Indebted to the Mafia King
An Old Friend

Chloe

The following week is busier than I expected, however I managed to set up a new routine for both me and Ellie. As a toddler, it'd be bad for her not to have some sort of routine, and I am glad I got to give her a sense of normalcy after a few bustling days in the city. I am happy to have my mother's support during all of this, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do by myself. I am definitely not ready to put Ellie in a school or a daycare center yet, especially knowing Mateo is still lurking around.

The mafia wife duties aren't easy either, and they sure consume a lot of my time. Every day I leave dinner ready for when Tony gets home from work, knowing he wouldn't prepare himself anything after midnight. It's also a guilty pleasure of mine. The way he seemed to have loved my food the first day I prepared it made my heart warm and beat frantically in my chest. I sort of want to do that for him. After what he did to protect me and Ellie, it is the least I can do. Having to keep up with the house and the other wives is also exhausting.

Not to mention I had to go shopping and renew my entire closet. In my mother's words, 'I have to look flawless, showing the world that my husband gives me unlimited access to his credit card. I shouldn't walk around with clothes that don't match my status as the mafia queen of Staten Island'.

I didn't mind getting some new pieces of clothing, I'm not that humble, but still... It felt a bit exaggerated to buy almost the entire store's stock.

Since day one, I haven't slept in the same bed as Tony. He never asked me about it-not that I expected he would-but if he was bothered about it, he didn't show it. I had my stuff moved to one of the guest rooms, but most days I ended up sleeping in Ellie's room instead. I guess I still don't feel completely safe or assured that no one will get to her while I'm sleeping peacefully somewhere else.

I know the odds of someone barging into Tony's mansion are minimal, if not nonexistent, but still...

Despite having everything I could have ever wished for, I feel lonely. Yes, I have my daughter, and my mother, and the other wives too, but I miss my friends. I miss having...someone with whom I can share anything and everything. Most of my old friends from the city are unmarried and carry on a completely different life, so it's hard for us to meet or even find the right moment to see each other. A lot of them don't even know I'm back either. I figured it would be better to keep it a secret for now. I don't want them to be thrown into the crossfire.

However, this morning I wake up with a text message from Lucy. She's been my friend ever since I can remember, and she too grew up in the underworld. She lives in New York now with her boyfriend, Andy, who also works for Tony. That's why I am not surprised that she knows I am back in town. Andy must have told her.

She, on the other hand, seems to be freaking out over the news. I chuckle as I read her text that says, 'Why the hell didn't I hear from you that you're back in town? We need to meet asap'.

I reply to her saying that I was going to contact her once I settled down, but she doesn't let me have it. She insists we meet for lunch in her apartment and texts me the address, saying she won't accept no for an answer.

So, I get myself and Ellie ready, and call my mom to see if she can watch her while I'm out. After that, I call Rocco-the driver who Tony assigned for me, who is also my personal bodyguard. Rocco seems to be just as young as me and worships the ground Tony walks on. It would be cute if not annoying. He doesn't let me go anywhere without following me like a shadow. Tony's orders, he keeps telling me, as if I don't already know.

"Hi, Rocco. Could you please come pick me up? I need to drop Ellie at my mom's and head to the city," I ask him over the phone.

"Sure, ma'am. I'm just filling up the car and will be there in ten," he informs me before hanging up.

"Okay, baby girl. We're going to spend the afternoon at Grandma's, okay? Mom will be here later tonight." I turn to Ellie, fixing the little bow on her hair and straightening her dress. She giggles at me and hands me a fluffy toy she's holding. When Rocco arrives, he helps me with Ellie's bag while I climb inside the car with her in my arms. He drives us to my mom's house where I drop Ellie, and then we head toward the city.

Rocco is not a chitchatter, so the ride is quiet and peaceful. However, I feel like I should get to know him better since we're going to be together everyday from now on. I start by making small talk, asking superficial, non-personal questions. After a few minutes, he seems to loosen up a bit, and by the time we reach the bridge, he's all but bringing up new topics into our conversation.

He seems to be a nice kid. Came from a broken family, had to work since he was a kid, and his grandmother died a while ago, leaving him completely by himself. I feel sorry for him, but hearing him say how Tony took him out of the streets and gave him a job, made me understand better why he adores Tony so much.

Then I decide to pry a little, hoping he can tell me more of what his boss has been doing out so late every night.

"Oh, I don't know, ma'am. He was at the Aphrodite's Lounge last night, but that's the only thing I know," Rocco tells me, his eyes glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

I nod and look away, biting my lower lip so as not to make a face. I have no reason to feel jealous, but I do. The Aphrodite's Lounge is known for its women and games, and I shouldn't care why Tony is spending his nights there, but I can't help

it.

After this, I decide to remain quiet for the rest of the trip. I don't want to hear anything else about Tony. Rocco said he doesn't know much, but just in case, I stop with my prying questions.

