Cautious (Sequel to Disastrous) (2 page)

Mia reached up and cupped my face with her hands. Her thumbs
rubbed my cheeks. I closed my eyes and exhaled into that familiar warm touch.

“I missed you, Marcus.” My chest expanded as I let out a long
draining breath. “Look at me, baby.” She pleaded with a soft voice. I opened my
eyes and searched hers. “I did. I missed you so much. I was broken without you,
and as much as I was hurt, I thought if I painted a picture of my life without
you, it wouldn’t ache as much. I was wrong; it was painful.”

Hearing her say that caused a bit of annoyance to surge through
me. I knew I had no right to be pissed, but I had begged her to take me back
for days on end, and she had refused me. “Mia, at one point, I thought you were
completely done with us, even when I wouldn’t give up and you wouldn’t hear me
out. I just thought maybe you didn’t care enough to try anymore.”

“Marcus, I . . .” Hesitantly, she let out a shaky breath as tears
began to swell her eyes. “We still have a lot to work on. It’s going to be
hard. Our relationship was rocky from the beginning. What do you expect? For
things to be as if the past few months had never existed?”

It was true. Our relationship wasn’t fucking hearts and flowers.
We weren’t skipping around town holding hands. We argued all the time. At times,
she frustrated me and drove me insane. At others, she made my heart swell, and
I couldn’t stay away. It was a fucking headache one minute, and the next it was
perfect in this odd, fucked-up way. Mia had a hold on me that couldn’t be
broken, even if I fucking tried.

Nodding my head in agreement, I said, “I know we have a lot of
straightening out to do.” I traced my thumb along her moist cheekbones, wiping
away the tears that fell. “It’s going to take some time for things to be the
way they were.”

She quickly shook her head, “That’s the thing, Marcus. I want
things to be better than the way they were. We were a train wreck. All of the
secrets and lies, I can’t take that anymore.” Mia leaned back to sit on the
heels of her feet. She let out a deep breath and lowered her head. “I don’t
want it to be as it was. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it. We need it to
be better or it won’t work.” Peeking up through her long lashes, her eyes
pleaded with mine. “Please, promise me. No more secrets or lies. From here on
out, we are completely honest with each other one hundred percent.”

“Mia.” I placed two fingers under her chin and lifted, forcing
her to fully look at me. “I know it’s not easy to deal with all the baggage
that comes with my lifestyle, and you’ve accepted me even when you should’ve
left. There’s no one in this world I trust more.” Pausing, I let out a gulp of
air before continuing. “I promise I will never lie to you again."

It pained me to witness tears run down her face, tears of
uncertainty. I wanted to take all of her worries away, but I knew actions spoke
louder than words, and soon she’d see that I meant every single word. Lowering
my head, I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her hard and passionately.

***

The next morning, I was awakened by a loud buzzing
noise. Moaning, I shifted to my side and exhaled deeply, thinking about how
comfortable the bed felt. I couldn’t remember the last time I had gotten a good
night’s sleep, and then Mia popped in my head. My eyes flashed open, and I caught
sight of her beside me. Thank God. A slow smile crossed my face as I dropped my
head back down to watch her sleep.

Mia was lying on her chest with the side of her face resting on
top of her arms. Her hair was tangled and tossed down her back and over her
shoulders, perfectly. Her bare, curvy body was tucked underneath the silk
sheets. She looked peaceful and content as she breathed evenly in her sleep.
Without being able to control my impulses, I reached out and grazed the side of
her face with my fingertips. Her lips gently twitched to a smile, but she
remained asleep.

The buzzing noise that had originally awoken me went off again.
After I glided my fingers over Mia’s lips, I turned and reached for my phone by
the nightstand. There were a few text messages from Lou. Before taking a look,
I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

Lou (2 hours ago, 8:00 a.m.): I need you at my office
now.

Lou (1 hour ago, 9:00 a.m.): Was I not fucking clear
about NOW!

Lou (10 mins ago, 9:50 a.m.): Either you get your ass to
my office or I’ll drag your ass here.

Lou (1 min ago 9:59 a.m.): You have ten seconds to
respond to this text.

Me: Can I have a fucking life? What’s so important?

