Page 59 of Mafia Rules

“We’ve had some issues. But they got ironed out.”

“Anything I can help with?” I ask, waiting for him to reject my offer. Hardy was the one out on the streets, seeing people face-to-face for the family. And into the worst of the worst for the family.

“All under control. I just need a vacation.” Hardy takes a drink straight from the bottle this time. “I wouldn’t even know how to take a vacation.”

“What’s a fucking vacation?” I laugh, thinking back to the last time I was on vacation, probably in college.

“I’m famished.” Sasha declares as she walks into the kitchen with her laptop hugged to her chest.

“Pizza?” Hardy holds up the menu. “Chicken?”

“I’m gonna take a walk and check out what’s close. I need to get out of here and away from you both.” She mocks like we wanted to be here.

“I guess I’ll eat it alone,” Hardy says under his breath, scanning the menu again even though he had it memorized by now.

“I’ll be back soon,” Sasha says, putting her shoes on and avoiding me altogether.

“Wait.” I stand up and hold my hand up to her. Something wasn’t right here. “What’s going on? You’re held up in your room and not giving us a hard time or checking in on our deals.”

“You’re two grown-ass men. I don’t need to babysit you.” Sasha rolls her eyes, speaking to Hardy and again avoiding me.

“Something is going on. Spill it.” I follow her to the door. She ignores me.

“I need some space,” Sasha says, facing me.

“You can have space when you tell me what happened. Something with a deal? Are we in trouble?” I will grab her and hold her here if I have to.

“No.” She turns back to the door, then stops. “Oh, Eve was here.” She says over her shoulder as she opens the door.

I'm behind her in seconds, slamming the door shut with a loud thud, trapping her inside the room with me. My hands braced on the door, keeping it closed, with her between me and it. “What?” My voice shakes with anger that she didn’t tell me earlier.

“Eve stopped by earlier when you weren’t here,” Sasha says again. “I forgot…”

“You didn’t fucking forget,” I say in her ear, removing my hands from the door before I hurt her. “Get the fuck out of here, Sasha.”

“I’m sorry…” She whips around to face me.

“Get. The. FUCK. Out!” I scream, my anger raging in my body. I didn’t know what I could do to her if she didn't leave.

Sasha yanks the door open and bolts, leaving me speechless.

“What happened?” Hardy rounds the corner in the hallway to see what’s going on.

“Eve was fucking here today, and Sasha never fucking told me.” I grab a delicate porcelain vase from the small, ornate table beside the door and hurl it against the wall, hearing the sharp crack as it shatters.

“So someone was here.” Hardy looks confused. “I thought I heard voices in the shower, but Sasha said there wasn’t anyone here.”

“Fuck!” I ball my hands into tight fists, the veins in my arms pulsing, my knuckles bone-white as I fight back the overwhelming urge to hit something.

“Go home, Ash,” Hardy says, slapping my back.

Fuck this deal. I need Eve. She can fucking tie me up and do anything she wants to me after this.

34

EVE

Irented a car to get back home. The thought of being indebted to him one more time made my heart ache, so I stubbornly didn’t use his car service. I swung by his condo and took everything of mine. I crept into Macy’s apartment during the night and fell asleep on the old couch one last time. Tomorrow morning, I’d make the long drive back home to my parents and admit my failure to their fake surprise.

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