Disastrous: Cautious Part 8

Before I could reply, the doorbell rang. Mia, with a confused expression, tilted her head toward the door. "Were you expecting anyone?"

"No. I'll be back. Stay here." I made my way toward the front door. Of course, Mia couldn't wait in the kitchen, and she treaded along behind me.

Without saying a word, I opened the door to find Gio standing on the other end of it. "What are you doing here?" I asked as Mia gripped my bicep and pushed up on her toes to have a better look.

"We need to talk." His eyes traced over my shoulder and landed on Mia. Gio's brows rose with a full-blown smile. "Are you the Mia I've heard so much about?"

Rolling my eyes, I stepped aside so he could enter. Closing the door behind him, I took a quick glance at Mia. "Mia, this is . . . my friend, Gio."

Mia roughly ran a hand through her hair then tugged at the t-shirt she wore. "Sorry for my appearance." Smiling, she reached her hand out to shake his. "Nice to meet you, Gio. I've never met any of Marcus's friends."

Smiling, he continued to ogle her. "I see nothing wrong with your appearance." Mia's face flushed. What the f.u.c.k was that about? At that moment, I felt a surge of jealously rush through me.

"Gio, you can go into my office right through there while I grab a shirt." I pointed toward the door. He nodded, waved at Mia again, and then headed toward my office.

"Mia, come with me." I gripped her wrist and dragged her toward the stairs. I was angry, even though it wasn't her fault, but the way he was looking at her and the look she gave back to him filled me with a possessive rage. I had just gotten her back, and I was not going to lose her to anything or anyone. Call me an overbearing, over-protective and over-possessive boyfriend. I don't give a f.u.c.k.

The thing that bothered me most about the relationship I had with Mia was the jealousy I felt when someone looked at her. I knew men could stare, but the possibility of Mia taking action on it made my every nerve burn with anger.

Mia trampled behind me and pulled on the grip I held. "Marcus, can you loosen your hold?" I shook away the thoughts and let go of her wrist. Once I entered my room, I pulled open the drawer, removing a shirt. Tossing it on, I turned and Mia was standing a few feet away with a serious expression.

"Who is he really?" Mia blurted with a demanding tone. Crossing her arms, she dropped a hip. "If he were a friend, you wouldn't be acting the way you are."

"And how is that?"

She waved a hand up and down the length of me. "Your entire demeanor changed, Marcus. The moment he walked through the door. You seem angry or agitated with something . . . with me even." Her brows pressed together. "We were fine a few minutes ago. h.e.l.l, we've been fine for a couple of weeks now. I don't know." Mia shook her head and then let out a deep breath. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Great. I'm a f.u.c.king a.s.shole. Bending my head back, I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the palm of my hands over my face. Mia had her arms wrapped around my waist and her head pressed against my chest before I could register that she had moved from where she was. "Marcus, sometimes I have no clue what goes on in that head of yours. It can be frustrating in so many ways. Either way, I still love you."

My arms tugged around her as I pressed my lips on top of her head. "I love you too, Mia." f.u.c.k, I did. I loved that woman more than she'd ever know. "There's no need to worry about Gio. He's an old friend. That's all." I kept the fact that Gio was Lou's nephew hidden because I knew how she felt about Lou, and I truly didn't want to spark another issue. "Can you go see what Elle wants to eat for dinner, and I'll take care of Gio?" Mia nodded, squeezed me tightly one last time, and then made her way toward Elle's room.

Gio stood by the oversized mirror toward the right side of my office. His head was tilted as he continued to admire it. He turned and faced me at the sound of the door shutting behind me. "This is an interesting object you have here, Marky. The carving in the frame is quite unique. The mirror stands alone as an art piece."

"It's an original. I had it designed." I pointed toward the side bar. "Would you like a drink?"

With a wave of his hand, he gave the mirror one last quick glance and then sat on a chair by my desk. "Nah, I'm good. I've cut back on drinking. You should try it. You'll see a huge difference in your mood swings."

I sat behind my desk as I bit down on my tongue before responding, "I don't have f.u.c.kin' mood swings." I grew agitated as he laughed at himself. "What did you need to talk about?"

Gio smiled and leaned into the desk. "The club, we need it."

"No. Was that all?"

Raising a brow, his expression grew serious. "I wasn't asking, Marky. You haven't found a suitable place for exchanges, and the s.h.i.tty ones we've been going to are starting to look bad for business." He leaned back in the chair. "We have an important exchange next month, Marky. We need the s.p.a.ce."

