Page 28

“I mean, if someone asked me point blank…”

She’s standing right in front of the drawer that hides the gun. Does she know that too? Did Cuke tell her?

Sadie’s wandering eyes drop to the floor. I clench my hands, my breath shallowing as my blood surges for a fight. “I’d say that you’re…” Her velvety brown eyes drift up to me and she nips her lip. “…my boyfriend.”

Oh…

Oh, fuck. That’s all?

I mentally wipe the fear sweat off my forehead. My hands unclench, and I fill my lungs. A boyfriend.

A boyfriend?

“What about you?” Sadie asks looking like Astin when I pull out the cat carrier.

I’ve never been anyone’s boyfriend. That implies commitment beyond a few hours in the night. Devotion. Protection. Loyalty.

Love.

I can’t have a girlfriend. I’ve got one mob that treated me like family trying to hunt me down and another that treated my like dirt trying to recruit me. A man like that doesn’t settle anywhere with anyone.

Even if I feel like my skin’s two sizes too tight without her.

I can’t.

I shouldn’t.

Sadie waves her hands in the air, her face beet red. “Forget I said anything. I was just talking and my mouth said things that…”

“Yes.”

She pauses and zeroes in on me. “Yes, what?”

I know what I should do—leave tonight. Leave a new trail for the Squash family, for mine. Hope that they forget about her and let her live her life. Happy. Free. Safe.

Brushing my knuckles down her cheek, I say, “That’s my girlfriend.”

I am a selfish, rotten bastard to the core.

Sadie’s face lights up. She throws her hands around the nape of my neck, damn near pulling my head to her breasts in a feral hug. With ecstatic vigor, she kisses me.

I’m a damn fool, but I can’t walk away from her. Not yet.

It’s what I’ve been working on all day.

Bouncing, she starts to pull out pots and washes the rice. I take her in—joyful, glowing, and wanting to be with me. She flips off the water and sets the pot on the stove.

Is this that domestic bliss people talk about? Two people entwined in each other, wrapped in hazy days of nothing but fucking and eating?

“Let’s get out of here,” I suddenly shout.

She stares me down like I’ve grown a second head. “I just started the rice.” With that, she returns to her cooking, dicing garlic then melting a heap of butter.

I curl my hands around her waist and press my chest to her back. She’s focused on her task, but does arch just enough for her ass to graze my cock.

“A vacation,” I whisper, kissing down the baby hairs on the back of her neck. “Just the two of us. A beach. No one for miles to hear you screaming for me.”

“I do not scream,” Sadie says.

“More!” I kiss her again, trailing down her neck. “More!” Rolling my hands through her silky hair, I give a quick tug and thrust my cock against her ass. “More.”

Her moan shivers her body down mine. I zero in on her hands. How easily I could grab her wrists, spin her around. Fuck her right now, then drop her in my truck and take her to Mexico. “Sand between the toes. Long, moon-filled nights on the ocean. A bed with a canopy.”

“Since when do we need a bed?” she asks, but I can hear the walls breaking. She wants to go so badly.

“There are a few tables we could break too.” I run my hands under her breasts. “What do you think?” As I ask, I spread my palms right below, ready to run up them at her word.

The knife drops to the cutting board. Sadie turns to face me. “Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She flings her hands up in excitement. “Let’s do it. Let’s go to…where?”

“I know a little place in Mexico. Private. Secluded. No one for miles.” I keep stressing how no one will be able to find us.

“Sounds perfect.” She leans over to kiss me. I’m midway planning what all to pack when I return the affection. With a little smile, Sadie resumes cooking. “I should have some time in January.”

My whole body twists under me. “January?” No. That’s too far away. “I thought we’d leave…” Tomorrow might scare her. “Next week.”

“Next week?” She damn near scoffs at the thought. “Just leave? Like that? Without putting in a PTO request with my boss like six months in advance? During the holidays.”

“It’s October,” I point out.

“Yeah. Hunting season is like super-Christmas right now. Then it’s real Christmas. I can’t leave. They’d fire me. Probably out of a cannon.”

Damn it. I forgot about that fucking job.

Leaving her to return to her cooking as she talks about an annoying manager or customer at work, I start to tear at my hair.

By January this will all be over—in the worst way.

I can’t let her stay here, not when any of them could be watching. I need to get her away.

Of course.

“Move in with me.”

The spoon clangs against the side of the pan, spins off, and hits the floor.

“Wha…?” A dumbstruck Sadie pivots to stare at me.

All I can think about is keeping her safe. Here, I can protect her. “There’s a ton of room,” I say.

“Uh…uh…yeah, I suppose there is?”

“You wouldn’t have to deal with that weird roommate who steals flowers.” My brain is rolling for any way to make this work. “And you wouldn’t have to pay rent anymore. You could quit your job to focus on what you really love.”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Wait. You want me to quit my job and move in with you?”

It’s perfect. Without that job, I can whisk her off to Mexico. We can hide out for a month or two, wait for this mob war to blow over, then start a new life together. “Wouldn’t you want to live with me?” I ask, damn near beaming at my genius.

Sadie looks less than impressed. She keeps wringing her hands over the handle of a spatula while making little P sounds with her lips.

My world starts to crack.

“Don’t you want to be with me?”

“It’s…it’s just that… I, that is…”

The kitchen door swings open and fifteen pounds of orange leaps onto the counter. Sadie’s eyes drift off of me and she exclaims, “Is that Astin?”

My cat freezes like he’s been caught. But as she holds out her fingers to him, he bumps his nose into them for a test, then goes for a full free scratch. “Oh my god, he’s so cute. You are just the fluffiest little kitty in the world! I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long.”

And if you lived with me, you could see him every day. Probably at meals when he tries to take a bite off your plate.

“Sadie?” I whisper, needing an answer.

She’s obsessed with Astin, scratching up his cheeks just the way he likes while telling him how regal he is. My dumb cat looks like he’s in paradise, and she looks absolutely terrified.

“Sadie…?” I brush my fingers down her elbow.

“He purrs like a mustang. I love it!”

You need to understand. You’re in danger. If you stay with me, I can protect you. But if you stay with me, you’re also in danger.

She lets go of Astin who starts to sniff around the chopped garlic. Wary eyes turn to me. “Yes?”

I’m not who you think I am.

I’m an eggplant.

I’m dangerous.

With a little jerk of my head, I tell her, “Your rice is boiling.”