“Stressful.”
“I guess it can be.”
“What about this hot stone facial followed by a firming vitamin C mask? It’s very relaxing. Luisa includes a hand, neck, and shoulder massage as well, which is a great way to finish a treatment.”
He sat up, reading what Bella pointed at. “Sure.”
“Great.” She circled the selection with the pen. “I’ll also suggest the back facial. Basically, she’ll be in heaven for close to two hours.” She added an asterisk by the follow-up treatment.
“That’s what you recommend, huh?” He held her gaze, scrutinizing.
“I do,” she assured with a decisive nod. “My own clients love both options.”
“I’ll take your word for it, Beautiful Bella from Los Angeles, especially since you’re Italian. That counts around here in Bensonhurst.”
She sat up straighter, tucking loose strands of hair that had long since fallen free from her updo behind her ear. “I’m afraid I’m not Italian.”
He frowned. “You look like you got Italian in your blood to me.”
She shook her head apologetically. “Both of my parents are of English descent, but that doesn’t mean something didn’t sneak in somewhere.”
He laughed, a big bold sound as he threw his head back. “We’ll go with that.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders, affectionately tugging her against him. “Italian that snuck in there somewhere. You’re all right, Beautiful Bella.”
“Thank you.” Chuckling, she slid him the piece of paper. “This is for you. If you tell Luisa to set you up with a gift card, Carissa will thank you a million times over. And Luisa too.”
He nodded, folding it and tucking it in his pocket. “Should we go back into the chaos?”
“Sure.”
They stood and started toward the front door as Dino came out, popping a fat cigar in his mouth.
“Jesus, Dino.” Matty shook his head with a pained look on his face. “Why you gonna light that thing up?”
“I’m going to go sit on over there at the table and give it a smoke—enjoy a little peace and quiet.”
“Looks like a dick.” Matty shook his head again. “Never understood why anyone would want to smoke something that looks like a dick.”
Bella struggled to suppress a laugh when Dino swore and tossed the cigar in the trash as she and Matty walked back inside.
“There you are.” Luisa took Bella’s hand. “You wanna help me behind the desk again? I’m getting swamped.”
“Absolutely. Success looks good on you, friend.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Luisa kissed her cheek. “How about you give up your space in LA and come work with me?”
She smiled. “Aren’t you sweet to offer.”
“I’m only half joking.”
Bella thought of Reed and her life in Los Angeles. “I would miss my palm trees.”
“I guess I’ll have to use you while I’ve got you.” She pulled on her hand. “Come on.”
~~~~
Reed sang along with the music playing on Bella’s stereo, absently mumbling the lyrics more than enunciating the words as he focused on the task at hand. He grabbed the last sack of groceries off the floor and snagged a box from the environmentally friendly shopping bag, setting the package on the counter when he realized it was tampons—not food.
He’d spotted the item on the small list Bella had running on the fridge and took a chance with the selection, fairly certain this was the brand he’d seen under the sink upstairs. The whole absorbency and flow thing had thrown him for a bit of a loop, so he’d settled for the variety pack, figuring Bella would end up with what she needed one way or the other. Typically he was happy to leave lady business to the ladies. He’d never bought a woman feminine products before. Apparently, there truly was a first time for everything.
He’d guessed on a couple of other items too—creamy peanut butter versus crunchy and organic low-fat yogurt instead of regular. Bella didn’t seem like the crunchy peanut butter type, and in his mind it was logical to go with the organic option until he knew otherwise, but he was starting to learn what she liked.
He picked up the cans of black beans and opened the cupboard, staring at his protein powder sitting next to Bella’s cereal, then glanced over his shoulder at the basket of dirty clothes in need of a wash—a combination of his stuff and hers. For the most part, he and Bella were cohabitating. Occasionally, he went back to his place for another outfit, but more and more of his things were becoming mixed up with hers. The sudden realization that he was pretty much living with a woman should have freaked him the hell out, but as he looked at Lucy snoring on her dog bed in the late afternoon light, he smiled.
A year ago, he never would have fathomed himself here. For so long, he’d been ruled by anger and his need for revenge. Then Bella walked into his life and changed everything, lighting up his entire world. For now, all of this was his: the sweet, gorgeous woman, the adorable dog, a cozy home, friends, and a job that wasn’t half-bad. It was still early stages where he and Bella were concerned, but he was pretty sure he was planning on keeping her—keeping it all.
Not even New York was turning out to be a problem. Admittedly, he’d had a few bad moments when he feared her trip might somehow drive a wedge between them, but everything was working out fine. Bella was helping Luisa; it truly was that simple.
He grinned, thinking of how she spared him no detail of her adventure every time she called. Thursday and Friday night, they’d talked for a good two or three hours, sharing the events of their days. And this morning when his phone rang at four, she’d bubbled with nervous excitement, chattering on about this afternoon’s big event. He imagined he should have been annoyed with the interruption to his sleep, but he’d been too happy to hear her voice to care. Ideally, she would be checking in again soon. And tomorrow she was coming home.
His phone on the counter dinged with a text, and he chuckled. “How about that? I bet this is her right now.”