When he parks in front of Lucy's apartment building, he steps out and opens the door for me.

"I will accompany you upstairs, ma'am," Rocco informs me when I start walking away.

"Why?" I frown, turning to look at him.

"Boss's orders." He shrugs, not giving me much of a choice.

And sure enough, he only leaves me when Lucy opens the door and I step inside her apartment, being greeted with a tight hug and a squeak in my ear.

"Oh, my God! I can't believe you're here. It's been, what, two years since we saw each other?" she asks, pulling away while still holding me by the shoulders.

Lucy still looks the same as I remember. Her straight black hair is shorter, a little below the chin, but other than that, her delicate features and confident posture remain the same. Her black eyes roam over my face and body, stopping at my left hand.

"Okay, so you need to tell me how the hell you ended up marrying Tony Bellini," she says, pulling me by the hand to sit on her fancy, velvet couch. Out of nowhere, she hands me a glass of white wine, and although I ponder if it would be wise for me to take it, it looks so inviting that I figure it won't hurt to have a glass. Rocco will be waiting to take me home afterward anyway, so there is no harm in accepting it.

I take a sip, enjoying the way the cold liquid slides down my throat. Lucy does the same, leaning back on the couch and bringing her legs up. She crosses them and turns to face me, her eyes studying me expectantly.

"So, judging by the ring on your finger, the rumors are not just rumors, right?" she presses with a grin on her lips. "What happened? Last time I heard, you were with Mateo." Lucy grimaces at the mention of his name.

I can trust her. She knows a little bit of what I went through with Mateo, and she never said a word to anyone. She helped me a lot when I needed to confide in someone, and I used to text her every now and then with updates on my relationship. She also knows about the night I spent with Tony, so if anyone knows anything about how screwed up my life is, that someone is her.

"The rumors are true," I confess, lifting my hand and turning it for her to get a better view of my ring. "But this was just to keep me and Ellie protected. Mateo wasn't happy about me leaving him, so Tony thought this was the best way to keep him away from us."

"And is it?" she asks, her brows raised at me. "The best way, I mean."

"Well, Mateo hasn't shown his face yet, or tried to contact me again, so I suppose it has its pros," I reply, unsure. "I didn't get a say in any of this, but I'm getting used to it. Tony is giving me and Ellie everything we need, more than that even, so I'm looking at the bright side. At least Ellie will have a good life and will be taken care of. I am grateful."

"Of course you are. It can't be that bad to be married to a man as hot as Tony," she joked, nudging me on the shoulder. "I mean, my boy Andy is a hottie, but your man is another thing entirely."

I laugh, taking another sip from the wine. She isn't lying. Even I believe Tony is from another world sometimes. It should be a crime to be as handsome as him.

"It's not like that," I counter, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Lucy knows I slept with Tony, but it doesn't mean I want to talk about it with her again.

"What isn't?" She sounds confused.

"I am not...with him," I explain.

"You mean you're not sleeping with him?"

I shake my head, chugging down the wine. I suddenly feel my throat is dry.

"Why not?" Lucy squeaks.

"Because... that is not what this marriage is about." I don't want to share all the details of my marriage with Tony. I trust her, but the least she knows, the better. For her safety.

"Girl, please. How can you resist that man living under the same roof as you? It must be a nightmare," she points out. And she has no idea how right she is.

"I barely see him. He gets home so late every night, and he's already out of the house when I come downstairs with Ellie in the morning."

That's not a lie either. I barely see Tony, and I suppose that's a good thing. It makes my life less excruciating not having to resist the need my body seems to have for him whenever he is near me.

"Well, let's hope you can change that soon. You should be happy, especially after everything you had to endure with Mateo. Tony might lead a hard life, but aren't we all used to it by now?" Lucy shrugs, leaning forward to grab the wine bottle to refill our empty glasses.

I should say I am used to it, but I'm not. I don't think I ever will be. If I had the chance, I'd escape to an unknown country and start over with Ellie. But I can't do that.

Because I know Mateo would find me wherever I went. It'd be just a matter of time.

And right now, the only place I am safe is here in New York. With Tony.

A few hours, two wine bottles, and three boxes of Chinese food later, my phone buzzes in my purse with a message from Rocco.

'We need to go now, ma'am. I have somewhere to be after dropping you at home.'

"I'm afraid I have to go," I tell Lucy, setting my glass down on the coffee table in front of us.

"Already? It's still so early," she whines.

"I've been here for most of the afternoon," I chuckle, getting to my feet.

"Fine, fine," she cedes. "But let's make sure we do this again soon. Andy and I are moving back to Staten Island in a few weeks, so we'll be living closer to each other." "Oh, really?" My eyes widen in surprise. "That will be so nice. To have a friend living close to me."

Lucy nods and smiles at me. We say goodbye and I head downstairs, finding Rocco already waiting for me at the same place he parked earlier to drop me off.