Carrigan flung his door open and stomped toward Vince, pausing only when Angelo got out of the car. “Get your hands off my sister!” Carrigan raged.
Vince’s arms were wrapped around his sweaty treasure. “What did he do to you?” Vince demanded, pulling back to point to her knees.
“Nothing. I just tripped, is all. I just want to go home. Since you’re here, would you mind giving me a lift?”
“Get in, babe. Carrigan O’Keefe!” Vince barked, reaching toward his belt where he kept his gun.
“No!” Fallyn’s hug mutated into a hold, blocking Vince from lunging for Carrigan. His body was already bruised and his rib cracked, but Fallyn had seen that murderous look in his eyes before. She’d seen Vince murder too many times to count. Her voice turned syrupy as she reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, her body pressed to his so he couldn’t jump at Carrigan. “Hey, look at me. Vince, nothing’s wrong. We got in a little argument over who drank the last of the milk, is all. Nothing more than stupid sibling stuff.”
“You’re bleeding!”
Fallyn grimaced. “Oh, that? I tripped over my own two feet. Carrigan wasn’t even near me.” When Vince scoffed and she heard Carrigan’s threats and insults getting louder, she cupped his face with her hands to make sure he was looking right at her. She begged him with her scared eyes not to throw the first punch. “Please, Vince. Please. Just take me home. Help me forget this stupid day.”
It was Vince she pled with, but Angelo she should’ve been watching. Angelo had Carrigan by the throat and was dragging him toward the farm in the distance away from the freeway. “No! No, Angelo! Stop!” She ran with renewed vigor toward Angelo, who had already gotten in two blows to Carrigan’s gut, knocking him to the ground. He wound up for a third, but stopped short when Fallyn threw her body over her brother’s. “I said no!”
“Fallyn, he has to learn.” Angelo warned her with his cocked fist to move away.
Fallyn held up her hand, still shielding Carrigan with her body. “This isn’t helping! Can’t anyone see that? We just had a great weekend together with both families and no fighting. If Killian hears about this, how long do you think our little truce is going to last? You still need my family to help you get your territory back on track. Think long-term, Angelo!”
Angelo’s nostrils flared. “We leave you with Carrigan, and you end up bleeding on the side of the road? Unacceptable!”
“I’ll handle my family. You handle yours. I didn’t go crying to Vince or ask him to come get me. I’m not asking you to fight my battles.” She stood, taking a chance and reaching out to put her hand over Angelo’s ready fist. “I’m asking you to fight harder for peace than your whole eye for an eye vendetta.” She moved closer to Angelo, her heart pounding. “Please. Let him go.”
“I can take Angelo, Fal. Don’t beg him like that.” Carrigan was livid as he finally found the wherewithal to stand, seething at Angelo, who was taller and far stronger.
Fallyn ignored her brother and held Angelo’s hand, leading him away from Carrigan and back toward the freeway.
Nine.
Asthore
Her house was exactly as she’d left it, with the exception of Jen’s magazines lying about on the coffee table in various degrees of decimation. “Starting another art project?”
“Finishing one, actually. How was your vacation?” Jen pointed to the kitchen counter. “Mail’s over there.”
“Thanks for housesitting. Needed to get away, you know?” Jen caught her up on the store, which had not needed Fallyn as badly as she’d worried it would. Loretta was proving herself to be a reliable manager, earning her keep and giving Fallyn the luxury of owning a business that didn’t run her into the ground anymore. Fallyn made plans to adjust her schedule so she only worked thirty hours the next week.
Two months of family dinners with the D’Amatos in their father’s home came and went without incident, and without Carrigan and Fallyn saying one word to each other. Patrick O’Keefe referred to Joey strictly as Jo-Jo, which the youngest Italian boy took with grace. Fallyn worked fewer hours while the business grew. She hired another baker to help Loretta, and still had money left over to stay ahead of her expenses.
