Cautious (Sequel to Disastrous)

by Montes, E. L.

  Annoyed by his remark, I shut the fridge door, turned around to face him, and leaned against the counter as I snapped open a can of soda. Taking a few sips, I pointed at him. “You’re jealous.”

  Snorting, Jimmie shook his head as he folded the paper. “Trust me. I’m not jealous.”

  “When was the last time you got laid, Bro?”

  He raised a brow and stood from his chair. “That’s none of your fuckin’ business.”

  Laughing once, I nodded. “Yeah, just as I suspected, you’re jealous.”

  “Whatever, man, are you able to still watch Elle tonight?”

  Fuck. I’d forgotten about that. “Yeah man, what happened to that Melissa chick. You know her actual sitter?”

  Jimmie rubbed his palm over his face. “She started college, remember?” Oh that’s right. He did mention that. “I’ve been looking for a new sitter, but it’s fuckin’ hard to trust anyone nowadays.” He pressed his hands down and leaned into the granite counter. “Look, if it’s too much to ask, I can cancel my date with Jessica.”

  Mockingly, I smiled. “Ah, Jessica’s her name, huh?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  After I gulped down the rest of the soda, I tossed the can into the trash. “Nothing man, I just don’t see you as a ‘Jessica’ type.”

  He raised a brow as he straightened his shoulders. I was starting to get under his skin, and as a younger brother, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. “And what type do you see me with?”

  I shrugged. “Fuck if I know.”

  “Whatever, man, are you able to watch Elle or not?”

  “Yeah, that’s cool. Will someone be getting laid tonight?” I wiggled my brows.

  Before he could answer, Mia walked in. “Who’s getting laid tonight?” She asked as she made her way toward us. She was wearing a pair of my pajama bottoms and t-shirt. Although it was loose on her, she managed to make it look completely sexy.

  Jimmie shifted uncomfortably. I laughed at how awkward he felt about the discussion around Mia, and I decided to fuck with him some more. “Jimmie’s going on another date tonight with Jessica.”

  Mia’s smile brightened. She scooted onto one of the stools at the end of the island, facing the both of us. “Ooh, Jessica, huh?”

  I snorted. Jimmie glared at me, and I burst into a full-blown belly-aching laugh. Jimmie tossed his arms in the air. “What’s wrong with the name Jessica?”

  Mia’s eyes switched from my laughing to Jimmie’s concerned expression. “Nothing, it’s a cute name. I knew a Jessica once. She was really sweet.” She shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. “We should all go on a double date.”

  My laughing stopped and I straightened. Jimmie whipped his head in Mia’s direction. “We’ve never been on a double date.” I answered.

  Jimmie nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s awkward. I live with the dick. I rather not hang out with him too.”

  “Fuck you.” I spat out.

  Laughing, Mia ran a hand through her untamed hair and yawned. “Well, maybe a triple date with Megan and Jeremy also. We can go to Club21 to break the ice. Loud music and drinking?”

  Jimmie looked as if he was actually considering the offer, and then he shrugged. “I’ll ask her. Thanks, Mia.” He turned and faced me. Lifting his hand, he flipped the bird. “Take care of my daughter, dickhead.” He sent me a pointed glare, and without another word, he was gone.

  After I shook my head, I went over to Mia. She turned on the stool, wrapped her arms around my waist, and pressed her head against my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair and began massaging her scalp.

  “Mmh, that feels good.”

  Smiling, I continued to massage her, tracing my fingers in circular motions. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starving.” She mumbled.

  Laughing, I made my way down toward her shoulders and began working my magic there. She tossed her head back. Her eyelids fluttered. “Ugh, that feels good. I’m so sore.”

  “I wonder why.” I flashed a grin.

  She shook her head and smiled. “You’re too much.”

  “Well, I’ve heard that too much is a good thing.”

  Mia snorted and arched a brow mockingly. “Well, whoever said that was clearly mistaken.”

  Before I could reply, the doorbell rang. Mia, with a confused expression, tilted her head toward the door. “Were you expecting anyone?”

