Bex POV

I get up this morning feeling kind of weird. I had a late night at the bar and was tired so I expected to fall asleep right away but I just couldn't. 

And it wasn't from the nightmares or the demons, I honestly think it was because Marco wasn't beside me, his arm wrapped around my waist, his head nuzzling into my neck.

What is wrong me. Is this love? 

LOVE.

 Where the fuck did that thought come from? No I am not in love with Marco, but I am definitely falling. Maybe I'll get the courage to talk about it with him today. Maybe he felt the same last night.

Anyways, those are my thoughts as I enter the house, right at 8:00, on time as usual. I walk into the kitchen and see the boys with somber faces, no Marco here. 

I get a little worried, I have a weird feeling in my chest. "Zozo, what's wrong? You all look nervous or something?"

Enzo speaks up and says, "Angel, it's not really my place to say, but you know how yesterday we went to get Juan Pablo to interrogate him and we were talking about how its weird he lives in a residential neighbourhood?" I nod and he continues.

"Well turns out, Mr. Pablo has a kid, maybe around 8 years old. Marco and I heard a noise after we successfully knocked out Juan, so we follow it, and this kid out of nowhere sprang out of the closet. Marco on instinct shot him."

I gasped loudly but Enzo buts in. "Don't worry. It was in the shoulder, the kid is fine, Marco made sure the bills are paid and he was put in a good foster home, not one of those shit ones". 

"But Bex, here in our Mafia we may not care about innocents, but kids are off limits. Kidnapping and hurting them was something Marco's father did, and Marco hates it. So after we got the kid to the hospital, Marco left and we suspect he got super drunk, more drunk than ever. He might be in a shit mood this morning and we just don't want to tick him off."

I nod and think everything over. "I feel awful. Marco shouldn't feel like that or blame himself, it is nowhere near his fault. I'll make some waffles, I know he loves waffles."

The boys nod their heads in agreement and I get to work. I am pretty quick this time, and start to pour the batter into the waffle machine when some girl walks into the kitchen looking like a train wreck.

She has orange skin, probably a spray tan gone wrong, a neon pink dress that was so revealing I have seen people at nude beaches wear more than that, and her hair and make up were all messy. Someone had a rough night, maybe one of the men in this base brought her home last night.

I seem to have caught her attention as well as the 5 other very handsome men in the room and maybe she is jealous or something because she shocks everyone when she says, "Who the hell are you?" 

My God, even her voice is annoying, who is this girl and why did she care who I am?

The boys have their mouths open in shock, nobody in this house speaks to me like that and we all thought that the men in this house had better standards. 

Before I can answer, Marco comes running in, and when he sees me and this whore standing off, his face goes pale. I look at Enzo who now has anger and something else in his eyes, and the other boys share similar expressions. Am I missing something here?

I look around again and then stare at this girl who has her eyes narrowed at me. All I feel is instant hatred, so I say, "What do you mean who the hell am I? Who the fuck are you?"

She snarls at me and looks me up and down, then gives me a fake ass smile. "Oh, I get it, you must be help or something here. No wonder someone as ugly and clearly broke is surrounded by all these hot men. They would never want you, but this, this makes more sense now". 

Now my mouth is open, taken a back by her bluntness. I couldn't give less of a shit what she has to say. I'm going to fuck her up.

The boys seem to understand this because they start grinning at me, knowing I'm about to whoop this girl's ass. Marco still looks panicked though. He clears his throat and steps forward, now all eyes are on him, and Enzo is glaring at him again. I don't know why?

The girl then shocks me when she waltzes over to him and throws her arms around his neck, kissing him on the mouth sloppily. He pushes her back, so says in a sultry voice, "What baby, I know you had fun last night, we fucked so hard I saw stars. I know you felt it too."

WAIT. What the fuck. They had-he had-last night-why did-they had sex. He had sex... with her? 

My heart drops, I physically feel sick. How could I think this morning that I'm falling for him and he feels it too? How could he do this to me if he really cares like he says? 

I feel tears in my eyes and my chest physically hurts at the realization that I really mean nothing to him. That explains why the boys looked angry earlier. I laugh at myself. I was too dumb to get it.

I push back the hurt that I know is expressed on my face, but apparently not fast enough because Marco looks at me with an unspoken emotion in his face. 

The girl turns to me, also seeing the hurt, and smiles. "Oh wait, you aren't his girlfriend right? I mean there is no way he'd want you, look at you! No wonder he slept with me last night!"

Before I even know what I'm saying, I retort, "Nope. You were right the first time. I just work here. Which reminds me, I should probably get started."

Marco looks pained, and it almost makes me feel bad, but not as bad as he just made me feel.

He finally speaks up and says, "Look girl, I don't even know your name, get the fuck out I never want to see you again." She tries to pull him into her, but fails, and then drops her head and leaves. Thank God. 

But now all the boys look at me and Marco who are staring at each other in silence. This is awkward. What am I supposed to do? Marco takes a step forward to me, and Enzo, forever protective of me, then steps closer to my side, slightly in front.

I can feel my heart crushing, the hurt in me is too much. I trusted him with everything, he helped me feel good about myself and my situation, he built my confidence that I didn't know I needed. 

Yeah, I know we aren't dating, but I thought I meant at least a little more to him that he didn't need to sleep with some girl, a hoe at that.

"Well, I'm gonna start on the cars now, I made waffles, enjoy." 

Then I strut out of the kitchen as fast as I can. I don't get very far before I feel a hand clasp my wrist, I know that hand and the warmth it brings me. My body betrays me as I don't fight it off. 

Marco spins me around and says, "Principessa, I can explain. I'm so sorry, I was so drunk and I just needed - no. There are no excuses, please." he says, with so much sincerity and his voice slightly breaking. It almost feels like he is speaking of heartbreak and need. 

I don't believe him.

I almost start crying again, and I am no crier. I push away my hurt and stand tall, I refuse to let him see how much he affected me. 

"Look, I get it. You are a Mafia Don, I am an auto mechanic. You want me here to help you out, nothing more, and maybe we got carried away, but clearly our relationship was more in my head then reality. It's fine. I'm fine, you're fine, everyone is fine. And don't feel bad. I mean, I wouldn't choose me either. Boss."

When I refer to him as boss he physically flinches. A Mafia Don physically FLINCHES at my words. I then turn around and walk into the garage, shutting the door and locking it, something I usually don't do. 

I turn on the radio and get lost in my work, trying to take my mind off the cold that is spreading through my body and the tears running down my face.