Maneuver_Men of Inked_Southside

by Chelle Bliss

  “Besides, if you leave now, Betty will track you down.”

  “She will?” she whispers as her eyes grow wider.

  “She’s been known to do crazier shit.”

  She lets out a nervous laugh before glancing around the empty bar. “Where is everyone?”

  “We’re closed on Sunday afternoons. It’s Gallo time until eight when we reopen again.”

  “It looks so different in the daylight.”

  “Not as scary?” I try to make light of the situation. I know the other night she was practically shaking in her shoes when she walked through the front door of Hook & Hustle.

  “Definitely not as scary.” She rests her head on my chest like she’s done it a million times before. I have to remind myself she isn’t mine—well, not yet, at least.

  Last night, we flirted. I knew she wanted to kiss me more than once, but I was trying to play it cool with her. And that had never been my thing. I’d forced myself to give her space, but it was almost like torture.

  I had the worst night’s sleep in my entire life. Every time I heard Delilah walking across the floor or Lulu crying, I wanted to run upstairs to see if they were okay. Somehow, I stopped myself from doing just that because the last thing I wanted to do was scare her away.

  Especially after the things she told me about her family. It was awful. They are awful. There hasn’t been one person in her life she could depend on. I didn’t want to be added to the ever-growing list of assholes who’d fucked up her life.

  “Lucio,” she says as she turns her face upward, piercing my heart with her baby blue eyes. “I…”

  I know shit is about to get heavy, and whatever she is going to say is something I’m not sure I am ready to hear. “We better get upstairs. We’re already late.”

  She nods and drops whatever she was about to say. I reluctantly release her from my grip, letting her walk ahead of me up the stairs. I can’t help but stare at her perfectly round ass and the way her hips sway as she slowly walks in front of me.

  Delilah’s foot doesn’t even land on the top step when the door flies open. My ma looks down at us with the biggest smile. “Finally,” Ma says, holding out her arms and motioning for the baby. “Let me see that angel.”

  Without hesitation, Delilah hands Lulu over to my mother. “Jesus,” Delilah whispers when she gets her first full look at everyone busy setting the table and preparing the food. “This is a small army.”

  Sometimes, I forget not everyone has a big family like mine. “You saw almost everyone yesterday, but I never formally introduced you.”

  “It was kind of hectic,” she snorts and somehow makes the noise sound adorable.

  “That’s Vinnie. He’s the baby.” I tick my head toward my little brother who is standing in the kitchen and the only one not helping with dinner.

  “Yo,” he calls out, barely looking up from his cell phone.

  “Hey.” Delilah gives him a small wave, but Vinnie is too busy to even notice or wave back.

  “He’s an asshole and thinks he’s God’s gift to women,” I tell her because there’s no better way to describe my little brother.

  “Must be genetic,” she mumbles and starts to giggle, getting in her small little dig about me.

  “I’m God’s gift to everyone,” Vinnie corrects without making eye contact.

  Daphne rounds the kitchen counter, walking toward us. I know Delilah was most nervous about seeing her because, let’s face it, my sister can be a complete bitch. “Hey. I’m so sorry about the other night.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Delilah says and shakes her head.

  Daphne grabs Delilah, pulling her into a giant hug. “You got to understand. We get a bunch of assholes who wander into the bar all the time asking for shit. You’ll see. It was nothing against you.” Delilah doesn’t hug her back immediately, but Daphne isn’t letting her go. My sister is relentless in everything, including her hugs. “I was in a shit mood, and I wasn’t feeling overly friendly. Please forgive me.”

  “It’s okay, Daphne. I do understand,” Delilah says, finally putting her arm around Daphne. Maybe Delilah knows she isn’t getting out of my sister’s grasp without accepting the apology and hugging her back.

  “I swear I’ll make it up to you. We’ll have a girls’ night.”

  Delilah glances back at me, looking for a rescue, but I have nothing to give. My sister is a pit bull, and I’m not about to get into an argument over a girls’ night out. “We’ll see. I don’t go out anymore. Lulu takes all my time.”

