“Fine, but only on one condition.”
“No.”
Ignoring her response, I continue, “You need to tell the girls how great I am in bed and how I’m bigger than Troy.”
“What if you’re not?” Unable to remain serious, Minka laughs. “Troy can’t dance. Does that make you feel better?”
“Sure does. What kind of shithead can’t dance?”
“A big, dumb blond one.”
“He is dumb, isn’t he?”
“And smelly.”
“And I smell great.”
A laughing Minka inhales my scent and shivers. She’s giving me the horizontal dancing look again.
“Closed for repairs,” I remind her.
Minka nods, but I wonder how long the shop’s doors will remain shut. She’s nearly fucking my leg during the final Sinatra song. I pry myself away from her and grudgingly leave the room before her girl chat starts.
As I look back from the doorway, Minka acts as if she’s measuring something and mouths, “Huge dick.”
My woman knows just the right thing to say.
19
~ Minka ~
Oh, the Feelings!
Kicking Dino out of my hotel room, I promise not to talk shit about him during my video call with the girls. He doesn’t believe me, and he shouldn’t. All I want to do is talk about his naked body and how he makes promises he’ll likely break.
Connecting first, Harlow beams once her camera goes online. She’s so happy to visit her family. I’ve never known the kind of comfort she clearly finds in Ellsberg.
When she comes online, Darla looks confused at first, and I hear Troy bugging her in the background.
“No men allowed,” I remind her.
“He won’t go away.”
Troy leans down next to Darla and stares into the camera. “Guys like gossip too. So what’s up with you and Dino? Walking funny yet?”
Harlow laughs while Darla looks embarrassed that she can’t shake her man for our weekly chat.
“I’m not sharing until Saskia joins us.”
“I’ll wait,” Troy says, walking out of frame.
Darla leans into the camera and whispers, “He wishes he was there with you. There’s nothing going on in Houston.”
Troy’s voice booms from the background. “We’re having a cold snap here, so apparently all other threats don’t matter.”
“You wouldn’t enjoy this assignment, Troy. All we do is eat spaghetti and dodge rednecks.”
“If a redneck kills you, I’ll avenge your death,” Troy says and then adds, “Assuming Darla says it’s okay.”
We all smile at his pussy-whipped comment. Even Saskia is smiling when her face appears, but I think she’s mostly just happy to be retired and in love. I doubt I would smile so much in her position.
“What are we talking about?” she asks.
“Troy is bored and weak.”
“I knew those things. Can we talk about something new?”
Troy glares at Saskia through the camera, but she doesn’t even acknowledge him. No one pisses off Troy like his tiny nemesis.
“I’m sleeping with Dino,” I announce.
“I knew that too. Harlow texted everyone two days ago.”
“What?”
Harlow shrugs. “Rafael said you and Dino hooked up, and I thought the others needed to know. You know, for educational purposes.”
“Uh-huh. Your man is a gossip.”
“Tell us about your man.”
“He likes spaghetti,” Troy announces from somewhere off-screen.
“He’s sweeter than I expected.”
“Sweet how?” Darla asks and the three women lean into the cameras.
“He can be tender is all,” I mutter, self-conscious with them all staring at me.
“Do you think he could work out, or are you just having fun?” Harlow asks.
“He talked me into visiting my mom after this job. He says he’ll come with me. That seems pretty serious. I mean, I’m bound to be a drama queen during the visit. Am I reading too much into that?”
Troy slides a chair next to Darla, who gives him a grumpy side-eye.
“Visiting your mom? Are you nuts?” he asks, horrified. “You’re going to cry so fucking much. That isn’t a sexy trip he’s signing on for.”
“Yeah, I know, assface. I already admitted that before you vomited your opinion at me.”
“Yes, but I didn’t like the way you said it and felt I could do better. As usual, I was right.”
“Since you’re so damn wise, tell me what you think about Dino. Is he too much of a player for me to get wrapped up with?”
“Men change,” Troy says, wrapping an arm around Darla to make his point. “He could be sick of fresh pussy and want your tired one.”
“I’m going to climb through this fucking laptop and cut off one of your balls.”
“Bring it.”
Troy and I smile, but Darla isn’t happy. “This is why I didn’t want you listening in. We can’t talk like girls when you’re around.”
“Minka’s not a girl. She looks like one, and she might have the right parts, but she’s a dude. Trust me.”
“He’s not totally wrong.”
“You’re very feminine,” Darla says, irritated with us both now.
Bowing to Darla’s will, Troy finally leaves the room, but I suspect he’ll be back.
“Dino talks about having kids.”
“Why?” Saskia asks.
“Exactly!” I cry. “What’s that about? Do I have baby-making hips or something?”
Harlow nods. “You’d carry a baby well. I was just saying that the other day on another conference call.”
“You like him,” Darla says, cutting through the bullshit as usual.
“He suits you,” Saskia adds. “The two times I spoke with him, Dino was loud and obnoxious.”
Saskia isn’t teasing me. She thinks I’m loud and obnoxious too, but I won her over much like Dino did with me.
