22. Chapter 22 - Layrin
Chapter 22
T he guys eventually gave up on fighting me, so I texted Cin, asking where she wanted me to meet her and about the plan for the day. I wanted to give the guys an itinerary, hoping it would put them at ease. I would do whatever I needed for them to be okay with this because I was going to see Cin, no matter what.
After a bit of back and forth, Cin booked us some massages at a spa, wanted to stop at something called a blowdry bar, then we picked out a place to get our nails and toes done, finally ending our day with a late lunch so we would have enough time to get ready for the gala.
Looking out the window from my room, I saw some frost on the trees, so I chose to wear a gray knit dress with some brown over-the-knee boots. The outfit was easy to take on and off, but still warm. Picking up my phone and a small crossbody purse Ravi had gotten me a while back, I was ready for my girls’ day.
When I went to the kitchen to make myself some toast, the first thing I noticed was the stagnant air in the room, like all life had been sucked out. The guys were sitting around the table, looking down, picking at their food like lost puppies. My heart squeezed at seeing my men pout, but I also secretly enjoyed it. They wanted to be with me so badly, all the time, that they got depressed over a few hours apart. It was kinda adorable.
I cheerfully called out, “Morning!”
They looked up at me, and the heat of their collective gazes took my breath away and made my knees weak. Would that ever change? Looking at them now, I couldn't imagine ever getting used to their complete focus and adoration.
Turning around quickly, I put the bread in the toaster. I was waiting for it to pop up when I felt a set of hands circle around me, then a chin balanced on my shoulder. “You look amazing, Rin. I have excellent taste in clothes for you.” Ravi’s hand cupped my breast over my dress, and he kissed a trail down my neck. “Maybe I’m a little too good at it.”
For just a second, I let my head fall back, whimpering at his touch. A familiar heat began to build when his hand trailed down my hips, grabbing onto the hem of my dress just as the toast popped. That was just the distraction I needed.
Smacking his hand, I leaned away from him to grab a plate. “Ravi! I can’t be late. Don’t try to sex trap me.” Yanking out my toast, I tried to head to the refrigerator, but his arms boxed me in.
“I think a sex trap sounds like the best excuse to be late. Plus, if you're feeling so relaxed and good, you can skip the massage.” His hope-filled voice made me roll my eyes before I ducked under his arms at went to the refrigerator to grab the butter.
“I told you guys, we booked the massage with female masseuses. There is nothing to worry about.” Taking a knife out, I buttered and jammed the toast, biting into it before sitting down in my seat.
“We don't like it when anyone touches you, man or woman. We don’t discriminate,” Rion said proudly, and I almost laughed.
Between bites, I asked, “Anyway, who’s taking me?”
“Me,” Roux said.
Rion followed with, “Ravi and I have plans for tonight that we need to get ready for.”
My mouth full, I nodded to show I understood. Tonight was going to be my first occasion with all the Foedus families, as well as debuting as a formal member of the organization. Only one of them could go with me in person, and they still hadn’t decided which one yet. Rion usually took the lead in matters where the council was present, but the others were contesting that since he’d taken me to the test.
Finishing the toast, I checked the time on my phone before I got up, cleaned my plate, and put it in the dishwasher.
“Ready, Roux?”
He slowly rose in his sexy, grumpy way, and I couldn't resist it. Standing on my tippy toes, I kissed his neck. “Thank you,” I breathed along his skin, and he couldn't conceal his shudder.
Turning to the others, I gave each of them a kiss, telling them not to worry because I would be back soon. They mumbled their half-assed “Have fun” and “See you later,” but I wasn't going to let it affect me. I just needed to rip off the band-aid.
Heading for the door, I was excited for my girl time with Cin.
“Right here.” I pointed to the sidewalk in front of the spa. Roux followed my direction, parking right where I wanted.
“Where’s the girl?” His gruff voice could be taken as him being irritated and frustrated with me, but I knew better. While he was the least vocal about me going out with Cin, I knew he didn't like it either.
When I squeezed his hand, his eyes connected with mine, and I smiled. “Thank you, and I promise to stay safe.” Giving him a wink, I let go of his hand and opened the door. His hand quickly grabbed mine back, pulling me to him as he lifted my hand to his face. He stared into my eyes, then his soft lips brushed over my knuckles. It would be too easy to fall into his gaze and forget that I had plans for the day. His sensuous breath caused a ripple effect through my body, and we simultaneously leaned closer to each other like our bodies weren’t under our control.
