Abducted By My Father's Best Friend (Taken)

I examine Sebastian more closely, wondering if he is indeed drunk. I stand from the couch, walking toward him.

I get angry when I see Lucia hold him up. He grabs onto her like he’s desperate. If you look closely enough I’m sure you can see the smoke coming out of my ears from how much the sight of this pisses me off.

He’s drunk.

That fact makes me more upset.

“Don, are you drunk?” I ask, when I get closer, parking a hand on my hip.

Lucia laughs, holding Sebastian up. “It’s ok, sweetheart. I’ve got him tonight.”

I don’t like the way she says that.

“My father would be mad if I let him do something while drunk. I can take him home so he can sleep this off.”

Lucia laughs again, and Sebastian laughs with her. “I’ve got Don here. He’s promised to be a good boy.”

My eyes narrow. “Dad,” I say, to remind him of why we’re here, “I think you should come home with me.”

“Gianna, my Gia,” he mumbles out. “Mia,” he slurs by accident.

I laugh, too high-pitched, and take Sebastian’s hand. “Someone is really drunk. I should get him home. He doesn’t like when he does things drunk and someone isn’t there to stop him.”

Lucia tries to take Sebastian’s hand away from me, and it’s turning dangerously close to a tug-of-war match between the two of us. “I’ll take good care of Don tonight.”

What if I can’t pry him away from her? Problem solved when Mario appears.

“Lucia, let Don’s daughter get him home so he can rest.” Mario’s voice is low and powerful and stops Lucia in her tracks.

“Yes, sir.” Lucia lets go of Sebastian and I take over.

“Gia,” he slurs again.

I’ve never seen anyone so drunk, and it makes me wonder exactly what he’s had tonight.

“Do you need help?” Enzo asks as I walk with Sebastian out of the house. He follows after us, and I stop.

“We’re fine. I’ll, uh, call you later,” I tell him to make him stop following after us.

I help Sebastian further away from the house. He leans against me like I’m a crutch he needs to walk. And then he let’s go once we’re halfway down the hill, and I try to hold onto him more.

“Lean on me. Let’s get you home in one piece,” I say to him.

“Mia,” he whispers. “Thank you,” he says perfectly normal with no slur to his words.

“Wait, you’re not really drunk?”

He still plays the part, but he stands a little straighter the further we get away from the house. “I knew it was the only way to get us both out of there without trouble.”

“Trouble?” I ask, as we walk arm and arm to the guest house.

“You with Enzo and me with Lucia.”

I laugh a little. “Do you not think I couldn’t handle myself?”

He stops walking, the moon reflecting in his eyes as he stares at me. “I didn’t want to test it.”

“Sebastian,” I whisper. “What are you doing?”

He leans closer, but quickly steps away. “We’re heading to Rome on Monday. Oliver’s there.”

“What excuse did you give?”

“Distribution.” He laughs a little.

“Distribution? What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’ll explain it all, promise.”

I want him to kiss me again, and because I want that kiss, I continue walking as we play the charade of me taking my drunken father home.

When we make it inside the guest house, Sebastian heads toward the kitchen. “I’m not a fan of Enzo,” he finally says, after a few beats of silence.

I smile. “I kind of figured.”

“No, it’s something more than that. I was thinking at the party as I watched him with you. He kept checking his phone, like he was texting with someone.”

I shrug. “So?”

“So, I started thinking what if… just hear me out,” he holds up his hands like he’s about to explain something important, “what if Oliver needed help? To steal that type of money he couldn’t have done everything on his own.”

“You think Enzo might be helping him?”

“Well, whenever I mentioned Oliver at the party tonight, Enzo pulled his phone out immediately. Like he was talking to him.”

“Maybe I should go back to the party? Get his phone?”

Sebastian steps closer. “I don’t like the idea of you hanging around that asshole.”

“You need to learn to trust me.” I pat him on the shoulder as I walk away. “I’ll be back later.”

“Mia, don’t leave this house.”

I park a hand on my hip. “Or what? You’ll spank me?”

He steps closer. “Don’t test me, Mia.”

“We need information. Enzo probably has some. I’m going to get it.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Excuse me. Let’s get one thing straight. You’re not my real father.” I back up and am flush against the wall with Sebastian leaning into me.

“No, but he is my best friend, and I know he’d agree with me on this one.”

I cross my arms over my chest, angry.