“The thing is, I’m getting attached to him. It’s freaking me out.”
Darla and Harlow do a nearly identical “sympathetic head tilt and sigh” combo. Saskia only stares at the camera as if she’s hoping to hypnotize me through the screen.
“It’s not as if I love him,” I add, and they give me another head nod.
“He’ll likely dump you at the end of the assignment,” Saskia says.
“Why would he?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“I’m awesome. That’s why.”
“Would you really care if it ended?” Saskia asks, refusing to back down.
“Are you PMSing?” I mutter.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about you falling for a man who will use you and then discard you.”
“Dino isn’t like that.”
Saskia frowns. “I think he is.”
“What are you basing that assessment on?”
“Everything you told me about Dino.”
“Well I didn’t know him when I told you those things.”
“And you know him now?” Saskia asks.
“Yes. I mean I know him better. Before he was just a dumb goomba. Now he’s a real person.”
“So, will he or won’t he dump you as soon as he gets bored of fucking you?”
“I don’t think he would.”
“And would you really care if he did.”
“Fucking duh.”
“So, if both of you have real feelings, what’s the problem?”
Rolling my eyes, I hate when Saskia pulls off the Band-Aid without even warning me.
“I guess there isn’t a problem.”
Harlow sighs loudly, signaling her impatience with Saskia’s help. Darla leans away from the screen as if to protect herself from the oncoming fight. Saskia smiles at their reactions. I shouldn’t laugh and encourage her bitchiness, but I can’t stop myself when she riles up the other girls.
“I care about Dino,” I admit after laughing myself
out.
Harlow nods. “Then give him a chance.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re looking for a way out,” Saskia says.
“Shut up.”
“I know you, and you don’t trust men.”
“I trusted Troy when we were together.”
“Unlikely. You said you didn’t think he could really fall for Darla.”
“Hey!” Darla cries.
“It wasn’t personal. I just didn’t think he had it in him.”
From the next room, Troy calls out, “I heard that!”
“Shut up. The girls are talking.”
“You have issues with men,” Saskia says.
All three women nod in unison. I can’t argue that my view of men isn’t positive. My father was a well-meaning idiot. My brother isn’t much better. Until recently, I viewed every man except Troy as the enemy.
“I trust Dino,” I mumble, shocking myself. “Why?”
“It’ll be okay,” Darla says. “I’m sure he’s worthy of your trust.”
“What are you basing that on?” I ask.
“You’re a good judge of character.”
“I was wrong about Troy.”
“Because you didn’t realize how awesome Darla was,” Harlow says.
Darla nods at this comment and Troy’s head appears next to hers so he can nod too.
“Dino’s going to tear out my heart and shit on it.”
“What are you basing that on?” Saskia asks.
“You’re getting on my nerves.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Talk amongst yourselves while I deal with how to get myself out of this situation.”
“No,” Saskia says and the rest of them, including Troy, shake their heads.
“I never once thought Dino might sell me out to someone on this job. I never thought he might take advantage of me while I slept. I never once counted my cash to see if he stole any while I was taking a piss. What in the hell am I thinking?”
“You’re not. You’re just feeling,” Troy says.
Harlow bursts into laughter. “Lame.”
Everyone laughs at Troy’s hokey attempt at wisdom. He’s right, though. I’ve been feeling with Dino since the beginning. Lust. Annoyance. Curiosity. More lust. Now this stronger version of lust that makes my heart tighten and stomach flutter. A wussy kind of lust, I guess.
“What if he breaks my heart?” I ask.
“Kick his ass,” Saskia says.
Darla gives me a sympathetic smile. “Cry until you can’t cry anymore.”
“Get drunk,” Troy adds.
Harlow leans into the screen. “Let us make you feel better. You’re not alone.”
“Your support is making me nauseous.”
Troy laughs and walks out of the room, but the girls look offended.
“Now that he’s gone, I’m really nervous about Dino.”
“It’s not him. It’s you.”
“I know. I’m fucked up.”
“Everyone’s fucked up.”
“I’ve never had my heart broken before. I almost did as a teenager, but when I thought the turd was going to dump me, I dumped him first. I still felt like a loser, and I cried all summer.”
“Dumping Dino isn’t the right move,” Saskia announces.
“He won’t let you go anyway,” Harlow says. “Dino strikes me as a stalker.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty damn possessive,” I murmur, smiling. “I really like him. Maybe I should dump him, though.”
Saskia rolls her eyes. “You’re being a wuss.”
“I know, but it’ll hurt if he dumps me.”
“You cried all summer when you dumped that turd. What did you really save yourself from?”
“Being humiliated.”
“If Dino dumps you, he’s a dumbass. How is that humiliating?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter, balling my fists. “I think I want to bail. You know, just to be careful.”
Saskia glares at me with her dark eyes. “Should I fly to wherever the hell you are and hold your hand through this idiotic panic attack?”
“As appealing as that sounds, I’m fine.”
“Don’t dump him.”
Harlow nods. “You’ll regret it.”
“You told me to face my fears,” Darla says, nearly wagging her finger in my face. “Don’t be a scared whiner.”
