Page 28

Quinn

I cried all last night since Dad agreed to Silver’s plan. It’s as if I have no say. They still need me to shoot the video… but my leverage is waning.

My silver-haired stud intends to give himself up to the bratva, just like that. He probably thinks himself some noble hero before he goes to meet his family in heaven. Well, I’m not done with him yet.

The thought makes me feel like a selfish brat. But… I didn’t ask for any of this, and I can’t help that I don’t want this man to die.

He saved everything I love in this world, and added to it.

I walk down the stairs to the cellar, where my father is eating a chicken salad and reading the newspaper. The sight is so confusing and my mind so befuddled that I have to laugh.

“You look healthier than when you were free.” I cross my arms and lean on the bar.

He grunts like the bear that he is.

“I’ve been trying to get you to go on a diet forever . Then Arosso comes along, and now you’re Mr. Clean Eating?”

“Like he gives me a choice.”

“You can get whatever groceries you want now, liar .”

He grunts again. “Fine. Maybe I feel a little better than I did on Big Macs and cheese fries.”

“Wow. Are you admitting I was right?”

“I’m a Dall. I’d never admit something so crazy.”

We both laugh, then I let the air simmer around us.

“He’s a good man, Dad.”

He pushes his lips to one side, his mind obviously not sure how to weigh that.

“Dad?”

“When this is over, if that man somehow lives through this, I’m taking him in.” He takes an aggressive bite of his salad and looks to his newspaper.

My brow furrows. “How could you even think that after what he’s done?”

“The man’s a criminal. He’s probably responsible for countless bodies if he’s cousins with Donny Valentino. Just because he got away with it and wants a little catharsis, doesn’t mean he deserves it.” His gaze tracks to me. “I taught you better than that, Little Bear.”

“Have you no gratitude? If he didn’t get away with it, you’d be dead—”

“Doesn’t change the facts—”

“Your daughter! Your Little Bear , would be dead .” My eyes hold firm.

His lips curl in anger, and he finally stands to face me.

“Listen to me, Quinn, and listen good.” He points a finger in my face.

“When this is all over, you find a nice man your age that’s tough enough to handle you, and you keep it together.

I almost lost you twice in this life now.

Standing next to the devil will only make the third time a certainty. ”

I shake my head at him and slap his finger away, leaning my chin up to his.

“We tried the safe route. It’s boring. I’m sad.

And I’m stuck . As soon as this is over, I’m going into forensics like I wanted to and I’m going to stop running from my fears.

” I clench my jaw. “Oh, and as for a man? I already have one. His name is Arosso Silver Valentino, and he’s better than anyone I’ve ever met before, including the fucking cops . ”

He huffs like an angered bull, but I don’t let up.

“You think you’re all high and mighty being a captain of Jersey PD? Then why the hell is one of your subordinates trying to kill us? There’s good and bad on both sides, Dad. Get it through your thick fucking head.”

“Here I thought you were becoming a flourishing adult.”

My veins feel like there’s fire coursing through them. I hate when we fight like this…

“But you’re acting like a teenager chasing the bad boy.” He shakes his head, lowering his voice.

“Aros had no reason to help us.”

“Oh, he had one, I think. You’re a target, Quinn. A target for a very dangerous predator.”

“I love him, Dad.”

“Stop acting like a child! He’s a dangerous man who’s obviously gone off the deep end.”

“So you don’t believe in his plan?”

“He’s literally trying to get himself killed.”

Tears well up in my eyes. “ So, stop him! ”

“He’s our martyr. We’ll be identifying crooked cops and getting criminals off the street.

And if it works? We can finally get back to our lives,” he says.

“Best of a terrible situation for us. And if he fails. I’m going straight to the commissioner with badge in hand.

I’ll get you in hiding and take my chances uncovering the depth of this mess. ”

“Wow, congratulations, Dad. You’re colder than a fucking mobster.”

“A mobster trying to entangle my daughter. One day when you have kids, you’ll understand how wrong you are—

“One day, if I have kids, they won’t know you !” I shout.

Coming down to visit him a day before Silver’s big plan was a mistake. I’m looking for help in the wrong places, and now there’s nothing left to do but run up the stairs and wait for Silver to return… and beg him to reconsider.

I go up to the room I’ve made for myself and look into the full-length mirror. My eyes are red and glassy from crying so much, and my chest is blotchy from the same. My whole body weeps for fear of Silver. He’s misunderstood and alone, kind of like me.

I won’t abandon him though. Rummaging through the clothes he bought me over the past month, I pull out a black dress with a slit through the cleavage of my breasts, and it must be coincidence that it firmly hugs my backside. I mean, how would a guy know how to shop for something like that?

