"In all fairness, sir—"
He cut across my sentence. "Call me Xavier."
"In all fairness, Xavier," I started again. "I didn't plan to cause any problems in the first place." My voice was quiet and carried just above the music.
Xavier offered me a smile but there was no warmth behind it. "Oh, I don't doubt that. Marco never knew when to quit. If it hadn't had been Lucas it would have been someone else. Most likely myself."
The statement was so matter of fact that I felt the goosebumps on my skin.
"You're joining a very large family, Mia." He referred to everyone in the room. "I'm making sure that you understand that you will always have these ties. Even if you choose to leave."
I thought about Maria and how when I sat and asked her questions she spoke of her friends, some of whom I had met today.
"Loyalty means a great deal to us," Xavier told me. "Charlie and Maria are well respected here. Luc may be finding his feet still, but I'd hate to see him tarnish his legacy because of you."
I knew what he meant. I had made a choice to be here and to be with Luc. What was expected in return was for me to stay loyal to the organization. Even if I chose to walk away, I would need to keep my mouth shut. Xavier was warning me that Luc had a job and there were rules and I wasn't to be the reason Luc started breaking through things that had been set out for years.
"You have my loyalty, Xavier," I assured him. "I won't tarnish his reputation. He's well aware of the decisions he makes and so am I. I plan to make sure those decisions are smart ones."
Xavier regarded me for a moment and then a smile came to his face, not quite reaching his eyes. "I'm glad to hear it, considering I see that so many people have taken a shine to you, including my son and daughter."
He stopped and looked over his shoulder and when I turned my head, I saw Luc standing there. "I'd like to take her back now."
"Thank you for your time, Mia," Xavier said. "I look forward to seeing more of you. I'm almost certain our paths will cross. Luc has no excuse to avoid Emilia’s parties now." He kissed my hand before melting into the crowd.
Luc pulled me into him more forcefully than he had all night.
"Is everything okay?" I asked him.
"Are you?" he asked in return. One of his hands came up and cupped my face.
"I'm fine, love," I leaned into his touch, so much warmer than Xavier’s.
"What did he say?"
"Nothing much, Luc. I think he just wanted to make sure I was doing right by you."
Luc seemed surprised by the answer but didn't comment. "Let's dance."
The clock crept closer to midnight as Luc and I stayed tangled in each other, only fielding the occasional greeting with people. The countdown began and Luc looked down at me. "I love you, Mia."
"I love you too, Lucas."
"I'm going to make sure this year is the best you've had."
I thought about Dad, Stefan and Maria. I thought about how things that felt out of my control and made me sick with anxiety felt manageable with Luc.
"As long as I have you," I told him.
The countdown hit one and Luc wasted no time pressing his lips to mine as the room erupted into cheers with people ushering in the new year. With Luc, I’d make sure this year was one to remember.
Chapter Fifty
Lucas
Life had taken an unexpected turn since I had met Mia. I was surprised to see Xavier had welcomed her so easily, and of course Mia had managed to befriend Vittoria and Gabriel. She had a knack for putting herself in positions that I tried to help her avoid.
She still hadn't spoken to her father and I was doing everything I could to make her feel like things would be okay eventually. There were plenty of people around her that loved her, but I knew it wasn't the same. I’d even relented to her requests for a pet and so we had become parents to a German shepherd pup, in order to give her a small fleck of happiness.
