Indebted to the Mafia King

Chloe

Brunch with Eleni and the other wives is funnier and more entertaining than I was expecting. When she texted me this morning to meet with her before she had to return to Greece, I figured she meant just the two of us-and maybe the kids- but it turned out she invited all the other wives, too.

After the night I spent with Tony, I wanted to stay beside him when he woke up, but I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to see Eleni one last time. Who knew when we would see each other again? With a newborn, I doubt she will be coming back to the states anytime soon. It's already surprising that she's here just weeks after giving birth. I don't think she'll try this again soon.

That is why I got up, dressed Ellie and headed out of the house without talking to Tony. I made sure to leave him a note so he didn't freak out when he didn't see us, but other than that, I didn't say anything else.

We still have things to solve and discuss, but life seems to be getting in the way a lot lately, and I'm worried that opening that door will pop this happy bubble of delusion we've been living in. I wonder when he'll bring up the topic of Ellie again, but I also think we won't be able to solve this until the whole problem with Mateo is over.

I can't help but dream about when that day will come. I can't stand running or hiding away anymore. I just want to live my life without fear and give Ellie a peaceful one, like she deserves. She's just a child in the middle of this fucked up situation. She shouldn't have to go through any of this at such a young age, let alone at all.

Right through the middle of the meal, my phone buzzes in my purse. Only three people have my new number-Tony, Armando and my mom-and since my mother is here with me, it's either Tony or his second in command. Whoever it is, it has me on the edge of my seat already since they never call me during the day.

Armando's name is flashing on my screen, so I excuse myself from the table, asking Mom to watch Ellie while I head to a quieter corner of the restaurant.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Bellini? Is everything all right?" Armando asks me bluntly as a way of greeting. His voice sounds dark and concerned and it has my stomach twisting with fear. "Yes, I'm all right. Did something happen?" I reply, biting my lips.

"The boss asked me to call you and tell you Rocco is on the way to pick you and Ellie up," he informs instead, not answering my question.

"Why? What's going on?" I press, knowing something must have happened if Tony sent someone to pick me up in the middle of an appointment with the wives.

"Just get in the car immediately and come straight to the house. Don't stop anywhere," he warns before the line goes dead.

My hands are shaking while I stare at my phone screen, gathering my thoughts. I take a deep breath, deciding to trust God that Tony is all right, and head back to the table, preparing myself to take Ellie home with me.

I spot Rocco's car already by the entrance, and I barely have time to say goodbye to everyone, coming up with a stupid excuse as to why I have to leave so suddenly.

My mother is looking at me with concern in her eyes, her brows furrowed as she hands me Ellie. I say goodbye to Eleni, pulling her into an embrace and apologizing for leaving so soon. She shakes her head at me and murmurs a quick, "Don't worry, I get it," before squeezing my hands and telling me to be careful.

In less than five minutes, I'm in the car heading home with Ellie half asleep in my arms.

"Rocco, do you know what's going on?" I pry, hoping he can be sympathetic and share something with me-anything at all to keep me from worrying too much.

"Sorry, Mrs. Bellini. I was told to just take you both to the house. I can't say anything else," he answers, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

I know something is definitely wrong when we arrive at the house, the driveway filled with cars belonging to Tony's crew, and some of the guys are holding their guns and others communicating through their earpieces. I rush inside as soon as Rocco parks the car, finding even more men inside. One of them gestures toward the kitchen, so I follow his lead with Ellie in my arms.

Tony's leaning against the kitchen counter, his dark hair tousled, his white dress shirt unbuttoned, one of its sleeves soaked with blood. My legs falter under me at the sight, but when our eyes meet, I let out a sigh of relief. Whatever happened, at least he's alive.

"What the hell happened?" I ask, my voice low and weak. I take a few steps forward, reaching for him, but he raises his hand to stop me. I come to a halt, looking around trying to understand what I am missing.

"Can you watch Ellie for a while, Armando?" Tony asks, looking away from me to glance at his second. Armando nods and comes toward me, taking Ellie gently from my arms and giving her his car keys to play with.

I open my mouth to argue with Tony as soon as they're out of sight, but he takes me by the hand instead, leading me toward his office at the end of the hallway. He closes the door and takes a deep breath, clearly exhausted. But also, worried. I can tell by the crease between his brows, and the way his jawline is so tense and sharp that I wonder if it might be able to cut through glass.

The amount of blood on his shirt is also scaring the hell out of me, especially since I can't see the depth of his wound. I reach to touch it and move the fabric out of the way, but Tony's hand grips my wrist, preventing me from doing what I want.

"Let me see it," I demand, staring into his eyes.

"I am sending you and Ellie to my safehouse in Vermont," he informs me bluntly, completely ignoring my concern for his health.

My mouth snaps open, my jaw almost hitting the floor as I take in his words. "What did you say?"

"You and Ellie will stay in Vermont for now," Tony repeats, holding my gaze.

"No, we're not. I'm not going anywhere. Now just let me see your wound," I breathe, forcing my arm out of his grip.

"This isn't a question, Chloe. I'm just informing you what will happen," he counters firmly.

"Just let me see your damn wound, Tony!" I snap. "What happened? Did you get shot?"

With a swift movement, he tugs my wrist, pulling me toward him, our faces now inches from each other. "You are my wife and whatever I say goes. Do you understand?" he retorts through clenched teeth.

His words make me so mad that I push my arm with more force this time, wrenching myself from his grasp.

"You may be my husband, but you don't own me," I snarl back, hurt by his words. But mostly because he got hurt.

I know this is Tony's way of keeping me away from trouble, but I don't need to see the extent of his wound to know this happened because of me. Especially since he's pushing me away and sending me to a safehouse. I can read between the lines.

"This is my fault," I murmur, more to myself than to him.

"This is not your fault, Chloe," he says tiredly. "And even if it were, I knew what I was signing up for when we got married. I just need you to do as I say. I can't protect you if I'm worrying about you at every fucking second."

"I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to leave you behind," I argue, my heart shrinking with the idea of staying away from him. Sure, I don't know where we stand right now, but I can't imagine going to a safe place and leaving Tony behind, not knowing how he is and what he's up against. "I'm done hiding, Tony," I plead, looking into his eyes and hoping he can change his mind.

But he looks away, breaking eye contact and going for the door. "This isn't debatable. You will leave soon, and your mom will go with you both."

"Why are you doing this? Don't you feel anything for me?" I blurt. "Anything at all?"

His hand stops on the doorknob, his back turned to me. His muscles are stiff, and even though I can't see his face, it seems like he's considering my question, so I wait for him to answer.

I didn't mean to bring it up, but I freaked out when I felt him pushing me away. I know he worries about me and Ellie, but I feel the need to hear from his mouth that he's doing all of this because of something else. Something more. His hesitation makes my heart beat faster than normal, anticipation eating me alive. But then Tony opens the door, walking out and slamming it behind him, leaving me alone in his office, my question unanswered.

I'd rather be outright rejected than ignored like this.

It hurts more than anything I have ever experienced. And I had my fair share of hurting in my life.

"You fucking coward," I whisper to the dark room, my vision blurring from the tears swelling in my eyes.