Page 4 of Unruly Obsession
“No,” Luca says. “Have the jet readied immediately. We're returning to New York. I don’t want Ara here.”
“I don’t care about me. Look at Lily!” Ara growls, hanging her head beside Lily, who looks like she’s about to vomit again.
“Icare,” Luca warns her with a sharp tone. Either way, both women will be removed from harm's way.
The men behind Ara begin moving. She looks furious but doesn’t argue again as she tries to peel her friend away from me, but I don’t loosen my grip.
The poor fucking woman looks like she’s been stripped of her cognitive functions. They say in situations like these, people discover what they’re made of. And Lily doesn't appear to be a woman with the heart of a lion. She reminds me of something far softer than the jagged edges I’ve cut my own teeth on being in this world. I just simply can’t put my finger on it, nor do I want to sympathize with it.
I remove my suit jacket and place it over her shoulders. At the very least, I don’t like anyone seeing her half-naked while so exposed and vulnerable. She doesn’t even seem to register it as I scoop her into my arms, Ara’s hand remaining on her forearm. I briefly glance at Ara, who looks regretful for bringing her in the first place.
It’s not that I like it when things like this happen, but I’m wired for anything to go worst-case scenario at any given time. It’s a lesson that Ara will learn in time. Friends and family are weaknesses. When she chose to marry the Armani family boss, she should’ve cut all ties with anyone she loves.
I wouldn’t blame anyone who has the sense to run away from a friendship that offers the calamity of being close to the Mafia. If Lily Taylor is as smart as she appears, then she’ll run for the fucking hills.
“Where are you taking her?” Ara asks, the vulnerability that was there a moment ago blinked away, returning to the wife of a Mafia boss, all action now.
“To the jet, unless you want her taken another way?” I ask.
Ara grimaces, guilt clearly flooding her. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
“Those were my orders, were they not?”
“They were,” Luca growls.
I pull Lily closer to my chest, her usual floral fragrance quickly being overtaken by the vile smell of her vomit.
She's too innocent for this world.
Too paralyzed to resurface into her own.
For now.
3
LILY
The night sky of Manhattan looks different when we land on the airstrip. I'd watched the sun dance along the clouds as we flew home, but much of it was a blur. Ara had tried to speak to me a few times, but I didn’t have the capacity to reply. She'd settled for sitting outside the bathroom on the plane while I showered and put on a dress so I didn’t feel so vulnerable, only wearing my bikini.
Vulnerable.
Life and death. I’d never seen a man die. Never had my life flash in front of my eyes either.
If I die today, would I be happy with my life? My accomplishments, my impact?Have I lived a happy, authentic life?
It’s terrifying how silent everything becomes after that question. But then, when I try to pull away from that lingering insight, I fall into another abyss where I can’t quite compartmentalize what I just witnessed, let alone process that my friends are clearly not who they claim to be.
Should I be scared of them?
Should I run away?
Yet I’m resistant to fearing her or feeling betrayed. Even if I don’t know all of her secrets, does that change the person I thought she was? I should let her explain herself, because isn’t she still my friend? But part of me is scared to hear her out, knowing it could change everything I thought I once knew about her. My thoughts continue to loop as I sit in a numbness that seeped into me after the explosion. I simply sit and stare, unable to come up with any answers.
“Lily?” Ara’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I blink once. Then twice. “You’ll be safe here. Luca owns this hotel. We just need to sort out a few things, and then I’ll be back so we can discuss this properly, okay? I’ll explain everything.”
I look outside the car window and up at the glamorous hotel positioned centrally in the city I love most. But somehow the city doesn’t feel as radiant. I feel tarnished in some way, still praying that I wake up from this nightmare.
When did we even get here?
