“Couldn’t really sleep after you called. I figured early was better than late.”
“Normally, I would agree with that except when it interferes with my sleep.”
I shrugged. I didn’t give a fuck about Leo’s sleep. “You wanna tell me why you suddenly decided that I need to some down here?”
“Inside. I put some coffee on before I came out. Marco woke me up when you got here.”
Leo stepped back, and I opened my door. “I woke him up?” I asked as I stepped out and slammed the door shut.
“I guess no one slept well since I called you.” Leo walked up the sidewalk to the front door and pushed it open. He motioned for me to walk in and stood back.
Class. That was the only word that came to mind as I took in the inside of Leo’s house. Everywhere you looked, you could tell Leo had money and wasn’t afraid to show it. When I’d been examining the exterior of the house—two stories, solid brick, with huge bay windows on either side of the front door—I had thought it was impressive. Now, seeing the interior, the outside seemed even more grand. “This is quite a house,” I said with a low whistle.
Leo shrugged and headed down a hallway to the right. “I like to live comfortably.”
Comfortable was an understatement. “I think you took comfortable and upped it about ten notches.” We walked into a lavish kitchen with a huge center island that had plush stools pushed under the counter. “You actually cook in here?” The kitchen looked too perfect to dirty with cooking and baking.
“No, I don’t, but Fayth does. Making coffee is the extent of what I do in here.”
I nodded. That sounded about right for a man like Leo. I couldn’t see him taking the time to cook being in the position he was in. “Is she awake yet?” I asked, as I pulled out a stool and planted my ass in it.
“Yeah. Marco told me she didn’t sleep all night. I’m hoping she’ll fall asleep for a bit.” Leo grabbed two cups down from the cabinet and filled them. “Although, I think she has slept enough the past month that one night with only a couple of hours of sleep won’t affect her.” Leo set a cup in front of me and sat in the stool next to me.
I took a sip of the hot coffee and returned it to the counter. “You think you can tell me what’s going on now? I haven’t had any sleep all night either. Once I find out what you want from me, I plan on locating the nearest hotel and crashing.”
“I don’t think a hotel will be necessary.” I turned to look at Leo. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. “You’ll be staying here.”
“Here?”
“Yes.” Leo took a drink then clasped his hands in front of him. “She spoke last night.”
“What?” I gasped.
“She woke up screaming and saying the same word over and over. In fact, it seems to be the only word she is able to say.”
She spoke but only one word? What in the hell did that mean? “Well, what word did she say?”
“This is probabl—”
“Slider.”
I spun around in my chair and saw the most beautiful woman in the world.
********
Chapter 8
Fayth
I couldn’t stay in bed. The fact that Slider was in my house was enough motivation for me to get dressed and seek him out.
I heard Leo and Slider before I actually laid eyes on them. Slider’s voice was one you never really forgot. It was rough and low and, if I were to be honest, sexy as hell.
Standing at the entrance to the kitchen, I couldn’t keep it in. I had to say his name. “Slider.”
He spun around on his stool, and he looked like he had seen a ghost. I knew I had been shot in the head, but I didn’t think it was that touch and go that he would be surprised to see me alive. “Fayth.” His voice cracked, and I watched his adam's apple bob while he swallowed. “You said my name,” he said in awe.
“This shit is going to go straight to your fucking head, isn’t it?” Leo said. He turned around and looked between Slider and me.
“More than likely,” Slider replied, smirking.
There was that smirk—the one that drove me crazy, knowing he was a cocky son of a bitch, but also it made him fucking gorgeous. I stood there, not knowing what to say. Hell, I couldn’t say anything. I clutched the pad of paper I had in my hand to my chest and took a deep breath.
“Come sit, Fayth. I made breakfast.”
I rolled my eyes and scribbled on my notepad. Coffee isn’t breakfast. I held up the pad and Leo crossed his arms over his chest.
“It is when I don’t have anyone to cook for me.”
I sighed and headed over to the fridge. I grabbed a dozen eggs and a pound of bacon from the drawer and bumped the fridge door shut with my hip.
“Wait, I’ll get it,” Slider said. He stood and rushed over to take the food from my arms. “You shouldn’t be doing this,” he scolded.
“She’s fine, Slider. It’s good for her to finally be out of her room and not staring out the window all day.”
I flipped off Leo and turned around to grab a pan out of the cabinet. I would have loved to tell Leo to fuck off.
Slider set the eggs and bacon next to the stove and watched me. I motioned to the stove, letting him know he needed to move if he wanted me to make breakfast. He hastily backed up, leaned against the counter and looked completely out of place.
“Fuck,” Leo cursed as his phone rang. “I need to get this. You okay, Fayth?”
I rolled my eyes and waved my hand at Leo. It was Slider—the same man who I had basically lived with for the past couple of months. I would be fine.
Leo walked down the hall to his office, barking into the phone the whole way.
“You don’t need to make me breakfast, Fayth. That’s not why I came here.”
I quirked my eyebrow up at him, wondering what he was here for then. I set the frying pan on the stove and opened up the bacon. I spotted my pad of paper over by the fridge, knowing that was going to be the only way I could communicate with Slider.
