Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
ADELINA
Everyone in their so-called business meeting was an idiot, which I already knew. As I listened to the church conversation from the powder room off the sitting area by the front door, they made their incompetence uber clear.
I wanted to scream, “Just take my father’s money already!” so many times, but I had kept my mouth shut. If the MC wouldn’t listen to Rafe, they wouldn’t listen to me. Let them die for all I cared. It would save me from being a constant prisoner.
And from a loveless marriage.
Maybe it would even keep my withering cherry intact. Not that I’d wanted that when I finally fell asleep last night after taking care of myself. I’d come dangerously close to asking Rafe to stay with me last night, no matter how much it would damn my soul.
For all their pointless bickering, the church meeting was over as soon as there was a bang at the door at the same time, my cell phone beeped. I reached into the pocket of my yoga pants for the phone. The bang on the door reverberated across the warehouse, followed by some tinkling chimes. That had me pausing to shake my head, unable to reconcile the delicate sound with the brutes discussing drugs, wars, and death around a dining room table.
Those topics were nothing new to me, but Papà’s men seemed a little more able to agree on strategies and tactics. They also seemed more aligned in their problem solving.
I swiped my screen, looking through the social media notifications—the other capos’ daughters who lived out loud on Insta and TikTok, probably posting selfies from the bars last night. I didn’t really care enough to click into them. To be honest, after high school, they would’ve probably unfriended me if I wasn’t the Don’s daughter. So I kept scrolling to find the alert that my package had been delivered.
Overnight shipping for the win!
I didn’t care about exorbitant shipping prices. As I had mentioned to the MC, my father had the money, and when I went to college, he had set me up with a bank account that I couldn’t drain no matter how hard I tried. That, and a platinum credit card with no limit.
I walked in a circle in the tiny room, chewing on a thumbnail. No one had known I slipped in here while they were all waiting for the Prez to arrive, and surfacing now would mean I’d been caught eavesdropping.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I hissed.
No more voices littered the air. No footsteps. None of the screechy music Graff had been playing last night. In fact, there were no sounds whatsoever.
I cursed again and reached for the door, throwing it wide open. When I stepped outside, I came face to chest with an ugly dude with long black hair, a white streak, and a scar that sliced through his eyebrow and lid. It made his left eye look droopy, like he was always crying. Based on my father’s intelligence, this was the dude shacking up with the former DA. He looked at me off the tip of his nose, and I smiled up at him.
The picture of innocence, something that had worked with my father’s men.
“Angel, right?” I asked, holding out my hand.
He glared at me but stepped out of my way without so much as a word.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and walked past him.
Unfortunately, all the guns pointed in my direction brought me up short.
“What the hell?” I hooked my thumb over my shoulder toward the front door. “Just a delivery. No need to get panties in a bunch.”
“And you know this because?” one of the bikers asked.
I didn’t see who, but I shot my brows up and waggled my phone in the air. “Notifications. Duh.”
As the guns lowered and went back into their homes, I flipped my hair over one shoulder. “That’s better.”
All the members stared at me like a piece of meat, including my uncle and the pregnant lady. I tried not to shrink under their scrutiny. I was, after all, Adelina Parisi, a tried-and-true Mafia princess.
“What the shit?!” Sas marched in my direction. “You’re supposed to be locked in your room. That’s the second time?—”
He reached for me, and I spun out of his reach. Jutting my chin, I retorted, “I’m not going to be held in my chamber by an ogre.”
I still wasn’t giving away my escape route. It wasn’t like it should take a rocket scientist or brain surgeon to figure it out. Turning on my heel, I headed for the front door, but Sas caught up and leaped in front of me, holding out his hand.
“What?” I asked. “You think I’m going to make a run for it?”
He smirked down at me like I was silly, but I didn’t miss how his eyes flicked back to the group around the table and back to me.
“Let me get it for you,” he said, his voice tight.
“Why?”
“In case it’s not safe.”
Or you want to see what I got , I thought.
I held my hand out, indicating for him to proceed. I figured if he was going to act all nice, I should take advantage of it. A weird feeling settled over me, though, like I was on stage about to perform something I hadn’t rehearsed. I tried to ignore the sensation.