Lucy opened one eye and closed it again.
His smile disappeared when he glanced at the screen. Joey. They hadn’t spoken in over a week. Reed had never bothered to call his ex-partner back after their disagreement. He wasn’t entirely interested in what Joey had to say, particularly where Bella was concerned.
Take a look at your email when you have a chance.
Clenching his jaw, he steamed out a long breath, mostly certain he didn’t want to. “Shit,” he muttered, opening his laptop and shoving his hand through his hair as he turned away. “Shit,” he repeated and whirled back, knowing it was better just to get it over with. He clicked over to his inbox and selected the message from Joey, opening the attachments.
He swallowed, staring at Bella sitting at a sidewalk table with Mateo “Matty” Caparelli, grinning at him as he grinned at her. His heart pounded as his gaze trailed over her hair pulled back in a sexy twist and the flirty white dress Reed had watched her pack three nights ago, trying to believe what he was seeing.
Clicking on the next series of images, he watched a sickening scene play out through Joey’s rapid-shot photography: Bella writing something down as she spoke with her cousin, laughing and smiling the entire time before she handed off a piece of paper for Matty to shove in his pocket.
“Damn you,” he mumbled, his stomach roiling as he stopped on the last picture: Bella, Matty Caparelli, and Dino Asante all huddled up together outside Body Bliss’s grand opening. There was no distress on her face; Bella seemed perfectly comfortable—totally at ease as she stood among ruthless killers. Just part of the family. And that’s what made this all the viler: they were her family, and he’d fallen for it, deluding himself with the notion that none of it had mattered.
His phone rang, and he answered before the first note ended on Joey’s obnoxious ringtone. “Yeah.”
“Did you get it?”
“Yeah,” he said again.
“She’s been making calls to Reseda every day too—right before she
calls you, she calls her dad. I’m sorry, man.”
He wanted there to be another explanation. He needed for there to be, but the truth was staring him right in the face. “Got it.” He hung up and slammed the laptop closed, his breath heaving as he looked from the laundry basket to the tampons on the counter, picking them up and chucking them across the room. “Fuck!” It was all a lie. The life he wanted so badly had never existed in the first place. “Fuck it all!”
Lucy rolled over and stood, whining as she gave a cautious wag of her tail.
“I’ll be back later.” He left Bella’s dog staring after him as he grabbed his helmet and went outside, getting on his Ducati, needing a ride to clear his head.
He gunned it out of the neighborhood and started up the coast, trying to figure out what in the hell he was supposed to do next.
Chapter Twenty
Bella sat in the small diner situated in the same plaza as her hotel, listening to the deep rumble of massive jets taking off and descending for their arrival at JFK International. Early tomorrow morning, she would be on one of those planes, heading back to California. And she couldn’t wait. It had been fun exploring New York City and seeing Luisa again, but all she wanted was to get home to Lucy and Reed. Knowing that they were waiting for her back at the condo made her smile as she calculated her waitress’s tip for the grilled chicken salad she’d ordered for her evening meal.
She sighed her contentment as she signed her name to the credit card slip, then glanced at her phone, trying to decide whether she should cave and call Reed right now or wait twenty minutes until she was in her pajamas and snuggled up in her temporary bed. Now was definitely as good a time as any.
She stood from her booth, far more comfortable in the blouse, blue jeans, and heel combination she’d changed into after the party, and grabbed her purse, hooking it over her shoulder, city-style, as she started toward the exit. As she reached up to push open the door, she stopped, doing a double take when she spotted the bearded linebacker-sized man sitting at a corner table.
Their eyes met, and he smiled politely, sending her a quick nod as he looked back at his newspaper.
“Joey,” she said quietly, certain the stranger tucked in the dimly lit space couldn’t possibly be Reed’s buddy, but she skirted her way around several tables, stopping in front of his. “Excuse me.”
He looked up.
She grinned, positive that this guy was indeed Reed’s former partner. “You’re Joey, right?”
He frowned.
She shook her head, realizing he had to think she was some sort of stalker nut job. “I’m Bella Colby, Reed McKinley’s girlfriend.”
“Reed?”
She nodded. “I’ve seen your picture on his cell phone. You have the ‘Sexy and I Know It’ ringtone.”
A smile lit up his surprisingly handsome face. “Well, whad’ya know.” He held out his hand. “Bella, I’m Joey Holmes.”
She laughed her delight as she shook his big hand. “Reed is never going to believe this. I can’t believe this.”
“You’re tellin’ me. Small world.”
“It really is.”
“How about a seat?” He gestured to the empty chair across from him.
“Are you sure I’m not interrupting?”
“Are you kidding? You’re Reed’s girl. Sit.”
“Thank you.” She made herself comfortable, setting her purse on the table.
“Can I buy you something to eat? Maybe get you something to drink?”
“Oh, no, thank you,” she said, pressing her hand to her full stomach. “I just finished my dinner.”
He leaned back in his seat, crossing his huge arms—a gesture so similar to one of Reed’s, she found herself smiling again. “You Los Angeles bound?”
She nodded. “Tomorrow morning. How about you? Are you flying in or out?”