  “No. I’ll be back. Stay here.” I made my way toward the front door. Of course, Mia couldn’t wait in the kitchen, and she treaded along behind me.

  Without saying a word, I opened the door to find Gio standing on the other end of it. “What are you doing here?” I asked as Mia gripped my bicep and pushed up on her toes to have a better look.

  “We need to talk.” His eyes traced over my shoulder and landed on Mia. Gio’s brows rose with a full-blown smile. “Are you the Mia I’ve heard so much about?”

  Rolling my eyes, I stepped aside so he could enter. Closing the door behind him, I took a quick glance at Mia. “Mia, this is . . . my friend, Gio.”

  Mia roughly ran a hand through her hair then tugged at the t-shirt she wore. “Sorry for my appearance.” Smiling, she reached her hand out to shake his. “Nice to meet you, Gio. I’ve never met any of Marcus’s friends.”

  Smiling, he continued to ogle her. “I see nothing wrong with your appearance.” Mia’s face flushed. What the fuck was that about? At that moment, I felt a surge of jealously rush through me.

  “Gio, you can go into my office right through there while I grab a shirt.” I pointed toward the door. He nodded, waved at Mia again, and then headed toward my office.

  “Mia, come with me.” I gripped her wrist and dragged her toward the stairs. I was angry, even though it wasn’t her fault, but the way he was looking at her and the look she gave back to him filled me with a possessive rage. I had just gotten her back, and I was not going to lose her to anything or anyone. Call me an overbearing, over-protective and over-possessive boyfriend. I don’t give a fuck.

  The thing that bothered me most about the relationship I had with Mia was the jealousy I felt when someone looked at her. I knew men could stare, but the possibility of Mia taking action on it made my every nerve burn with anger.

  Mia trampled behind me and pulled on the grip I held. “Marcus, can you loosen your hold?” I shook away the thoughts and let go of her wrist. Once I entered my room, I pulled open the drawer, removing a shirt. Tossing it on, I turned and Mia was standing a few feet away with a serious expression.

  “Who is he really?” Mia blurted with a demanding tone. Crossing her arms, she dropped a hip. “If he were a friend, you wouldn’t be acting the way you are.”

  “And how is that?”

  She waved a hand up and down the length of me. “Your entire demeanor changed, Marcus. The moment he walked through the door. You seem angry or agitated with something . . . with me even.” Her brows pressed together. “We were fine a few minutes ago. Hell, we’ve been fine for a couple of weeks now. I don’t know.” Mia shook her head and then let out a deep breath. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

  Great. I’m a fucking asshole. Bending my head back, I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the palm of my hands over my face. Mia had her arms wrapped around my waist and her head pressed against my chest before I could register that she had moved from where she was. “Marcus, sometimes I have no clue what goes on in that head of yours. It can be frustrating in so many ways. Either way, I still love you.”

  My arms tugged around her as I pressed my lips on top of her head. “I love you too, Mia.” Fuck, I did. I loved that woman more than she’d ever know. “There’s no need to worry about Gio. He’s an old friend. That’s all.” I kept the fact that Gio was Lou’s nephew hidden because I knew how she felt about Lou, and I truly didn’t want to spark another issue. “Can you go see what Elle wants to eat for dinner, and I’ll take care of Gio?” Mia nodded, squeezed me tightly one last time, and then made her way
toward Elle’s room.

  Gio stood by the oversized mirror toward the right side of my office. His head was tilted as he continued to admire it. He turned and faced me at the sound of the door shutting behind me. “This is an interesting object you have here, Marky. The carving in the frame is quite unique. The mirror stands alone as an art piece.”

  “It’s an original. I had it designed.” I pointed toward the side bar. “Would you like a drink?”

  With a wave of his hand, he gave the mirror one last quick glance and then sat on a chair by my desk. “Nah, I’m good. I’ve cut back on drinking. You should try it. You’ll see a huge difference in your mood swings.”

  I sat behind my desk as I bit down on my tongue before responding, “I don’t have fuckin’ mood swings.” I grew agitated as he laughed at himself. “What did you need to talk about?”

  Gio smiled and leaned into the desk. “The club, we need it.”

  “No. Was that all?”

