Mia
When Katia called the next morning, I almost didn’t pick up. The sting of her leaving me in the boutique to deal with Gabe alone was still raw. For all her bite, when it came down to it, Katia folded, and I wasn’t sure I could be bothered to deal with her. Although maybe I should have been grateful because it had given Gabe and I the opportunity to have the argument that led to us being in possession of the phone.
Despite the fact I was brimming with questions, I refrained from asking Luc about it. The phone and Gabe’s note had tipped him into a bad mood, and it was easier for all of us if I waited patiently. Luc was solid in his belief that it was a dud and there was a small part of me that believed him. Gabe might have sent something with the intention to waste our time and send us on a wild goose chase, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Luc. Plus, another part of me wanted to believe that Gabe had some morals that his dark and twisted conscience played by.
He hadn’t handed us anything on a silver platter. From what Tori had told me, they potentially had a number that he called them from. It would’ve been easier to hand that over. Maybe he was playing us. The thoughts had me running around in circles all night until I exhausted myself and fell asleep.
It was only because Luc saw Katia’s name flash across my screen and raised an eyebrow that I decided to pick up. The man was ready to go to war and I didn’t think Katia deserved to face his wrath.
“Hi,” I answered the call.
“Mia! Hi. How are you?”
The last thing I wanted was a casual chat over breakfast but Katia usually texted so there was something more to the call. “Fine. Is there something I can help you with?” I couldn’t help how clipped it sounded.
“Actually,” Katia drew out the word and there was instant regret at even asking the question. “I was wondering if you were free to come around to mine later?”
Luc watched me closely, swaying my decision. “Sure,” I told her. “I’ll be there after breakfast.”
“Fantastic! See you then,” she said cheerily and hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?” Luc asked as soon as my phone hit the table again.
“Nothing.” The look on his face made me reconsider my answer. “I’m just tired.” It was less of a lie. The last few days had been a struggle to get out of bed with Link being the only reason I got up as early as I did. It felt like my energy had been robbed and I was scrabbling to try and pick myself up again. “Katia wants me to stop over and see her.”
“It’ll be good for you to leave the house and not cause trouble,” Luc said to me and I shot him a look. “And it’ll be a good way to ease Franco back into work.”
“Franco?” I asked, spluttering on my orange juice and feeling the burn in my nostrils. “What do you mean, Franco?”
“He called a few days ago,” Luc informed me. “Asked to get back into work.”
“He didn’t say anything to me.”
“I assume he wanted to see if I’d allow it. I can’t see the harm, considering he’s the reason you’re alive.”
I didn’t have an issue with Franco working for us. I’d told him that the job would still be his when he was ready to step back into the role, but it felt too soon. It was only a few weeks since he’d been rushed to hospital. “He should be resting and healing up.”
“I’m not forcing him to work, Mia. He asked and I obliged. If you don’t want him to overdo it, then keep your nose clean and give him an easy ride.” Luc sipped from his mug and added, “I’m glad he’s back. You need someone that doesn’t bend to your whim so easily.”
“It wasn’t Dom’s fault,” I told him. Things had been frosty between the pair of them after Luc lost his shit at Dom. It didn’t matter how many times I professed that it was all my idea to see Chas, Luc hammered home the point that Dom worked for him and not me and one more misstep would be the end of that.
Luc got up from his seat and leaned down to kiss me. “I know, princess. It was all your twisted mind, leading people astray.”
I reached out to hit him but missed. “I’d like to remind you that you were the one who led me astray in the first place.”
“And I’d be flattered if it wasn’t putting you into dangerous situations.”
The reminders to stay out of trouble weren’t because Luc didn’t trust me but because he didn’t trust everyone else. A little bit of danger was okay — you learned from it but these days we were up to our necks, and Luc couldn’t be around constantly to bail me out. And I should have known better than to land myself in a situation that could have taken me away from my family. I hadn’t banked on Tori spilling our conversation to Gabe. I hadn’t banked on Chas getting so upset. I needed to tread more carefully.
“Have a good day,” I said as he said goodbye to Link and left the kitchen.
Finishing up breakfast, I got myself and Link dressed and ready to visit Katia. Even though Luc had told me Franco was back to working for us, I was surprised to see him waiting for us in the hallway when I came down the stairs. Michael had been returned to his previous post, and my most efficient and serious member of security tipped the world towards normal again.
“It’s good to have you back,” I said, coming off the bottom step and joining him and Dom. The way Franco held himself would have made you believe that nothing had happened. Then again, all of these men had been trained to never show weakness.
“It’s good to be back,” he said, but it didn’t hold warmth in the same way it would if someone else said it. It was firm and monotonous and eased my anxiety. This was what I had grown used to. “I was getting cabin fever at home doing nothing all day.”
“Lucky for you we’re seeing one of your favourite people this morning,” I said. Franco, who had glanced down at Link brought his eyes back up to me and they narrowed. “Katia.”
