Page 14 of Mafia Underboss

Chapter Three

Mia

My plan backfired spectacularly. I thought watching me with Matt would drive him crazy and make him tear my clothes off. Instead, it resolved him to whatever torture he keeps putting himself through—us both through.

At least he agreed to be friends again.

That was the only saving grace from last night. Well, that and the way he made me feel when he told me exactly what he could offer me.

A shiver runs down my spine now as I think about it.

“Mia, are you okay?”

I look up and find Izzy standing at the end of the couch looking down at me.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, observing you sitting there staring at a blank TV while touching your lips and shivering is mildly concerning.”

I am?

I look back to the TV and find it’s indeed turned off.

“I’m lost in my thoughts, I guess.”

“Want to talk about it?”

She leans against the edge of the couch as she eats the bowl of cereal in her hands.

I think about it. Do I want to tell her about my messed-up thoughts? Probably not, but she’s my best friend.

“It’s about Lo. You sure you want to hear it?”

She has never been shy about telling me how she felt about him in the past. She used to handle me with kid gloves but has been better about it since I confronted her.

She sets her bowl on the coffee table then sinks into the couch next to me.

“If you want to talk about him, then I’ll listen. I know I’ve been rough on him in the past, but that’s on me. I have been biased against him and everyone involved in the organization. Watching Bash with Sofia, as much as I hate to admit it, I guess I realize I might be wrong.”

She pats my hand as she looks at me. A twinge of pain is still in her eyes, but it’s much less than before. She has a turbulent history with Giovanni, one of Lorenzo’s friends and member of the mafia.

“He rejected me, Iz. He says I’m too innocent.”

I look to gauge her reaction. Her view of my innocence has been a problem in the past.

“Did you tell him not to treat you like a child?”

Humor dances in her eyes, and I’m sure she’s thinking back to when I yelled at her for the same thing. It wasn’t my best moment considering I rarely ever lose my temper.

“No reason to. He obviously doesn’t want me. He seriously mentioned my virginity. Obviously, he wants someone more experienced.”

She chuckles. “If he wants a played-out pussy, then he isn’t the man for you anyways. I mean, who chooses a tire with no tread over a brand-new one?”

“I guess.” I’m not convinced.

“I mean, no guy wants the feeling of throwing a hotdog down a hallway. Trust me, babe, I know these things.”

I chuckle at her. “Seriously, Iz?”

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