  Raising a brow, his expression grew serious. “I wasn’t asking, Marky. You haven’t found a suitable place for exchanges, and the shitty ones we’ve been going to are starting to look bad for business.” He leaned back in the chair. “We have an important exchange next month, Marky. We need the space.”

  I folded my hands, leaned into the desk, and stared at him, with all of the possible other places running through my head. Gio was right. None of them were suitable. “I have people in and out of my club all of the time. What if a deal goes wrong? And where do you expect to do these exchanges?”

  “I’ve visited your club a few times now. There’s a separate entrance to the basement. It’s fuckin’ huge too. There’s nothing down there but a few pieces of unused furniture. The entrance is on the left side of the building away from the front entry and the back parking lot. It’s perfect.”

  “Gio, it’s too fuckin’ public. Lou has always wanted to keep his exchanges low-key. Why is he suddenly pushing the issue of doing them at my club?

  Standing, he adjusted his jacket. “I never know why my uncle chooses half the shit he does, but he’s Lou. He can fuckin’ do anything he damn well pleases. With that said, we’re using the club.”

  It was the worst fucking idea Lou had thought of yet. Nothing good would come of it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  MIA

  “Mia, would you come here, sweetheart? I’d like to introduce you to someone.” Theresa shouted from across the room. I raised a finger at her to give me a second and then turned my attention back to the chef.

  “So we’re all clear for the menu tonight?” I asked him.

  The chef nodded, “Yes, ma’am, I have it all under control. I began prepping the hors d’oeuvres for the cocktail hour. I have here. . .” He looked down at the clipboard he held in his hand. “No mushrooms due to allergies. Correct?”

  “Yes, please, no mushrooms. My boyfriend’s niece is highly allergic.”

  “Okay, I’m all set. Hors d’oeuvres are to be served at six this evening and dinner will begin at eight.”

  “Perfect. Thank you so much.” I patted his shoulder then began making my way down the room.

  It was the weekend of Marcus’s thirtieth birthday party, and it also marked three weeks since we’d been back together. It felt as if we’d never left each other’s side. We’d become closer in a way that was much more than just sexual or even a romantic relationship—we had built a friendship as well. He had confided in me and discussed memories or issues he had been struggling with ever since his father’s death. The fact that we had both tragically lost beloved family members had bonded us and allowed us to express feelings that others would not understand.

  “Miss Sullivan,” a voice poked through my thoughts. “Where would you like the equipment set up?” One of the band members asked.

  “There’s a tent set up on the patio. You can put your equipment down in the far right corner.” He nodded and then brushed past as he held an amp in his arms.

  After a few more interruptions, I finally caught up with Theresa. “Mia, this is Leo, the party planner.”

  “Hi, Leo.” I shook his hand. I was happy he had made it and was able to take over from here. We discussed all the plans over the phone the past week, but he was running late today and couldn’t make it until the afternoon. Marcus’s home had been a hellhole the entire day.

  “I’m here now, Mia. You and Theresa can run off and get ready. By the time you’re back, it will be spectacular.”

  “Thank God!” I let out a heavy sigh.

  “Where’s the birthday boy and what time is he expected?”

  I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and checked the time. “Well, he’s out with his brother. Jimmie took him away for a brotherly bonding day. Jimmie will bring him back around six-thirty. That will give plenty of time for people to arrive.”

  “Wonderful. Three hours is plenty of time for me to have it all set up. Everything and everyone is accounted for, so I will take this out of your hands.” He took the clipboard from Theresa.

  Theresa and I eyed each other. It was a relief that we were no longer handling it, but it was also somewhat nerve-wracking handing over all the hard work to someone else. Theresa shrugged and passed the clipboard over.

  “Want a drink? We deserve it.” Theresa said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

  Shrugging, I looked at her and smiled. “Sure, why not?” We both laughed as we headed toward the bar.

  A few martinis later, I was relaxed. Guests would be arriving in a couple of hours, so I began getting ready.

