“Lord is quiet, and you know what they say about the quiets ones.”
“No, what?”
“They’re the ones you gotta watch. They are reactive and impulsive. He seems even, but he has a temper.” Her eyes remained fixed on the street outside. “It’s not like him to just let something like this go without even a word.”
I nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. I heard how Lord killed two armed assassins on motorcycles the day of the uncle Dom’s funeral. Lord wasn’t even a made man yet, and he killed two men on the street like he was born into this life.
Labria didn’t know this, but I’d seen him erupt over business disagreements, territorial disputes, even a poorly timed joke. This idea that he would quietly accept Labria leaving him for me. That didn’t align with anything I knew about him.
“Maybe he’s just processing,” I suggested, though I didn’t believe it myself. “It’s only been two weeks.”
Labria laughed, a short, brittle sound. “Two weeks is an eternity for Lord to hold back when he feels wronged. And this—” she gestured between us, “this would feel like the ultimate betrayal to him.”
She began to pace, her bare feet silent on my hardwood floors, wine glass clutched tightly in her hand. “He’s planning something. I know him. The quieter he gets, the more dangerous he is. He’s not going to do anything to you. He’s going to come after me in some way.”
“You think he’d hurt you?” The thought made my blood run cold.
“I don’t know.” She stopped pacing, facing me directly. “I honestly don’t know what he’s capable of anymore. He’s never been physical with me. I can’t even imagine him putting his hands on me, but the man I fell in love with back in Chicago feels like a stranger now.”
I set my glass down on the side table and moved toward her. “I won’t let him hurt you, Labria. I’ll protect you, no matter what.”
She shook her head firmly. “No. I don’t want you putting yourself between me and Lord. I don’t want to create conflict in the Bregoli family.”
“It might be too late for that,” I said quietly.
“It doesn’t have to be.” Labria resumed her pacing, her lawyer’s mind clearly analyzing and strategizing. “Nicco doesn’t seem to want family conflict either. That’s why he came to warn me.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“He said if Lord kills you, it will cause problems in the family.” Her voice wavered slightly. “But if Lord kills me, Nicco will just look the other way.”
I stepped in front of her, halting her pacing. “He threatened you?”
“Not exactly. It was more like... a forecast. A warning.” She sighed.
“Nicco was being dramatic. Lord can’t kill me without an order from him. I’m a protected person, and so are you.”
“Protected by who?”
“Me, you’re with me now, and Lordes can’t touch you. The rules are the rules.”
Despite the seriousness of our conversation, I couldn’t help a short laugh. “That sounds just like Nicco. He’s always trying to raise your stress levels.”
Labria didn’t smile. “Nicco told me Lord will be in New York next Tuesday through Thursday. Something about business with the LaGrassa family.”
“Business with Lolita’s family,” I noted. “Interesting coincidence.”
Labria took another sip of wine. “Anyway, I’m going to retrieve my belongings from his house while he’s gone. Nicco offered a moving truck and driver to help.”
“That’s surprisingly generous of him.” I wondered what ulterior motives he had. Maybe he wanted Labria out of Lordes life so he could have his new underboss brother all to himself. It was all I could think of. Why was he helping facilitate this breakup?
“He called it practical. I think he just wants this situation resolved as quickly as possible.” She moved to the couch and sat down, setting her wineglass on the coffee table. “I need to find a storage unit to keep my things until I figure out my next move.”
I joined her on the couch, leaving a respectful distance between us. “You can use my basement to store your things if you want. I have plenty of space.”
“Thank you, but no.” She shook her head. “I think it’s better if I get a storage unit. Something that’s just mine. I haven’t made any permanent decisions.”
The implication was clear. Labria wasn’t ready to fully commit to whatever was happening between us. I couldn’t blame her. Our friendship began months ago, but our sexual relationship was new. No matter how things started, they were now covered in chaos and secrecy.