Bou was the worst with her pregnant belly and standing next to the man with a skullcut and rose tattoo. I couldn’t fathom how she could bring a child into this mess. In fact, I vowed to make sure I got a semi-permanent form of birth control ASAP. An implant or IUD would do.
As I followed Sas to the door, I kept thinking about how stupid she was being, but my mother brought me and my sister into the Mafia life. I guess biology trumps danger any day of the week.
Sas grabbed my package from outside the front door, a big box that his arms could barely reach from end to end. He marched toward me, reading the label. If he knew what it was, he didn’t say as he held out the box.
When I reached for it, he lifted it into the air, above his head, and there was no way I could reach. Not even if I jumped. I would have to either grow wings or climb him like a freaking mountain to get my package. I grabbed hold of his cut and tried to pitch myself up, all while Sas laughed at me.
“Give her the damn box,” ordered the president. “We got work.”
Sas immediately dropped it into my hands.
I stumbled and huffed, but I had my package. Unfortunately, there was no way I could carry a box that size back to my bedroom alone.
“Let’s play this game again some time,” I called to Sas, winking when he looked back at me.
Sas pursed his lips, and I waited for a quip. None came, and I leaned over and pushed the box toward the door Rafe guarded.
“What the hell are you playing at, tesoro?” he whispered as he opened the door.
As sweetly as I could muster, I smiled and said, “Just preparing to become one of the crew around here.” I went to bend over and push the box through the door.
But Rafe grabbed one arm and brought his lips close to my ear. “You’re not wearing the shit all the girls were wearing around here last night.”
“Oh?” I looked up at him and stood, crossing my arms over my chest. “Says who?”
He ground his teeth. “If I have to get your father involved?—”
“Simmer down, zio.” I patted him on the rock-hard chest, letting my hand linger. “Besides, how could he expect differently? I mean, this was all his bright idea.”
Rafe bit down, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “He also sent me to make sure you’re safe. Slutty clothes won’t help with that.”
I rolled my eyes dramatically. “It’s nothing like that.”
He could see what I got with everyone else when the time was right.
I pushed the box through the door and toward my bedroom. It wasn’t terribly heavy, just awkward.
Rafe called after me, and I kept my ass in the air and glanced over my shoulder.
“Stay in there this time, would ya?”
With a sigh, I said, “Fine.”
He closed the door, sealing me away from everyone else, or so I thought. When I pushed the box into my bedroom and stood up, I squealed and nearly jumped out of my skin.
The copper-haired woman sitting on my bed slid off. “I’m sorry. Cook thought you might want a friend in the club. Someone to, um, talk to?” She laced and twisted her fingers, and my eyes drifted down her body.
There were scars on her exposed skin, and the leather collar around her neck seemed too goth for this crowd.
“W-who are you?” I asked. In jeans and boots, she had to have arrived with the others.
“Oh, sorry again. I’m Maddie. Property of the enforcer. Cook.” She beamed, as if that were something to be proud of, and turned around to show me the patch that said as much on her riding vest.
I didn’t have a reply, and after a few moments of awkward silence, the muffled voices from the main room resumed talking.
“Alright,” I said. She wasn’t anything like my friend group. Much older and she’d been through stuff. I could see that much in her eyes, so I didn’t want to be mean or press her too hard. Instead, I motioned to the huge box. “Can you help me with this?”
We lifted the box onto the bed, and I struck the side to loosen the tape, then ripped it back.
“What’d you order?” Maddie asked.
I gave her a sly smile. “You’ll see.”
Then, I ripped into the first bag.
Maddie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
“What do you think?”
“It’s pink.” Maddie reached out a tentative hand, her amber eyes sparkling. “And studdy.”
I didn’t know how this woman found my room or why Cook would’ve sent her. Or... in what world it was acceptable to barge into someone’s private room. Nonna always said coming to America was the biggest shock she ever experienced, and changing her point of view to better fit in just about killed her.
This wasn’t on the same level, but that sparkle in Maddie’s eyes, the fascination over a simple but pretty thing, absolutely reminded me of Catalina.