Page 61 of Adam
That’s when dickhead Fabio waltzes in, stomping his cane like some bargain-bin Dracula, never wasting a chance to make a goddamn entrance.
He doesn’t talk to us; he goes straight for his chair at the head of the table. Nothing about it is unusual. Maria pours his coffee like some obedient mutt, Boris straightens up like he’s terrified, Levi glares at him with pure loathing, and Lorena doesn’t give a damn. Just your typical mafia-ass family.
Now, everyone’s here. Almost …
Where the fuck is she?
My spine buzzes with panic at the thought that something might’ve happened to her. Her parents wouldn’t notice. They wouldn’t give a single shit. But I do. She’s mine to worry about, mine to protect. And if anyone touched her, I’ll …
And just like that, she walks into the kitchen, heavy and moody without glancing around.
Her long and thick hair is tucked into a low ponytail, revealing her pretty face.
She sits across from me, right beside Wes, and it’s enough to drive me insane. The obsession claws at my skull, boiling in my veins, just because someone else dares to breathe the same air as her. She shouldn’t be next to him. She shouldn’t be near anyone. She should only ever be mine.
“Hey,” she breathes softly, nodding at me.
Still awkward, baby, aren’t we?
“You came early,” Lorena mocks, rolling her eyes. “We’re about to finish.”
My anger’s been simmering since this morning. Without even noticing, I’m fidgeting with the knife on the table, imagining her face without eyes. Then she wouldn’t be able to see Isabella at all, or to envy her own fucking daughter.
“I wasn’t in the mood,” Isabella mumbles, taking a red apple and biting it.
“You’re never in the mood. No wonder everyone gets bored of you in five minutes.”
My jaw clenches hard, fingers twitching, begging for violence. Isabella just rolls her eyes, already tired of her mother’s poison spilling into every breath she takes. “Seriously, chew louder, Isi. Maybe that way, someone will finally notice you.”
The next thing I know, my knife is in the air, pinning Lorena’s apple a breath before her teeth touch it. Everyone gasps. Lorena’s eyes are wide, fixed on me, finally smart enough to look afraid.
“Itchy hands. It goes with disrespect towards my boss,” I say, grinning and leaning back.
“Have you lost your mind?” she squeals.
“Relax,” I say, eyes never leaving hers. “If I wanted you gone, you’d already be choking on your own blood. ButIsabelladoesn’t like mess on the table.”
Fabio slams his hand down hard enough to rattle the glasses. Boris and Levi don’t even look at each other, they just stand, chairs scraping back, and both level their guns at me.
“See, mistakes like today?” he says, tapping the table with one finger. “They have a way of spilling over into the people standing too close.”
His tone is light, almost bored. But every person in the room knows exactly who he’s talking about, because she’s right there ahead of me, and her breath catches.
A sharp chuckle slips out as I shake my head.
“I get it. Everyone here’s got their own game to run.” I shrug apathetically. “But here’s the thing about me, Fabio …” I click my tongue. “I’m a selfish bastard. And I don’t do ‘obedient employee’ the way you want.”
I lean in, elbows on the table, eyes locked on his.
“I don’t like people stepping on what’s mine. You touch my business again, and I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life wishing you’d stayed out of my way.” I smile sharply. “Trust me, you won’t enjoy the version of me that comes after that.”
Everyone in the room stays frozen—like they’re waiting to see who snaps first.
Fabio’s the one who moves. He takes his sweet time, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a cigar, acting like he’s some king instead of the parasite he is.
“Sit,” he says, lazy as hell.
But Boris and Levi don’t move an inch. They keep their eyes on me, guns raised, waiting for his next order.