Lou: My office in 30 mins.

Me: Yeah, I’ll be there.

After several attempts of trying to wake Mia, I realized it was
useless. She was in a deep sleep. I quickly threw on my clothes and left a note
that read, “I’ll be back soon. I love you.” Then I ran out of my house. The
rain from the night before had picked up again, and I was soaked by the time I
reached my car. I didn’t give a fuck at that moment. I just wanted to get this
shit over and done with.

Lou Sorrento had known my father since they were kids. Both of
their fathers together ran one of the largest crime organizations in Boston. Lou
and my dad grew up knowing nothing else. It was something that was taught to
them at a very young age. It was as if they had no choice but to choose that
lifestyle.

My father wanted different lives for my brother Jimmie and me. He
wanted us to have this successful life, full of the best education money could
buy, but he forgot one thing: to leave that criminal life behind. So even
though he wanted it to be different for Jimmie and me, we still were surrounded
by it every fucking day: the drugs, the money, and the hits. In the end, it
cost my father’s life and turned out to be Jimmie’s and my fates.

My father was in charge of the organization. I guess you could’ve
called him a mob boss. After his death, Lou took over and became the ultimate
boss of them all. He made deals with other mobsters and cartel groups with whom
my father would’ve never dreamed of doing business. He gained enemies in the
process. To make a statement that he was not one to be fucked with, he killed
people, only Lou’s were not simple, one-shot-to-the-head murders. No. Lou loved
to make his enemies suffer, torturing them for days or even weeks. Once the
word spread around about how Lou handled his business, he became
indestructible. No one even thought to touch or even look at Lou Sorrento.

After finding parking, I entered the three-story brick building
located in Dorchester Bay, an area of South Boston. This was the “finance
business” my father and Lou started over thirty years ago. It was also a spot
where we all met up when he wanted to speak with any of his men immediately.
Anything that involved trades or deals was handled at my Club. We’d get
together and hang around in the VIP room to discuss the details. Stacy, a
longtime family friend and Lou’s assistant, greeted me from the front desk.
“Marky!” She slapped her hand against her hip as her bright red lips spread
into a wide smile. “How’s it possible that you grow even more handsome, every
time I lay eyes on you?” She lifted her right hand, pressed her fingertips against
her lips and blew a kiss. “Gorgeous! You’re the spitting image of your father.”

Smiling, I shook my head. That was a compliment I received a lot,
especially from those who knew my father very well. I was told that I not only
resembled him, but I also talked, walked, and thought like him, whatever that
meant. Either way, I’d always felt privileged that I was left with those traits
of his. “Thanks, Stace. I’m gonna check in with Lou.”

Deciding to skip the elevator, I jogged up the staircase toward
the third floor and barged into his office. The smell of burned cigar filled
the room. Lou was seated behind his desk with a cigar in hand, surrounded by a
cloud of smoke. The smirk on his face annoyed me, which caused me to snap.
“What’s so fuckin’ important that I had to run down now?”

Lou’s jaw tightened as his nostrils flared. I held back a smirk
as he straightened his jacket after putting out the cigar. When Lou was about
to lose his temper, he had a habit of flexing his neck from side to side and
cracking it, which he just did, but with me and my brother for some reason, he
kept his cool just a little longer than he would with others. “Why the fuck are
you soaked?” His tone was low and grew with irritation.

Quickly looking down at my appearance, I snapped my head back at
him as my arms flung in the air. “It’s pouring out, what else could it be?”

“Don’t you have a fuckin’ umbrella?

“What do you want, Lou?” I don’t have time for this shit. I was
ready to get out of here and go back to Mia.

His chest heaved as his breathing grew rapid. He was clearly
irate. “I want to know,” he hovered over his desk, and yelled from the top of
his lungs, “
WHO THE FUCKIN’ RAT IS
!” I
just stared at him.

He had lost his fucking mind.

During the next five minutes, I simply nodded and listened to his
instructions. My main focus was Mia at that moment, and I just said whatever he
wanted to hear. Once we were done, I flew out of there and hopped back into my
car.

