The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession Book 4) (20 page)

She rolled her eyes at Elynn. Alex’s wife was waiting in her extra office chair as Sophia talked on the phone with her overprotective Italian lover.

“Enzo doesn’t mind driving you,” Gio continued, trying and failing to hide the possessive concern in his voice. “He can be there in five minutes.”

“Tell him I have my car,” Elynn stage-whispered.

Since Sophia had already mentioned that she had
her
car, she didn’t think Gio was about to be reasonable. He wasn't about to give up the idea of an armed escort to her girls’ night out with Elynn and her friends. He certainly hadn’t when she pointed out the pub they were meeting at was only a few blocks away.

Since their labs were fairly close together, she and Elynn had met up on their lunch hour several times since first meeting. Tonight they were also seeing Maia again. The little redhead and her husband Calen had been traveling in Spain, checking on some of his clubs on the Costa del Sol. She would also be meeting Eva Stone for the first time. Sergei’s partner had been on an extended business trip for his company—part of which he’d joined her on with their new son. But they were back in town, stopping for a week before heading to their home in Manhattan.

Sophia had been looking forward to this evening all week. Ever since they returned from Rome, Gio had gone into overdrive. He checked on her ten times a day, and she was pretty sure he’d assigned her a security detail without asking. It would have been sweet if it wasn’t so insane. She knew he was still beating himself up for what happened, but being monitored twenty-four-seven was going to drive her batshit crazy.

“Gio, I’m hanging up now. I’ll see you at home later,” she said firmly.

Pulling the phone away from her face, she took a deep breath and pushed the end button on her screen with a little wince.

“Be strong,” Elynn said, amused.

Slumping in her chair, Sophia wrinkled her nose at her new friend. “Gio has lost his mind since Italy. Did I tell you Enzo followed me into the ladies room at the restaurant last night? It’s too much.”

Elynn giggled before growing serious. “He’s worried. Trust me, it’s better to let them have their way when it comes to security concerns. I speak from experience. I’m pretty sure my husband
still
has me followed around and my stalker is never seeing the light of day again. Not if Alex has any say about it.”

Sophia shot her a commiserating look as she put on her coat. Elynn had told her all about her experience with Stephen Wainwright, as well as the terrifying situations both Maia and Eva had faced in the past. Compared to those experiences, the thing in Italy seemed like small potatoes.

Except it still bothered her…which was why she needed to go out tonight. All she wanted was to have four or five margaritas with some ladies so she could bitch a little. Kelly had done her best to console her over the phone, but she was out of town at her in-laws' again, so Sophia was leaning on Elynn and Co. tonight.

“Bodyguards are unnecessary in this case,” she said as they left the building to walk the short distance to the pub. “It’s not like I’m in danger now. Gio’s drunken cousin is drying out in some sort of high-security rehab center, and even if he wasn’t, I doubt he’d come within ten feet of me.”

Once Lucca had sobered up, he’d been horrified by what he’d done. At least that’s what his mother had told her. Both she and Gio’s father had flown out to beg them not to press charges against the boy. Sophia hadn’t even known that Gio had been determined to prosecute him until they arrived.

The rehab issue had been a source of contention. Gio didn’t think it was a severe enough punishment. Part of her agreed, but she was conflicted about the whole mess.

“It is a good idea to set limits now,” Elynn said, distracting from her troubled thoughts as they reached the restaurant. “Our men are a little too powerful—too used to having their way. But in this case, there’s a bit more to it than you may be aware of. I’ll tell you after we order. You’re going to need alcohol for this.”

She waved her inside where they found Maia waiting for them with a pitcher of mojitos. Sophia gratefully accepted a glass and sat down.

“I didn’t think this place made these in pitcher form!” she said in appreciation.

“I asked for it specially,” Maia said, sipping her own glass. “I figured you were going to need it.”

She frowned. “So you heard too? About Lucca and the rehab drama?”

