“I can show you where I was first felt up,” I say, taking his hand and pressing it against my breasts.
“I like to believe you were a virgin before me. Let’s not allow facts to interfere with my fantasy.”
“Can I imagine you as a virgin too? I might have been wrong about that not being sexy.”
“Apples, you can imagine anything you want, but we’re going to see your mom. I want that done.”
Yanking free of his groping hand, I mutter, “Shouldn’t it be up to me?”
“Back when you were alone, sure, but now you’re my woman, and I make the calls.”
“You want me to smack you.”
“A little bit. You’re sexy when rough.”
Laughing, I sit back while he drives us to the hotel. I know he’s right about facing my fears. Knowing and doing are different things, and I really want to procrastinate.
“I’ll see if Rafael wants us to stick around longer,” I say as we walk into the room.
“He won’t, and we’re leaving tomorrow.”
“You’re so bossy.”
“I’ve been waiting for months to get my hands on you. Now that I have you, I don’t want anything distracting you from me.”
“Do you ever listen to the things you say?”
“No,” he says, flopping on the bed. “Let’s cuddle and talk about cuddling.”
“I’m cuddled out.”
Dino glares at me, so I glare back at him. “What is your problem?”
Dino only frowns harder. I finally laugh at his expression. “Is this because of Hayes?”
“You were too nice to him. I need to stink you up with my scent again.”
“Okay,” I say, crawling into bed, “but I’m tired and likely won’t appreciate your efforts.”
“You say that now. Then in twenty minutes you’ll break the headboard. I’m on to your bullshit.”
Giggling as his lips suck at my throat, I still want to bail on the trip to see my mom. I’ve lived years without facing this fear, and I’m in no hurry to do anything about it now. With Dino at my side, I’ll likely ace the test. I’m just unsure if he’ll find me quite so intoxicating when he realizes the shithole I crawled out of years ago.
29
~ Dino ~
Let’s Go Already!
Minka sits across from me at the local Waffle House. She’s edgy about visiting her mother. I want to be sympathetic, but I’m sick of White Horse and these hotels. We need to face the grifter in Salem before we return to Houston.
“I was waitressing at a strip club when I did my first job,” Minka says softly. “The target was the husband of one of the strippers, and he was always beating on her. She constantly came in crying because he’d yell at her or slap her before work. I asked why she didn’t leave, and she said he wouldn’t let her.”
“You are such a do-gooder.”
Minka leans her head back against the wall and smiles at me. “It looked like a suicide. He blew his brains out while drunk. Not so different than our deputy friends.”
“A tried and true method.”
“She cried when he died. I don’t know why I expected her to be happy. I guess because I would have been, but she cried and cried. She ended up getting fired for always crying. I only worked there a few more months before I was recruited by a guy who hung out at the club. I thought he was just a loser like most customers, but he was an operator.”
Minka takes a sip of her hot coffee and looks a little sad remembering. “His name was Corey, and he somehow figured out what I’d done. He liked how I didn’t freak out afterward or look guilty. Corey was recruiting since he claimed to be too old to take assignments. I thought he was full of shit, but he was the real deal. I ended up flying to Miami for my first job. Soon I was traveling all over the world, and I eventually met Troy, and we partnered up. Later, we met Rafael at an airport, and the dots all connected. Now I’m here with you.”
“A happy ending if I ever heard of one.”
Minka smiles at my comment, but the past is still bugging her. “I went back to the club years later. At first, I wasn’t sure why, but I guess I wanted to know what happened to that girl. Before I’d left, she’d gotten her job back. I’m sure there were some favors given, but she returned and promised only to cry during her off hours.”
“When you visited, was she still crying?”
“Yes, but because her new boyfriend beats her.”
“Bad habits die hard.”
“I wondered then if people could ever really change.”
“If they want to, I’m sure they can.”
“What about us?” Minka asks, looking tired. “Do you think we can do the marriage and kid routine after so long of doing other things?”