“Got it,” Slider mumbled and grabbed the paper and pen. “Is my name really the only word you can say?”
I nodded and took the paper out of his hand. He smirked and leaned next to the stove with his arms crossed.
Are you just going to stand there watching me?
“Yes,” he said, looking over my shoulder.
Stop.
“No.”
Yes.
“I could do this all day, Fayth, and I bet your hand is going to get tired before I do.”
I tossed the pad of paper on the counter and flicked the pen at him. I was going to be nice and try to have a conversation with him, but he could live with my complete silence if he was going to be an ass.
“Did you want me to get you a cup of coffee?”
I nodded and went back to laying the bacon in the pan.
The bacon was gently sizzling when he set a cup of coffee next to me that was the perfect dark caramel color.
“I remember how you like your coffee,” he mumbled.
I took a sip and confirmed he really did remember. It wasn’t a big deal to remember how someone took their coffee, but it felt like one. I turned over the bacon then squatted down and grabbed a small fry pan out of the cabinet to start the eggs.
“Do you remember how I like my eggs?” he asked, as I set the pan on the stove then spooned a little bit of the bacon grease into it. I cracked three eggs into it, careful not to break the yolks.
I nodded and gently splashed some of the hot grease onto the eggs. He liked them over easy with a runny yolk. Just how I liked them.
“So, this is where you live?” Slider looked around, taking in the extravagant kitchen.
I shrugged and nodded.
“I guess I didn’t realize you lived with your brother.” He grabbed his cup of coffee and shuffled over to the sliding door that led to the backyard. “Although, the house is big enough that if you didn’t want to see him, that wouldn’t be a problem.”
He was
right. Especially with how much Leo worked and was away from home, there were times it felt like I did live alone. I reached up in the cabinet, pulled down some plates, and set them next to the stove.
“You like living here?”
I grabbed the pad of paper. It’s home. I tapped on the counter to get his attention, and pointed at the paper as he turned around.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Did I like living here? I guess I hadn’t really known anything else. Even growing up, my parents had provided Leo and me a life that most kids dreamed about. I had gone from their huge, extravagant house right into Leo’s when I found out I was pregnant. It’s what I know.
“How in the hell did you manage to live in Rockton and not go crazy?”
I like Rockton.
“But Rockton is far from this, Fay. Your house could have its own zip code.”
Now, that was an exaggeration. It was a large house, but it wasn’t that big. I slid the eggs out of the pan onto a plate and put four pieces of bacon next to them. I glanced at the pad of paper but didn’t pick it up because I didn’t know how to explain to Slider that this wasn’t my life anymore.
After I set his plate on the island, I worked on making eggs for Leo.
“I’ll wait to eat until yours is ready.”
I shrugged. If he wanted to eat cold food, that was up to him. I cracked three more eggs into the pan and spooned in some more grease. Leo liked his eggs sunny-side-up with crispy edges. I swear, I could be a short-order cook if it ever came to it. No one around here wanted the same food, and I always found a way to make whatever they wanted.
Slider watched me, sipping on his coffee, but didn’t say anything more. That was the one thing about not being able to talk. Conversations were short and no one seemed to really want to talk with someone who couldn’t respond. I had the paper to write on, but even doing that was a hassle.
“Is that mine?” Leo asked, pointing to Slider’s plate as he strode back into the kitchen.
I shook my head no and splashed more grease into the egg whites.
“It’s mine,” Slider piped up.
“Why the hell aren’t you eating?”
“I was waiting for Fayth.”
I slid Leo’s eggs onto the plate and dropped some bacon next to it, then held out the plate to him. “Make yours and then we’ll eat.”
Since when did Leo care if I ate at the same time as him? Half the time I didn’t eat until Leo and Marco were halfway done with their food.
I set his plate down next to Slider’s and rolled my eyes while I grabbed the pad of paper. I still have to make Marco’s. Eat now.
“Marco fell back asleep. Make your eggs so we can eat. I have a busy day ahead of me.” Leo pulled his phone out of his pocket and sat down at the island.
“How’s Marco been doing since you moved back?” Slider asked.
I really didn’t know the answer to that. My zombie-like existence for the past few months proved I was being a shitty mom.
“He seems to be back on track. My men have been keeping an eye on him.”
This was news to me, although it didn’t surprise me. The reason we had moved to Rockton before was because Marco had been getting into trouble that had interfered with Leo’s business.
“He’s not trying to become the next Leo Banachi anymore?” Slider asked.
“Nah, I don’t think that was ever his intention, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he joins the family business one day.”
I knew that was a possibility for Marco, but I wasn't sure I liked it. Leo was the king of the underworld and dealt with all of the lowlifes and all the shit the law turned a blind eye to. If there was ever an anti-hero, Leo and the Banachi family were it.
I cracked two eggs into the pan and grabbed my pad of paper. Don’t encourage him.
“Is she talking to you or me?” Slider asked.
“Me. Fayth thinks my life isn’t good enough for Marco.”
I never said that.