Maia smiled apologetically and shrugged. “The guys are gossipier than a bunch of hens. We all know everybody’s business. I hope that doesn’t bother you, because I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.”

“Amen to that,” Elynn muttered, staring longingly at the pitcher. Sighing she waved over a waiter and ordered a virgin piña colada, patting her pregnant stomach absently.

“I don’t mind it, really,” Sophia said with a laugh. “I’ve been looking forward to venting for days now. God knows, I can’t talk to Gio about it. He just goes nuts—simultaneously apologizing to me and ranting in Italian about
puttanas
. I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn’t sound good.”

Elynn winced. “Yeah, it’s not. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Gio thinks his ex-wife may have had something to do with the attack. She’s the
puttana
he’s talking about. She’s some kind of minor celebrity in Italy, and Lucca is a groupie of hers. Gio thinks she loaded him up on booze and sent him your way on purpose to get back at him for the divorce. Alex agrees with him.”

It took a second to process, but once Sophia understood what Elynn was telling her, she was incensed. “Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of woman does that? I mean, I knew she was a piece of work—that whole tabloid thing totally messed Gio up—but seriously this?
Christ
.”

Elynn sat up straight. “I know. Maria is a witch with a capital “B”. She tried to seduce both our husbands while she and Gio were still married,” she said, gesturing to Maia. “They’re the ones who had to tell him. It’s why they divorced.”

“I thought they got divorced because he found her with that Vincenzo guy,” Maia broke in.

“He did, in
their
bed,” Elynn confirmed. “But he had already decided to divorce her by then. Once Alex told Gio about her attempt at seduction, he was done with her.”

“Ugh. I hate this woman,” Sophia said with a scowl. “This whole situation makes my skin crawl. Do you know I had to talk Gio out of pressing charges against Lucca? I didn’t want to do it, but the moron is only nineteen.” Pausing to take a fortifying sip, she continued with what was disturbing her the most.

“Never did I imagine I’d be in a position where I had to defend someone who attacked me,” she confessed. “It makes me sick, but given the extenuating circumstances I didn’t feel like I had a choice. This thing was tearing Gio’s family apart. His cousin is still a teenager. Not that it excuses what he did. He should be punished. But I’m not sure sending him to jail would help, or just make him worse. Not that it’s going to happen now. I just have to hope that getting disowned and being sent to rehab is enough to knock the stupid out of that kid.”

Elynn put a hand over hers. “I’m sorry. I know how you feel—dirty and violated. Maybe a little helpless too?” she suggested softly.

“But she broke his nose!”
Maia
protested, refilling her glass from the pitcher. “You’re my new hero. I wish I could have done that to that guy in the woods, but he was
huge
.”

“I didn’t think I did that much damage at the time,” Sophia pointed out, finishing her drink and accepting a refill herself. “It should be empowering, but it's not. I’m frustrated. I feel off. Like my skin is the wrong size or something. I mean, I’ve taken self-defense classes and I play soccer. I’m not a small woman. I always pictured myself going totally Buffy on anyone who tried something like that. But none of my ass-kicking fantasies included getting ambushed in bed. I’m still berating myself for not doing more. The broken nose was a lucky shot. I was still half-asleep.”

“You got him off you, too,” Maia pointed out. “I wouldn’t have been able to and I’ve been training with a self-defense instructor ever since my daughter was born. I keep getting overpowered because I’m so small. My trainer insists I’ll learn to use my size to my advantage, but it’s not happening. Which is why I’m never going to be rid of my security detail.” She leaned forward. “You should be proud of yourself. Someone had you at a disadvantage and you kicked their ass. If Gio hadn’t jumped in, you could have dealt with Lucca all by yourself. You were half-way there.”

Sophia wasn’t sure. She remembered that feeling of helplessness when she realized it wasn’t Gio on top of her. If Lucca hadn’t been drunk, it might have been a different story. But she didn’t say that.

She raised her chin. “I guess that’s the one blessing to being the size of a house.”

“You’re a normal healthy size,” Elynn insisted loyally. “We’re just shrimps. Eva included—” She broke off. “Speak of the devil.”

