Page 69 of Mafiosa
‘Huh,’ Millie mused. ‘Well, I guess he threw that part in for free. Anyways, consider my lips sealed. I do want to see myparents live into old age, you know.’
Nic ground out an unintelligible curse. ‘Did he really threaten your family?’
Millie smiled sardonically at him. ‘Only a smidge. May I have a word with my best friend now, please?’
Nic got up, muttering something to Millie before taking his leave and shutting the door behind him.
Millie wheeled around and flipped her hair away from her face. ‘A blood war,’ she said.
It felt like my head was floating several inches above my neck. My fingertips were a little numb. I nodded.
‘Are you freakingkiddingme, Soph? Is this some sort of cruel Halloween prank where you dress up as someone I don’tknow?’
I flinched at the implication. If only she knew what the real disguise was – the person who had been hanging out with her these past few months, forcing smiles and feigning interest in a future that was no longer within reach.
‘You’re in ablood war!’ she repeated. ‘When the hell were you going to tell me? Or was I supposed to just join the dots at yourfuneral?’
I raised my hands in the air, trying to placate her. ‘I’ll explain, Mil.’
‘You can definitely try, but I doubt you’ll talk your way out of this.’
‘I didn’t want to worry you,’ I said. ‘That’s kind of how it works in the underworld. The less you know, the safer you are. I never in a million years thought something like tonight would happen. I never would have knowingly put you in danger like that. I’m sorry.’
She pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘I would actually throttle you if you weren’t already injured, Soph. I swear to God, for a smart girl, you are acting like the dumbest person on the planet right now. You think my main point of contention is that you didn’t tell me about the blood war? No, my main issue is that youare in the middleof a blood war. How the hell did that happen?’
I blinked at her, feeling an overwhelming urge to slump over and sleep for a hundred years. ‘You know I’m a Marino. You know what they did to Mom.’
‘What exactly are you trying to achieve by living here in the middle of all this violence? Do yourealizeyou almost got killed tonight?’
‘I realize that.’
‘Hanging out with this family is probably the worst thing you could be doing right now,’ she pressed. ‘They’ve painted a big fat target on your forehead.’
‘The target was already there, Mil. The Marinos are after me too. We’re safer if we stick together. Without them, I’m like a sitting duck.’
‘And?’ Millie prompted. ‘Is that it?’
‘What?’ I said.
‘Is that the only reason why you’re here?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Her meaning was not connecting inside my fuzzy head, but I could tell she was angling at something.
‘I spoke to Gino downstairs,’ she continued. ‘I guess he thought you had told me everything on the car ride here…’
‘I did,’ I lied.
‘Did you?’ she challenged.
I shrugged.
‘You didn’t tell me you have a gun now.’
‘I—’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.Twoguns,’ she clarified.
I flinched again. ‘Gino should not have told you that.’
