Dinner with the Mafia ✔

Chapter 26

I looked at the last and biggest scar and winced at its possible painful story. "How about this one?" I trailed my fingers gently until they reached his shoulder.

His demeanor changed, and I felt like I had stepped on a landmine. "Let's leave this for another day. I don't feel like talking anymore..." he replied, embracing me again, yet my back was facing his chest this time. Our position was awkward since I was sitting on his lap. I tried to get up and sit next to him like a normal human, but he did not let me.

"Dario... this is weird," I said, giving up on changing my position.

"Why? We are not doing anything wrong."

"We are doing things couples normally do," I reasoned, and I heard him laugh.

"Don't overthink it. We are friends." As he said that, I turned my head to look at him.

"Since when?" I asked with a smile.

"Since you decided to listen to me talking about Grandpa," he replied.

"So, since yesterday?"

"Yes." He wrapped his arm around my neck, not tightly, and I relaxed a bit in his hold. I wiggled my hips to get comfortable but felt something poke my lower back. 

When I knew what it was, my eyes widened as I slapped his thigh really hard, which made him let go of me.

I immediately stood up and pointed my finger at him. "Friends, my ass! Dario fucking Romano, why are you hard?" I yelled, feeling flustered. I bet my cheeks were dark red by now.

He smirked and lay on the sofa, making his lower part stand out in his sweatpants. "In case you haven't noticed, I am a man, and I feel things when a woman rubs her back on me. So, don't blame me for reacting normally."

His explanation made sense, and it was partially my fault. 

Should I apologize?

I lowered my head after contemplating and stared at my feet. "I am sorry. Are you going to leave it like that?" I asked, genuinely concerned about him. I heard it hurts if men do not take care of it instantly.

"Are you offering help?" he asked, grinning.

I almost exploded from embarrassment when I realized what I had asked and what he meant. "Fuck off!" I ran to my room, feeling bothered and hot.

I was so careless with my words. 

Are you going to leave it like that? Seriously Jolene? 

I was not hiding that I was still a virgin, but I did not have to confirm it to him by asking that stupid question. I hit my pillow with my face and whined at my naivety.

As I was wallowing in self-pity on my bed, my phone rang. I picked it up without looking at the caller ID and tensed at the voice. "You picked up the phone after the first ring? You must be eager to hear my voice, Jolene." 

It was an unknown ID, but his voice was as annoying as ever.

I got up from the bed and rushed to Dario's room. I did not knock, and he was startled to see me unannounced. He was taking care of himself on his bed, looking all hot and sexy, and I cursed at my stupidity even more. Luckily he was covered by the sheets, but I should have knocked. 

"I am eager to get rid of you for good, Atlas." As I said this name, Dario recovered quickly and told me to put it on speaker. I did, and he washed his hands and then sat silently next to me. "Now, really, what do you want from me? You know I will never love you, so why bother?"

"Feelings change, Jolene; nothing is permanent. You will come to love me once I get my hands on you and claim you as mine, love," Atlas said, and I gagged. I looked at Dario's hand, which was clenching my knee, and the veins were too visible for me to miss. 

He looked charming, but I knew it was not the right time to fantasize about his hand... that was holding something else earlier. 

"I will take your silence as a sign of your approval."

"No, you fool. I was thinking of a word to describe how retarded you sound right now. You are living in your own fantasy world, and I certainly do not want to be a part of it. You are a stalker, hacker, and murderer. You are a damn criminal, so how does the idea of me ever loving you crosses your mind so easily? Show your face, and I will show you my feelings."

"Feelings? So you do have feelings for me!" His excitement made me sick to my core.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, hatred, disgust, annoyance, and nothing else. You almost killed me twice back in New York, maybe three times, as I am unsure if the first car crash was accidental. And you almost killed Dario and me. You are a psychopath, and I don't want anything to do with you."

"Jolene, baby-"

"I am not your fucking baby!" I yelled as I grabbed Dario's shoulder and squeezed the living shit out of him. However, he did not wince as he looked more enraged than me.

"I did not intend to kill you back then. I only wanted the bastard Dario Romano dead so I could have you in my arms forever. My men clearly did not understand when I said only shoot the son of a bitch, so I have to thank Dario for killing them in my stead when I see him soon."

As Dario wanted to lash out, I covered his mouth with my hand and begged him with my eyes not to make a sound. "How soon?" I asked because his call was not for nothing. He was planning something, and I did not like it.

"Soon, baby." He hung up before I could reply, and Dario removed my hand and cursed for a long while at Atlas. I patted his back and leaned my head on his shoulder when he calmed down.

"If you don't kill him when you see him, I will," I said, feeling mad at how powerless we seemed because we did not know where he was hiding. "I know he is in Sicily somewhere, but that son of a bitch is too good at hiding his tracks. We have the meeting tomorrow, right?" I asked.

"Yes, he might show up then. I already talked with my men and told them to stay alert."

I nodded. "I will go to my room... keep doing what you were doing before I entered your room," I smirked and got up. "Good night, Dario."

"You don't need to tell me that," he whispered, thinking I did not hear him. I laughed and got out of his room. 

I called Dad and Phoebe and updated them on Atlas and his possible plan. They told me to be careful, and Dad would come to visit me in a couple of days, if not tomorrow. I missed him so much, so I did not object this time. I needed to see him too.

~~~

1.05.2023

I got secondhand embarrassment while writing this, lol. But did you like the chapter?

Please comment. Your opinion truly matters!