I folded my hands, leaned into the desk, and stared at him, with all of the possible other places running through my head. Gio was right. None of them were suitable. "I have people in and out of my club all of the time. What if a deal goes wrong? And where do you expect to do these exchanges?"

"I've visited your club a few times now. There's a separate entrance to the bas.e.m.e.nt. It's f.u.c.kin' huge too. There's nothing down there but a few pieces of unused furniture. The entrance is on the left side of the building away from the front entry and the back parking lot. It's perfect."

"Gio, it's too f.u.c.kin' public. Lou has always wanted to keep his exchanges low-key. Why is he suddenly pushing the issue of doing them at my club?

Standing, he adjusted his jacket. "I never know why my uncle chooses half the s.h.i.t he does, but he's Lou. He can f.u.c.kin' do anything he d.a.m.n well pleases. With that said, we're using the club."

It was the worst f.u.c.king idea Lou had thought of yet. Nothing good would come of it.

CHAPTER TEN.

MIA.

"Mia, would you come here, sweetheart? I'd like to introduce you to someone." Theresa shouted from across the room. I raised a finger at her to give me a second and then turned my attention back to the chef.

"So we're all clear for the menu tonight?" I asked him.

The chef nodded, "Yes, ma'am, I have it all under control. I began prepping the hors d'oeuvres for the c.o.c.ktail hour. I have here. . ." He looked down at the clipboard he held in his hand. "No mushrooms due to allergies. Correct?"

"Yes, please, no mushrooms. My boyfriend's niece is highly allergic."

"Okay, I'm all set. Hors d'oeuvres are to be served at six this evening and dinner will begin at eight."

"Perfect. Thank you so much." I patted his shoulder then began making my way down the room.

It was the weekend of Marcus's thirtieth birthday party, and it also marked three weeks since we'd been back together. It felt as if we'd never left each other's side. We'd become closer in a way that was much more than just s.e.xual or even a romantic relationship-we had built a friendship as well. He had confided in me and discussed memories or issues he had been struggling with ever since his father's death. The fact that we had both tragically lost beloved family members had bonded us and allowed us to express feelings that others would not understand.

"Miss Sullivan," a voice poked through my thoughts. "Where would you like the equipment set up?" One of the band members asked.

"There's a tent set up on the patio. You can put your equipment down in the far right corner." He nodded and then brushed past as he held an amp in his arms.

After a few more interruptions, I finally caught up with Theresa. "Mia, this is Leo, the party planner."

"Hi, Leo." I shook his hand. I was happy he had made it and was able to take over from here. We discussed all the plans over the phone the past week, but he was running late today and couldn't make it until the afternoon. Marcus's home had been a h.e.l.lhole the entire day.

"I'm here now, Mia. You and Theresa can run off and get ready. By the time you're back, it will be spectacular."

"Thank G.o.d!" I let out a heavy sigh.

"Where's the birthday boy and what time is he expected?"

I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and checked the time. "Well, he's out with his brother. Jimmie took him away for a brotherly bonding day. Jimmie will bring him back around six-thirty. That will give plenty of time for people to arrive."

"Wonderful. Three hours is plenty of time for me to have it all set up. Everything and everyone is accounted for, so I will take this out of your hands." He took the clipboard from Theresa.

Theresa and I eyed each other. It was a relief that we were no longer handling it, but it was also somewhat nerve-wracking handing over all the hard work to someone else. Theresa shrugged and pa.s.sed the clipboard over.

"Want a drink? We deserve it." Theresa said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

Shrugging, I looked at her and smiled. "Sure, why not?" We both laughed as we headed toward the bar.

A few martinis later, I was relaxed. Guests would be arriving in a couple of hours, so I began getting ready.

I showered, put my makeup on, and pinned my hair into a low curled-up bun with tendrils falling from the back. After dressing, I stood in front of the mirror inside of Marcus's walk-in closet. My black dress was very straightforward with a simple neck line that lay along my collarbone, although the silk fabric hugged my curves and landed mid-thigh. I twirled around to check out the back of the dress, which was the best feature-the dress draped, exposing my skin as the fabric landed on my lower back. The dark grey platform pumps I wore had a bit of sparkle on them, allowing the dress to pop.

After I finished getting dressed, I made sure Marcus's room was set up perfectly as well. I had a surprise for him and wanted that night to be special. Last time I had tried to surprise him, everything went wrong, but there was no way I was allowing his birthday to be ruined. Jimmie promised to have him back thirty minutes after the party guests were scheduled to arrive.

