Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

S taring at my computer screen, I'm drawing a blank. Lucy and I were working together on the designs for Lobson's bedroom while I was away. But now that I'm back, she's given me full control of the project.

Almost every room in the empty house has been completed. There are only a couple left unfinished. The main suite being one of them. Even though I should be focusing on my client, my mind keeps drifting to Marcel's bedroom.

I only saw it once. But I remember his dark-timber king-size bed and black sheets with navy coverings. I wonder if he'd let me redesign his room. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just not very… inviting. It's the kind of space that makes you wonder if you should really be in there or not. Then again, maybe that's intentional. A way to keep people out of his space.

There's a lot that Marcel keeps locked up. Sometimes I wonder if he's trying to protect me, or if he just doesn't trust me enough to let me in. I've been trying not to think about it too much. I've been back a week, and Marcel has been over to my place every night, but he's yet to invite me over to his house.

Do I want to go back there? I'm not sure, but I do want him to want me there. My head is all kinds of fucked up when it comes to Marcel. I want more than I should want from him. And with him. I also want more than I know I can actually give him.

Jolting from the shrill tone of my phone, I see Mikhail's name flash on the screen. He's been calling me every day, at least twice since I came back to Melbourne. "Mikhail, don't you have some kind of empire to run? Some toy soldiers to boss around? Babies to tend to?" I ask the moment I swipe answer.

"I do, but I also have a more than capable wife who my soldiers and children seem to listen to more than they do me most days. How are things over there?" he asks.

"Good. Same as they were four hours ago when you called me last." I laugh and spin around in my office chair. "How are things on your side of the world?"

"Would be better if you were still here where I could see that you were safe with my own eyes."

"You have at least four eyes on me. I can see two of your men outside my window as we speak," I remind him. They're trying to be discreet. They stay in their car, parked outside my office. I don't mind. It's like a safety blanket I know I probably don't need but want to hold on to anyway.

"You can never be too safe, Zoe. How's that boyfriend of yours treating you? Can I kill him yet?" Mikhail asks.

"No, you cannot. He's good—oh shit." I jump as a bird flies into the window.

"What happened? Zoe?"

"Nothing. Sorry. It was just a bird." I frown as I watch that same bird continue to peck at the glass with its beak.

"A bird?"

"Yeah, it's knocking on the window like it's trying to get in. Weird."

"A bird is knocking on your window?" Mikhail attempts to clarify.

"Yeah. Anyway, I should get back to work."

"Zoe, I need you to go and get into Ivan's car. Now," Mikhail says in a more serious tone.

"What? Why?"

"A bird at your window. It's a bad omen. It means death, Zoe. Go and let Ivan take you home. Please."

"Oh my god, not you too." I sigh. "What is it with big bad mafia men and their superstitions?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Marcel… He believes his family is cursed. Even gave me this red bracelet to wear for protection. It's stupid, but I'm wearing it anyway." I laugh. "A bird tapping at my window does not mean death is coming for me, Mikhail. I'm fine."

"Zoe, either you're going to Ivan's car now or he's coming and sitting in your office with you."

"You're being ridiculous. Don't worry so much. I gotta go. Talk to you later. Love you." I hang up before he can argue any more about some bird of death.

Not that it matters. Seeing as it takes less than two minutes before Ivan is barging into my office and sitting on the sofa. "Boss says you got a bird problem." He glares at the window, where there is in fact no longer a bird.

"Boss is just being overbearing," I retort before I pick up the phone and message Lucy. I need to get out of the office.

Me:

Want to meet for drinks?

Lucy:

Always. Where?

Me:

How about that little champagne bar across the street?

Lucy:

I'll meet you there in twenty.

Me:

Perfect.

I'm packing up my things when Ivan stands. "Where are we going?" he asks.

" I'm going to the champagne bar across the street. You're going back to your car," I tell him.

"Can't do that." He shakes his head at me.

I don't bother arguing with him. It's pointless really. I know I won't win. He's had a direct order from his boss. Which means there's nothing I could possibly say to make him change his mind.

***

Three glasses of champagne later, I'm feeling a lot less stressed. "You know what we should do?" I say to Lucy.

"What?"

"Dance. We should go dancing," I tell her.

Lucy stares at me. "You don't go dancing , Zoe."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Come on, Lulu, take me dancing." I try to pull off a pout, but it only makes her laugh.