  Daphne waves her hand in my direction as she finally releases Delilah. “Lucio can babysit,” she offers without even asking me first.

  “I couldn’t ask him to do that.”

  “We’re not asking,” Daphne laughs. “He’d be happy to do it.”

  “I’ll watch the tiny squirt any time. Everyone needs to blow off a little steam every now and then,” I tell Delilah without even thinking about it because I like seeing her happy.

  Plus, she could use a friend, especially someone like my sister. I haven’t heard Delilah mention one girlfriend she could count on, and there is no one quite like Daphne. She’d happily kick any guy in the balls without a second thought. My brothers and I probably did too good of a job preparing her for the onslaught of men we knew would go after her as she grew up.

  Delilah turns to face me, holding her chest. “You’d do that?” she stammers.

  “Of course.” I’d rather stay in and entertain her, but I keep that shit to myself.

  Delilah lunges forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Thank you, Lucio,” she whispers, standing on her tiptoes with her mouth so close I could’ve kissed her.

  I hug her back, enjoying the way she feels in my arms. Even with her mouth almost touching mine, I don’t kiss her. Daphne is too busy staring at the two of us, and I don’t want our first kiss to be in front of my entire family, especially Daphne.

  “Come on.” Daphne grabs Delilah’s hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”

  “Go,” I tell her when Delilah hesitates, looking to me for permission.

  “You’re whipped already, huh?” Angelo, my oldest brother, says as soon as the girls are across the room and out of earshot.

  “I think so,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck, unable to take my eyes off Delilah. “I know I don’t want anyone else touching her.”

  “Then claim her,” he tells me, like it is the most natural thing in the world.

  “Dude, she’s not a prize.”

  “The way you’re looking at her, I’d say she is.”

  His words render me speechless. I’ve never really looked at someone the way I look at Delilah. That much is true, but I’ve never really had a girlfriend either. I am more a play-the-field type of guy. Not because I am a playboy or an asshole, but I saw my father struggle to stay faithful for so long, I was scared I had some of him in me.

  “She’s got a kid, man.”

  “What’s your point? I’m sure you’ve slept with other mothers.”

  I don’t want to tell him I don’t even really know because I’ve never bothered to get to know them well enough to find out. “Yeah, probably.”

  Angelo places his hand on my shoulder, doing the big brother crap. “Well, I think your whoring days are numbered, little brother.”

  I blow out a long breath, knowing what he said is probably true. “Fuck, this could be bad.”

  Angelo laughs, squeezing my shoulder rougher this time. “Might be the best damn thing ever to happen to you.”

  “Says the unattached guy,” I mumble.

  “I think Pop fucked you up in a way. We’re all scared of commitment because of the way he was when we were kids, but he’s not that man anymore, and neither are we.”

  “It’s hard to be a cheater from behind bars,” I remind Angelo.

  “He stopped a long time ago. I think he was scared Ma was going to kill him in his sleep if he kept up with his bullshi
t.”

  “He finally wised up, and I have no doubt Betty could’ve offed him.”

  “Johnny probably would’ve done it for her,” Angelo says.

  “The man has never gotten over her picking Dad instead of him,” I agree as I glance at my mother, who is still holding Lulu.

  Angelo steps in front of me, blocking my view to make sure he has my undivided attention. “If you like this chick, make her yours.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  Is it really that simple? Life is already going to be complicated. With Delilah living above me, working at my bar, nothing is going to be easy. Our lives are about to become so intertwined I’m not sure if a relationship is the smartest route, but then again, I’ve never been known for making the best decisions.

  The one thing I know for sure is I want Delilah. In the short amount of time she’s been in my life, I haven’t thought about anyone or anything else. Nothing seems to matter except for her and Lulu.

  I want them safe.

  I want them happy.

  I want them with me.

  “I see the war going on inside that head of yours.” Angelo nudges me as I space out. “Stop thinking and just do it already. If you don’t, I will.”

