I shake it off, pull it together, and attempt to hide the full-fledged freak out that’s bubbling to the surface.
“Yeah, fine. Just a-a weird headache or s-something.” I’m fucking stuttering!
Time for evasive maneuvers. I breathe deep, and fix my eyes on hers. The concern in her face dissolves into an easy smile. I smile back, making sure it’s bright enough to expose both dimples. It’s a desperate move, but it works. She licks her full lips, slowly rubbing them together in anticipation of what’s coming. As I’m leaning in, happy to give her what she wants, the muffled sound of her phone fills the air.
“Whoops, sorry.” She grabs her phone from her pocket. Glancing down at the caller ID, her eyebrows scrunch and mouth goes tight.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t recognize the number.”
“Answer it, baby.”
She nods and hits the answer button before pressing the phone to her ear.
“Hello.” Her pleasant smile quickly fades. Her body shoots ramrod straight, and the color drains from her face.
Twelve
Jonah
What the hell? Blood pumps in my ears, and a mild buzz starts at the base of my neck.
“I’m fine.” She’s being polite to the mystery caller, but her voice is completely void of its usual spunk.
Alarms fire in my head.
Her eyes snap up to mine and widen a fraction. “Meet with you tomorrow?”
I’m up from my barstool and standing at her side. Less than a foot away, I’m able to make out the voice coming through her phone. I can’t hear exact words, but the low mumbles are undoubtedly male. Fuck.
“Um . . . I don’t know. I mean, why now?” She looks at her lap and rubs her forehead with her free hand.
The man on the phone mumbles on, and she worries her bottom lip. Her eyes hit mine, and a tiny spark of my Raven is back. “Okay, see you then.”
She hangs up the phone and stares at it in her hand as if she doesn’t know how it got there. Then she looks up at me.
“Who was that?” My voice is calm, but not in a way that provides comfort.
She places the phone on the bar like it’s made of glass. “That was Dominick.”
Adrenaline rocks my body. My muscles tense. The buzz in my head intensifies with every hammer of my heart.
“He wants to meet with me tomorrow at ten a.m.”
“No fucking way.”
She pins me with a glare. “Why not?”
How can she ask me that? I told her she needed to stay away from that guy.
“Because I said so.” I annunciate every word slowly to avoid roaring in her face, but she still flinches.
“I told him I’d go. I’m going.” She says it with such conviction I can’t decide if I want to shake her or kiss her.
“Fine. I’m going with you.” This woman is infuriating. Why can’t she just do what I say? I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes, trying to numb the all-consuming buzz that makes me want to rip Dominick Morretti apart.
“No, he said I have to come alone.”
My eyes shoot open before they narrow in anger. “What! Why? Who says that unless they’re up to something?” I don’t mean to yell, but my fight or flight reaction is kicking in and flight is not in my vocabulary. “What the fuck, Raven? I told you I don’t want you anywhere near that guy, and you promised you’d stay away from him!”
“I know, I promised but—”
“But what? Do you have any idea what this guy’s like? Word around town says he’s got his hands in everything, not just prostitution. He’s been questioned for murder, drugs, weapons. Shit, Raven, he’s only walking free because he’s got his money so far up law enforcements ass I’m surprised they don’t shit gold.”
“Please, stop.” She whispers to her lap.
“Stop! Stop what? Your psycho dad calls and wants to meet with you alone, and you want me to sit here on my fucking hands and do nothing? God, Raven! This guy’s a criminal.” I pace the around the bar to burn off some aggression. The last thing I want to do is scare her, but fuck. “If you think I’m going to let you meet that dickhead alone, you’re crazy.”
She sniffs and wipes her eyes. Ah, crap. I breathe in and out of my nose and count to ten. My heart rate slows enough that it’s no longer throbbing in my ears as I wrangle my wild impulses.
“Baby, I’m sorry.” I smooth her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just lost it for a second.”
She wipes the tears from her cheek. “You don’t understand.”
Closing the space between us, I pull her chin up to look in her eyes. “Explain it to me.”
“Ever since I was a kid, I’d dreamed that one day he would come along and ask for me. Even after I found out what he was, I still wanted him.” Her eyes look away, but I don’t release her chin. “I still wanted a dad.”