The mafia boss owns me

CHAPTER 7

They continued walking down the street, Trent leading, he turned back to look at Riley who was falling behind “You good?” He asked

Riley smirked, “Define ‘good.’”

“You got beat up, joined the mafia, and somehow came out alive. I’d call that—barely surviving, it's close enough to good”

She rolled her eyes. “Trent, relax. I’ve had worse.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s what scares me.”

They stood there for a moment, the night quiet except for the hiss of the tires cooling. Then Riley punched his arm lightly. “Go home before you start acting like my babysitter.”

He raised a hand in mock surrender, smirking. “You're not home yet and you don't look like you can get there on your own, sooo, do you want me to carry you???

Riley laughed, soft but genuine "what, absolutely not, I can walk just fine"

"Come one, I was just trying to be a gentleman"

A gentleman wouldn't need to ask first before sweeping his lady off her feet, she said shaking her head.

"Are you saying you're my lady??"

Riley laughed again, "you wish"

"Well then......say no more", was the last thing Riley heard then suddenly, she was gathered into Trent's arms as though the world had gone still, her breath caught, the sound lost somewhere between his heartbeat and the hush of the night. His dark skin gleamed beneath the amber glow of streetlights and each muscle shifting like poetry in motion as he held her close.

It happened in a breath, sudden, unplanned, speechless. Riley struggled to find words, but all she could manage was a lazy; T-

"Shuuuu," he shut her up, "just stay still, you're already weak as it is, don't stress yourself-

"But, my place is still quite far

"Liar, you're talking like I don't know this path, just chill, I'll take you home"

She completely surrendered and gave up trying to convince him, her body rested in his arms, weightless as a sigh, her hair spilling across his chest like a whisper of dawn, against the deep velvet of his skin. In truth, she actually liked it, she needed it.

Few moments later, Trent stood in front of Riley's door, with Riley still in his arms, he placed her down and stretched

"I'm sorry", Riley said, the once stubborn, fire breathing, unyielding Riley was now a completely different person, she was just a girl. "You can come in and rest for a while"

"Oh, no, you need to rest, I don't wanna disturb you, so I'll be going home now." He said, waved Riley goodbye then turned around.

Riley watched till he disappeared into the night

Then she turned to her apartment door only to find it slightly open.

Her jaw tightened. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Pushing it open, she stepped inside and flipped the switch.

“Hey, sunshine!”

Riley nearly groaned. “Lucy!”

There she was Lucy Vega her best friend, and serial boundary violator, she curled up on Riley’s couch in an oversized hoodie, eating her popcorn, and watching some low-volume soap opera like she owned the place. Her brown wavy hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her feet were on the coffee table, socks mismatched as usual.

“How do you always get in?? And weren't you taught how to lock a door?” Riley asked, locking the door behind her.

Lucy grinned, mouth full of popcorn. “You’d miss me if I didn’t break in dramatically.”

“I’d miss my peace more.” Riley tossed her jacket onto the armchair and collapsed beside her friend. “Long night.”

Lucy turned down the TV and studied her face, eyes widening. “Whoa—what the hell happened to you? Did the mission go that bad?”

“You could say that.” Riley exhaled, a soft mew drifted from the floor. Riley looked down to see her black cat winding around her shoes, tail flicking without control

“Hey, dog,” she murmured, bending to scoop him up. The cat purred loudly, pressing his head under her chin.

Lucy smirked. “Your little guard cat didn’t even try to stop me.”

Riley stroked dog's fur. “That’s because he knows intruders who bring popcorn don’t count.”

Leaning back. Riley started “It turns out the ‘small crew’ I was supposed to hit wasn’t small at all. I accidentally tried to rob the freakin’ I Senza Volto'.”

Lucy froze mid-chew. “The I Senza Volto'?!”

“Yeah,” Riley said dryly. “Fun surprise, huh?”

Lucy blinked. “Yeahhhhhh...Oh my god. How are you still alive??? Or are you a ghost. What did they do?”

Riley tilted her head, half amused, half exhausted. “No, I'm not a ghost, their boss, he, had me cornered, but instead of killing me, he told me to work for him. It was so weird".

And, oh! someone else got away with the money.”

Lucy’s eyes went wide. “Wait—what? You're to work for the mafia, and who got away with the money?”

Riley smirked faintly. “I don't know, Dante's intel are always sloppy," maybe the boss saw something useful that's why he decided to keep me alive, you can never know what these mafia bosses are thinking.”

“Orrrrrr, he wants to torment you till you beg for death Lucy’s jaw dropped Riley Hayes, professional trouble magnet.”

Riley laughed softly, rubbing her temples. “Why are you always so dramatic, but you’re not wrong.” "I did take down two of their men"

"Classic Riley, reckless as usual," Lucy responded

They sat there for a while in silence, the city’s night sounds leaking through the window, the distant siren, a car horn, the low noise coming from the TV.

Lucy slumped back braking the silence, whistling. “Girl, you just went from pickpocketing drunks to running errands for Chicago’s most dangerous man. That’s an upgrade or a death sentence.”

Riley smiled faintly. “Maybe both.”

Lucy smirked. “just, but don’t make me plan your funeral just yet.”

Dog yawned and curled tighter on Riley’s lap, his quiet purr threading through their laughter. The sound filled the small apartment, soft and real. For a brief moment, the weight of the night lifted and two best friends, a cat, bruised and reckless, trying to find humor in a life that could kill them any day.