Indebted to the Mafia King
Pants on Fire

Eleni

Gianna-whom I now hate-picks up on my bitchy mood after our run-in with Camila and not only makes me stay at brunch long enough to sober up but comes home with me and hangs out for the rest of the day, inventing new activities every time I get bored enough to get pissed about Camila all over again.

My phone vibrates on the edge of the bathtub next to me. I glance at it. A text from Dante, letting me know he's on his way home. I lift it and silently show the screen to Gianna.

"Perfect." She caps the bright-blue nail polish bottle in her hands. "I just finished."

I wiggle my neon-painted toes. "You know you didn't have to stick around all day, right?"

She shakes her head and stands. "You'd think you never had a best friend before."

"I haven't," I admit.

She takes my hand, the expression on her face softening. "Fuck, I didn't realize."

I shrug. "It's not a big deal, really. I had friends. I was just too busy with The Greek Corner to ever become anybody's go-to."

"It absolutely is a big deal, and if I let this summer end without a sleepover, you have full permission to shoot me." She grins and releases my hand to pack up our makeshift beauty day. "For the uninitiated, one of the primary jobs of a best friend is to keep her best friend from doing something stupid because she's mad and/or drunk." She laughs. "Or both."

My face warms. "Sorry. But you think this is stupid? I'm freaking out over nothing?"

"I think you should talk to him without your other best friend, Miss Champagne, running the show." She squeezes my shoulder. "I'm out before Dante shows. I love you both, but I'm not getting caught in the middle."

She breezes out, and a few moments later, I hear the door open and shut. I'm definitely less furious than I was earlier. And way less drunk, despite the headachy reminder. I head downstairs to make a pot of coffee and wait for Dante. He arrives just as I'm pouring myself a cup. "El?"

"In here," I call. "Coffee?"

He rounds into the kitchen. "Please. I've had a hell of a day."

Dante kisses the side of my head as I pour him a second mug, and a little of my earlier anger reignites.

"How was your day?" he asks.

A little sears into way too much.

"You slept with Camila," I blurt.

He sets down his cup and blows out a long breath. "So you went into the city."

"You're not denying it." I cross my arms, the headache pounding in my temples.

"No, I'm not." He looks at me. "I slept with Camila. Several times."

My chest aches. I start to turn away. Fuck, I'm so stupid.

He catches my arm. "Way before I met you. El, did she say something?"

I whip back. "I fucking hope it was before I met you! Why didn't you tell me when I asked?"

He winces. "So that's the actual problem. Great."

"Don't say 'great' like that." I pull out of his grasp. "All resigned, like you already know how this is going to end."

"I do know." He offers me a soft smile. "Because I'm very, very sorry for not telling you, and the fact that I didn't go into detail about my prior relationship with her after she showed up at the barbecue."

I search his gaze. He looks honest. But he looked honest when he was lying to me a lot.

"Prove it," I say. "Explain. Why didn't you tell me?"

He scrubs a hand through his hair and loosens his tie. "Because it's kind of embarrassing."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, yeah, and I never told you about that torrid summer I spent getting passed around by international supermodels because they'd really hurt my reputation."

"Are you going to let me finish a goddamn thought, or should I order you a Dante cutout to yell at until you're ready to talk?" he snaps.

I sarcastically mime locking my lips.

"Camila's one of those women who always has a different mafia guy on her arm." He shakes his head. "She's beautiful, she's fun, but you get involved knowing it's never going to be for long, and knowing everyone else is thinking the same goddamn thing. Once I took over the Saints, I suddenly found her in my lap at every party until I gave in." He clears his throat.

Beautiful. Fun. Why the hell was he embarrassed?

"She took that a little more personally. Started getting jealous when I saw other women, demanding more time with me." He shakes his head. "I didn't have time for anything serious, and even if I did, I wouldn't have pursued it with her. Cam's all surface-level sparkle."

Cam. I want to melt into a puddle. Dante stares at me for a long moment.

"You can talk now," he says testily.

I mime unlocking my lips for a second to gather my thoughts. "How long?" "What?"

"How long did she"-I swallow-"sparkle for?"

He grimaces. "A little less than a year."

I turn to leave again. A year. He refused to tell me about a year-long relationship because of internal mafia politics I had no way of knowing. I need to go.

"Please, El," he says. "You have to believe me. Cam was...not a mistake, but a blip on the radar. It's embarrassing for a boss to fall for someone like her, and I forgot you didn't know that."

I look at him with tears in my eyes. "Fall for?"

He sighs and pulls me into a hug. "Fall for her tricks. As you seem to have. Trust me, I know the mark they leave."

Dante holds me tight, and I breathe in the idea that he was protecting his reputation. That he cares about what I think. That he's worried about what Camila might've done to me. I wrap my arms around his waist. "Sorry," I mutter against his suit. "Gianna told me not to freak, but I asked you, and you lied, so...."

He kisses the top of my head. "So I looked like a monster. I get it. But you'll tell me if she tries to mess with you again? I haven't had a public girlfriend since we broke it off, and she might be getting territorial."

I nod. "Just...nothing's happening between you now, right?"

"It's been years," he says easily. "Now please, forget about her. I had a shitty day, but I have a surprise for you."

I lean back from his chest and eye him. "What kind of surprise?"

"So suspicious!" He laughs. "The kind you have to wait for tomorrow morning to receive."

I shove him playfully. "Then how is that a surprise tonight?"

He shrugs with a smirk, and I decide to put the Camila thing out of my mind. He's telling the truth. She does seem like the jealous type. But as Dante wanders off to grab takeout menus and discuss dinner, my mind drifts to the ring box. That couldn't be the surprise, could it?