“Stop ganging up on me.”
The three of them stare at the cameras, silently judging me. Even Troy returns and leans into view to shake his head disapprovingly.
“Okay, I won’t. Now let’s talk about something else.”
“Promise first.”
“I promise I won’t dump him. Now someone else needs to talk.”
No one has anything to share. They’re only interested in Dino. Is he good in bed? How big is his dick? Does he make me sleep on the wet spot? I refuse to answer any of their questions.
Terrified, I realize I’ve fallen hard for Dino. He has all of the power, while I can only desperately hope he won’t crush my heart. I’m so fucked, but now I’ve made the stupid promise!
20
~ Minka ~
Make Me Believe
We arrive early at the biker bar in Hickory Creek called Salt Peanuts. Dino climbs out of the SUV and gestures for me to follow him. I remain in the car instead. My confidence is a mess since the conference call. I overanalyze his every smile and word until I’m a ball of tension.
“I can’t go in there yet,” I say when he opens my door and tugs me out.
“Afraid of redneck stink?”
“No. I’m afraid of you.”
Dino frowns, clearly unsure what to say. I press him against the SUV and grip his slick black shirt.
“I need you to give me something that proves you and I aren’t playing.”
“What do you want?”
“Tell me why you retired. I asked before, and you blew me off. I want to know.”
“Why?”
“I want to see you vulnerable like I feel.”
Dino slides his hands down my hair. “Chicks never cease to shock me with their weird emotion shit.”
“Do it or don’t, but save the insults.”
“Hey, don’t get so sensitive,” he says, digging his fingers into my hair and caressing my cheek with his thumbs. “I just don’t know where this is coming from.”
“You mean too much to me, and I’m feeling insecure. Think of this as a test. If you fail it, I’ll run away screaming like a dumbass. Did I make it clear enough?”
“You sure are sexy when you scream.”
“Is that your answer?”
Dino studies me, and I feel on display. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he finally smiles.
“No, but you gotta give me some emotional shit later tonight to make us even. We have a deal, Miss Apples?”
“Deal,” I say, still tugging at his shirt. “This is your fault for making me fall for you.”
“Yeah, I didn’t plan that out well enough.”
“Tell me why you quit,” I whisper, resting my head against his chest.
Music blasts from overhead speakers around the packed parking lot. All of the noise disappears except for his heartbeat and voice.
“I was a big fucking deal back in Jersey. You know how that works with these organizations. Everyone knows who you are and gets out of the way. You get free shit from people. Women throw themselves at you. Even if you want to fuck the wife of a normal schmo, he lets you. Fear was our currency more than cash. That’s the life I knew since I was eighteen. If I wanted something, I got it.”
The sound of departing Harleys forces us to turn to watch the men roar from the parking lot. Once they disappear around a corner, I look back at Dino.
“My father was hit by a car over a year ago. I loved my dad. When he died, I demanded revenge. That’s what we do. Someone fucks with us, and we fuck with them twice as hard. My father was killed by a hit and run driver, and I planned to
kill the asshole. Not quickly either. Those next few weeks after the funeral, I thought of a lot of ways to torture the asshole to death. I finally decided I would break every bone in his body and then bury him alive. I wanted the fucker to know every bit of pain.”
Wrapping him tighter in my arms, I ask, “Did your dad suffer?”
“No. He was walking across the street after work. When the car hit him, Dad bounced off the hood and hit his head on the curb. Probably died instantly, but that didn’t matter. He was my father, and I’m a made man. I don’t fucking let that shit slide.”
I kiss him gently. His dark gaze is angry, yet I know he’s still hurting about his dad. Everything he’s ever told me about his family screams tight-knit parents who frigging adored their kids.
“I found the guy after a few months of tracking leads. I picked a night to break into his house. I was going to fuck him up, you know?”
“Did you fuck him up?”
“He was an old guy,” Dino says in a rough voice. “Like my dad. When I broke in, the guy was sleeping. I stood in his living room where every wall was covered with pictures of him with his family. I saw pictures of him at his wife’s grave. I saw his grandkids holding balloons at a party. I saw them all together at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The guy’s entire fucking life was on the walls in those pictures. I looked at them, and I saw the guy as a real person, and I still wanted to torture and kill him.”
“Did you kill him?” I push when he doesn’t continue.
“I was gonna. I walked into his bedroom where he slept, and I had it all planned out. Then I saw him and…” Dino studies my face. “Don’t laugh.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I might if I was someone else listening.”
“Well, I’m not someone else. I’m Minka Mauve Appleby.”
“Mauve?”
“Don’t try to distract me.”
Dino smiles slightly, but he’s tense. “Well, Mauve, I see that old man curled up alone in that big bed, and I freeze up. He looks like my dad. I can imagine my father driving too fast one night and not seeing someone until it was too late. I think my dad would have stopped, but this old man probably panicked. Maybe he thought he hit one of the made men from around the area. I didn’t know why he kept going, but he was just an old man living alone.”
High Voltage (Ramsey Security Book 3) Page 11
