Turning Point||Book 2

30: Xenia.

"I'm not interested in upsetting you," she shot back, her Italian accent so strong one might forget she wasn't even a documented citizen. "Don't beat yourself up. Don't hide when no one's chasing."

Oh, the audacity of her indifference, like a cat toying with its prey. Suppressing a scoff, I nodded, feigning acceptance. "Well, at least you're aware of my disdain for your presence."

"I'm well aware of your disposition, yes. That you're not exactly thrilled to have me around." She smirked and the subtle twist of her lips betrayed her amusement. "I'm not around because I want to, nothing about Sicily excites me particularly. I'm just doing what Romano says."

Now she had really gotten under my skin with that phrase: Doing what Romano says.

"Do you ever do what he doesn't say?" I spat out with bitterly. "I'm curious, you know. Or do you ever ignore his commands and do your own thing?"

Kate let out a small laugh. She usually wore either red lipstick or a very dark shade of brown, but today, she wasn't wearing any makeup, and she still looked beautiful. I couldn't deny that fact. I just resented it. I was jealous of her, how she had been able to keep him with her for years while I struggled to even hold his attention.

"Do what he doesn't say?" She appeared to ponder for a moment before responding, "Of course I do. He doesn't control every aspect of my life; I'm not his wife. But no, I don't often disagree with him." Sensing my next question, she clarified, "He's my boss, there would be consequences for that. But we have civil discussions; he listens to me and doesn't always dismiss my opinions."

That admission seemed contradictory to the side of Romano I had been facing. But I was consumed by so much jealousy that reaching my limit meant I couldn't even muster a reaction to her confession. I just clenched my jaw in response.

The silence was broken by the low murmurs of Max and Romano nearby. I turned my gaze to them and noticed the seriousness of their conversation intensifying.

Was I being foolish? Here I was, battling my jealousy and engaging in banter with my supposed rival like a child playing dress-up, while real men were trying to contain the fire I had ignited. He was still attempting to shield me from my own decisions, from the consequences of my stubbornness, and all I could do was resent him.

I wasn't naive enough to ignore the signs of trouble brewing, and from where I stood observing Romano and Max's demeanor, trouble seemed imminent. It was my problem that had them on edge, yet all I could do was let jealousy cloud my way of thinking.

"Worry less, Xenia," Kate's voice sliced through my thoughts as she drew closer and closer. Her whisper felt unnervingly loud. "I'm not interested in Romano, and he's not interested in me. We simply fuck. Now, if you'll please, you're standing in my way."

My God.

I felt like I was melting under the scorching sun but managed to step aside for her to open the door. The sound caught Romano's attention, and he locked eyes with me first, then followed Katie's gaze into the car before tapping Max on the back to dismiss him.

My mind was relentlessly replaying those words "we simply fuck" as Romano approached. I was so numb that when he reached where I stood, I couldn't muster the anger to lash out at hearing his devotee trump me.

"We're riding in that car," he informed me, gesturing towards the one Max had driven, "not this one."

Perhaps he suspected a clash between us, perhaps not. He was foolish to think separate cars would quell the animosity between me and Kate. He was being reckless again, attempting to appease us both with actions that only fueled my resentment.