Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter TwentyFour

                "It's just like, I try to talk about all these plans and things for the future and he's totally uninvested. He's all. That sounds nice baby or yeah we can do that. What's all that about?" Stacey huffed as she punched my padded hands.

"Maybe he thinks it sounds nice and you guys can do it?" I suggested hopefully.

She paused to give me an exasperated look and then continued. "Honestly Kate, sometimes you can be so clueless."

I laughed. "Sorry. I don't think Pietro is that complicated. If he says he wants to do something he probably does."

Stacey sighed in response. "It's not that simple."

"Well, I mean some things can be."

"Easy for you to say. You and Alessio work out so well."

I tried to bite back a laugh but couldn't stop a chuckle from slipping out. "Did you forget the part in the story where after we met he disappeared for two years?"

"Well no but-"

"Or the part where after months of sleeping together and even a shower together we hadn't even kissed? We thought he was gay Stacey!"

"Okay but then you guys-"

"And I know you didn't forget the part where I had to call your boyfriend to save me from his drunken tirade?"

"Of course not I just-"

"There is no just falling together. In any relationship. It's ups and down, trial and error, and a lot of work."

"I know!" Stacey said and stood upright, no longer wailing on my hands. I took the pads off and put them back where they rightfully belonged as we were just getting ready to wrap up. "I know, I know, I just don't feel like we're moving forward at all. You and Alessio live together and everything and you dropped the "L" bomb and all that jazz."

"So we moved in first. You and Pietro had sex before Alessio and I did and we had two years over you guys." I laughed. "It'll all work out. He's crazy about you. Trust me."

"You're right. I guess I'm just a little jealous." She admitted.

I was a little jealous of Stacey at times too. I wouldn't trade Alessio for the world, but I would be lying if I said this kind of dangerous, making it by the seam of my drawers, off the wall crazy relationship was ever a part of my plan. In fact, if someone had told me that I would fall heels over head madly in love with a powerful criminal and it would on occasion put my own life in danger I would have laughed. And yet here I was. "It's natural from time to time." I finally decided as we headed to the locker room to get out things and call it a day.

***

I paused when I noticed the two men leaning against my car. Dark skin, tailored suites, casually smoking cigars. When they noticed me they flicked the cigars to the ground and stood upright. "Miss Santoro." One said tipping his fedora to me.

I didn't recognize either. "Evening gents." I said casually keeping several feet between us.

"We're going to have to ask you to come with us."