After I was finished, I made my way downstairs.

I was in complete shock from how quickly Leo had gotten everything set up in the party area. It was beautiful and simple like Marcus. Candles burned on top of the linen-covered tables as twinkling lights sparkled throughout the outdoor tent. Vases of all sorts of shapes and sizes surrounded the inside, full of large flower arrangements. Laughter sounded in the room as guests began to enter. I hadn't recognized anyone yet. I a.s.sumed they were friends of Theresa, rather than family and friends of Marcus. I looked around until I spotted Theresa, who was speaking to an older gentleman. She was dressed in an emerald sleeveless c.o.c.ktail dress. Her hair dropped down her back in flawless waves. She was absolutely stunning.

"Mia?" A familiar tone trickled through my mind. Spinning around, I couldn't help the slight squeal that escaped me when I saw Romeo standing a few feet away, looking more handsome than ever. With a smile, I pulled him into a hug.

"Romeo, how are you?" I squeezed my arms tightly around him. The last time I saw him was in this very house as he sat in the kitchen with a bruised and b.l.o.o.d.y face. We pulled away from our embrace. His eyes danced with humor.

"I'm doing well, Mia. Well, school's a b.i.t.c.h." He laughed. "But I've been okay. How 'bout you?"

Grabbing his face, I studied his features. There was a slight scar over his brow where the cut that I had once nursed for him used to be. A slight frown formed on my lips. "I'm doing well." I brushed a finger over the scar. His eyes averted as his grin fell. I didn't want to bring down the moment, so in an upbeat tone, I said, "Well, have you stolen any girl's heart yet?"

He burst into a loud laugh. "Nah, no one wants me."

"Are you kidding? You're gorgeous!" Playfully, I lightly nudged his arm. "I'm sure you have tons of girls after you." He was gorgeous. He was the younger version of Marcus with his dark brown hair, chocolate sparkling eyes, and million-dollar smile. He was surely a heartbreaker.

"Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Mia." Changing the topic, he looked around the room. "So is this still supposed to be a surprise or has Marcus figured it out?"

"As far as I know, it's still a surprise, unless Jimmie spilled the beans while they were out."

Romeo raised a brow. "Jimmie and Marcus are hanging out together?"

"Yeah, I sent them off to have some brotherly bonding. They're drinking and hanging out."

Sucking his teeth, he smiled mockingly. "Yeah, good luck with that. I'm sure by now they've gotten into a fist fight and Jimmie ruined the entire surprise." My expression fell. "Just kidding, Mia. I'm sure it'll be fine." He laughed. Shaking my head, I gave him one last hug and then went off to find Theresa.

For the next hour, I was introduced to a decent amount of people. There were a total of fifty guests by the time six-thirty rolled around. The nerves trembled in my stomach as I antic.i.p.ated Marcus's arrival. The martinis I'd consumed in the short period of time to calm my nerves were beginning to take effect. Grabbing another drink, I made my way toward the living room and leaned against a wall, observing my surroundings. Several groups were engaged in conversations: one in particular was laughing to a few jokes told by Uncle Marty, another group seemed to be in a serious discussion, while a few of the women sipped on gla.s.ses of wine and talked about the latest gossip.

"Mia?" A deep male's tone sounded beside me.

Tilting my head, I stared up at a five-foot-eleven, nicely built man. His gentle light brown eyes met mine. "h.e.l.lo, I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I felt rude for not knowing who he was, but it was clear that he knew me.

"I'm Vinnie, a friend of Marky's."

Vinnie? The name sounded familiar and then it dawned on me from my recent conversations with Marcus. "Oh yes! He's mentioned you lots of times. He refers to you as his 'right hand man.'" I laughed.

Vinnie nodded with a wide smile. "Yeah, that's what he tells me. It's nice to finally meet you." He reached out his hand, and I took it.

"Nice to finally meet you too. I don't meet many of Marcus's friends, but he talks fondly of you."

"Ha, that's good to know. So next time he's grilling me about a job, I'll make sure to mention that."

"Don't tell him you heard it from me!" I stabbed a finger at his arm.

"I won't, although, it'll probably save my a.s.s." We both laughed.

Vinnie and I continued to talk as we waited until the lights went off in the room, getting our attention. "Okay, everyone, Marcus will be here in five minutes. Please gather around." Theresa's voice pierced through the room. My heart crushed heavily against my chest as I straightened my posture but remained against the wall. I could hear footsteps scattering around the hardwood surface as people attempted to reach the entrance. After a few minutes, the whispers had died down when tires screeched along the driveway.

