“And beautiful, and irritating as hell, and freakishly loud, and extremely violent.” It was like once I started talking I couldn’t stop. “She held me at gun point more than I’d like to admit, kicked my ass twice, and liked to wake me up at six a.m. just to piss me off. She made me promise not to cry over her, and here I am waking up with tears. God, I hate weakness.”
“So she kicked your ass?” Val smiled. “And she irritated you?”
“You would fixate on those two things.”
“Well, the tears are depressing.”
“True.”
Somehow I’d pulled her closer, and it felt good, comforting. Damn, I’d been too long without comfort, like a man making his penance in the Sahara without food and water. I clung to her like a lifeline.
“I’m not her.” Val shrugged. “And just because I’m saying yes, doesn’t mean I’m taking her place.”
“I know.”
“No.” Val smiled sadly. “You don’t. But that’s okay. Just know that whenever you want to talk about her, I’ll listen.”
She tucked her head into my shoulder and closed her eyes.
And just like that, one of the broken pieces from two months ago floated up off the ground and found its rightful place in the corner of my heart.
One piece.
Out of a million.
But it was a start.
I WOKE UP pressed against Val. Unlike Andi, she wasn’t a violent sleeper, but apparently, Andi had left that gift with me. My arms were sprawled all over Val, and somehow I was halfway on top of her, pressing my head between the valley of her breasts.
Like a teen trying to motorboat a stripper.
Shit.
I backed away slowly so I wouldn’t wake her up, only to see her eyes lock on mine.
Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
“You done?” she asked, her breathing a bit heavy.
I opened my mouth then closed it.
A pan, or something that sounded like one, dropped in the kitchen. Laughing commenced and the moment disappeared.
I scrambled off her and stood. “Thanks, Val.”
I didn’t want to add for last night because that made it sound sordid, like we’d done more than just slept together, and I was about five seconds away from doing the walk of shame back to my hotel room.
“Anytime…” Her pretty smile grew. She was beautiful, not just pretty but beautiful. I wanted to hate her beauty. Her beauty meant I had to stay away. Instead, I found myself staring at her, really staring.
“Sis!” Dante charged into the room. “Your hair looks like a bird took a shit in it.”
I fought back a smile as Val’s hands moved to her head and with a gasp she tried pulling the pieces of golden brown into a ponytail.
It just made it look worse.
I honestly hadn’t even noticed her hair.
Just her face.
Her gorgeous full lips and wide innocent eyes.
Damn me.
With a curse I turned around and called back, “I’ll see you guys at church.”
“Church!” Val yelled. “What time is it?”
“Late!” Dante answered, and running commenced right before I left and slammed the screen door behind me.
The New York City air was brisk, cold, the perfect chill to get rid of the fact that I’d been aroused when I’d awakened up with Val’s soft body pressed against me.
Which was the exact opposite of what we both needed.
To confuse our relationship more.
And her place in it.
Business arrangement — never a real marriage.
Hah, I’d said that before, and look where it had gotten me. Sobbing my eyes out in my dreams.
I decided against taking a taxi and walked.
Three blocks away from their house, I noticed a man tailing me, only he was being completely obvious about it, so obvious that it had to be on purpose.
Sighing, I ducked into a nearby Starbucks, ordered two black coffees, and grabbed the newspaper.
He arrived three minutes later and sat across from me.
I slid the coffee toward him without looking up from my paper and spoke. “I didn’t add cream but feel free.”
“You’re good.”
“I’m an ex-FBI informant and from one of the most powerful mafia families in the US. Of course I’m good. And you’re too obvious, so what do you want. Who has sent you?”
“Right down to business.” He chuckled.
I set the newspaper down and met his gaze. Dark brown eyes, wavy hair with threads of silver and, a gold cap on his right canine tooth. He appeared around six two, but not a muscular six two. “Yes, well, it is what I do best.”
“Xavier.” He took a long sip of his coffee. “Would like a meeting with the Cappo.”
Why the hell would the person Frank had left in charge want to meet with Tex? Only one reason. To either ask for protection or challenge the Cappo.
“That can be arranged, but riddle me this, what does a Russian want with the Cappo?”
“That question should be directed to him.” The man stood and offered his hand.
I didn’t shake it.
With a chuckle, he put it away. “We will be in touch, yes?”
“I’ll find you.” It was a veiled threat. “Either way.”
Paling, he took a step back and then narrowed his eyes. “You are not as tough as you think you are.”
God, save me from such idiots. If he even knew how many kills I had, what I’d done with the very hand he’d wanted to shake.
I stood, revealing that one hand had been in my pocket the whole time, and that pocket held a gun.