“In. I had some business to take care of out west. Thought I’d have a bite to eat before I try to get through all of the fuckin’ traffic.” He winced. “Sorry about that.”
“That’s fine.” She touched his arm, wanting him to be at ease as they got to know each other. “I’m still shocked that this is really happening. I feel like I should call Reed right now. He’s bound to think I made the whole thing up.”
He chuckled. “You talk to him today?”
“Early this morning.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and wrinkled her nose. “I kind of called him at four.”
He sent her a grin. “Reed’s called me plenty of times after midnight. We’ll consider it karma. She always has a way of paying people back.”
Bella laughed. “Yes, she does.”
Joey sat further forward, lacing his fingers on the table. “So what brought you out this way—business or pleasure?”
“Both. I was helping my friend open her new medical spa over in Brooklyn—Body Bliss.” She pulled out one of Luisa’s business cards. “If you’re ever down in the Bensonhurst area, you should check it out.”
Joey took the card, tracing his thumb around the edges. “Body Bliss. Not sure that sounds like my kinda place.”
She grinned. “You might be surprised. Luisa just hired an amazing massage therapist. She gave me a quick shoulder rub this afternoon.” She rolled her eyes, groaning with the memory. “Pure heaven.”
He picked up his coffee. “You know, Reed told me you were a beauty—and very kind.”
Her heart melted a little. “Thank you.”
The waitress brought a water over for Bella.
“Thank you,” she said again.
“I was thinking about a piece of pie.” He pointed to the cherry a la mode on the stand-up menu sandwiched between the ketchup and sugar packets. “I really can’t interest you in some dessert?”
“I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
“You sure? Cause then I can tell Mad Dog I had dinner with his girl. Might make him jealous,” he said with a wink.
She felt her brow wing up. “Mad Dog?”
“Hell, yeah. Mad Dog McKinley. He was like a damn bulldog when we were on a case—didn’t stop until he had all the answers. Nothing got in his way.”
Why did his words feel like they had some sort of double meaning? “You two worked undercover together.”
He nodded. “For seven years. We were beat cops together for three years before that.”
“It’s nice that you keep in touch.”
“Reed’s very important to me. He’s family.”
She nodded, trying to figure out if she’d just imagined the sudden edge inflecting his tone. “I know he feels the same way about you.” She touched his arm again, hoping to put him at ease. It was sweet that he cared so deeply for Reed. She liked him all the better for his protective streak. “He’s lucky to have such a good friend.”
He gave her fingers a friendly pat before he broke contact by reaching for his coffee. “Reed mentioned something about you having a big-ass dog.”
“Lucy.” She found a selfie Reed had taken of the three of them at the ocean the other night—her snuggled up in his arms while they sat on a blanket in the sand with Lucy by their side. “Here she is.”
Joey took her phone, examining the screen. “Looks like a nice little family.”
She loved that he thought so. “We try to get to the beach as often as we can. It’s kind of our special place. Reed’s a big fan of stopping off for ice cream.”
“He looks happy—happier than I’ve seen him.” Joey handed her back the phone.
She smiled, staring at the picture again as her finger automatically touched Reed’s handsome face. “He’s the best. My life hasn’t been the same since Lucy walked through his front door.” She winced, catching herself being completely sappy. “Sorry.”
“You’re fine. I’ve wanted this for him. He deserves nothing but the best.”
She swallowed, realizing that Joey was staring at her, scrutinizing and measuring despite his relaxed body language and their easy conversation. Sitting up straighter
, she put her phone in her purse, reminding herself that Reed had come off as pretty intense the first time they talked as well. She met his gaze again, smiling, imagining how terrifying it must have been for suspects to meet up with Reed and Joey in an interrogation room. “So, do you think you’ll get out to LA anytime soon?”
“It depends. I’ve got a couple of cases I’m working on. The road to justice can take me anywhere.”
“Well, I hope it leads you to California.”
“You never know.” He sipped his coffee. “Reed tells me you’re in the beauty industry.”
“Skin care. I’m a medical aesthetician. Like my friend Luisa.” She gestured to the business card again.
“Huh. That must be a good business out there with Hollywood and all.”
“I find that people are image-conscious wherever I go. Luisa’s books are full for the next three months, which is really great.”
“And you work at a hospital? I thought Reed said something about that.”
“No. I have my own office. I share space and consult with a dermatologist. I volunteer my services at one of the children’s hospitals.”
“A good lady.”
She shrugged. “I just like helping. The kids go through so much. So do their families. It’s the least I can do.”
Joey’s phone vibrated with a text.
He took it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. “My girlfriend.”
“I bet she’s looking forward to having you home.”
“I’d like to think so.”
She nodded, sensing that their conversation was winding down. “I should probably let you go.”
“I’m hoping the traffic’s died down some.” He reached into his wallet and tossed a few dollars on the table. “Can I give you a ride anywhere?”
“I’m actually staying right here at the hotel.” She stood.
He gained his feet, towering over her. “It was nice to meet you, Bella Colby.” He held out his hand again for another shake.
“I feel like I should hug you.”
He opened his arms. “I’m all for hugging.”
Laughing, she stepped into his embrace.
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 23
