Chapter 201: Appropriate Footwear
- DEX -
My phone pings with a notification from Raya: ’Make sure Luci gets hiking boots.’
I frown at the screen in my hand, and Luci leans over my shoulder, trying to get a peek at the message.
"Back off," I say, shrugging out from under him.
"Is everything okay? I saw my name."
I glare at him, but the intensity of his expectant, questioning stare is too much. I can’t be annoyed.
"We lost them twenty minutes ago," he explains, gesturing aggressively. "I assume they’re okay, then?"
"Yes. And I told you so." I raise an eyebrow his way before typing a reply back to Raya.
’Just Luci?’ I send back.
’Well, we can go hiking at some point, too. But Rory is getting hiking boots. They should go together.’
This time, I’m rubbing my chin with a smirk, wondering what Raya is up to. If this was out of concern for her sister hiking off alone or something, I doubt the emphasis would be on Luciano and Rory going together.
’Got it.’ I text back. ’Any luck with a dress?’
’Not yet, but there are a lot of cute things!’
’You know I don’t care what you wear, right?’
A series of bouncing dots pop up to indicate she’s typing and disappear before returning again.
’It’s our wedding. I want to look perfect.’
’You already do, angel. Don’t stress over it. I meant to send you money earlier, I’m sorry. I’ll do it now.’
’You don’t have to do that!’
I chuckle to myself and open the app to make the transfer. There are other ways to send money, but this will go directly into the spending account I set up for her a few weeks ago when she was buying groceries and things for the house.
’Use the card, and have fun. Pay for Rory’s stuff, too. Let’s meet for lunch, okay?’
I can practically feel her groaning in frustration but beaming anyway.
’I can pay myself, Dex.’
’You’re going to be my bride, Auraya. Don’t make me find you. I already passed a fruit stand. Guess what they had?’
An avocado gif pops up from her a few seconds later, and I laugh aloud, which causes Luciano to growl and stalk away.
’I saw them, too,’ the next message from Raya reads. ’Okay, see you for lunch.’
Fuck, I love this girl. My heart is seriously in danger of exploding from happiness. Can that happen?
’We’ll find a good place and send you the location.’
She sends a kiss emoji, and I grin before tucking the phone away.
When I finally catch up to Luci, the anxiety surrounding him is palpable. It’s like static. His hair is in disarray from raking his hands through it repeatedly, which gives him the appearance of having an electrical discharge. I know he handles stress better than this. His expression is typically placid, lacking any evidence of what’s going on beneath its cold surface.
"Will you relax?" I ask with an exasperated chuckle.
He doesn’t bother arguing with me this time. Instead, his hands grip his hips, waiting for me to spill details about how ’our women’ are doing.
"They’re fine, Lucia."
"Don’t fucking call me Lucia," he spits, pouncing on the excuse to release his frustration. His mood obviously isn’t going to improve any time soon. Not without some help.
"You gave her a knife, right?"
I noticed the exchange between them at breakfast, and I haven’t decided if Rory having a knife is a good thing or a bad thing.
"Knives are shitty self defense options," Luciano growls in response. "She’s never used one, so she’ll be slow with it. Anyone who is after her will be a pro."
"What are you even talking about?" I exclaim quietly. "Do you see what you’re doing to yourself? No one is after her, Luciano. She’s not in the mob."
His eyes flash, and he looks around at the people passing. Finally, he takes a deep breath and tries to relax his shoulders.
"Now let’s go find you some hiking boots."
"What?" His face contorts in confusion.
"Apparently Rory wants to go hiking and is getting, you know, appropriate footwear." I gesture toward his pristine shoes. "Raya suggested you get some, too. I’m guessing you don’t typically pack something like that? Do you have clothes you don’t mind getting dirty? Do you have socks?"
Luciano looks genuinely puzzled. I slap him on the shoulder and guide him toward a shop.
"You’re going to have to work for this girl, you already know that. And getting dirty is evidently required."
I can tell this trajectory of thought is putting him at ease, because he lets me lead him into the small shop without looking every which way or fighting me to stay out where he might have a better chance of spotting the two sisters.
"Luckily for you, I know what you need," I tell him.
"Shirts that look like they’ve been eaten by rodents?" The dark daggers of his eyes cut my way.
"If that was required, you would do it," I chuckle. "Don’t tell me you wouldn’t."
"What?"
"Wear shitty, holey shirts and walk around in a rodent-infested jungle if it meant protecting her or helping her or just making her fucking smile," I say, shoving him a little. "If you wouldn’t, then..."
"That’s stupid," he says, straightening and looking around at the items in the shop.
"Is it?"
"Yes. That’s easy. You act like I haven’t killed someone for her already."
He says it so nonchalantly. It’s strange considering how he appeared scandalized when I used the word ’mob’ out on the street.
"Have you killed anyone for Raya?" He asks, meeting my gaze with an arrogant lift of his eyebrows. "Exactly. But you would, of course you would. The same blood flows through our veins, coz. You just don’t see me trying to suppress it."
My eyes roll at that, and I try to focus on helping this mafiosi cousin of mine gear up for real wilderness. But a question has wriggled its way into my thoughts, and now I’m curious.
"Could you suppress it for her?" I ask.
He stops and turns my way with a frown.
"What?"
"Could you quit?" I ask, grabbing a package of socks. "The family business?"
"Me?" It’s a chuckle. Luci is amused by my question.
"Yeah," I shrug. "Why not?"
"It’s not an option. You know that."
"So if you had to choose..."
"What, are we in kindergarten with these questions?" He snaps.
I’ve hit on a true dilemma. I can see it in the tense lines drawn over his face now. They reveal a different kind of anxiety than he was dealing with before.
Good. If he truly sees himself marrying Rory, which is my guess based on what he said earlier about our obsessions being no different, then this is something he needs to at least consider. I don’t imagine Rory just giving her future over to a criminal enterprise and living happily at its mercy. She doesn’t come from that world. She’s a fighter, but she’s a much different kind.
"These?" Luci asks grudgingly, holding up a pair of boots for my approval while his thoughts are obviously elsewhere.
"Yep. Those will work."
