CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CAPONE
Twenty-three. That’s the number of freckles that spread across the bridge of Tara’s nose. There are a cluster of about ten on her left cheek, and six on her right. I didn’t get a definitive count on the sprinkle that decorates her forehead because her hair was in the way, and I didn’t want to disturb her while she slept.
That’s also the reason I stayed in bed with her for as long as I did, or so I told myself.
Deep down I knew it was lie.
I crossed a line, I shouldn’t have crossed, and now I don’t know how life is supposed to go on as it did before I fucking kissed her.
The sick thing is, I don’t even feel guilty. As far as I’m concerned, the last twenty-seven years of my life have been a giant waste. All the meaningless sex, and the women I ran through—they were temporary highs that, at the time, I thought were what I needed.
What I wanted.
But I never felt anything close to what I felt when I kissed Tara, and now I get it…I get why men turn their lives upside down for one woman. When it’s the right one it’s not a sacrifice.
“Hey, have you seen Tara?”
Holly’s voice interrupts my thoughts, and I turn my attention away from the oven to meet her gaze.
“She’s in my room sleeping.”
“Why is she in your room?”
I shrug and the lie slips easily from my lips. “I found her in there earlier. She didn’t look too good so I let her be.”
If I keep going this route, I won’t have to worry about the cartel offing me. Maverick and his wife will do the job themselves, and ironically, there’s a fresh trench waiting for my body. I even supplied them with cement.
Holly frowns. “You think her fever is back?”
The timer sounds on the oven, and I grab a dish towel off the counter. Anything to avoid looking at Holly while I lie to her some more.
“I didn’t feel her head or anything, but her cheeks were flushed.”
I kill the timer and open the oven, pulling out the pizza I made for Tara.
“Well, that sucks. I think she might have the flu.” She pauses for a beat. “Did you make that yourself?”
I set the pizza on top of the counter, and glance in Holly’s direction.
“I promised Tara I’d make her a pizza last night.”
She stares at me a little too long and sweat starts to bead on my forehead. “And you’re a man of your word,” she says.
I shrug. “I try to be.”
Another lie.
“Well, I’m going to go check on her. Maverick and I were going to take the kids to Sally’s. A couple of the guys are going too. I guess it’s one last hurrah before we’re all stuck here.”
I wonder if she knows the truth behind the big outing, and how her husband ordered us all to be around the ones we love most. I’m guessing she doesn’t because if she did, she’d know it’s not the last hurrah, but rather the last fucking supper.
“But if she’s not feeling well, we’ll just go home. She probably wants to be in her own bed anyway.”
I’m not so sure about that. I think she’s just fine where she is. She’ll be even better when I join her after the pizza is done cooking.
Just then Maverick appears in the doorway, looking especially haggard. I tear my gaze away from him, and stare at the pizza. I can’t look the man in the eye, not after what I did.
“Holly, baby, you ready? I got the boys in the truck. We just need Tara, and we can be on our way.”
“Change in plans,” Holly says. “Tara isn’t feeling well again.”
“Jesus,” he mutters. “I told you we should’ve taken her to the doctor. At least then she’d have antibiotics for when we’re on lockdown.”
“I’m sorry, I was too busy washing sheets and preparing this place for the next disaster. A five-hour trip to urgent care when she seemed to be getting better wasn’t high on the list of things I needed to do today.”
“You should go,” I blurt, instantly wishing I had fucking control of my mouth. I lift my head and look at Maverick. It’s definitely not my place to say any of this to him, but tensions are high, and he looks like he can use a break from this place. Holly does too.
“Spend some time together. The boys are going to lose their minds being stuck here, it’ll be good for them to get out.”
“Thanks,” Holly hisses, narrowing her eyes into tiny slits as she glares at me. “But the whole point was to spend time together as a family, and I’m not leaving Tara alone. Bad enough I’ve been too occupied to take care of her.”
“If she wakes up and feels better, I’ll take her over there.” I pin Maverick with a look. “You told us that we should spend time with the people that matter most. You got a wife and kids. I don’t have any of that. All I have are my nieces and nephews, and I was planning on spending time with them. But the boys have a basketball clinic and my niece has ballet. I’m not brave enough to take the baby by myself. You two will probably be back by the time Tara even realizes you’re gone, and staying here, looking out for her…it gives me something to do.”
Maverick’s gaze slices back to Holly, and they exchange a look.
I fucking hate when couples communicate with only their eyes, leaving the rest of us peasants to wonder what the fuck we missed.
I clear my throat, and they both look back at me.
Maverick doesn’t say anything for a beat as he crosses his arms against his chest. His dark eyes drill a hole into me, and the sweat that was pebbling at my temples, begins to drip down the sides of my face. I haven’t sweated like this since I was thirteen, crushing on my science teacher.