She looked forward to the Monday meetings Killian and Vince still held in her shop. They were no longer worried about neutral territory, but chose her store because it was halfway between them and provided a nonstop treatment of coffee and sweets. Fallyn sat next to her brother and sipped her tea while the men talked shop, content to see the two sides getting along so easily.
“The cops actually started clearing out the squatters from the abandoned buildings,” Vince told Killian. “I’m pushing to get the condemned ones demolished so we can get rid of some of the eyesores. Build up property value and keep any addicts from holing up inside.”
“Good plan. Need any help from us on that end?”
“If you feel like talking to the mayor, that’d be nice. I plan on reaching out tomorrow.”
“I can make the call this afternoon, then. Give him a day to think it through before you lean on him.”
“Thanks. That helps. What about you, Little Keefer? Looks like the shop’s doing well.” He motioned to the line that never seemed to get shorter.
“It is. Thanks for asking.” They’d talked for hours about his businesses and hers the day before at their secret spot. It was November, and too cold for swimming, but they weren’t ready to move their weekly escapes from the countryside scenery. They indulged in many hours staring out at the pond they’d skinny dipped in too many times to count. They felt a sentimental attachment to the cozy tree they shared their plans under, and weren’t looking forward to when the snow started falling, chasing them away from their safe place.
Vince sipped his black coffee, keeping his gaze across the table at her professional and polite. “My restaurants are starting to pick up, now that people aren’t so afraid to go out anymore. Less illegal substances around to spend money on means they’re putting their dollars in my businesses, which is never a bad thing. You’ve been doing the desserts for the main La Cucina Italia location, and we sell out almost every night. How would you feel about doing the desserts for the entire chain? That one’s got eight locations.”
Fallyn was taken aback, sitting up straighter at the news he hadn’t brought up yesterday when they were cuddled under their tree. She reached for a response that should’ve been a resounding yes, but felt off to her, though she couldn’t say why in mixed company. “That’s a really generous offer. I’ll have to think about it.”
Vince took in her careful response with surprise. He was leaned back in his chair, feigning ease, but his ice blue eyes darted to her to show his confusion. “Think about it, eh? What’s there to think about?”
“Well, I’d need to hire a person just to fill your orders.”
“You’re not solvent enough for that?” He pointed to the line of customers in disbelief.
“Let me sleep on it.”
Killian eyed his sister and tried to nudge her in the right direction. “It’s a really generous offer, Fal. It’d be steady business through the year. Bakeries have seasons where business dwindles, and this would ensure it stays thriving all year long.”
Fallyn nodded, face serious. “I know all that. I assume the offer won’t expire in my sleep tonight?”
Vince was floored. “Of course not. Take all the time you need.”
When the idea had hit him, Vince had been thrilled that finally there was a way for him to ensure her financial stability. Aside from letting him pay for their cheap diner meals, she didn’t let Vince pay for anything. He’d offered to buy her a new car, since hers was six years old and needed a few minor repairs. She’d waved off his generosity and paid to fix up her older car without entertaining his offer. He’d told her he’d pay off her mortgage, but she laughed so hard, he couldn’t convince her he wasn’t joking. He knew he couldn’t buy her expensive jewelry, clothes or purses, lest her brothers find out
and trace it back to him. He’d bought one piece of jewelry for her, and was waiting for the right moment to give it to her.
With that one piece, everything would change – he wasn’t sure how much turmoil would be mixed in with the joy when that last shoe dropped. He kept the pricey trinket tucked in his pocket, hiding it in plain sight from her brothers just to feel the rush of defiance. That she was hesitating at his great idea to merge businesses in a more permanent way didn’t sit well with him. Though he was certain of their love, there was always the looming threat that one thing or another would prove to be too much for her, sending her over the edge and away from his arms that only ever wanted good things for her.
Carrigan. Vince was sure her hesitance had something to do with the only brother who knew about them. Vince’s fist tightened in his lap as he remained leaned back in his chair. Though her cop brother hadn’t beat on him since that first day he found out, Fallyn had grown cold to the brother she’d once adored. She stopped looking him in the eye, and while Vince could see how much this hurt Carrigan, her brother remained steadfastly against Fallyn’s decision to gamble on a D’Amato. Vince could feel her pulling away in this small act of sleeping on merging their businesses in a more permanent way. His jaw tightened, but he could say nothing with Killian there.