I lean forward and reach for her hand. “That was my job, not me. When I felt it becoming me, I walked away. You retired because you wanted to fall in love and have a family. We wanted to change, so we changed. We’re not the crying girl.”
“I hope you’re right. I’d hate to build something with you only to destroy it.”
“Not going to happen,” I say, patting her hand before sitting back. “You’re not self-destructive. Neither am I.”
Minka smiles slightly, and I realize she can’t truly be free to move on until she faces her greatest fear.
The Reapers aren’t nearly as scary as Minka’s mom. Not to me anyway. They do look fucking grumpy as if they didn’t sleep well.
“You should be happy, boys,” Minka says as we walk outside the Waffle House to meet them. “You won.”
“That we did,” Vaughn mutters. “Are you leaving town?”
“Today,” I announce. “Do you have this situation handled?”
“Yeah. Already got a new sheriff lined up. Operations should be back up in a few weeks.”
“And Black?” I ask.
Judd smirks. “He’ll go away on his own until one day someone makes him go away permanently. He’s made too many enemies to live a long, healthy life.”
“Sorry if the Arizona thing upset you,” Minka tells Vaughn. “I hadn’t realized Rafael considered you guys his friends. Or that you were such sensitive weenies in need of that much hand holding.”
“You’re a natural peacemaker.”
“You’re too kind, but my man doesn’t like when other men compliment me.”
The three bikers look at me, and I shake my head.
“What about the Hickory Creek bikers?” Minka asks.
“They know their place for now. Eventually, they’ll want us out of their state, but today ain’t that day.”
Nodding, I wrap an arm around Minka’s shoulders. “It’s been fun, but we want to get the hell out of here.”
“Thanks for the help,” Tucker says, and I wonder if he’s talking to Minka. He doesn’t seem like he’s paying attention to either of us.
“Why does he look like he’ll cry?” Minka asks.
“He misses his woman and kid.”
“Aww, that’s adorable.”
“We’re leaving,” I say, turning her away from them. “Don’t look back,” I tell Minka.
Being the woman I love, she, of course, looks back and waves at the three men.
“You’re a pain in the ass,” I mutter, opening the door for her.
“Hey, I was just gonna say that about you.”
I give her a quick yet deep kiss. A little reminder about who she belongs to and how I won’t be replaced. Minka smiles once my lips leave hers.
“Your insecurity is hot. Let’s find a hotel.”
“We’re leaving Redneck Paradise and heading north.”
Now pouting, Minka crosses her arms and ignores me as I join her in the car. We pull out of the parking lot while the bikers walk inside for breakfast. Driving as fast as I can, I dodge anyone going the speed limit until we reach the highway and I can finally put White Horse in the rearview.
30
~ Minka ~
For Fuck’s Sake
The green hous
e doesn’t look much different than when I ran off years ago. Wind chimes hang from the too-low screened porch. A cat sleeps on the old rocking chair Gilda got at a yard sale when I was in eighth grade. I remember how she conned the owner into basically giving it away. Like many men, he’d been a sucker for a woman’s tears.
“I think I might vomit,” I admit, standing stuck at the fence.
“I’ll hold your hair.”
Even wanting to smile, I don’t manage. “I could freak out. What then?”
“I’ll make a video, and we’ll laugh about it later. Now get going. That cat is watching us, and it doesn’t look friendly.”
“I don’t know that cat.”
“It’s been a long time since you lived here.”
Leaning back against him, I whisper, “Doesn’t feel so long ago.”
“Because you’re half stuck in the past. Time to cut that shit loose and be fully in the now.”
“What if it doesn’t go well?”
“It probably won’t. That’s not the point, and you know it. Now stop stalling.”
I walk past the raggedy wooden fence. I remember when my brother painted it white the last summer he lived in Salem. Taz told me the fence was his goodbye gift to our mother. She hadn’t appreciated it, regularly complaining that white fences were ugly and showed dirt too easily. I think she was really just angry about Taz leaving. Just like Verina left. Everyone left her because staying was fucking suffocating.
