Page 25 of Unbroken (Russo Mafia)

“Why are we the only ones here?” I look around again. Even the waitress is hiding around the corner.

The tip of his tongue runs between his lips, my eyes take in the motion. One side of his lips curved into a grin. He always had great lips, even after all this time I can feel them on my body. Working me into a frenzy.

“When you’re done, I can tell you.” His voice cutting into my thoughts.

My gaze fell onto his. “I’m finished. Why are we alone?”

“Charlie, I do belong to the mafia. I can’t risk your safety.” He looks at the waitress and nods.

The waitress appears before I can say anything. We each order, I check my phone keeping my eye on the time. I only have an hour for lunch.

“Places to be?”

“I only have an hour for my lunch break.”

“I promised you a talk, so that’s what I’ll give you. I’m sure you want to know what happened to my wife.”

Do I want to know all this? The thought of hearing about his wife the life she had that would’ve been mine, they must’ve loved each other to have a child together. I want that so badly.

His hand took a hold of mine. “It was an arranged marriage. A way to merge the families and save Vincent Buratti’s ass. Nothing more, nothing less. Bianca and I were married for almost two years when she found out she was expecting. I had mixed emotions over it, I could not care less if we ever had kids or not. It wasn’t something I ever wanted with her.

“When Adelaide was born, I was a goner. I would do anything for that little girl. After her second birthday I became capo, that’s when things became serious. Bianca was stressed about taking Ada outside saying someone was always watching her, so I added more bodyguards. In the end, it wasn’t enough. She was gunned down outside of our home two years ago. I haven’t found out who was responsible yet.” He releases my hand.

The waitress brings our meals; I eat without saying anything. I can’t find the words, what can I say that doesn’t sound like pity. Lucca doesn’t need that. I mix my salad without looking at him. The silence between us is becoming deafening yet I still can’t figure out what to say.

“It’s okay, Charlie, you don’t have to say anything. There isn’t anything to say, you don’t owe me an apology or some bullshit reason to make me feel better. To tell you the truth, there was no love between me and Bianca. I’ve only ever had one love, and I had to let her go to protect her.” His dark eyes settling directly on mine.

A flood of goosebumps scattered across my entire body. My phone rang breaking our contact. Grabbing it I see it’s Oscar.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, only that you’re late and you never are. I’m checking on you to make sure your, okay? You’re okay, right?”

“Shit, sorry I got caught up on lunch. I’ll be back soon. You can start without me.”

I look back at Lucca. “Sorry I have to go; I’m running behind schedule.”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to keep you this long. Could I take you out for supper sometime this week? I would like to catch up more.”

Do I? I don’t want to come off easy for giving him a chance at getting closer, but a chance at getting to catch up more would be great. You never know it might be a good thing for me.

“That would be lovely. Thank you for lunch. It was nice to talk, and I really am sorry about your wife, Lucca. I don’t wish that upon anyone.”

“I know you don’t, Charlie, you were always too good for anyone. No one deserves you.”

If anything, I couldn’t keep anyone because I had a horrible experience with my very first boyfriend. Not that I would ever tell him that. I didn’t date at all when I went to college. The first time was when Scar forced me to double date with her and whoever she was dating at the time. He kept talking about some anime character and I went along with it, I felt it was the nice thing to do. Same with the other five she tried hooking me up with. I went along with whatever they wanted, so I didn’t look like a prude. Jesus. Now that I look back on it, I didn’t even try to tell them what I wanted. At least when I dated Lucca, I told him what I wanted and didn’t want.

We walk out of the restaurant together. Before parting ways, he hails a cab for me. Leaning into the window he speaks to the driver. I raise an eyebrow at him when he opens the rear passenger door for me.

“I’ll see you later Charlie, enjoy the rest of your day.”

When I step in, he closes the door and I watch him walk away. Confidence, as ever. When the cab driver pulls in front of my work, that’s when I realize Lucca told him where I worked. It also dawns on me I never told him where I worked. I try to pay the fare, but the cab driver informs me that the gentlemen has already paid him. I give him a ten-dollar bill anyway for a tip.

Fucking Lucca is already pushing himself into my life and I don’t know how I feel about this. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I had lunch with him. I don’t know if I want to start something with him again or ever. It’s like his talks are warnings about his lifestyle and how he broke me. He had to do it for a reason, and he has yet to tell me. Fucking hell.

Oscar is waiting for me in my office when I open the door. His look isn’t giving anything away. I narrow my eyes and make my way to my desk.

“Listen here, I’m the boss, not you. If I want to run late, I can and I will. Got it?”

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