Page 67 of Remorseless

“Really?” she asked, beaming at him.

“Excuse me.” Icy scorn dripped from Bailey’s voice as she slid into the booth across from Mort and glared from Symphony to him.

Symphony stiffened, snatched her pen and pad from her apron pocket, and nodded to Mort. “Are you ready to order, sir? Mrs. Banks has been waiting for you.”

Mort lifted a brow at Symphony’s sudden formality. One glance at Bailey’s burning anger explained it all. She looked ready to annihilate Symphony, rip her limb from limb, and gnaw on her bloody bones.

“Bailey, baby, no chick ever taking me from you,” he said quietly. “Symphony a cool girl, but even if I wasn’t completely devoted to you, I’m old enough to be her daddy. She flirted with me—”

“She’s still flirting with you!”

“I put her in her place,” Mort continued, determined to get it through Bailey’s head that she had nothing to worry about. “It’s over.”

She turned her head.

“I’m closer to Red than I ever been to Symphony,” Mort reminded her.

“I disagree,” Bailey said stiffly. “I think you’re closer to Meggie. She calls. You jump. Meggie is the reason Harley has turned into—”

Anger surging into him, Mort heaved in a breath. He wasn’t airing club business in front of Symphony. “Give us a few minutes. Tell Tee keep the grill fired up.”

Sliding out of the booth, he got to his feet, ignoring the appreciation dropping into Symphony’s dark eyes as she looked at him from head-to-toe. He pulled out his debit card. He refused to pay for credit cards for himself. The interest alone was highway robbery.

For Bailey, he paid for one of those elite credit cards only available to those in exclusive tax brackets. He also paid for cards for her sisters and grandmother. Knox took care of Roxanne, but at one time Mort spoiled her, too. Although he wasn’t as generous as Meggie and Prez were with the allowances they gave their children, Mort also funded Harley, Lou, and Kaleb’s allowances.

He handed the card to Symphony. “Tell Tee he gets ten. We’ll settle your tab at the end.”

“Tee likes you, but I’m not sure he’ll keep the diner open for ten bucks.”

Bailey snorted.

Ignoring her, Mort grinned. “Tell him my exact words. He’ll understand, baby.”

“Okay, Mort.”

“Keep the music going on the jukebox,” he told her.

She nodded and left him alone with his wife.

Mort slid back into the booth. Bailey’s head remained focused on the window. Though the blinds were opened, the night was dark, so he knew she couldn’t see anything outside.

Shehad a perfect profile, revealing the delicate contours of her face. Her vanilla complexion remained beautiful and smooth, with hints of caramel. Dark, wavy hair fell down her back in a waterfall of silk that Mort loved running his fingers through.

“What?” she whispered, still not looking at him.

All hope wasn’t lost. She was still in tune enough with him to feel his gaze on her.

He smiled tenderly. “Look at me, Bailey.”

She swallowed but complied. Tears glistened in her green-brown eyes. He extended his arms across the table and opened his hands. She remained motionless. He refused to move, praying she placed her hands in his. It had to be her choice. The cracks in the marriage had turned into a crevasse, so wide and deep a simple fix was no longer possible.

Repairing their relationship required commitment. Change. Understanding. Mutual work.

Drawing in a deep breath, she placed her hands in his. The week after Meggie’s last birthday, Prez commissioned a blue diamond wedding set for her upcoming 36thbirthday. As usual, Johnnie, Val, Mort, Digger, Cash, and Stretch were with him. Mort had followed Prez’s lead and coughed up the money to give Bailey green diamonds. Cash and Johnnie made excusesnotto buy Ophelia and Kendall jewelry. Stretch chose a pair of diamond earrings for Ophelia. Eventually, Cash agreed to split the bill. Val wanted a yellow diamond upgrade for Zoann too but couldn’t lay down that type of money and Digger salivated over a beautiful pink diamond for Bunny.

At the time, Mort thought his brother couldn’t afford it because Bunny kept him on an allowance. He’d even joked and said if he ever learned how to manage his money, she’d loosen the purse strings. Even withallher contingences in place, Digger still fucked up.

Seeing Prez pony up the money for Val to gift Chester with the promise of telling Meggie to keep the quarterly interest as repayment inspired Mort to pay for the pink diamond. He didn’t expect motherfucking Digger to design a ring that was almost as expensive as Bailey’s. Prez warned them they either had to give their wives their giftsbeforeMeggie’s birthday or for Christmas.