  “You’re a bastard,” I hiss, knowing he’s pushing my buttons and it’s working.

  He laughs and slaps my back. “I’m a motivator.”

  “A fucker, maybe.”

  “Careful or I’ll be a mother fucker.”

  I hate him.

  9

  Delilah

  The Gallos are nothing like my family.

  Growing up, dinner was always a silent affair with only the adults allowed to speak to one another. When I finished the food on my plate, I had to remain seated, waiting for my parents to finish eating before being excused.

  Lucio’s family is the exact opposite. They don’t stop talking. Not only that, more than one person talks at a time, making it almost impossible for me to follow any single conversation. I spend most of the time trying to memorize everyone’s names and details because trying to talk is useless.

  I asked Lucio to tell me about his siblings before we came to his mother’s house. When they dropped everything off yesterday, I was too in shock to process anything. Plus, they came and left so quickly, I barely got to say hello.

  Angelo, the oldest brother, is just as tall as Lucio, not as freakishly large, but not small by any means. His eyes are a beautiful shade of ice blue, popping against his olive skin and dark hair. He seems to be more serious than everyone else, but maybe because of everything he’s been through, especially losing his wife and being a single parent.

  Vinnie, the youngest Gallo brother, is super cocky and probably a lady-killer. He is the golden boy and star quarterback, winning the state championship three years in a row in high school. Although he is a part owner of the bar, he is gone most of the year but sometimes comes home on weekends. He’s just as handsome as his brothers, but he still has a boyish quality which makes him appear to be innocent when he is the furthest thing from it.

  Daphne is two years older than Vinnie. She is pretty straightforward, speaks her mind, and doesn’t take shit from very many people. She either likes you or she doesn’t, and she makes her feelings very clear.

  “What do you think, Dee?” Daphne asks, but I am so lost, I have no idea what she wants my opinion about. She’s staring at me, and I shift in my seat, feeling the weight of her gaze.

  “Sure,” I say because I don’t want to seem like I’m not paying attention. Hell, I am paying as much attention as I possibly can to every conversation around the table and failing miserably.

  “Yeah?” She looks shocked, and I know I’m in trouble.

  When Lucio turns to me with his eyebrows almost to his hairline and asks, “You really want to do that?” I pretty much know I’m fucked.

  I look at her and then back to him. “What am I missing?”

  “A whole lotta skin,” Daphne replies with a wicked smile, pretending to spank the air with her palm. “And muscles for days, girl. Dat ass, though.”

  “I think she has to work,” Lucio says, rescuing me even though I didn’t ask him for help from something that doesn’t sound like all that much fun.

  Strippers used to be fun before I had Lulu. But now the very thought of a bunch of gyrating, naked men doesn’t seem as interesting or exciting as a nap, due to my current state of exhaustion.

  “Yeah. I heard the boss is a real prick too,” I add, giving Lucio a sideways glance as I bounce Lulu on my lap and try to be funny.

  I should’ve been pissed he answered on my behalf, but I’m not. Sitting around, getting drunk, and watching half-naked men doesn’t sound like as much fun as a quiet evening at home alone with Lucio. But I know I am being delusional. The dancers and Lucio have one thing in common…they aren’t the type to settle down with a single mother.

  “He totally is,” Daphne laughs. “But the other boss, the more beautiful one”—she points to herself—“says you can have the night off.”

  Somewhere along the way, Daphne and I became total BFFs. The woman behind the bar is nothing like the one sitting across the table from me now. Maybe there’s a work version of her which is tough as nails and takes no bullshit. Daphne Gallo at her mother’s dinner table is sweet as pie. Either that, or she’s trying to get me into a world of trouble.

  “She has a baby to take care of,” Lucio tells Daphne like I’m not even in the room, let alone sitting next to him.

  “I’m sure Ma will watch Lulu,” Daphne shoots back before staring at her mother, waiting.

  I think all hope is lost for a second, but then Betty speaks.

