The Day After

EMMA

I wake up with a groan. My body feels like it’s been steamrolled. I blink my eyes open and take in my surroundings.

The first thing I notice is that I’m naked. The second, that I’m in Diablo’s room and not in my old room at the penthouse. What the hell? Didn’t I make it clear to Diablo over the phone that I was going to my penthouse?

I swear, I’m going to kill him and then Levi. Levi is supposed to listen to me. I’m pissed at their defiance but I’m also too worn out to really care. At least Diablo didn’t try to have sex with me, I hope.

I need a warm bath to soothe my aching muscles. I slowly get up, trying not to move too much. My abdomen feels like it’s been used as a punching bag.

Oh, right. It was.

My nose and cheeks are throbbing. I need some Advil, a bath, and a strong cup of coffee, not necessarily in that order.

When I make my way to the bathroom, I see the tub is already filled with water and bubbles. The water is still hot. I get in and immediately feel my muscles relax.

Damn, this hurts. Mental note: never try to take on ten guys at once again.

After my bath, I walk to the bedroom wrapped in only a towel. Diablo is sitting on the now-made bed with a frown on his face.

“Baby, have you seen your face and the bruises on your body? Who did this to you?”

“Can I please get dressed and have some Advil and coffee before we start with the inquisition?” I’m in a foul mood. My body aches, and I’m not in the mood to deal with Diablo and his crap.

I pull out a pair of black tight-fitting jeans, my black Converse, and match them with a black shirt with a small hole in the middle, which seems to hide most of the bruises.

I don’t fuss too much with my hair. I towel dry it and let it hang down my back. I apply a minimal amount of makeup, just enough to try to hide the bruises on my cheeks. When I feel ready, I turn to find Diablo staring at me.

“Ready to tell me now, baby?” he asks with concern. I want answers first.

“Why am I in your bedroom when I told you I would be sleeping in my bed in the penthouse? And where the hell is Levi?”

“Baby, I told you we will not be sleeping separately ever again unless one of us is away on business. I meant it. When you arrived here last night, I went down to the SUV and carried you to our bedroom, where you belong.

“You will not defy me on this, Emma. You are mine and will always be. I’m still pissed as hell with you for telling me you want to sleep in another bed.

“This is your bed, or should I remind you that this is your home, our bed, our apartment? Levi is in your apartment waiting for you to wake up. He said you should call him when you are ready, or something to that effect.

“Honestly, I’d prefer you to tell me what happened before you call him. I need to spend some time with you. I need to know why my girlfriend looks like hell and he doesn’t have a scratch on him.”

“He refused to spill any information when I questioned him last night. Seems he will always be a loyal puppy to you.”

“The only reason he’s not dead, yet, is because I know there must be a good enough reason that you’re bruised and he looks fine. If you don’t answer all my questions to my satisfaction, I’m killing him today.”

“Diablo, this competition between you and Levi has to stop. I’m yours, remember, not his. There’s a legitimate reason why I look like hell and he’s untouched.”

I tell Diablo everything that happened the day before, conveniently leaving out the fact that I find the sex god attractive and the fact that he will allegedly be contacting me.

It will just piss off Diablo more and I’m in no mood to try and placate him when I feel like crap.

I turn and walk to the kitchen. I need my coffee fix and Advil. I turn on the Nespresso machine, open a few cabinets, and finally find the Advil I need. Diablo comes stomping into the kitchen holding both of my cell phones.

“Can you please shut these off? Both of them have been ringing non-stop since you left the bedroom.”

I glance at both the phones. I have so many missed calls I don’t notice all the names, but what catches my attention are the eleven missed calls from an unknown number on my personal phone.

I also have a few text messages from an unknown number. I don’t open them. I need to speak with Levi first. I dial his number and wait. After two rings, he picks up.

“Ems, are you alright?” No hello or anything, just a question.

“Yes, Levi. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck, but I’m fine. Come up to the apartment. We need to talk about yesterday as well as the strategy for next week. Be here in five.”

“Sure, Boss.”

Good. He knows I’m mad at him for letting Diablo bring me to his apartment.