“You didn’t have to say it, Fayth. I know you.” Leo set his phone on the counter and leaned back in his chair. He raised his arms over his head and stretched.
It’s dangerous. That was the understatement of the century. Every time Leo stepped out the door, I worried if he would be coming home at all.
“It’s only dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. What Marco was doing before was dumb and dangerous. He’s damn lucky he didn’t get himself killed.”
I flipped over my eggs with the spatula in one hand and tossed the notepad on the counter. He only does what he sees his uncle doing, I scrawled out on the paper. I held it up as I slid my eggs out of the pan onto a plate.
“He doesn’t see me do shit.” Leo picked up his fork and nodded at me. “Are we good to eat now?” I could tell he was annoyed we were having this conversation in front of Slider, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t told Leo before. Marco saw everything Leo had—the cars, houses, money, and women—and he wanted it too.
I waved my hand at him to eat.
“I need to head into the office today. I had planned on being home, but things are going a way that I didn’t expect them to go.”
I nodded and sat down on the stool next to Leo.
“I can stay with Fayth,” Slider volunteered.
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t need a babysitter, although Leo and Slider apparently disagreed.
“Good. I shouldn’t be gone all day.” Leo shoveled in a mouthful of food. “How long are you planning on staying?”
“However long I need to be here. I’m cleared with King to be here.”
What did that mean? I wasn’t sure why Slider was here to begin with, let alone why he would need to stay.
“Good. We’ll talk tonight when I get back.” Leo finished his eggs in two bites, then took his plate to the sink. “You have my number if you need me.” Leo pressed a kiss to the side of my head and whispered, “I’ll be back,” before he disappeared down the hallway, and I was left alone with Slider.
I glanced over at him, and he leisurely drank his coffee. This was where things were going to get awkward. Slider was going to find out how it was to be with a person who couldn’t talk. I spotted my pad of paper over by the stove and wished I had brought it over with me. “Don’t look so scared, Fayth.”
I looked scared? I was more unsure than scared. I had no idea what was going to happen next. Before I had gotten shot, Slider and I tolerated each other, knowing we were stuck. I never disliked him, I was just so lost in my own head, I couldn’t process what Slider was to me. One day, I hated living in Rockton, and the next, I never wanted to leave. Leo had been going crazy trying to figure out what I wanted, and then, the day I had been shot, I was on the “get me the hell out of here,” kick. Now, being back home, all wanted to do was go back to Rockton.
“You have any plans for today?”
I couldn’t help but silently laugh, which just looked like a crazy smile on my face. I left my room today; that was a big accomplishment. I shook my head and cut up my eggs.
“Any friends you wanna go visit?”
Friends? That was another laugh. The only reason women were nice to me was to get closer to Leo. I had learned early on I was just a pawn to get to him. Now, I just kept to myself. I shook my head no.
Slider got up, grabbed my pad of paper, and slid it over to me. “This will make things a hell of a lot easier.” He set the pen next to it and sat back down. “Now, what do you want to do today?”
Even with the pad of paper next to me, I still had no idea what I wanted to do. I shrugged and continued to eat. Slider was going to be bored as hell with me here all day.
“Well, I can’t sit around the house all day, Fayth, so we need to find something to do.”
Slider would be gone by tonight.
“What did you normally do when you were here?” he asked and sipped on his coffee. He had finished all his food and had pushed his plate back.
I grabbed the pad of pap
er. Housework. Cook. Shop. When put on paper, I had lived a shallow life.
“Well, all of that shit is off the table for today. I don’t clean and cook, and the only shopping that I do is for Harley shit. We could go find the nearest Harley store.”
I rolled my eyes. No.
“Well, then what do you suggest, Fayth?”
I tapped the pen against my chin. I thought of the one thing I always liked to do but hated doing it alone. Movies?
“Like the theater?”
I nodded, hopeful he would say yes.
“How about…Harley store, lunch, and then the movies?”
Lunch then movies? I had never been to the Harley store. I wasn’t really someone you would see there.
“Nope. Harley store first. I need some new leathers.”
I’ll stay in the car.
Slider shook his head. “Not happening. Where I go, you go.”
I thought it’s where I go, you go.
“Same thing, Fay. I’m not making the same mistake twice. You wanna go somewhere, I’ll be there with you. I wanna go somewhere, you’re with me. Glue, Fay. Stuck together like fucking glue.”
Mistake?
“I fucked up, Fay, and you can bet your ass that shit is never going to happen again.” Slider grabbed his plate and dumped it in the sink. “I’m gonna grab my bag from the truck. Which way to the bathroom?”
I pointed down the hall then held up two fingers.
“Down there, second door?” he asked. I nodded. “See, we’ll figure this shit out, Fay,” he laughed. Slider headed down the hallway, and I heard the front door open and close.
I looked down at my plate and sighed. What in the hell was going on? I had spoken one word, and I was now suddenly thrown into a completely different path than the one I was destined to go down.
Slider was here, and according to him, we were stuck together like glue.
How long was that going to last, and did I really want it to end?
********
Unraveling Fayth (Devil's Knights Book 8) Page 4