"Okay, I'll take you dancing… if you stop doing that weird thing with your lip. Let me call the girls. They'll meet us there."

The girls are Lucy's friends. Shardonnay, Xavier's fiancée. And Dani, who works at Xavier's law firm and is dating one of the partner's there. I've met the girls a couple of times in passing, but Lucy is right. I don't usually go out. I tend to avoid crowded places.

Right now, though, I couldn't think of anything better than going dancing. I guess all this talk about death birds today makes me want to live it up. "Okay, let's do it." I smile at Lucy.

"Come on, we'll get those big hot Russians of yours to drive us," Lucy says.

Arm in arm, we walk over to the table where Ivan has been watching the entire bar. "We're going to Unhinged," I announce. "Can you drive us?"

"No, you're not," he says firmly.

"Ah, yes, I am. Either you drive us, or I'll get an Uber," I tell him, already pulling up the rideshare app on my phone.

"Fucking hell, you're going to get me killed, Zoe," Ivan grunts before pushing up from his seat. "Let's go."

Lucy and I share a smile as we follow him out of the bar and slide into the back of his car.

By the time we reach the club, Lucy gets a text from Shardonnay. Letting her know they're already in the VIP section. Ivan follows close behind us as we make our way up the stairs and find Lucy's friends in a booth.

I stop, dead in my tracks, when my eyes land on her. Except she looks different from when I met her the first time. Eloise, Marcel's sister-in-law. Guilt consumes me. I accused her husband of hurting her. In my defence, that wouldn't have happened if Marcel had told me what had happened to her before inviting me over for dinner.

Lucy is oblivious to my discomfort as she slides into the booth, next to a blonde girl who looks anything but pleased to be here. I don't think I've met her before.

"Everyone, this is my friend, Zoe. Zoe, you've met Dani and Shar before. This is El." Lucy points to Eloise, who smiles back at me, then to a girl next to her. "This is Claire and that sad-looking one over there is Daisy," Lucy says while gesturing to the beautiful blonde. "Wait… Why do you look like your cat just died?"

"She's, ah, been secretly not-so-secretly dating Gabe," Eloise announces.

"I thought your brothers-in-law were off limits," Lucy directs to Eloise.

"So did I," Eloise replies.

"Okay, so this has turned into a bit of a De Bellis women gang quick." Lucy laughs.

"What do you mean?" Claire asks her.

"Zoe is Marcel's girlfriend." Lucy points to me. Then all eyes turn my way.

"You're Marcel's Zoe?" Daisy asks.

"Ah…" I look around. I don't know what to say. I mean, I am dating Marcel. But clearly he doesn't want me around his family and suddenly I'm sitting with his sister-in-law and his brother's girlfriend. I don't feel like I should be here. "I…"

"Damn, all the good De Bellis men are taken. I mean, if Vin was a few years older, he'd be the best one, but teenagers are not my thing." Dani sighs.

"Dani, you're engaged to be married. You don't need a De Bellis. You have your hot boss," Eloise tells her.

"Yeah, but there's something about that dark and mysterious thing. Am I right? I mean, obviously I'm not giving up hot boss, but still…" Dani shrugs.

I look around the club, feeling really uncomfortable. The buzz from the champagne has worn off, which means I need to either get it back or leave. "I'm just going to the restroom," I tell the girls.

"I'll come with you." Eloise calls out after me. Once we're in the bathroom, she turns. "We didn't have the best first meeting, but let's start over. I'm El," she says while holding out a hand.

I smile. "Zoe. And I'm really sorry about how I behaved at your house," I say, placing my palm in hers.

"Don't be sorry. What you did was brave, and had I been in the situation you thought I was in… well, I would have needed someone like you."

"Still, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, and I am sorry I did," I tell her.

"Come on. Let's pee so we can get back out there before another one of my friends tries to claim one of our brothers." She laughs.

I don't miss the way she just included me in her family. I don't even know them. "Can you blame them, though? I mean, I don't know them all, but if they're anything like Marcel, then I can see the appeal."

"I know, right? It should be illegal for one family to have such good genetics. How does that even happen? There's not one ugly duckling amongst the five of them." El laughs.

As we make our way back out of the bathroom, I feel lighter. Like maybe coming here tonight was a good decision.