They were joined by another adorable petite woman. This one had blonde curls. She was so cute, Sophia would have pegged her for a ditz if she hadn’t known the woman was brilliant, the daughter of a famous inventor who’d inherited his talent and then some.

A few minutes of conversation later, and Sophia knew she had found a kindred spirit—especially since the first thing Eva did was offer to help kick Maria Gianna's ass. Like Maia and Elynn, she had been told everything.

Eva Stone was bright and funny, but she had an edge the other two women lacked. Sophia appreciated the hint of cynicism in others, since she possessed it herself. Her admiration went up a notch when they discussed Eva’s business trip.

Eva had been inspecting the early construction stages of a new manufacturing plant that Damov industries was building. The company was going into solar panel production using innovations based on her father’s work. It sounded interesting to Sophia, but Eva didn’t seem too enthusiastic. Her glum demeanor prompted Maia to ask if anything was wrong.

“It’s nothing serious,” Eva said, waving away her concern. “I had to sleep alone last night, so I’m grumpy.”

“How did that happen?” Elynn said with a laugh. “Sergei can’t keep his hands off of you. Seriously, it’s gross.”

“You’re one to talk,” Eva laughed before wrinkling her nose. “And that’s usually true, but I arrived here early—last night, instead of this morning. Sergei wasn’t expecting me. He’d been drinking with the guys. And he won’t touch me when he’s had any alcohol. He even slept in the second bedroom of the hotel suite and left the baby with me. Not the homecoming I’d been hoping for.”

“Oh. Is his drinking a problem?” Sophia asked with concern.

“No. Not for a Russian,” Eva said, finally breaking out into a grin. “He just likes self-flagellation. Let’s get back to you. Are you sure you don't want to kick Maria Gianna’s ass? Cause I'm sure Elynn and Maia would be happy to help, and I'll join in too for the principle of the thing. We can take turns holding her down. We’ll take a bat to her knees cause that bitch is tall.”

“I knew I liked you,” Sophia said, toasting the tiny blonde terminator. “And as much as I want to, I can’t see myself getting on a plane to get even. It’s a little too Kill Bill volume three. But if I ever see that biatch, I will throw down. She better stay out of dark alleys anywhere near my vicinity.”

“There’s no reason you have to do it in person,” Eva said as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. “One of Sergei’s subsidiaries makes drones. We can have one rigged up to follow that skank around and dive bomb her in the face.”

Sophia was tipsy enough to giggle. “Tempting. Let me get back to you on that.”

The others laughed and the conversation veered away from Gio’s ex to the man himself.

“I can’t believe he’s being so aggressive,” Elynn said. “He was over telling Alex all about Rome—or rather yelling about it. I’ve never heard him raise his voice before. He’s usually so sedate and proper. I never expected to see him so angry.”

Sophia, several drinks in by now, swallowed a large sip of mojito and held up a hand. “Seriously? The man has a
filthy
temper.”

Three pairs of wide eyes stared at her in collective surprise.

“No way,” Maia said. “He’s always been the calm center of the group. Almost zen, if you can describe a compulsive organizer as zen.”

Sophia guffawed. “Zen my big Mexican butt! Did I tell you how he threw my cell phone in the street cause my ex texted me? If I even mention Richard’s name it turns into an argument.”

Maia’s mouth dropped open.

“He
fights
with you?” Elynn asked in disbelief.

“All the time. Well, not all the time. It’s usually only the subject of Richard which makes him go ballistic. And now this thing with his cousin. But mostly it’s my ex-fiance.”

Wide-eyed Maia thumped the table. “Oh, my God! He loves you.”

Sophia shook her head. “That’s what Gio says, but he doesn’t. It’s really this weird hero worship Richard had for my father—”

“No, no! I meant Gio,” Maia said waving a little over-enthusiastically and spilling a bit of mojito.

“Because they fight?” Eva asked, sounding as confused as Sophia felt.