“Lay! You naughty girl! I didn’t know you were into super-controlling-psycho-asshole dick. Learn something new every day.”
Cin’s voice had me jerking away from him. She was leaning against the open car door, smiling like she’d just caught me in the middle of having an orgy.
“Butt out, Ricci,” Roux growled, his gaze darkening into something wild and murderous.
Nope. I couldn’t have him kill my only girlfriend.
Yanking myself from his grip, I climbed out, pushing her out of his line of sight. Bending over to keep that glare on me instead, I smiled. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m ready for you to pick me up. Bye!” Waving quickly, I slammed the door and pushed her into the building as fast as I could.
Feeling his eyes on me, I looked over my shoulder and caught him smiling right before he motioned to his eyes with two fingers then back at me. The warning was clear. They were going to be watching me. Why did that both infuriate me and make my insides curl with excitement? Something must be wrong with me.
“Alright, alright, girl! I'm through the door and away from your psycho,” she barked at me, then she turned to the lady at the desk. “We have a reservation for a couple’s massage under Ricci.” The lady raised an eyebrow at us, but Cin smiled wide until she turned back to her computer.
I eyed her up and down, whispering out the side of my mouth, “A couple’s massage or a couple of massages?”
She threw her hand out like it was no big deal. “Like it matters. Don’t worry about it.”
My mind went wild. If for some reason Rion hacked into their system and saw that Cin and I were booked for a couple’s massage, I was going to get an earful at home.
Cin lifted her hand, pulling my lip from between my teeth. “Don't worry. I added a few different traps to their system. It should keep that Ambros asshole busy for a bit. Plus, they wouldn't let us have a room together unless it was a couple’s massage.”
Her reasoning made sense, but what I was really impressed with was the way she’d prepared to deter their snooping. It was kinda ingenious.
The lady told us to come back and walked us into a dimly lit room, where calming zen music played in the background. We were directed to undress and situate ourselves on the tables, with the white sheet on top of our bodies. Since this was my first ever massage experience, I waited for the lady to leave before I asked Cin, “Does she mean everything , everything?”
Cin laughed for a full five seconds before wiping at her eyes. “Girl, it's whatever you're comfortable with, but me?” She began to remove her clothing while maintaining eye contact. “I go completely nude.” She stripped her shirt off, and I turned around, getting embarrassed by all the nudity. I really didn’t understand my oddly prude brain. I’d fucked Ravi in a bathroom while his brother watched. Hell, I’d let them do all sorts of things, yet I blushed when my friend almost showed me her boobs.
Shaking my head at myself, I put my purse down and started with my boots. With my peripherals, I noticed Cin going to the table and putting the sheet on. I took a small breath of relief. God, I'm such a weirdo.
“So, Lay, are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Ambros?”
I smirked, knowing if I told her he was a triplet and I was with all of them, she would give me legendary dick status. Was it wrong that I wanted that?
“Oh, um… We kinda got closer during training.” I tried to keep it light yet still honest. I really didn't want to lie to her about the parts that weren’t life or death.
“Yeah. Getting all hot and sweaty can make the hormones go wild. That's why I only train with my brothers. It helps curb the annoyance and hate I feel for them when I get to pound them into the mat.”
Shuffling to the table, I lifted the sheet and slid beneath it, choosing to keep my panties on. “Do you get to train with all of your brothers?” Seeing that I needed to put my face in the circle part, I got comfortable before a soft knock came at the door.
“Ready!” Cin called out, and the door opened.
A woman’s voice said, “Hi. My name is Wyatt, and I will be helping Cinzia today. My partner, Jules, will be helping out Layrin.”
Wanting her to explain it a bit more, I called out with my face still in the table hole, “Thank you, Jules. It's my first time with a massage, so I don’t really know how this works.”
Cin just couldn't help herself. “Just give her the works, Jules! Rub her all down so she’s nice and loose for the party we have tonight. Trust me, Lay, you’re going to need to be relaxed. Give her a Swedish, medium pressure. We’ll work you up to a higher pressure, Lay.”
I didn't know what any of that meant, so I just agreed. “What she said.”
“Mmm,” was the only confirmation I got before she began with my shoulders. It didn't take long for my muscles to relax, so I just let her do her thing. At first, it felt weird, having someone rub me down, but it didn't take long for her to knead out sore spots I thought I had to just live with.
