Fiore was known as The Holy Ghost, and Luca Benetti was known as The Father. Upon learning all that, Michael had given me a murky overview of what he did and who he did it for and, sad to say, I hadn’t been surprised. Everyone in Morgan City knew who the Benettis were. And you either worked for them, or you got out of their way.
Michael had taken care of me with the help of Jeanie, and he did his best to keep my sheltered from the life he led, but not ignorant of it. It was also hard for me to have any negative opinions of the Benettis because I wouldn’t have the life and opportunities I had if it hadn’t been for them. Even though Ciro Mancini wasn’t technically a Benetti, he was one of Luca Benetti’s closest friends and his right-hand man. Phoenix was the other hand, and if rumors were to be believed, Francesca Fiore, Phoenix’s wife, was even closer to Luca Benetti than they were.
In looking towards the future, there was also the question of what I wanted to do with my life. I knew what I wanted to be, but would I be a chemical engineer in Morgan City, or would my offers and ambitions lure me away from the city? And could I leave Michael? After Mom died of an overdose when I was nine, Michael became my only real family. Sure, we had our cousin Jeanie, but Michael was my brother. Jeanie never had any kids, so it was truly just me and Michael. The best way I could describe it was, while she was always kind, Jeanie sheltered me, but Michael raised me. And even though he was only thirty, one day, he was going to get married and have children. Did I really want to be a long-distance aunt?
The chair next to me jostled me to attention. I turned to see my friend Justin Abernathy. “Hey, Justin.”
“Hey, Mia,” he returned. “How goes it?”
“It goes,” I grimaced. “Usually in the wrong direction, but it keeps going.”
He laughed. “I’m heading down to Betty’s to grab a burger. Wanna come?” Betty’s was a local diner that served the best fries in the world.
“I can’t,” I muttered regretfully. “I have a ton of studying to do.”
Justin glanced around the library. “How much longer do you plan on studying?”
“Another hour or two,” I guessed. “I’m not sure.”
He started chewing on his bottom lip, a nervous trait. “I don’t like you studying so late,” he admitted.
His concern was sweet. “Justin, my dorm is only two blocks away-”
“Doesn’t matter,” he interrupted. “Bad shit can still happen.”
“I have my mace in my backpack,” I reminded him. Justin and I became friends at the beginning of our sophomore year, and the best thing? He’s never tried to hit on me. We met when we crashed into each other one morning, fighting to get into class because we’d both been running late. We got stuck in the doorway and that was that. We’ve been friends ever since.
“How about I go eat and then come back for you?” he suggested. “I’ll walk you home.”
I didn’t like the idea of him sitting around waiting on me, so I compromised. “How about you go do whatever you had planned, and I text you when I’m ready?”
Justin smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” He stood up, kissed the top of my head, and headed out.
I couldn’t help the tender feelings he invoked in me. Justin was a true friend and I really appreciated him. I was so thankful that nothing more ever came out of our friendship. It wasn’t that I didn’t find him attractive because he was. He was tall, with sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes. He also played basketball, so he had a nice build to him. But appreciating that he was attractive was different from being attracted to him. And I’d rather have Justin as a friend than a passing fancy.
It wasn’t that I didn’t date because I did. I had a couple of high school boyfriends and have gone on a few dates while at Sterling, but the vibe was never anything beyond casual. Even my high school boyfriends had kept their distance beyond kissing and holding hands. Even though I hadn’t been ready for anything more back then, I knew they stayed on the straight and narrow because they knew my brother was a member of the Benetti Family.