“That doesn’t sound like an ask,” Maverick says, breaking the silence. “Does it sound like an ask to you Holly?”
Oh, look they’re back to loving one another again. How nice.
Elbowing Maverick, Holly sighs. “You promise you’ll bring her by if she feels up to it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Holly’s brows knit together, and she pokes a finger against my chest.
“Call me ma’am again, and I’ll make sure everyone here calls you Gianluca from now on.”
I flinch. “I’m guessing you got that from Tara?”
“It may have slipped.”
Jesus.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
These Burnside women are wicked.
“Sorry. It’s been a long day, and the impending doom is fucking with me.”
Oh God, the lies just keep coming. The only thing fucking with me is the taste of their daughter’s tongue. I swipe my hand over my face. “I’m going to shut up now.”
“Good idea,” Maverick grunts. Then he drapes his arm across Holly’s shoulders. “Let’s go check on her before we go. Is she in my room?”
Holly’s gaze cuts to me. “No, she’s sleeping in Capone’s bed.”
That’s it. I’m toast.
Goodbye world. You’ve been…mediocre.
Five out of ten stars.
I hope hell is better than this.
I check the time on my phone. She’s been sleeping for hours, whimpering on and off. I don’t know if she’s dreaming, or if she’s in pain, but the longer it goes on the more worried I become. I’m kicking myself in the ass for insisting on Maverick and Holly going to dinner. They still haven’t returned and if they don’t soon, I’m going to have to call them.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I touch my hand to Tara’s forehead. She’s cooler than before, but she still feels a bit warm. I’m not good at taking care of people when they’re sick. That’s probably because my mother didn’t baby us whenever we became ill. She loaded us up with Motrin and sent us off to school. She said it would strengthen our immune systems, but looking back on it now, I think she just relied heavily on the break she got when we were in school.
Tara stirs and I drop my hand from her head. Her eyes flutter open, and I feel the corners of my mouth turn upward at the sight. Her smile hooked me, but those eyes have the power to sink me.
“Hey,” I murmur.
She blinks three times. “I had the weirdest dream.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I dreamt we kissed.”
Unable to stop myself, I bend my head, brushing the tip of my nose against hers.
“It wasn’t a dream.”
She smiles softly. “I know. I just wanted to see what you’d say and depending on your response, maybe try to convince you to do it again.”
She ain’t going to have to try too hard.
“I’ll kiss you after you eat something. I made you pizza.”
Her eyes shine brightly, and that devastatingly beautiful smile of hers gets a little bit wider.
“I get homemade pizza and your hot mouth. How did I get so lucky?”
“You’re such a brat.” I kiss her nose. “I take it you’re feeling better?”
“I think so.” She pulls her lip between her teeth and pushes herself into a sitting position, leaning her back against the wrought iron bed frame. “How long was I out for?”
“A couple of hours. Your parents took your brothers to Sally’s for dinner. I told them I’d feed you then take you over there if you felt up to it.”
She raises an eyebrow. “And they went for that?”
“They did.”
She hums thoughtfully. “Okay, well why don’t you go heat my pizza and we’ll take it from there.”
I slap my hands against my thighs and nod in agreement. I’m about to stand, but something holds me back. Glancing over my shoulder, I stare at her. She looks a little livelier than before, but she’s still very pale and that concerns me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’d feel better if you were in the kitchen with me and not alone.”
She rolls her eyes. “Capone, go heat my pizza. I have to pee, and I don’t need an escort to do that.”
“Right.” I push up from the bed and head for the door. “I’ll be right back.”
It takes me about five minutes to heat the pizza. I grab her a drink from the fridge and make my way back to my room.
With everyone gone, including the prospects, it’s eerily quiet. A sign that danger is on the rise. I chalk it up to the shit with the cartel, but maybe it’s deeper than that. Being alone with Tara…well, it doesn’t get more dangerous than that, does it?
I enter my bedroom holding the pizza in one hand, and her drink in the other, but when my eyes land on the bed, it’s empty.
“Tara?” I call out as I walk toward the bed and set the pizza on top of the nightstand, along with her drink. “Are you still in the bathroom?” My gaze cuts to the closed door and it lowers to the crack of light that streams out from above the saddle. When she doesn’t answer, my gut clenches. Everything the club discussed at church—all that stuff about the Cartel and the Highway Renegades looking to strike— comes flooding back to me and I rush for the bathroom. I test the doorknob only to find it locked from the inside, then I throw my shoulder into it. It takes two attempts before the door busts open, and I find Tara passed out on the floor.