Cin let out a long, deep moan, and I flinched at the sound. Was that allowed? Could she make noises like that without it being taken as sexual?
Wyatt’s calm voice said, “That's right. Just let yourself feel the massage.” So, it was encouraged? Could I even do that?
Once I felt Jules’ fingers applying pressure to my lower back, I let out a low quiet moan. Jules' hands paused, tingles ran up and down my body, trembling. I opened my mouth, ready to tell her I was sorry, but she continued, applying more pressure in the way I liked. I guessed this was her way of letting me know it was okay?
She moved to my glutes, and my eyes rolled back into my head. How the hell did I carry so much tension there? A flash of Rion’s vibrator came to mind, until it switched to the memory of Rion fucking me there, and I realized how I could be carrying some tension in that specific spot.
My breath hitched, not yet comfortable to moan out loud like Cin, and I let her professional hands work their magic.
“Lay, do you have any questions about tonight?”
Cin’s words brought me back from how good I was feeling, and I thought for a second. “Yeah. So… Do all the families react to each other like you and Ambros do?”
Cin cackled. “Nah. They’re better mannered than us. The Fengs are all about tradition and manners. You would be surprised that they’re the ones who… take their time with their jobs.” Since we were in mixed company, I understood that was a euphemism. “The Montagus are a trio of the silent and stoic type—real downers.” I could hear the exhaustion in her voice, so something must’ve happened there.
“The Tutus think that because we all have royal blood in our veins, we should act like it.” She blew out a breath. “They get their jobs done quickly, but they’re more of a sweeper team than an artistic one, burning everything in their path.” They seemed like someone I needed to tread lightly with. “The Maximas are smooth as fuck, thinking they’re god’s gifts to womenkind.” There was a bite to her words, like she wanted to complain more, but then she sighed. The sound was almost… wistful. “They are assholes of the worse kind… but I swear, if Savio asked for my panties, I would bend over and tell him to take them.” I giggled at her sinful confession, making me think of my guys at home. That was when pain came from my thighs.
“Ouch. I think that's too much pressure, Jules.” She immediately backed off, applying lotion to the area.
“Hey! Be careful with my friend!” Cin barked, and I felt a little bad. It wasn’t her fault for getting distracted when Cin was talking about a man taking her panties.
“It's okay. I'm fine,” I assured, trying to smooth the situation over.
“Sorry, miss.” Her voice was odd, a weird kind of high-pitched whisper.
“Anyways, those Maxima boys are bad news, so stay away. They look like they’re dark, sinful dicks on a stick, but they’re trouble. They enjoy toying with their prey, using the chase to make the takedown sweeter.”
“Are you talking from experience?” I asked, hoping that I wasn't crossing the line.
She cackled again. “Yes, but not in the way you think. They tried to make me their prey once, but they never had a wild Italian stallion before. We’re born to run free.” That last bit came out more in a whisper, but then she seemed to snap. Her voice rose, “So, fuck them! Fuck them in their asses!”
I thought about what Vivian would say and called out in solidarity, “Yeah! Fuck ‘em! They don’t get to have you. You’re better than a hundred Maximas!”
“Hells yeah, I am. I’m a Ricci, and you're a Rose. R&R forever!”
I laughed, nodding along like she could see me. “R&R forever.”
Wyatt laughed before she announced, “Okay, ladies. Your time is up. Take your time getting dressed and thank you for letting us help you today.”
A familiar princely voice suddenly whispered next to my ear, “R&R could also be Rin and Rion. Rin and Ravi. Rin and Roux. I could get behind R&R forever.”
My whole body stilled, shocked that Rion was the “Jules” who had rubbed me down so good. With my mind racing, I thought back on the session, knowing it was him, and my whole body heated. His hands on me, kneading my body with precision. I was getting hot just thinking about it.
Lifting my head up, I only caught a flash of him at the door. He was wearing a wig and a face mask, but those eyes didn't lie when they winked at me before he left. What the fuck?
***
I didn’t tell Cin about Rion. I couldn't. She would flip, and it would ruin our whole day. What I did do was replay that session in my head. I got a smug sense of satisfaction from knowing he’d heard her gush about the Maxima family. That must have been why he pinched me. Served him right for coming when it was ladies only.
