Caught In The Crossfires - Spinoff

2

Full disclosure I do not have the same views or opinions as my characters. This is a work of fiction.

This chapter discusses SA. (Also please remember that dark humor is how some of us deal.) 

CHAPTER 2

Lola

Raking my fingers through my hair, I sat back in my office chair. I was still stewing over that dickhead. Who the hell did he think he was telling me to act like a lady?

He was lucky I only punched him in the face and not his balls as well. I looked down at the clock, realizing it was almost time to close up.

I hadn't seen Sophie since I stormed back here, and I felt like shit leaving that mess for her to clean up. But one more minute around that jerk, and I would have caught a charge. Just as I was about to get up from my desk, there was a knock at my door.

"Come in," I called. Sophie poked her head with a weary smile painted on her lips.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know I've already cleaned everything up and closed down the register. It was super slow, so I didn't think you'd mind."

"Yeah, no, it's all good."

"Okay, cool, do you mind if I head out then?"

"Nope, not at all, " I said, getting out of my seat. "I was about to head out too. Just let me grab my purse, and I'll walk out with you."

We left my office, stopping at the front of the shop to punch in the security code. "Thank you for cleaning up that mess from earlier. I don't pay you nearly enough." I confessed, locking up the cafe.

My parents left my brothers and me this place when they died. I loved it here though Domenico and Lorenzo wanted nothing to do with it. So when I turned eighteen, I opened up shop and never looked back. It was hard juggling a business and going to school full time, but I know they wouldn't have wanted me to get rid of it despite my brother's encouragement otherwise.

My brother's relationship with my parents was very strained before they died. That wasn't lost on me, and I knew they hated anything that reminded them of our father. I just wished that they were around more. Heck, half my friends had no idea I even had siblings. They were always this place or that place but never here. Well, at least not all the time. They'd come around every now and again, but never for too long. You'd figure I'd see them more, considering they owned a club on the other side of town.

I showed up there unannounced once when I was fifteen, and they both made it very clear that I was never to do it again or they'd ship my ass to boarding school. So I swallowed my tears and agreed. I wished we were closer or that they'd talk to me and let me know why they didn't want me around.

I soon came to my own conclusions as the years passed. Everybody always told me I looked just like him. Like the man who caused my brothers so much pain and misery.

My horrible father used to beat on them, leaving cuts and bruises all over their bodies. He used to hit mom too, but for some reason, he never touched me. I still wondered why. Why was I the one who he never hurt physically? My dear brothers thought I was too young to remember, but I never forgot, and apparently, neither did my brothers because they want nothing to do with the child in his spitting image.

"No, you don't," Sophie laughed, pulling me from my thoughts. I forced a smile before turning to head to where our cars were parked. "You could make it up to me, ya know." I shook my head, already knowing where she was going with this.

Apart from working together, Sophie and I both attended college together. While I was solely focused on school, Sophie loved to party. She loved frat parties, house parties, club parties, rooftop parties. You name it; she's partied there.