardo, but didn’t look particularly angry. He almost looked amused as he gazed at Laila. Laila, on the other hand, scrunched her brows together and pursed her pink-painted lips.

“Do you have a bag for these?” Poppy asked, holding up her wet clothes.

---