Then she sealed Vince’s fear when she physically pulled away. Fallyn stood, kissing the top of her brother’s head. “I’ll leave you two cowboys to it, then.”
Vince grunted in response and then listened with half an ear to Killian’s ideas on how to get the city on a steadier foot. He kept his eye on the door to the backroom, wishing he had a decent excuse to run after Fallyn. Every day he grew more and more in love with her, seeking out new ways to make her smile and build a life that one day he could fully share with her. Tony oftentimes resented him for it. Joey teased him about it. Angelo was quiet, as his usual stoic demeanor remained, but Vince knew if his cousin did venture an opinion, it would be one of caution. Things were going well with the families and the community, for once. Every day Vince got to be with Fallyn was a day the alliance they’d all worked so hard for might all fall apart.
“I think I’ll make one more pitch to see if that sways the bakery merging with La Cucina Italia,” Vince told Killian after they wrapped up their meeting of the minds.
“Good luck. She’s been real stubborn lately. It’s this new secret guy she’s seeing.”
Vince’s movements were careful. He kept his eyes on the coffee cup that had long since gone cold. “You all really hate that she’s dating someone, huh.”
Killian cracked his knuckles. “Are you kidding me? I told Carrigan to put a tail on her to find out who the guy is, but he said he won’t do it. He’s all for respecting her privacy.” He rolled his eyes, like the idea was ludicrous. “She doesn’t seem to be having problems with the loser, but he’ll show his true colors soon enough.” He shook his head in disgust.
“Then let me ask you a question. I don’t have a sister, so I don’t really get the whole forcing her to live like a nun thing you all seem bent on. Who is good enough for Fallyn?”
Without hesitation or blinking, Killian answered, “A prince.”
Vince chuckled, but then pulled back when he saw Killian wasn’t smiling. “Oh, you’re serious?”
“Very. Preferably an Irish prince. We won’t let her settle.”
“An Irish prince, eh? I thought Ireland had a Prime Minister, not a king.”
Killian shrugged with a slight smile that Vince knew a detail about where their father had immigrated from. “Then I guess no one’s good enough.”
“And you’re sure this new guy is someone who’s not worth her? Even though you’ve never met him.”
Killian nodded without pause. “I’m sure enough. He’d have shown his face by now if he had any balls. We’re stepping back because she’s going through a lot with Dad. He didn’t have as many years with her as we did, so it’s her he forgets most often. She tries to be fine about it, but we all know it breaks her down. Dad’s dementia’s taking a turn.” He motioned to his shoulder. “He took a swing at me this morning. The meds calm him down, but they also make him foggier. It’s a rough tradeoff. So if Fally needs to feel happy for a few months with some lowlife, I guess we can give her at least that.”
Vince stood with Killian, mulling over his words as he kissed the man on either cheek. “See you Saturday night for family dinner.”
The moment Killian left out the front door, Vince ducked behind the counter, smiling to himself that Jen shirked quickly out of the way and avoided eye contact. He was glad to see that just because his neighborhood was getting cleaned up, it did not deter the fear most people regarded him with. He’d worked hard to instill that reverence that was mixed with terror.
Fallyn was icing a hot pink cake with zebra stripes that had a large 16 atop it. “Oh, hey,” she said, her eyes on the cake. Loretta was taking her break, so the fact that Fallyn was holding herself back even though it was just the two of them troubled Vince.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just trying to get this black icing not to bleed. The warmer the bag gets in my hand, the more it looks messy on the cake. I would’ve used fondant, but the birthday girl this is for doesn’t like the taste of it.”
“I’m not asking about the icing. What’s wrong in here?” He pointed to her heart. “I was real excited when I thought up that deal, and you’re acting like I’m trying to rip you off or something. Talk to me.”