  I showered, put my makeup on, and pinned my hair into a low curled-up bun with tendrils falling from the back. After dressing, I stood in front of the mirror inside of Marcus’s walk-in closet. My black dress was very straightforward with a simple neck line that lay along my collarbone, although the silk fabric hugged my curves and landed mid-thigh. I twirled around to check out the back of the dress, which was the best feature—the dress draped, exposing my skin as the fabric landed on my lower back. The dark grey platform pumps I wore had a bit of sparkle on them, allowing the dress to pop.

  After I finished getting dressed, I made sure Marcus’s room was set up perfectly as well. I had a surprise for him and wanted that night to be special. Last time I had tried to surprise him, everything went wrong, but there was no way I was allowing his birthday to be ruined. Jimmie promised to have him back thirty minutes after the party guests were scheduled to arrive.

  After I was finished, I made my way downstairs.

  I was in complete shock from how quickly Leo had gotten everything set up in the party area. It was beautiful and simple like Marcus. Candles burned on top of the linen-covered tables as twinkling lights sparkled throughout the outdoor tent. Vases of all sorts of shapes and sizes surrounded the inside, full of large flower arrangements. Laughter sounded in the room as guests began to enter. I hadn’t recognized anyone yet. I assumed they were friends of Theresa, rather than family and friends of Marcus. I looked around until I spotted Theresa, who was speaking to an older gentleman. She was dressed in an emerald sleeveless cocktail dress. Her hair dropped down her back in flawless waves. She was absolutely stunning.

  “Mia?” A familiar tone trickled through my mind. Spinning around, I couldn’t help the slight squeal that escaped me when I saw Romeo standing a few feet away, looking more handsome than ever. With a smile, I pulled him into a hug.

  “Romeo, how are you?” I squeezed my arms tightly around him. The last time I saw him was in this very house as he sat in the kitchen with a bruised and bloody face. We pulled away from our embrace. His eyes danced with humor.

  “I’m doing well, Mia. Well, school’s a bitch.” He laughed. “But I’ve been okay. How ’bout you?”

  Grabbing his face, I studied his features. There was a slight scar over his brow where the cut that I had once nursed for him used to be. A slight frown formed on my lips. “I’m doing well.” I brushed a finger over the scar. His eyes averted as his grin fell. I
didn’t want to bring down the moment, so in an upbeat tone, I said, “Well, have you stolen any girl’s heart yet?”

  He burst into a loud laugh. “Nah, no one wants me.”

  “Are you kidding? You’re gorgeous!” Playfully, I lightly nudged his arm. “I’m sure you have tons of girls after you.” He was gorgeous. He was the younger version of Marcus with his dark brown hair, chocolate sparkling eyes, and million-dollar smile. He was surely a heartbreaker.

  “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Mia.” Changing the topic, he looked around the room. “So is this still supposed to be a surprise or has Marcus figured it out?”

  “As far as I know, it’s still a surprise, unless Jimmie spilled the beans while they were out.”

  Romeo raised a brow. “Jimmie and Marcus are hanging out together?”

  “Yeah, I sent them off to have some brotherly bonding. They’re drinking and hanging out.”

  Sucking his teeth, he smiled mockingly. “Yeah, good luck with that. I’m sure by now they’ve gotten into a fist fight and Jimmie ruined the entire surprise.” My expression fell. “Just kidding, Mia. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He laughed. Shaking my head, I gave him one last hug and then went off to find Theresa.

  For the next hour, I was introduced to a decent amount of people. There were a total of fifty guests by the time six-thirty rolled around. The nerves trembled in my stomach as I anticipated Marcus’s arrival. The martinis I’d consumed in the short period of time to calm my nerves were beginning to take effect. Grabbing another drink, I made my way toward the living room and leaned against a wall, observing my surroundings. Several groups were engaged in conversations: one in particular was laughing to a few jokes told by Uncle Marty, another group seemed to be in a serious discussion, while a few of the women sipped on glasses of wine and talked about the latest gossip.

  “Mia?” A deep male’s tone sounded beside me.

  Tilting my head, I stared up at a five-foot-eleven, nicely built man. His gentle light brown eyes met mine. “Hello, I’m sorry. Do I know you?” I felt rude for not knowing who he was, but it was clear that he knew me.