After our massages, we stopped off at a blow dry bar, getting our hair set for tonight. Cin complained that hers was always so straight it couldn't keep a curl, but mine came out in big movie-style glam curls that I didn't even know were possible. After that, Cin and I raced to the nail salon for our last appointment.
“So… I heard he got you a dress. Do you know what it looks like?” Cin sat next to me, getting daggers for nails, while I was going for regular gel length.
“Nope. The only thing he would tell me is that it's silver.” Thinking back to Ravi’s words from the night before, I added, “Oh, and my shoes are red stilettos.”
The lady shaping my nails piped up. “What about doing silver nails with red flowers? I have a great flower technique.”
“Oh yes! You have to do that! Make sure they’re roses!” Cin jumped up and down in her chair, and the lady working on sharpening her one-inch nails glared at her.
“Okay. Let's do it.” I smiled at my nail tech.
Excited, Cin told me about her green dress. It was a thin-strapped silk halter with a slit that went all the way up to her hip. My eyes bugged out of my face, and I asked her how she was going to be able to walk in that thing without showing her underwear.
“What underwear?” she’d asked with a smirk. We busted up in a fit of giggles, and I had to admit this was the most normal I had felt in a long time—talking about dresses, boys, and being pampered.
For a brief moment, I wished Vivian could be here. If she was, she and Cin would gang up on me and probably take me to some sex shop to embarrass the shit out of me while buying me a treasure trove of things I would never use.
My thoughts went back to Rion and the vibrator I would’ve never purchased myself. I had to amend that thought now. I couldn’t say I would never use something like that again, especially if it was with the guys.
We moved to the chairs to get our toes done, and Cin regaled me with stories of what it was like in her youth. She shared innocent stories about her and Luca getting Elio in trouble. How Elio’s mother ended up giving him to Maria before disappearing. Elio was a love child from Cin’s uncle and his high school sweetheart, but he died young, and the woman couldn't cope. She ended up being a drug addict and couldn't take care of Elio. When Maria found out he had a gift for explosives, she took him in and paid off the mom to disappear.
It was a sad story that only made me feel for Elio. What was it like to know your mother and have her leave you? I didn’t know what was worse, never knowing your parents or knowing and them still giving you up.
“Fuck, I’m starving. We should’ve done lunch between the massage and nails, but I wanted to make sure we accomplished what we needed to get done before dinglefritz tried to take you back.” She glanced at me, her eyes assessing my reaction.
Knowing that she needed it, I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I would’ve snuck out to be with you today. Nothing and no one was going to stop me.”
She squealed, jumping over to my chair to give me a hug. The lady doing her nails yelled in another language, but it was most definitely a curse word. I pushed her back to her chair while apologizing on Cin’s behalf.
Once we were done, we stayed in the front of the shop, waiting for our toes to dry so we could put our shoes on. “So, did your mom say anything about me being on the council?”
She got silent, looking at the ground, and I berated myself for asking that. Stupid. Stupid, Layrin. How could you try to mix Fodeus shit with your friendship?! I was ready to tell her to forget what I’d said, but she grabbed my hand, a serious look in her eyes.
“I only know that she’s excited about it. She’s wanted to shake things up on the council for a while, trying to make it easier for my brother Milo when he takes her place, but that’s all I know. If I hear anything else, I promise to tell you, Lay. I want you to trust me. I know our friendship is going to bleed into business, and I'm fine as long as we’re honest with each other. I don't want us to lie to each other, ever.”
Squeezing her hand back, I smiled widely. “I, Layrin Rose, promise to always be on Cinzia Ricci’s side and will never betray you. I will tell you what I can, when I can, and never put your life in danger… if I can help it.”
She laughed at that last part, repeating my words to me.
A pact had been made, right here in this nail salon. It was official. I had made my first true ally in Foedus.
“Now that we got that out of the way, can we go eat? If we don't get something soon, I'm going to put that oath to the test.”
Laughter bubbled out of me, the free and innocent kind, something I hadn’t known I would ever feel again. “Let’s get out of here.”
“This place looks too fancy.” Everything on the menu was like thirty to fifty dollars a plate. A peek through the outside window showed me white tablecloths and fabric napkins. Yep, it was a fancy place.
Shaking my head, I backed away, but Cin wasn't having any of it. She grabbed my hand and yanked me forward. “Don’t worry about it. I'm paying.”