  “Although I love Lulu already, I’m busy next Saturday.”

  Everybody in the room goes silent, turning toward her with their mouths hanging open. It’s the first time since I walked through the door there’s not a single sound.

  Vinnie shakes his head like he can’t believe the words that just came out of her mouth. “What the hell are you doing Saturday, Ma? You never go out on the weekend,” he asks, finally laying down his phone next to his dinner plate.

  Betty stabs at the chicken on her plate, pretending she doesn’t hear the question, but she doesn’t look at anyone either.

  “Ma.” Angelo taps on the table in front of her. “Where are you going on Saturday?”

  “I have plans,” she says between bites.

  “Plans?” Daphne cocks one perfectly plucked eyebrow and leans back in her chair, staring in her mother’s direction. “You never have plans.”

  “I have a life too, honey.” The features on Betty’s face tighten suddenly. “Drop it. End of discussion. I can’t watch the baby. Delilah will just have to stay home.”

  Why do I get the sneaking suspicion Betty doesn’t have a damn thing to do next weekend? I remember the words she said to Lucio. She seems to want to push us together, and so far, it’s worked.

  “Fine,” Daphne sighs and tosses her napkin on her plate.

  “Thanks for asking me to go. It means a lot to me.” I try not to seem overly happy I can’t go, even though I am relieved.

  “You’re welcome.” Daphne smiles, sitting up a little straighter and pushing her long brown hair behind her shoulder. “We’ll do it another weekend.”

  The momentary silence evaporates, and everyone starts talking again, but no one presses Betty any further.

  “So, Delilah, do you have any waitressing experience?” Angelo asks from the other end of the table.

  I glance down at Lulu’s smiling face and think about lying for a second, but I know he’d be able to tell as soon as I started on the job. “I don’t. Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine.” He waves me off and almost cracks a smile. “I’d be more than happy to show you the ropes.”

  I peer up at Lucio as he sits next to me, but he is staring at his brother, paying no attention to me at all. “I’ll be training Delilah,” Lucio states quickly.

&nb
sp; “If you think you can handle it,” Angelo says with a small smirk and returns his brother’s stare. “I know how much you hate training new employees.”

  Lucio’s eyes narrow, and he still doesn’t look at me. “We haven’t had a new employee in four years.”

  “Dudes,” Vinnie interrupts and points at himself with his thumbs. “I’ll train the new chick.” He winks in my direction and is immediately smacked in the chest with the back of Angelo’s hand.

  Part of me wants to laugh because Vinnie is adorable, but Jesus, the way Angelo and Lucio are glaring at each other, I am ready to duck for cover.

  “I don’t want to be any trouble,” I say softly as an uneasy feeling settles deep in my stomach.

  Without looking down at me, Lucio places his hand on top of mine. “It won’t be any trouble. I want to train you.”

  “I’m sure you want more than that,” Vinnie whispers under his breath and is again met with the back of Angelo’s hand, but this time a little harder.

  “Delilah.” Betty breaks the awkward silence and changes the subject pretty quickly. “Want to take Lulu for a walk with me?”

  Just as quickly as Lucio placed his hand on top of mine, it’s gone.

  “Sure,” I say and try to hide the sadness from my voice.

  “The kids can clean up.” She smiles as the kids grumble. “I usually take Angelo’s kids for a walk after dinner, but they’re with their other grandparents.”

  “That’s so sweet.” Neither of my parents has ever taken Lulu for a walk. My father barely held Lulu, and my mother still hasn’t bothered to see her once. “They must love that.”

  I am envious of the people around this table. I would’ve given up growing up with money if it meant I’d have half the support system they do. All the money in the world means nothing without love. I know that firsthand after my parents pawned me off on nannies and boarding school as I grew older. Even when they were physically present in my life, they weren’t truly there.

  “Lucio, can you get the stroller for us?” his mother asks him.

  Lucio stands with me, finally making eye contact. “Want me to come?” he asks.