Fallyn set the piping bag down on the tray a little too hard, smooshing a line of icing on the base. “I know you’re not trying to rip me off. I know you’re being good to me. I’m just not sure.”
“What aren’t you sure about? We can tailor the arrangement however you want.”
Fallyn met his eyes with her Irish defiance shining through. “Say we start this up. I hire a new person to handle your orders. Maybe two people, depending. Then what happens when the rest of my brothers find out about us? What happens then? They’ll chase you away and I’m left devastated. Then I have to fire my new hire and reconfigure the money that I thought would be coming in, but now isn’t. I don’t want to be left scrambling while my heart’s broken on top of that.”
Vince’s jaw dropped. “You really think they’ll get rid of me so easily? Do you think there’s anything anyone could do that would take me away from you?”
Fallyn moved into the security of his embrace, tucking her head under his chin and inhaling the spicy scent of the cologne she loved. Every breath felt more and more like the home she would always return to. “I’m just enjoying the time I have with you. Taking it day by day. I’m so happy, Vince. I don’t want to think too much about the day you’ll realize I’m not worth the trouble and split. I don’t want to factor that into the business. It’s fine how it is.” Her hand went to his chest, missing the feel of him shirtless. “Besides, I know you’re trying to give me money without giving me money. I see what you’re doing, and you don’t need to.”
Vince pulled back from her so he could see the glow of her heart-shaped face. She was beautiful, each time taking his breath away. “Fallyn, I love you. I’m not afraid of broken teeth, broken taillights or broken bones. Your brothers can do whatever they want. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I want you here with me as long as you’ll have me.” She moved into her office and came out with a small tube of lotion from her purse. “Your hand. I know it’s bothering you from the scuffle the other day.”
“That’s what happens when you miss your target and accidentally punch the concrete.” He rolled his eyes at himself. “That was embarrassing.”
She squeezed out a small amount of lotion and rubbed it into his scuffed-up knuckles, massaging his hand and ignoring his smirk at her pampering. “I like your hands. Be a little more careful with them, okay?”
“Tony still hasn’t stopped laughing at how bad I missed. I think my pride’s hurt worse than my hand, but thanks. After
the massacre, I can’t believe the runners lower on the chain keep coming back.”
“I know you’ll take care of it. You’re good at what you do.” She motioned to his other hand, which bore no ill marks. “Give me the other one.”
“It’s not hurt. You don’t have to do this.”
Fallyn shrugged. “But I want to. I like taking care of you. When was the last time you put lotion on your hands?”
Vince quirked an eyebrow at her, his chiseled jaw twisting into a smirk. “Um, I’m a guy, so never.” His shoulders slumped at the massage she didn’t need to do, but indulged him in anyway. Vince mused that their whole relationship had been a string of indulgences he hadn’t known it had been a crime to live without until he’d been introduced to her sweetness. “You love me,” he stated, constantly amazed it was so.
“I do.” Fallyn leaned up on her toes and kissed him, melting them both.
The brief period he’d been injured made them both appreciate all the more how capable his arms were of holding her, lifting her as they kissed. Every day that passed made Vince stronger, bolder as he leapt past the point of no return, bathing in the love she beamed at him. His life had been duty. He hadn’t known what he’d been missing until he caught sight of the softness of her beauty.
His palms began to sweat as something inside of him pushed him forward like a shove to the back. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. So many things he wanted her to understand without scoffing at the sincerity.
He’d wanted to do this at a nice restaurant or at their secret spot, but he could feel her slipping away. He was sure there was a more perfect time, but as he looked around, he realized in its own way, the bakery was perfect. The pleasant chaos of the kitchen in Sweet Somethings gave him that final push, and he knew there was no turning back.
“This is where I fell in love with you,” he admitted. “You and that crazy caramel sauce.” He kissed her once more, tracing the outline of her face with his thumb. Vince was rarely nervous, but when he slid down onto one knee, he realized his legs and freshly-lotioned hands were shaking.
Escaping: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #2) Page 5