Grimacing, I tugged backward, my stomach growing tight. I didn't want her to pay. I wasn't a mooch, even when I was poor, and I wasn't about to start being one now. Thinking about my purse, I knew I had the black card Rion had given me as part of their fake scholarship. I needed to start feeling less guilty about spending their money. Standing straight, I tugged her to look at me. “I’m paying, and that's final.”
Glaring down at her, I was waiting for her to agree with me, to feel pity for me, but instead she hooked her arm through mine. “Sure. Sure. Of course.” I knew that was too easy. She was going to try to find a way to pay, but little did she know, I could be sneaky too.
We got to the hostess stand, waiting for a little blonde woman to stop talking to a gorgeous tan man in a waiter outfit. With his white button down clinging to his lean, muscular body, the sleeves rolled up and a few buttons left open, he had to be some kind of model. His dark brown hair looked like it was the perfect kind to hang onto. I didn't know men like this lived in the wild doing regular people's jobs.
Cin cleared her throat, and he turned his attention on us, giving us a hundred-watt smile. “Oh, I'm so sorry. Beautiful ladies like you should never wait.” He grabbed a couple of menus, telling the blonde that he would take us to our table.
“Oh my god. I think I'm in love. I could totally go for some hot-as-sin waiter dick right now.” She looked around the restaurant before pulling me down to whisper in my ear, “Do you think he’ll take me to the food critics’ vip lounge?”
With my brows pulled together, I looked at her. What the fuck was she talking about?
She giggled. “You know how the airline has the ‘mile-high club’? Just translate that for restaurants.”
My eyes flew open as I looked at his back. He was smiling at us over his shoulder. Is she talking about having sex in the bathroom? It wasn’t like I could judge, having had my own experience. Shrugging, I told her, “Go for it. I got your back.”
He took us to a secluded part of the restaurant and waved us into the booth in the back. Cin winked at me as she ran her hand along his back, purring in his ear, “Thank you. I'm so excited to fill myself up here.”
Biting my lip, I grabbed the leftover menu from his hand, whispering my thanks before sitting down and letting Cin do her thing. She giggled and flirted as I looked over the menu, finding a wine that I thought I remembered the guys having at home. When I looked up, the waiter’s chocolate eyes landed on me, heat flaring in them. I gave him a small smile before lifting the menu over my face. Yeah, I'm not interested, dude. Plus, I didn't like that he had a stunner like Cin in front of him, yet he was trying to play the field.
Still hiding behind the menu, I was reading the other items just to give Cin more time, but I was interrupted by a plop right next to me. Minty air hit my nose as the waiter looked over my shoulder, his hand resting on my inner thigh underneath the table. “Do you need any help? I can find something delicious for you to eat, just like I did for your friend.”
Scooting away from him, I shook my head. “No, I’m good. I’ll have the 2010 Pauillac to drink and—”
“Oh, so you're a wino too?!” His hand creeped up my thigh, and I crossed my legs, jostling his hand off me. “The Pauillac is so good. You have excellent taste.”
Giving him a curt nod, I glanced up at Cin, who was now glaring at the waiter. Oh shit! I rushed through the rest of my order. “And I would like to do the rack of lamb. That will be it for me.”
He leaned in, his breath assaulting my neck. “Wonderful choice. I’ll make sure they keep that lamb nice and pink for you.”
Cin winked at me before kicking the table to grab his attention. “And I will have a scotch on the rocks. Not the house shit either, the expensive stuff. Then the kobe beef strip, medium.” She grabbed my menu and shoved them toward him. “That's it. Thanks.”
He frowned down at the menus, his voice uncertain when he said, “Okay. I’ll be back with your drinks.” As soon as he disappeared, I took a breath.
“Yikes. That guy is a douche, and not the good kind.”
My head tilted. “Is there a good kind?”
She laughed, nodding like she had experience in that area. “Yes, Layrin. Yes. There is a good kind of douche, but you throw them back into the ocean after you catch them. Otherwise, it will ruin the experience for you.”
I shrugged. “I'll take your word for it.”
She rolled her eyes, folding her arms in emphasis. “Oh, honey, I’m sure that you’ll find out real soon.”
I scowled at her as she giggled over her joke at my expense. The guys weren't douches, just… overly protective and obsessive. That wasn't a douche, right?
