Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

DANI
We ate in silence. If I could have this moment of peace with Terzo, I would have taken it. Maybe this was the only time I got before I met my father. Or maybe Terzo would change his mind and sell me out to my father instead.
The pasta was delicious. I didn’t know I was so hungry until I emptied my plate. When I was with my ex, I couldn’t even eat a burger or fries. He watched my diet. He didn’t like the shape of my Italian nose, so he had it done.
I thought it was a healthy relationship until he asked me to strip dance before his friends at the VIP. When I thought it was liberating, I was wrong. It wasn’t me. I felt like throwing up after that.
“Eat.” Terzo was already putting more food on my plate before I could compliment whoever the chef was.
“I think I’m gonna explode if you want me to eat more.”
He looked at me, really looked at me, and I almost squirmed under his intense scrutinizing eyes. “You won’t get fat with one more spoon, Dani.”
“I’m not trying to starve myself. I like my body. I learned to love my flaws.”
“Why did you change your face? You were already beautiful before.”
I didn’t even know he knew. I found myself touching my face. “Oh.”
“You didn’t do it for him, did you?”
I shrugged and ate the food on my plate.
“I sometimes don’t hold that on my mind. Forgive me. What’s the point of keeping what I want to say in my head?”
“That’s great. We should be honest with each other, right? At least while I’m in your lair.”
“You’re not imprisoned here, Dani.”
“Thanks. I’m naturally blonde. I got it from my mother. I had my nose done because my ex told me I looked more Italian than American.” I wanted to get natural hair color back the moment I came back, but I just didn’t have time. I wanted myself back. I didn’t want to pretend to be somebody else anymore. I missed the Dani Souls who was bold and fun, and a little nerdy.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I don’t know.”
“You didn’t take Souls because of him, did you?”
“God, no. I’m a love child. My parents did not get married. He knocked up my mother, and she never saw him again until she told me the sperm donor.”
When Terzo left the apartment, I took a deep breath and went to the bathroom. He didn’t tell me if he was going to meet his lady friend. I thought it was too personal. I was not his girlfriend. I didn’t have the right to know or ask who he was going to meet. I was merely the girl, his new project, who was in need of a place to crash.
After I cleaned myself up, I looked at my brand new self, the old new me, in the mirror. I couldn’t help but smile at myself. I missed this, Dani, the old me.
I changed into my Mickey Mouse T-shirt and pink pajamas. There was no privacy in his apartment. I didn’t want him to see me in a towel. Though Terzo was really attractive, and I could feel he had no ounce of fat in his body, he never showed interest in me.
I only had two boyfriends, and my last relationship didn’t work out well. I had never been with anyone since I left for Russia, but if Terzo showed interest, I didn’t mind fooling around with a dangerous mafia. But I highly doubted he was into me, knowing how sexy Katie was last night.
Katie was tall like a model. She had long, black, wavy hair. I couldn’t see her eyes clearly, but they were almost blue. She had the face of a beautiful classic actress. How could I top that woman?
I put my glasses on and got out of the bathroom. The main door simultaneously opened.
Terzo certainly had a type. He preferred brunettes. The woman around my age just walked in like she’d been here before several times. I stopped in my tracks the moment she saw me.
God, Terzo liked to fuck models. This woman had the most beautiful olive eyes. She was shorter than Katie, but she was also gorgeous.
Her brow arched the moment she noticed me. “Oh, I didn’t know Terzo has a guest.”
“Oh, no. I’m uh–” She waited, and I couldn’t come up with the best answer.
“Who are you?”
“Um, I’m Dani. I’m literally homeless, so I’m staying here for a day or two.”
“It’s funny he never mentioned you.” The woman took steps closer. How would he? I shot him. “You must be special. And you’re pretty.”
“He left a while ago. I don’t know when he is coming back.”
“It’s fine. I brought him some things. He’s maybe a big guy, but he tends to be reckless.” She dropped a bag on the couch and looked around. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but are you sleeping with him? Or did he offer you his bed?” Nosy? That was not nosy. She was intrusive.
“Why?” I was confused by her question. “Wait. What? No. We’re not sleeping together.”
“Then what made you so special?” Her eyes scrutinized me from head to toe.
“I um, I kinda did something that I regretted later.”
Her eyes narrowed. She looked pissed. From a sweet, beautiful woman, she just turned into an angry, furious beast. “You?” She pointed her well-manicured finger at my face. “You shot him? You’re the one who shot Terzo?”
My eyes widened at her outburst. I froze. I couldn’t move. All I did was protect my face with my arms as I was rotted to the ground.
“You’re dead, bitch!”
I waited and waited for her fists to reach my face or her fingers to claw my arms and my eyes out, but it didn’t happen.
“Let go of me!” she said as if she were struggling. “Terzo, let go of me, asshole!”
What? How did Terzo get in so fast? I put my arms down, and Terzo had her wrapped in his arms.
“I’ll let you go if you won’t hurt her, Maverick. I swear to God, you’re feisty and dangerous, sis.” Wait a minute. Sis as in sister? Not one of his booty calls? Ew. That was gross.
“She shot you, Terzo. You could have died.” She turned to him the moment he let her go. She was breathing hard and glaring at him at the same time.
“I admire your concern, and I love you for that, but it was an accident, okay? Let it go.”
“God, I hate you!” She poked the part where he was shot, causing Terzo to groan. When she turned to me with eyes about to pop out lasers, I held my breath. “You? You will pay for what you did. If I can’t gorge your beautiful eyes out, I will shave your head bald, bitch!”
“Sis, enough!”
His sister shut up and looked at him. “Why are you so protective of her, huh?”
He only sighed irritably. “Maverick, just cool down, okay? Why are you here anyway?”
“I brought you some clean shits to clean your wound, but it looks like I won’t be needing in here anymore.” She glared at me before she walked away.
Terzo caught her in her arm. “Sis, come on. She’s been through shits like you. She apologized to me.”
“What do you mean? Don’t tell me she’s your Ariel. I don’t approve! Period.” Ariel? What Ariel?
Terzo dragged her out of the apartment. They talked there for a while while I hadn’t moved a muscle. When they came back, Maverick, the woman with the fiery character, seemed to have cooled down a bit.
“And I’m marrying Dani.”