He looked confused and extremely uncomfortable. “I guess.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Because I really want to see this horror movie, and Gio gets nightmares, so I guess that means you’re up!”
“You want me to go to the movies with you?” he repeated, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
“Yup!” I nodded. “I’ll just go get my purse. Brothers also pay and get extra butter on the popcorn but make it look like they’re ordering it for themselves, so it looks like I’m still eating healthy.” I paused to take a breath. “Also, I like Sour Patch Kids.”
“Should I be writing this down?” he asked in a defeated voice. “Or will you remind me when we get there?”
“Soda.” I tapped my chin. “I mix coke and Dr. Pepper.”
“That’s blasphemous!” he gasped, joked, and finally relaxed his stance, though his version of relaxed still looked like he had a stick up his ass.
“I live life on the edge. What can I say?”
“Rule breaker.” He took a step toward me. “Does Dante sit by you?”
“Nope.” I sighed. “He sits behind me. So basically you’re like my body guard, lucky you.”
“So I’m a human shield?” he asked, his blue eyes doing that twinkle thing that made my knees weak.
“Think you can handle it?”
“I’ll do my best.”
I turned around and ran up the stairs.
When I got back Sergio already had his jacket on.
I shoved my phone into my purse and quickly put my brown leather jacket on and then wrapped a scarf around my neck. “I just need to go tell the uncles.”
“Done.” Sergio opened the door. “You’re welcome.”
I hesitated and then walked through. “Th-thanks.”
“So…” Why did he have to be so nice to look at? A light wind picked up, causing his wavy hair to whip against his strong cheeks. “Do we walk or take a taxi?”
“Taxi.” I held up my hand. “It’s too cold to walk.”
“Is it?”
“For those of us who have hearts,” I said under my breath.
He paused and then burst out laughing. “Holy shit, was that a dig at me?”
I shrugged as the taxi pulled up.
“Damn, and you’re not even apologizing.”
“It was more of a passing comment under my breath…” I got into the taxi and slid across the cold, worn vinyl seat. “But true.”
Sergio slammed the door after him. “And here I thought I was making a good impression.”
“You offered to kill me if I kissed you.”
The taxi driver frowned into the rearview mirror.
“She’s kidding,” Sergio reassured him.
I refused to let him get off that easy. “You also look at me like you want to throw up.”
Mr. Taxi Driver’s nostrils flared.
“Uh.” Sergio laughed uncomfortably. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“The wife.”
Taxi Driver’s eyes looked like they were going to bug out of his head. Yeah, this was probably the best entertainment he’d had all day.
“I don’t talk about it,” Sergio said in a drop-the-subject voice.
“Maybe you should.”
“I have enough money to afford a therapist, thank you,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness,” I fired back.
Sergio released a string of pithy curses. “Did someone spike your milk this morning during show and tell?”
“Lactose intolerant.”
“Sorry. Your Kool-Aid.” His eyes narrowed. “It’s like you’re trying to piss me off.”
Bingo. I smiled. “Funny, that’s what Dante says to me all the time. Just think of all the things you get to look forward to. Isn’t that what you said you wanted?”
Sergio looked ready to strangle me. “No. I don’t believe I asked for an annoying little sister, but if that’s what you’re offering, please don’t let me stop you. Just know, I won’t hesitate to put you over my knee if you get out of hand.”
The minute the words left his mouth. I froze.
He froze.
The taxi driver stared little laser-like holes into the rearview mirror.
And Sergio leaned toward me.
I swallowed as tension swirled around us.
He gripped me by the chin and turned my head to the side, his lips brushing my ear. “It’s like you have a death wish.”
“You wouldn’t do it.”
He pulled back as both of his eyebrows shot up, and then he looked down, like something had caught his eye.
I followed the direction of his gaze and let out a little gasp as a gun dug into my stomach.
“It’s been directed at you for the last four minutes,” Sergio said through a practiced smile. “I meant what I said. Listen well. I keep my word. Kiss me, and blood will be spilled.”
“Y-you’re a crazy person!” I hissed, shoving at his chest. “And I wasn’t going to kiss you!”
“Sure you weren’t.” He put the gun away. “Good talk though, right? Oh look, the movie theater.”
To say that I scrambled out of the car like a kid running away from her kidnapper would be a gross understatement, but the minute my feet hit the pavement, I paused.
My body told me to run.
The guy had pulled a gun.