Cin stopped laughing when the hostess came by with our drinks, telling us it was on the house thanks to our waiter. What?! There was no way I was going to let that happen. I grabbed my purse and got up, using the excuse of needing the bathroom.
Going toward the back, I saw our waiter and walked straight up to him. “Hey, we don't need our drinks to be paid for. Also, please put the bill on this card. I don't want my friend to pay.”
Handing him the card, I turned around, done with what I had to say. My eyes went wide as I felt a set of hands circle my waist. I tried to shake them off, but the grip tightened. “A pretty lady like you should never have to pay for her drinks.” I grimaced at him, did that shit really work on others? “I'm an attractive guy, and you’ve got dynamite eyes that I fell for the instant you walked in. How’d you like to have a kid that looked like me but with your eyes? They would rule the world.”
I gagged. He reminded me of a hot version of Finn, and the same sickening feeling lurched in the pit of my stomach as I got ready to use one of Roux’s moves on him. I shifted my weight to stomp his foot, but his arms disappeared before I had my chance to make my move. I turned around to see Ravi. Well, it was Ravi in a baseball cap, face mask, and baggy black clothes. His whole body vibrating with a fury I've never seen.
He waved his finger in front of my face, his eyes swirling with death and destruction. “Rin, that is a big no no. Guys touching you is punishable by death, and you don't want that, right?”
I tried to look around, wondering where the waiter had gone, but Ravi’s hand captured my chin, forcing me to focus only on him. He took a step closer, our lips separated by nothing more than the thin cloth mask. His whole body shook as he leaned into me, causing me to step back into the wall. “I think it's time to go home, my love. I’m barely keeping myself together at the moment, and the thin line I’m treading could go either way.”
“Either way?”
The side of the mask lifted up, his head resting on mine. “I’m close to either fucking you against this wall to show everyone you’re ours, or throwing you over my shoulder to take you home after I burn this place to the ground.”
“Ravi! What the fuck?! Those can't be the only options. Where is he?”
“Rin, I don't think you should be worried about another man in front of us. Ever.” His hands gripped my waist so hard I knew I would see a bruise later, but I wasn't afraid of Ravi. “It's not wise for anyone involved.”
I rolled my eyes as I bit out, looking around, “I'm not technically worried about him . I'm worried that you’ll get yourself in trouble because of him.”
He closed his eyes, taking a long inhale. “Don’t worry. Roux is taking care of him. We’ll be fine. You look beautiful, by the way. I love the roses on your nails.” Of course he would notice even the small details while in the midst of threatening to cause mayhem.
“Lay? Where are you?” Cin’s voice came from the other side, and I pushed at Ravi's chest.
“Go. I’ll finish my meal then go home.” He glared at me, his hands balling into fists, but I had promised myself I wasn't going to have my girls’ day ruined.
Cupping his face with both hands, I gave him a kiss on top of the mask and quickly pulled away as I whispered, “Please, Rav. I just want to finish my meal with my friend, then I’ll go home. Promise.”
Her steps came closer, and panic ran up my spine. “Please,” I said, trying one more time. Finally, he stepped away and around the opposite corner, missing Cin by a few seconds.
“Hey! I think our food is going to be done soon.” Smiling at her, I grabbed her arm and tugged her toward our booth. She looked over her shoulder but didn't say anything.
It didn't take long for a different waiter to drop off our food and rush away. “That's weird. Is that idiot waiter too scared to face us now?”
Stuffing my face, I shrugged. “Don’t know," and I didn't, but I was curious to know what the guys did with him. Maybe roughed him up a bit?
My mind raced with how to change the subject, but evidently, I didn’t need to worry about it. Cin’s fork landed on her plate with a clank before she cried out, “Oh, come the fuck on! Can’t I just have some fucking peace?!”
Luca and Elio were walking toward us, the former handing a phone to Cin as soon as they arrived at our table. “Mother needs to talk to you.” Cin took the phone, pausing to look at me, asking silently if it was okay. I waved her off with a smile, understanding that family was calling. Luca quickly took her spot. “Don’t worry. We can keep Layrin company.”
Taking another bite, I scooted over to make room for Elio since Luca had taken Cin’s seat, even taking a bite of her meal and nodding. Guess he likes it.
“So, how are you guys?” It was weird being alone with them now since I was technically higher up in the food chain, being an heir and council chair holder. With Cin, we already had a special relationship, so my bond with her transcended any of the changes that might come with my new power in Foedus. The guys were still a bit of a mystery even though I knew I could count on them as allies to some extent.
