Page 17 of The Fractured

“No, it's fine. Be safe.” I rose to my toes and pecked him on the cheek. And then pulled back quickly, eyes wide as I struggled to find the reason why I kissed his cheek.

Say something cute, chill, easy-going. Anything!

My intention wasn’t to test the waters. It was more of a knee-jerk reaction. I guess to make sure he knew I cared for him. As a friend.

Seb’s smile only grew wider as he raised his eyebrows. “First base already? You don’t mess around, Kira.”

I pressed my lips together, despite them wanting to curve upward at the way he made me feel.

Safe. Secure. Unjudged.

I backed away towards the elevator with a slight skip in my step, keeping my smile coy. “You should get going. Don’t want to upset the roof tile boss by being late.”

He huffed a laugh. “Okay, but maybe we could go for coffee tomorrow?”

The coyness of my smile quickly spread through my body as I tilted my head. “Why?”

“It’d be nice to meet with you somewhere other than outside your SDV meetings.”

“Isn’t that what our regular lunches are for? To catch up somewhere else besides outside the SDV meetings? And you’ve seen me outside of those meetings when you visit Dean here.”

“Not on your own.” He rolled his eyes, his lips twitching as he started backing towards the front doors. “Can we meet for coffee tomorrow, please?”

My façade broke, and I grinned. “Make it bubble tea, and I’m in.”

His brow raised. “Bubble tea?”

“It’ll blow your mind.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” he chuckled, stepping through the doors.

I felt like I could burst. Overcome by a new thrill as butterflies danced in my stomach.

My smile remained long after Seb left.

Chapter 6

Dean

Antonio Gimello broke his rule about keeping his messages cryptic. Tonight, he had followed up the one containing the address with“wear something nice”. Hence, the black button-up shirt I had pulled on before leaving Lily’s. I kept the sleeves down and the collar unbuttoned — semi-formal and hiding the little microphone and wire taped to my chest.

Lily didn’t know about the wire or the visit I paid to her dad’s office after leaving her apartment. But she was aware of the meeting. That much I could tell her.

As we stood in the kitchen, she expressed her concerns about tonight before I left. Worried at first about Antonio resurfacing after months of nothing, concerned that I might be the only one going to this thing, and then curious about why she hadn’t gotten a text either, considering she worked at The Den. Her blue doe eyes were perfect windows for me to gauge her entire thought process. When her brows furrowed slightly, I took her hand and brought her knuckles to my lips.

“I’ll see you when I get back tonight.” I kissed her skin, maintaining eye contact. “I promise. And then maybe we could watch a movie or somethin’.”

I wished I could skip to that moment, instead of driving up the curved driveway to Antonio’s Bay Ridge mansion.

Several other cars were parked outside Antonio’s home, including Seb’s matte black Yamaha and Roxy’s Aston Martin.

I parked the Cadillac the furthest away and strode for the front stairs that swept out along the front porch, double-checking the wire wasn’t visible beneath my shirt before I smoothed my hair back.

I needed to stay calm, which wouldn’t be too hard. How many times had I been in the middle of things going to shit and walked out mostly unscathed? A simple meeting was a walk in the park for me.

If I wasn’t wearing a wire.

The heavy, stark white front door swung inward as I reached the top of the stairs. Vince, Antonio’s right-hand man, stepped out, suited up, and half smiling as his shaved head shone in the overhead porch lights.