I stop at the porch steps and look at the sleeping cat. My dog, Baby, didn’t like cats. I knew he was long dead, but seeing the cat brings the reality home.
“I wish I took my dog with me.”
“You couldn’t take care of it.”
“No, but he was mine.”
Dino leans into my ear and whispers, “Then why leave him?”
I realize my cheeks are wet. Wiping them angrily, I sigh. “I didn’t want her to be alone, and he was a good dog.”
Taking my hand, he walks up to the door and knocks. I’m surprised Gilda hasn’t already appeared. She always knew when people were around the house. The woman can simply sense trespassers. It was her gift. Like crying on cue and having sticky fingers.
“Who’s there?” Gilda says even though she knows we’re coming.
“It’s Minka.”
“Oh!” she cries.
The big wooden door opens, and my mother’s face appears. She isn’t as old as I imagined. For a moment, I don’t recognize her, though. I think it’s the curly red hair.
“You came back,” she says, hugging me tightly.
Despite everything I promised myself, I hug her back and begin crying. My mommy loves and misses me!
Gilda looks at Dino and smiles sheepishly. Wiping away my tears, I continue to cry, but my brain is desperate to run the show. Don’t trust her! Gilda lies! It’s all she knows how to do! Run!
My heart only wants to make nice with the lady who gave me life.
“Hello,” Gilda says, shaking Dino’s hand.
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Call me Gilda.”
Dino flashes a heavenly smile at her, and my brain again screams for me to wake the fuck up. She’s flirting with him! Punch her in the face and run!
We walk inside the house, and I’m overwhelmed with nostalgia. The potpourri scent fills my nostrils, and I hear the sad melody of the grandmother clock ticking. This house was where Taz, Verina, and I played before we were old enough to know where the toys came from. I still remember the last time Santa visited and how angry I was about the necklace in my stocking. Weeks earlier, I’d seen the nice woman at the food bank wearing it.
“What are you doing these days?” Gilda asks as we sit across from her.
I watch her rocking in a brand new La-Z-Boy chair. The couch under my ass is leather. Funny how well she lives with only her settlement from a slip and fall accident she suffered ten years back. Was Verina sending her money? I knew Taz couldn’t afford to help. Did the supposedly disabled Gilda have a few side businesses?
“We’re in security,” I finally say, knowing she regularly speaks with my big-mouth sister.
“Is this your boyfriend?” Gilda asks, laughing behind her hand.
“Fiancé,” Dino says immediately. “We’re getting married soon.”
“Oh, really, when? Will it be somewhere close?”
“We haven’t decided,” I mutter.
Noticing me shiver, Gilda looks a little embarrassed. “Sorry about the cold, but keeping up with the heating costs got to be too much. I was going to put on a fire, but I forgot.” Gilda sighs. “My mind ain’t what it used to be.” Her eyes moisten as she looks at me. “You probably think I’m a mess.”
“What happened to Baby?”
Gilda’s thrown off by my question. Her expression freezes while she catches up to the shift in my mood. Tears are flowing again as she points to a picture on the mantle.
“He kept me company after you left. Even scared off more than one burglar. He was such a good dog, but the years caught up to him as they have with me.”
Without thinking, I stand up and stare at her. I want to yell something. Or accuse her. I want to say something, but I can’t. Frustrated, I storm out of the house and stand in the yard where Dino joins me.
“That went better than I expected,” he says, studying the street.
“She’s fucking playing me. No way can she not pay the heating bill. She’s just playing me. Me! Like I’d be stupid enough not to notice the new furniture or her fucking hair.”
Dino cups my face. “That’s who she is. That’s who she’ll always be. I know you hoped she’d magically changed, but you’re not stupid. You knew she’d pull something.”
