Falling For The Mob

63 Forgiven

Sam

The blaring alarm violently rips me out of my perfect slumber. Last night, as every night these last days, I managed to talk myself into her bed. For this reason, I specifically turned off my alarms in hopes of prolonging the time I have holding her.

My attempts to reach for the bedside table are quickly met with failure as I remain pinned down by the half-naked woman lying on top of me. Though I will never complain, it is worth mentioning that Zoë is terrible at staying on her side of the bed.

"Love, your alarm is going off." I gently nudge her and am met by an adorable pout as she grunts.

"I don't have to go to work."

Keeping her eyes closed, she rolls off, finally giving me the freedom to grab her phone. After scanning the screen, I roll her on her back and shove the screen in her face. "Your brother is calling."

She grumbles something incoherent before answering the phone. "What do you want, Joey? It's seven in the morning."

Even when annoyed, she is incapable of sounding threatening. As a result, I hear the sound of laughter echoing through the line.

My plan was to roll back around and get more rest, but that quickly disappears as she turns over, and her bare legs fall out of the sheets.

The conversation continues, but for the life of me, the only thing I can focus on is her increasingly exposed stomach, as her oversized sweatshirt continues riding up. How does she ever expect me to keep control if she refuses to wear pants to bed?

Only when I hear her voice dip an octave, do I notice the strain in her words. "I can't visit right now, things are just very complicated at work." As always, she is a terrible liar, and he undoubtedly noticed this as well.

With a couple of faked emails and a personal call from my father to Dr. Parks, Addy has been able to arrange a leave from work. Yet in the chaos, we have all forgotten that she speaks to her youngest brother almost every day.

To him, her phone has been off for half a week, and now she refuses to give any acceptable reason for her absence.

"No, don't come into the city. I really don't have time." Her eyes redden as she tries hiding her disappointment. Will I ever stop being the cause of her misery?

Zoë

After an hour-long conversation, I finally convince Joey that I really am fine. He knows something is up, and he knows that I am lying to him, but how should I explain that my ex-girlfriend's enemies kidnapped me for half a week?

After hanging up the phone, Sam is long gone, with her side of the bed already cold. I know it's not her doing, but it would have been nice to have someone there when dealing with all of this. That's just the problem—Sam doesn't really seem to get how some personal things weigh on me. Sometimes it feels like she is getting better at this, and then other times, I feel like she is purposely taking steps back.

Even when I try looking for her later, she is nowhere to be found. She doesn't show up for breakfast, and I don't see her hovering around or run into her all morning. It's only mid-afternoon that I hear from her when one of the butlers tells me that Sam requested me to meet her at the main entrance.

No one knows what Sam has been up to, and at this point, I don't blame her lack of trust. I can't imagine anyone being capable of the things she is suspecting, but then again, I can't think of any other explanation either.

"Get in."

Her smile is playful as she gets out of the car, opening the passenger side for me. "Where are we going?"