The Mafia Lost His Queen novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: Red

Rory looked at me.

I nodded.

He answered and put it on speaker, and held it flat on his palm between us.

"Barrow."

"Sir."

For a while there was only breathing on the line, and a clink like ice in a glass.

It was three in the morning in Chicago.

"Are you in London?" Armando said.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Stay there." Another clink. "I want to ask you something. And you're going to tell me the truth, because I'll know."

"Yes, sir."

"In the car. Before. Did she say anything about me?"

Rory looked at me over the phone.

I shook my head.

"No, sir. She didn't say much at all."

"She didn't cry?"

"No."

Armando laughed, short and wet.

"No. She wouldn't. Nine years, she cried once. When her father died." His voice slid around the words. "I can't sleep in that bed. Did you know that? I sleep in her closet. On the floor. It still smells like her."

I put my hand over my mouth.

Not because I wanted to cry.

Because some stupid, trained part of me wanted to go to him.

Nine years of that part of me getting up at night when he couldn't sleep. Warming the milk. Rubbing his back.

I hated it so much I felt sick.

"I threw Serena out of the bedroom," Armando said. "She cried for an hour. I don't care. I can't look at her."

Rory said nothing.

"Barrow. Was she scared? At the end?"

"I don't know, sir. It was dark."

Armando was quiet for so long I thought he'd hung up.

Then he did.

Rory put the phone in his pocket.

We stood by the river and didn't touch each other again.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be."

← Chapter 5 · All chapters · Chapter 7 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend