Cautious (Sequel to Disastrous)

by Montes, E. L.

  Jimmie glanced my way and raised a brow. I knew he hated it when I drank, but the waiting game was beginning to bore me, and, even though I shouldn’t have done it, I poured myself another drink. That’s when Lou walked in with his nephew, Giovanni Sorrento. I hadn’t seen Gio in years. Last I’d heard of him, he was involved in a bad deal and skipped town. Now he was suddenly back from out of the blue . . . which only meant Lou was up to no good.

  Lou made his rounds of acknowledgments, while Gio made his way towards me. He looked exactly the same, a younger version of Lou: dark hair, olive skin, and the same cockiness about his persona. Since Lou never had children of his own, he always took care of his nephew like a son. Anyone that fucked with Gio was taken care of, no questions asked.

  He reached his hand out to me with a grin. “Marky, hey how you been?” I took his hand, and he pulled me in for a quick hug.

  “I’m good. How ’bout you? You back for good or just visiting?”

  “Oh, you know, visiting, but it may be permanent.” He laughed. “So I hear you’re settling down now. When will I be able to meet this woman of yours?”

  Buddy walked up beside us and shook Gio’s hand. Then he faced me with a wiseass grin. “He keeps her hidden. I haven’t met her yet, and it’s more like pussy whipped than settled down.”

  Arching a brow at Buddy, I stepped into him. “Shut the fuck up, Buddy! And you’ll never get to meet her, anyways.”

  Buddy’s expression grew cocky. “What’s wrong, Marky? Are you afraid the minute she sets her eyes on me she’ll want to suck my cock instead of yours?” He winked.

  Every fucking thing around me turned red. The sound of others chatting went dead. My chest stilled as my fist clenched. My face burned as I held my breath, afraid that once I blew out air I would attack. It didn’t work. One minute, I was standing in front of Buddy. The next minute, I had gripped him by the neck and had begun pounding his face against the wooden table. I felt someone trying to pull me away, but I continued to smash his face along the surface, grunting with each impact as blood splattered.

  Finally, I was pulled back and pinned down by Jimmie and Vinnie. “Let me the fuck go, now!” I yelled, wrestling to be free.

  Buddy lifted his head from the table as blood gushed out of his nose. He cupped his face with his hands. “What the fuck, Marky! I was joking around with you.”

  “Yeah? Well that’ll fuckin’ teach you that I don’t take jokes very fuckin’ lightly.”

  Everyone immediately turned their heads in the direction of the door that just opened. The maintenance man stood by the doorway with seven angry guys glaring at him. “Ah, um, I got a call that something’s broken?” His voice was shaky.

  “Yeah, his fuckin’ nose!” I huffed out, pointing my head at Buddy.

  Gio shook his head and stared me up and down laughing. “Well, I can see your temper hasn’t changed.” His laughter went louder when Buddy glared at him. “Well, Buddy, Marky may be pussy-whipped, but he ain’t no pussy. Lesson learned.” Gio patted Buddy’s shoulder.

  “Fuck off.” Angrily, Buddy shoved away and stormed out of the room.

  Still pinned to the floor, my body jerked. “Let me go!” After a moment, both Jimmie and Vinnie hesitantly loosened their grip. Jumping up, I straightened my shirt. “What?” I asked, responding to Jimmie’s dubious expression.

  Raising his hands, he shook his head. “Nothing little bro, it’s your show.”

  “Fuck off, Jimmie.”

  “Marky, go clean your fuckin’ face. You have blood all over it, and let’s get this fuckin’ meeting over with, eh?” Lou’s raspy tone pierced through my growing anger. I stared at Lou for a few harsh seconds before sniffing and heading toward the sink.

  After a few minutes, we surrounded the sectional area. I stood and leaned against the glass wall as everyone sat. “Okay, as you all can see, I brought my nephew Gio back for a reason. He’s going to be working on figuring out who the rat is. Marky, don’t worry about it. Just keep doing what you do for me, and Gio will take care of the rat.” I nodded at Lou in response. “As far as the pigs sniffing the warehouses, we have to move to a different location. Marky, we’re doing it here.”

  “No.” I blurted. “We’re not doing exchanges here. I refuse. You should know better than to ask that.”

  “Did I fuckin’ ask?” Lou spat with a tightened jaw. Gio put his hand on Lou’s shoulder.

  “We don’t have a choice, Marky.” Gio chimed in. “Unless you have a better suggestion?”

  “Pick another fuckin’ warehouse, somewhere out of the city, or even a storage unit.”

  “A storage unit don’t sound like a bad idea, boss.” Vinnie mentioned.

  Lou shook his head. “No, too many people go in and out of storage units, and if a deal goes wrong, they’ll hear gunshots. It’s too risky.”

  “We do exchanges at three sometimes two in the morning; storage units are packed during the day. There’s no way we’ll bump into anyone.” Vinnie argued.

  “I fuckin’ said ‘no’ and that’s that. Anybody got a problem with that?” He looked around the room, and when no one responded, he went on, “Your job, Marky, is to come up with a new location for our exchanges by next week. Vinnie, you can help him with that, but no storage units. If you can find a warehouse outside of Boston that’s been secluded for years, I’m in. Other than that, it will be here.”

  “You do understand this is a club, full of people six nights a week?” I clarified.

  Cocking his head, his stare hardened. “Exactly, six nights a week, Marky. Our exchange dates can easily be changed to Sundays.” With that said, he and Gio were gone.

  ***

  After the meeting with Lou and the men, I took care of a few issues regarding inventory at the Club and then headed home. By the time I got into bed, it was close to three in the morning. What a fucking night! Tossing and turning, I couldn’t get comfortable and had trouble falling asleep. My mind drifted back and forth between the night before when Mia and I were standing in the pouring rain as I begged her to take me back, and a few hours before when I found out about all the shit I was going to have to deal with in trying to locate a new spot for Lou’s exchanges.

  I felt physically drained with all of the fucking stress between Mia and me, as well as the whole fucking Lou situation. I wished Mia was lying next to me so I could feel her warm soft skin, kiss her lips, and lose myself in those eyes. She made everything go away, even if it was for a few hours or just a couple of minutes. If it weren’t so early in the morning, I would have called her just to hear her voice. Not able to control myself, I sent her a quick text telling her that I loved her, and to my surprise, she responded immediately.

  Mia (2:58 a.m.): I love u too. Why r u still up?

  Me (2:58 a.m.): Can’t stop thinking of u. The real question is why r u still up?

  Mia (2:59 a.m.): Can’t stop thinking of u.

  My phone rang, and it was her on the other line. “So I guess we’re having the same issue, huh?” I asked.

  “I guess so. Want to talk until we fall asleep? It’s probably our best bet.”

  “Or, I could just go over there, and we can fall asleep together.” I was hoping she’d say yes, because I’d jump in my car within seconds.

  “Mmmh, as tempting as that sounds, I know you, Marcus, and your charming ways, so for now, as we live through our bet, no sleeping in the same room.”

  “Damn it, for a second there, I thought you would cave in.”

  She giggled. Yes, I could fall asleep to that sound! “You should know me better than that, Marcus. I never back down from a bet.”

  “Well, you should know me better too, because I will try everything in my power to force you to back down from your bet.”

  “We shall see. We’ll see each other tomorrow, oh well, a few hours actually. We’re still on for our date at noon?”

  “Of course, we are. I promised my girl a good time.”

  As we talked through the early morn
ing, I didn’t remember falling asleep with the phone pressed between the pillow and my ear. As stressful and as long as my day had been, it didn’t matter. None of it mattered because I was able to hear the sound of her voice, the sound of her breathing, and everything else at that moment just faded away.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  MIA

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  Reaching for my phone, I shut the alarm off. My head felt as if I was recovering from a hangover, but it was from lack of sleep. Yawning, I stretched a little longer than usual, tossed the covers off, and prepared for the day ahead.

  Coffee. I needed coffee. Marcus was going to be there in a few hours, and I wanted to be well energized for the day he had planned for us. As curious as I was about what those plans were, I shoved the thoughts aside and settled on being surprised. After I entered the kitchen, I made a cup of Joe, grabbed a magazine, and nestled into a stool by the island. As I inhaled the freshly brewed coffee, my mind drifted through scenes from the last four months.

  Marcus and I had been through a lot in our relationship. We’d been through more ups and downs than most couples. Despite everything, it all boiled down to the fact that, no matter what happened, I still loved him. Looking back, I realized that we could only grow from our experiences, which would hopefully make us stronger.

  Taking another sip of my coffee, I glanced over the mug and saw Megan walking out of Jeremy’s room. I knew she’d slept in his room the night before, but it was her appearance that had me in shock. Her long, light brown hair was tousled with the I-just-got-fucked-look and the t-shirt she wore wasn’t hers. Megan stood frozen when she took note of me. The both of us stared with puzzled expressions on our faces. Slowly I placed the mug on top of the granite counter, raised a brow, and cleared my throat. “Why are you wearing Jeremy’s shirt?”

  Megan’s lips curved into a mischievous grin as she placed a hand on her hip. “Well, if you must know, we started by making out. Then . . .” She ran her hands up the side of her curves with a slight shimmy to her shoulders.

  She stopped her show at the wave of my hand. “No, please spare me the details. I don’t want specifics. I want to know what’s going on between the two of you. Are you guys dating?”

  Megan laughed, shook her head, and opened the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re just fuckin’.” She stated nonchalantly while pouring herself a drink.

  “Ah, just fuckin’, yeah, that clears it up. How long has this been happening? Last night you didn’t seem to be interested. Meg, you know Jeremy has never been in a committed relationship. I don’t want you to get attached and then—”

  “Please, Mia, we’re just having fun; that’s all it is. Last night I didn’t want you get the wrong impression. I wanted to tell you first, instead of you finding out like this. I know what Jeremy is about. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

  “Okay, but you’re my cousin. He’s my best friend and roommate. The last thing I want is to be stuck between two hurt people that I care for dearly.”

  “Don’t worry. You won’t.” She snatched the magazine, sat on a stool across from me, and began flipping through pages. “So, want do some shopping today?” She asked, still looking at this week’s fashion section. Her quick change of the subject told me that the topic of her and Jeremy was off limits. “I need to find an outfit for this weekend. Ooh, these shoes are cute!” She pointed at a pair of royal blue peep-toe heels.

  “I can’t.” Standing, I padded toward the sink and dumped out the rest of my coffee. “I have a date.”

  “With?”

  Turning, I leaned against the sink and crossed my arms with a smile. “Marcus. He’ll be picking me up soon.”

  She flashed a huge grin. “Good. I’m glad you’re working things out. Honestly if it were me, I would’ve forgiven him the first night he slept in the hallway. Poor guy—you made him sleep four nights out there.” She shook her head while continuing to flip through the magazine.

  “Megan, I had valid reasons for not giving in too soon.” Thinking back on it, my stomach turned when the image of Marcus and Boston Barbie at Club21 played through my head. Then I thought of all the females he may have slept with during our separation.

  “So where are you guys going?” Megan’s voice broke my thoughts.

  Smiling, I uncrossed my arms and made my way toward the bedroom. “Don’t know. It’s a surprise. Want to help me pick out an outfit?”

  With that, Megan jumped off the stool and followed me down the hall. She loved going through my closet.

  For the next couple of hours, I tried on a few outfits as we talked. She filled me in on how she and Jeremy began sleeping with each other. It started a couple of weeks ago with innocent flirting, which led to full-blown crazy sex, as she described. She lit up every time she mentioned his name, which had worried me. Even though she said there was nothing more, I was afraid Megan would get attached and Jeremy would end up hurting her. I’d kill him if he did.

  Standing in front of the mirror, I twirled around to examine my outfit. Since it was chilly out, I settled on a cream cashmere sweater dress, a pair of caramel colored knee-length wedge boots, and a matching thin belt. “You look hot! You are so getting laid tonight.” I laughed once and let Megan in on the entire bet issue. “No you didn’t!” She squealed.

  I nodded as I began to apply my makeup. “Yes, I know it’s going to be hard.” Marcus was so hard to resist, and, God, the way he touched me and the way his lips felt on mine, I just knew it was going to be difficult to push him away.

  “You’re so going to break this bet. Come on, Marcus is hot! And not to mention you guys haven’t slept with each other in what, a month?”

  “It was three weeks, until last night.” I turned and stared at her wide-eyed expression. I bit my bottom lip and blocked the pillow she tossed at me.

  “See! You are not going to be able to resist him. Heck, I wouldn’t.” I arched a brow at her. Shrugging, she continued, “I mean can you blame a girl? But, of course, he’s off limits for me.”

  “For anyone, he’s off limits.” I was never the jealous type, but with Marcus, I was horrible. The thought of his hands touching someone else,or his lips kissing another woman—I shuddered at the image. Shaking the nasty thoughts out my mind, I twirled around. “So what do you think?”

  Waving her fingers, she purred, “Fab, darling, just fab.”

  ***

  After I swung the door open, I studied the gorgeous man standing in front of me. Marcus, with a crooked grin, showed off the adorable dimple I loved so much. His dark hair still damp from a fresh shower and his powerful, luxurious scent weakened my knees. Yeah, it was going to be hard not to jump his bones. I continued to admire him, until I took note of his wardrobe. He was dressed down in jeans, a black t-shirt, boots, and a jacket. “Should I change?” I felt overdressed beside him.

  Marcus’ smile widened. “No, you look perfect, beautiful as always.” He reached in and kissed my forehead.

  “Are you sure, Marcus? I would only be a minute to change into jeans and a top.”

  Grabbing my arm, he tugged me out the door. “No, come on. We have a long day ahead of us.”

  After fastening my seatbelt, I turned to face him in the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?”

  “I told you it’s a surprise.”

  “I know. I’m just excited about the whole dating thing. It’s kind of sexy.”

  Marcus let out a low raspy laugh, leaning in to me. His stare traced from my eyes toward my lips. “Is it now? Will it be sexy enough for you to—”

  “Don’t count on it, DeLuca.” He burst into a full belly laugh. I missed that sound. He quickly kissed my lips and then pulled out of the parking spot. Sighing with contentment, I slumped back onto the headrest and studied his features as he drove.

  “Are you hungry?” He asked.

  “Actually, I am.”

  “Okay, we’ll have lunch first, and then we’ll have fun.” He
winked at me and then focused on the road. My stomach fluttered. I felt like a teenage girl on her first date with the most popular boy in school. I knew it was a cliché thought, but it was my cliché moment. I thought every female was entitled to at least one.

  After thirty minutes, we pulled into a parking lot in the north end of downtown. It was also the neighborhood where Marcus lived: Back Bay on Commonwealth Avenue. His home was absolutely beautiful with the entire original historic structure and a few modern touches.

  We exited the vehicle and strolled down the strip hand in hand, passing by a few restaurants and bars. We settled for a laid-back bar and grill. Marcus ordered a beer, and I ordered a martini as we waited for our meals.

  “I’m sure it’s too early for me to drink.”

  “By all means, Mia, please drink as much as you like. Besides, you get horny when you’re drunk.” He winked.

  With a dramatic gasp, I slapped my hand against my chest. “Are you saying that you would take advantage of me while drunk?”

  “Yes, I most definitely would.” Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. “Nah, I’m kidding.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Alright, maybe a little.” We both burst out laughing.

  After we ate our lunch, we decided to go for a long walk before he took me to the surprise spot. It was a little chilly out, but still a beautiful afternoon. We continued to joke around, flirt, and laugh. It was fun and nice to have that innocent moment for a change. No thoughts of all the issues we needed to work on crossed my mind. I wanted that moment to last forever. I loved seeing Marcus like that. It was the side of him that made me fall in love with him in the first place.