Luca shrugged, not giving anything away, but Elio was the opposite. He leaned into me, taking a deep inhale. “Oh, sweets, I missed you. I don't even go to class anymore because you're not there.”
I smirked. “Well, that's stupid. Don’t be dumb. Stay in school.”
He laughed, slapping his knee as he scooted closer. His hand captured mine, turning it around so he could lay a quick kiss along my wrist. I gasped, ready to yank my hand back, but his eyes went wide before he jerked us both forward. The front window shattered, and a thud hit the table. A bullet was lodged in the cushion behind where Elio's head had been. I looked out the open window before another one came at us, hitting right next to where Elio was sitting.
Luca grabbed my hand and dragged me out the other side of the booth fast, bullets landing right in front of him. Over the chaos, I yelled, “What the fuck did you do?”
Luca looked back, expression wild, then pulled me in tight to shield me from the open window. “Me?! I haven't done anything!”
“Well, it's not me. They seem to be very attentive to your and Elio’s positions.”
Who the fuck was this now? Was this how my life was going to be forever? Someone always just a hair breath away from hurting or killing me?
With a growl, he ordered Elio to follow us, and we slipped through the kitchen doors. As we ran through the kitchen, I took the opportunity to tell the chefs that their food was amazing. Elio rushed alongside me, smiling like a loon, while Luca pulled me through the back door. We ended up in an alleyway just in time for Rion to screech up next to us. “Get in the car, Layrin. Time is up.”
Looking at Luca and Elio, their jaws clenched and muscles tightened, like they were getting themselves ready for a fight. A part of me felt honored that they would fight Rion for me. The Riccis definitely weren’t as bad as the boys always claimed.
Turning to Luca and Elio, I let go of Luca’s hand. “Thank you guys for protecting me. I think I need to go with Ambros now. Please tell Cin that I had fun and will see her tonight.”
“We’ll see you too, right? You're not just Cin's friend, right?” Elio’s declaration had Rion glaring at him, but I nodded.
“I’ll see you all later. Bye!” I waved before climbing into the car.
Rion hit the gas, and watched the Ricci boys go the other way. “Who do you think was shooting at them? Do we need to be worried?” When Rion didn't say anything, I stared him down.
Still not saying anything, I got the feeling he was purposely leaving something out. There was no way Rion wouldn't know what was going on. He pulled over and two men, completely dressed in black, wearing baseball caps and face masks, jumped in the back seat, both of them armed with long-range sniper rifles. “What the fuck, Rion?!” His lips wobbled like he was fighting a smile.
“See? This is why I didn't want you to go out. Men are dogs, and we have no trouble putting them down.”
Sitting back with a huff, I glanced back at Roux and Ravi, the two expert shooters, in the back. “What would you have done if you actually hit them? I thought it's against the rules to kill.”
Roux huffed, “One bullet wound in the arm or leg wouldn't kill them.”
“And me?” I glared back at them, throwing my hands up since they didn't seem to care that they shot up an innocent resturant with people in it. “What if you ended up hitting me with one of your bullets?”
Ravi's hand came up, cupping my face as he giggled. “Silly girl. We never would’ve hit you. We’re the best marksmen in Foedus.”
Rolling my eyes up to the ceiling, yanking my face away in frustration. I took a breath and massaged the sides of my head. No one got hurt. They might be insane, but no one got hurt, Layrin.
Rion’s words hit me a moment later, and I realized he was talking about "putting down" men in general, and not just the Riccis. Groaning, I turned to Rion. “Please don't tell me the waiter is dead in the trunk.” They wouldn’t have had enough time to hide him anywhere else if they did.
They looked at each other before turning back to me, then Ravi cheerfully said, “The waiter is definitely not dead in the trunk.”
Narrowing my eyes on him, I could see the smile behind his mask. “Don't lie to me.” My warning was clear enough that he immediately changed his tune.
“Okay, the waiter is dead in the trunk, but that was Roux, not me," pointing to his brother as the culprit.
Roux’s eyes narrowed, sliding to his brother as he whispered, “Snitch.”
Facing forward, I closed my eyes, crashing back into my seat, reminding myself that at least he’d told me the truth... even though I’d had to press him for it.
That was growth, right?