My lips curled into a smile after I heard the car door shut following the sound of Marcus and Jimmie's voices. The sound of their boots crunching against the gravel surface came closer as their laughter erupted. After the jingling sound of the keys, the door opened, and then the lights flicked on.

"Surprise!" Everyone yelled.

Stretching my neck, I tried to look over the crowd that had formed around Marcus. I had yet to see him and had totally missed his reaction. I knew he was in the center of the crowd because I could hear family and friends yelling and wishing him a happy birthday. There was no way I was going to be able to push through that crowd, so I stayed in place until I felt I could get to him. "Happy birthday, Baby!" Theresa squealed. My eyes moved toward the right, where I saw that Theresa had thrown her arms tightly around Marcus. My entire body relaxed at the sight of him. He seemed thrilled by everyone's presence. When he finally looked up, his eyes locked with mine. After thanking his mother, he made his way toward me.

With a bright smile, I moved forward toward him until we met in the middle. "Happy birthday," I mouthed. Without a single word, he pulled me into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I looked up. "Have you been drinking?" I asked, the answer written all over his eyes and the smell of beer lingering on him.

With a lazy smile, he pulled me in tighter, "Yeah, Jimmie and I were playing a drinking game." He shrugged. Laughing, I shook my head and reached up for a kiss. "Marky!" Uncle Marty shouted from behind. Marcus pulled away from the kiss and rolled his eyes before he turned around. Uncle Marty held two shot gla.s.ses in his hand and gave one to Marcus. The both of them clinked gla.s.ses and downed the shot. More family members approached him with drinks.

"Sorry, Mia." Jimmie said from beside me.

Crossing my arms, I looked up at him and smiled. "No, it's fine. As long as he has good time, that's all that matters." Sighing, I looked over at Marcus, who was surrounded by a few more men with shot gla.s.ses. "As long as he behaves too." I knew how Marcus could sometimes turn into a sloppy drunk as I recalled our unpleasant encounter at Club21 with Boston Barbie.

Jimmie placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm usually the first person that's against Marcus drinking, but trust me. He's been doing well with it." He shrugged and averted his stare toward Marcus as well. "And we really had fun hanging out." I simply nodded with a bright smile. It was nice to hear that they enjoyed themselves together. After a few minutes, I went toward the bar that was set up for the night and grabbed another martini.

Within the next hour, I was approached by a few family members and friends of the DeLucas. The party was going well, and I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Marcus and I barely had time to look at each other, but I expected that when his house was flooded with over eighty guests. Feeling more at ease, I settled onto a bar stool and continued to sip my drink. That was when I saw Jeremy approaching me. His lips curled into a small grin, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that there was something troubling him.

"Hey," he said, reaching in and tapping a kiss on my cheek.

With both brows pinned together, I studied him, "Hey. Everything okay?" I searched behind his shoulder. "Where's Megan?"

Jeremy averted his eyes as he sank into the stool beside me. "I'm not sure. She'll probably show up though." Raising a finger at the bartender, he ordered himself a shot and a bottle of beer.

"What happened, Jeremy?" He didn't answer me, but instead waited patiently for his drinks. After the bartender placed his drinks on the table, Jeremy downed his shot and chugged the beer. "Jeremy?"

He ordered another beer and then turned to face me, annoyed by my continued badgering.

"She found out about us."

Taken aback, it took me a few seconds to collect my thoughts. "What do you mean us?"

He grabbed the new beer and took a long pull but kept his eyes remained on me. "She knows that we slept together . . . several times."

"What?" My heart began to race. This could not be happening. "How did it come up?"

He shook his head. "I don't even know. First, she asked about my past relationships, and then she asked playfully if you and I had ever hooked up, and it just slipped. I wasn't sure if you had told her, and I wanted to be honest."

I tried to think of words to comfort him. I knew Jeremy was beginning to develop strong feelings for my cousin, and that information could ruin them as a couple. As I placed my hand on his shoulder, I caught sight of Megan. She was stunning in a red mini c.o.c.ktail dress. The light brown waves of her hair framed her face beautifully. Her eyes were usually hazel with a hint of yellow in them, but her golden and brown eye shadow caused her eyes to have more of a green sparkle. She stood tall with her shoulders straight as she waved her hand awkwardly at me. A tiny smile formed on her lips.

Taking in a deep breath, I leaned into Jeremy. "Megan is here. I'm going to have a talk with her. Everything will be okay."