***

As soon as I stormed through the front doors of my
house, I jogged up a few of the steps, when a tiny voice stopped me in my
tracks. “Uncle Marc?” I spun around, knowing already I would catch sight of my
adorable niece at the bottom step.

She stood there with one hand on her hip and the other on the wooden
railing. “Hey, Elle, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in
school?” I swore I had the cutest niece ever. Her smile won me over every
single time.

She rolled her eyes as she answered, “Um, it’s Saturday, Uncle
Marc. I don’t have school today.
Jeez
.” Fuck, was it Saturday? My days
usually tended to blend together. Elle perked up a little and lifted her hand in
front of me. “Look at my nails, Uncle Marc. Mia took me to the mall, and we got
mani-pedis yesterday. Do you like ’em?”

Bending down, I reached for her hand and humored her by
inspecting her nails. “I think, hmmm.” I brought my attention back to her light
green eyes and gave her a serious expression. Her smile faded as her face
mimicked mine. “I think . . . I love them.” I winked, and, with that said, her
face lit up with the biggest, most adorable smile.

“I knew you would love ’em!” She squealed. I kissed her forehead and
ruffled her dark brown hair before she turned and ran in the direction of the
living room. Shaking my head with a laugh, I turned on my feet and jogged back
up the stairs.

When I swung the door open, Mia was seated on the bed. Her back
and head were leaning against the headboard. The bed sheet was wrapped around
her chest, revealing her shoulders, so I knew she was still naked underneath,
but she didn’t look happy.

“Not even twenty-four hours have passed since we made up and you run
off.” Shrugging a shoulder, she added, “Just like that.”

What could I say to that? I closed the door behind me and made my
way toward her. “I left a note.” My tone was low as I looked by the nightstand,
but the note was no longer there. She raised her hand, revealing the piece of
torn paper she held.

“Thanks.” She muttered in a sarcastic tone.

Letting out a deep breath, I sank down beside her on the bed.
“Mia, I had to go. I wanted to wake you, but you looked too peaceful.”

Mia turned her head to stare at me for a long time before
responding. “Where did you go?”

I promised no more lying, and even though I knew the truth would
do nothing but hurt her, this was what she wanted. “I had to see Lou.” She shut
her eyes, slightly pursed her lips, and shook her head.

“What did he want?” She whispered as her eyes focused back on
mine again.

She wanted to know everything and not just what he wanted but
everything in general. That required me to get comfortable, because we’d be
there for a long time. After I flung my shoes off, I stripped down to my boxer
briefs and slid underneath the comforter by her. She studied me with a wary
expression. I smirked at her with a crooked grin and shook my head. So that I
could fully face her, I twisted my body and raised a brow.

CHAPTER TWO

MIA

“What are you doing?” I studied Marcus as he sat half
naked in front of me.

“I’m making myself comfortable so we can talk.” He raised an
eyebrow mockingly as if his motives were clearly obvious. I let out a sigh. I
knew he promised that he’d be honest from here on out, but I knew differently.
With what he was involved in, there was no way he could be one-hundred-percent
honest with me. But I promised him a second chance, and our relationship
deserved that more than anything. An outsider would have advised me to run like
a bat out of hell, but sometimes you just had to crawl through the dark before
you could see the light.

“Okay, let’s talk.”

Clearing his throat, he whispered, “Well, where do you want me to
start?”

“What do you mean?” I thought it was clear that he was supposed
to tell me what Lou wanted.

“You said you wanted to know everything, right? Or were you more
curious about today’s event? Either way, I’m not backing down. I’ll tell you
anything you want to know.”

Shocked by that, I tried to gather my thoughts. I wanted to know
everything, but I didn’t want to force it out of him either. “I’m fine with
wherever you want to start.”

Nodding his head, he bit down on his lip and flopped back onto
the mattress. Before he began, he exhaled deeply and then shoved a hand through
his dark brown hair. “Have I ever told you that my father’s death was
pronounced a suicide?”

Oh my God. I moved over to lie beside him. Placing one hand on
his chest, I held my head up with the other. Watching him carefully, I made
sure not to distract him. He was lost in thought. If a glare could drill holes,
he’d be drilling one into the ceiling at that moment. Leaning on my elbow, I
patiently waited for him to go on.