Page 391 of Rage

“Can I at least know your name?” He practically begs, and the man who interrupted us raises an eyebrow. While he deserves nothing from me, it’s bad form to piss off a mob boss, even a lying and cheating one.

“Anna,” I whisper as I step away from him and make my way outside with tears blurring my vision. All the colors and people blur together but I cannot crack right here. Not where anyone can see me break down. I reach into my purse, flip open my phone, and call Lucy as I push through the front doors. Takingsteps toward the car, I slide my key into the door and unlock it as my phone rings.

“Anna, is everything okay?” she asks without missing a beat. I can hear her over the music, but barely as she navigates to a quieter part of the room. The tears are freely falling at this point and I can’t hold them back.

“Meatloaf,” is all I have it in me to say through the sobs that wrack my chest.

“Fuck, I am on my way outside right now to the car. Are you already there?” she asks me, knowing that if I use our safe word I need her right now.

“Yes.”

“Okay, get in the passenger seat, baby girl. I am coming and I will drive us to your place,” she instructs me before the line goes dead. Using the back of my hands, I wipe away the tears that have fallen before switching sides in the car. Sitting there, I wait for the shimmer of Lucy’s red dress to come through the front door of the event. Reaching into the backseat, I find the soft blanket that I keep because Lucy always runs the air conditioning and this was our compromise to keep me from freezing to death.

I see the shimmer of her dress exit the door, followed by the guy who interrupted the best kiss of my life. She turns around straightening her spine, and the world freezes. She puts her finger on his chest and while she is too far away for me to hear, I can tell by the heaving of her shoulders she is yelling at him. Without a fear in the world, she finishes yelling at him, doesn’t wait for his response, and storms over to the car.

“Sorry, Babe. Bozo number one stopped me to make sure that I wasn’t under the influence before I was allowed to drive you home,” she says as she slams the door shut and starts the car.

“Lucy, they are mobsters. It would probably be in your best interest not to piss them off,” I say, fear leaching into my voice for my fearless friend. She’ll do anything to defend those she loves and sometimes puts herself in danger doing it.

“Actually, they are mafia men, and they don't like to make scenes in public with people who are not involved with the families. Although, that is the first time I have seen so many dangerous men in tuxes in one room,” she corrects me as we pull away, headed in the direction of my apartment. The tears fall down my cheeks as the city blurs in the darkness.

By the time we get into the parking garage and park in my spot, the tears have dried up. Stupid men. Stupid lying, dirtbag men. Stupid heart that doesn’t understand that he’s married. Before I know it, Lucy’s at my door, thrusting it open and pulling me into her arms. Sobs still wracking my chest, I hold onto her. The one bright part of my life. Through foster care, running away, and all of my struggles to get where I am today, Lucy has persisted as my person. She never judges me but always tells me the truth even when I am making bad decisions.

“Let’s go upstairs. I want to know everything from the moment I left,” she tells me while petting my back to comfort me. We walk in solemn silence from the garage into the elevator and up to my floor. I feel numb like my whole life just got ripped away from me, but it was only a kiss. We reach my door before I know it and get inside so that I can fall apart in the safety of my home. After my front door shuts, I can feel Lucy at my back unzipping my dress, freeing me from its confines. She steps away for a moment, going to my bedroom and grabbing something from my drawer. When she comes back she has two large t-shirts in hand and I feel my bottom lip tremble again. My best friend knows me so well that I don’t even have to tell her what I need, she just does it for me because I can’t. She drops her dress to the floor with utter disregard and throws on the othershirt. We curl up on the couch and turn on the radio before I tell her everything. The farther into the story I get, the more my heart feels like it has been ripped out of my chest.

“So you’re telling me that he is one of the only men you have been genuinely interested in as an adult and he’s married. He didn’t tell you that before he asked if he could kiss you? Hold on,” she says with fire and determination in her eyes. Lucy walks over to her discarded bag and pulls out her cell phone. Before I can think of words to stop her she presses the dial button and holds up her finger for me to wait.

“I was hoping you would call me after our broom closet adventure. Miss me already?” he asks her with a cocky tone in his voice that causes my eyebrow to rise.

“No, this is a message I need to get to your boss. You do work for Mr. Angelini, correct?”

“You know my affiliation, Rose Petal.” The warning tone in his voice makes my blood boil and I see the challenge in her eyes.

“Tell your boss that if he is going to kiss a woman and make her complicit in his adulterous behavior he could at least let her make that decision.” Then without waiting for a reply, she hangs up on him and I am stunned into silence.

“I'm sure he will get the message. Did you want to watch TV or curl up and get some sleep? You’ve had a long night,” She asks, always knowing what I need before I even do.

“Will you stay with me tonight? I’m scared to be alone” I admit, the defeat evident in my voice.

“Of course.”

Chapter Three

“Miscommunication is a bitch and so is knowing when you have fucked up.”

Aldo

Aknock on the door pulls my attention from the paperwork in front of me, not that I was able to keep my focus centered on these agreements anyway. All I can think about is the way she looked destroyed when she left the event. My heart hurts for the first time in my life. I never wanted anything before her. I knew my path from a young age, where people wanted to be doctors and astronauts. I knew I would take over the family business and I was never allowed dreams outside of that.

“Come in,” I answer the knocking bleakly, hoping for a small distraction from the pain in my chest. When the door opens I see Gio on the other side of it with trepidation in each of his steps.

“Boss,” he greets me in a formal manner, easing his tension a bit. He won’t meet my eyes and I know that whatever he has to say won’t be easy, but needs to happen. I grab the bourbon on my desk, swig it, and clear my throat to encourage him to speak.

“I got a call late last night from the friend of that girl you were with….” he starts and all of my focus finds him. She better be okay, I had him follow them to her apartment to ensure thatshe made it home safely. I stand and walk over to him grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against the door he came in before I grab the gun at my waist and put it to his temple.

“Finish what you were saying before I lose the last shred of my sanity,” I utter in a deadly tone trying to get my point across.

“She told me to let you know that if you were going to kiss a woman and make her complicit in your adulterous behavior you could at least let her make that decision. There is one upside, I not only have her address but I also have a number to call to connect us to your girl.”

---