Modeling the dress, it comes down to my thighs, just enough not to be slutty. It’s elegant, actually. If my face didn’t look like a train hit it, I could probably pull it off.

You might think I’m nuts, playing dress up a day before a huge job, but I’m not. When persistent loud yelling or trying to reason doesn’t work, I have to resort to other means. I can flip it like a switch.

That’s right. I’m taking my man on a date. We need to have a serious conversation about what he’s trying to do, and I have to convince him not to do it . I love him so much, and I can’t lose him .

Besides, I owe him one for giving me a day to remember on the set of Chilling Desires .

There needs to be more of those. I can’t stop thinking about how cute his face looks when he’s trying so hard to mask laughter.

Eventually, he couldn’t hold it any longer, and we were both giggling like school girls through half the scenes.

There has to be more of those.

Silver can’t die… especially not for my dad—who hates him—and especially not for me.

I’m at a loss when I realize I may have jumped the gun with the dress… because I’m barefoot, and there are only a few pairs of sneakers in this hideaway, for obvious reasons. But I’ll make do anyway.

Pulling the dress free of creases and conducting one more spin, I head down the stairs to the first floor. I’m worried Dad is going to be waiting in the kitchen or something, but he’s not. So, I lock the cellar door and put the old bear in time out like he deserves.

The lack of goddamn manners on him. He can’t look past the world of allegiance and prescribed justice for one second? Is he so principled that he can’t see the second chance we’ve both been given?

Deep down, I know he does. And more, I know he likes Silver. He just doesn’t like Silver for me .

Checks out, honestly. He didn’t like anyone for me. Even though I might’ve been turned off by the rookies, he also pushed them away, just like my high school boyfriends I brought around.

Well, too bad. Silver’s the one for me, and he deserves to have someone look out for him. I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him alive.

While I’m on the first floor, I inspect the boots on the welcome mat to see if they could possibly go with this dress. Ugh . I’m better off with the sneakers.

There’s another catastrophe, though. I have some barebones foundation makeup… and that’s it . No eyeshadow. No eyeliner. Nothing really to mask my blotchy tears. Just that stupid wig I’ve grown accustomed to and some oversized sunglasses.

Ktchk!

The door opens and I freeze.

Silver’s looking to the floor as he wipes his snowy loafers on the mat. He’s there with a Jersey PD duffle that I imagine is full of cop uniforms.

“They don’t check fake ID’s too well anymore at the PD store. Got the slacks and the button up. Now I just need your father’s badge. Should go smoothly tomorr—” He stops dead when he lifts his gaze. “My God, kid.”

My bare toes tingle as a lightning bolt of heat shoots up my entire body.

“You look stunning.” His eyes are entranced, mouth agape.

I let my arms slap to my sides. “I haven’t even put makeup on yet.”

He walks over to me, ignoring the salt skittering off his shoes.

My breath hitches when he takes my face in his hands and presses his lips onto mine.

“It’s better this way.” He looks at me adoringly. “You have no idea how precious you are.”

My heart flutters, only to sink. “Don’t talk like that, Silver. You’re freaking me out.”

He smiles sadly, then leans in for a slower, more comforting kiss.

“It’s been a short and wild ride hasn’t it, kid?”

“ Stop. ” I grab his chin playfully. “What’s with you grown men and all the drama? Hm? C’mon, get your things.”

He squints his eyes and scoffs at me. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Silver. We’re going for a ride.”

“Are we now?”

“Yep.” I run up the stairs to grab a pair of black sneakers, knowing I’m going to look like ghetto trash with red blotches down my face from crying and black sneakers to go with chic dress, but it’s all I got!

When I get downstairs, I see him holding up a brand-new pair of Louboutins that match perfectly with what I’m wearing, making my breath hitch another time.

“Silver… how ?”

“Is it strange that I like to watch you when you think no one’s looking?”

Embarrassment and warmth swirls together like a confusing storm. Did I sing to myself, or do anything stupid besides twirl in front of a mirror?

“Positively creepy.” I strut up to him, still barefoot, and stop inches from him. One hand squeezes his leg as I lean up to kiss him on the cheek and snag the dazzling new shoes. “But worth it, I guess.” My eye lingers on him as I turn around.

Looking at the red bottoms, I would never dream of spending this kind of money on shoes. The accountants drilled frugal spending into my head. This man is too much.

Once I strap my new shoes and jam on my wig, I stand again.

“Why is the cellar door locked?” Silver asks.

“Because—let the big bear sleep while we play.”