“Yeah, but I hoped she’d wait until we visited a few times. Maybe she’d go to the wedding and fake an injury for sympathy. Fuck. I thought she’d put more effort into scamming her own daughter. It’s rude for her to half-ass it so much.”
Dino kisses my forehead. “No doubt she’s a horrible host. Didn’t even offer us coffee that she might spike so she could steal our wallets. Maybe she’d blame home invaders or squirrels.”
I laugh even though I’m still pissed. “We do have a lot of squirrels around here.”
“So her lie wouldn’t be too farfetched.”
“My family is full of losers,” I mumble, feeling like one of them.
“Naw. You have a lying, cheating mother, but otherwise, your family ain’t so different than most. Your dad was a sap, but being a nice guy isn’t a flaw. Your brother likes bad women. A lot of men have that problem. Your sister married a dork and had ugly kids. Nothing weird about that.”
Laughing again, I smack his arm lightly. “Her kids aren’t ugly.”
“They ain’t cute, Apples. I saw the pictures, and they look like their dad. Oh, well, not everyone can be good looking. I’m sure they’re lovely people, and he treats her okay.”
“He does. She made a good life for herself. Boring, but she’s happy.”
“You made a good life for yourself too. I bet even your stupid brother is happy most days.”
Smiling easier now, I look at the house. “We did have some fun times here.”
“Here’s what I think,” he says, stepping behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “You need to forgive your mom. She’s a loser, sure, but she’s who she is. Just let it go. Stop hoping for her to be more. I’m not saying I want to see her again or have her over for the holidays, but you need to let go of that bad feeling inside.”
“She’s embarrassing.”
“Mostly because you’re Romani and she’s a grifter. If you were French, would this even be an issue? She’d just be the loser in your family.”
“True.”
“Let’s go back inside and let her cry for us. We’ll say we’ll call her when we’re back in Houston and make plans for her to visit. She’ll think you fell for her bullshit. You’ll get out of there without too much drama. Hell, you can even hug her ag
ain while I snag that picture of your dog.”
Turning around to hug him, I stare into his dark eyes. “Will you snag a few pictures of my siblings and me too? I like that one where we’re eating ice cream.”
“Consider it snagged.”
“I love you.”
“As you should.”
Laughing again, I kiss him gently. He returns the kiss without pushing for passion. I’m vulnerable, and he’s my anchor. Sex isn’t what I need. His heart is what keeps me sane and brave. Dino talks a lot of bullshit, but he knows me better than I know myself now.
31
~ Dino ~
The Best Women in the World
My mother doesn’t cause the same kind of drama as Minka’s. A month after we return to Houston, I invite Mom to visit. She hates to fly and thinks Texas is full of cowboys, but she’ll go anywhere to meet her son’s future wife. I can’t wait to show Minka off, but my woman isn’t sure how to feel about the meeting.
“I’m not Italian,” she says as we wait at the airport.
“What? This is the kind of info you should have fucking told me, woman.”
Smiling at my teasing, she crosses her arms. “I’m nervous, okay?”
“Look, Apples, I love my mom, and she’s an amazing woman, but I’m marrying you even if she thinks you’re the worst person in the world. I want what I want, and nothing is changing my mind.”
Minka’s smile grows, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders.
“Feel better?” I ask, kissing the top of her head.
“Extremely.”
My mother is one of the first people to appear past the checkpoint. I bought her a first class ticket, and I know she plays up her hip to get out of long lines. Gilda isn’t the only sneaky mother I know.
Mom’s gray and brown hair is wrapped into a stylish bun. I know she went to the salon before the flight. She’s as nervous as Minka about making a good impression.
I hug Mom tightly as soon as she’s in reach. I’m careful with her prim red dress, knowing she put a lot of thought into this get-up. I spent an hour earlier with Minka choosing clothes.
“Mom, this is Minka.”
The women smile nervously at each other.
High Voltage (Ramsey Security Book 3) Page 16