Diablo takes both of our cups of coffee to the living room and hands me mine before sitting down. A few minutes go by before the door opens, and Levi walks in.

“How the hell do you have a key to our apartment?” Diablo roars.

“Emma gave it to me, how else?” Levi replies in a bored tone. These two will never get along; they’ll always see me as a pawn in their game of egos.

Levi knows I won’t discuss the fact that he let Diablo bring me to the apartment in front of Diablo, but he knows he’s in for one hell of a reprimand when I do bring it up.

“So, Levi, have we received any news from the Magaddino family since you delivered my ‘letter’ to them?”

“Yes. Mason, the head of the family, wants to have a sit-down with you. Your message worked. I also think the events from yesterday have reached him. He’s running scared.”

“I’ve also received quite a few calls from other Mafia families wanting to meet with you. They called me, as you weren’t answering your phone.”

“Emma, they need you to be there for them. If you’re not, we might miss out on some big opportunities. I’ve done my part, I’ve talked to them all and set up the meetings, but they want to hear from you to seal the deal.”

“They want you, Emma. Not a stand-in. They want that personal touch, and that means you.”

I can’t help but smile. It feels good to be doing something right for once. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in such a short time, and I owe a lot of that to Levi.

Without him, I wouldn’t have come this far this fast. He’s my rock, at least when it comes to work.

Diablo looks both stunned and angry.

“How did you pull this off, baby?”

“You’re getting face time with big shots I’ve been trying to meet with for ages. Suddenly, they’re all clamoring to meet with ~you~. They don’t even bother calling me.”

“You don’t even have to reach out to them. What the fuck, Emma?”

“I just have a different approach to business, and being a woman who’s earned their respect doesn’t hurt. I don’t mess around when it comes to business.”

“Anthony tried to screw me over yesterday, but I have my ways of persuading people.”

“I told you I’d make you the most feared and powerful Mafia boss if you didn’t betray me, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“But as you can hear, they want to meet with me, not you. Don’t ever forget that, Diablo.”

“I want to be there when you meet with Mason. I want to see how you handle the business side of things.”

“No, Diablo. These are my meetings, not yours.”

“Emma, I wasn’t asking.”

“Fine. You can come to the one with Mason, but I do all the talking. You don’t interrupt or interfere, got it?”

“We’ll see, Emma,” he replies tersely.

“I need to talk to Levi privately, Diablo. Don’t you have some business to take care of?”

“Are you asking me to leave our apartment, baby? Just remember who’s really in charge here.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” I murmur under my breath, making sure he can’t hear me. He walks over to me, bends down, and kisses me. What starts as a quick peck quickly turns into something more intense.

He teases my bottom lip with his tongue, asking for entrance, which I happily grant. His tongue dances with mine, drawing a soft moan from me. The kiss spirals out of control until we both need to come up for air.

“Bye, baby. See you later.” He turns and leaves the apartment, shooting a smirk at Levi on his way out, leaving Levi and me alone.

I glance over at Levi, who’s staring out the huge glass windows at the New York City skyline, hands in his pockets, seemingly oblivious to the exchange between Diablo and me.

Feeling the need to break the silence, I start the conversation I’ve been dreading.

“Levi, I’m confused. I made it clear I wanted to be in my own bed in the penthouse. Why the fuck did you let Diablo bring me here?”

“Ems, I’m not going to argue with you over something like this. You know better than anyone how possessive he can get. You saw it yourself when he kissed you just now.

“When I opened your door to help you out of the SUV, he practically shoved me aside. I didn’t want to wake you up with us arguing over who gets to carry you. It’s easier to just let him have his way.

“But know this: if I ever think he’s not acting in your best interest, I’ll step in, whether you’re asleep, exhausted, or whatever. You know I care about you.”

“Yesterday was hell for me, watching all those guys attack you.”

I feel a pang of guilt.

“I forgive you, Vi. I know you care about me, and I care about you too. Let’s just forget about it. Thanks for everything, by the way.”

“Can we please just get to work?”

“Before we start strategizing, I need to answer a few texts.”