“You scared me,” he growls against my neck in a reprimanding way, making the nerves between my legs wake up.
“I’m sorry.” I turn my head so that our lips are almost touching, looking into his eyes.
“Don’t do it again,” he grunts before practically bruising my lips with a powerful kiss. “Did you do what you needed to do?”
I nod my head and turn my body towards him so I can run a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
“It’s okay. You wanna go out for supper tonight?”
I shake my head.
“Let’s order in tonight,” I say, while I leave a trail of kisses down his neck. “That way we won’t have to wait for dessert.”
“Hmm, sounds like a plan.”
“Speaking of dessert, there’s this new place in the Central Village that just opened a few weeks ago. The Fort Maple Kitchen. Have you heard of it?” I lean back to look at him, appreciating the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”
“Have you been?”
He shakes his head, the smile now gone and his usual stoicism back in place.
“Will you take me?”
“Sure.”
“This Friday? Like a date?” I beam at him with an excited smile.
“I thought we skipped the whole dating phase?” he teases, to which I slap his chest in response.
“Fine,” he agrees with a soft chuckle. “I’ll take you on a date, pretty girl.”
Thirty-Seven
Franklin
I look up when she enters the room wearing a black dress that brings out her curves in all the right ways. The sleeves are long, wrapping around her toned arms, and the waistband accentuates her slender figure before the fabric flares out over her hips.
Her make-up is slightly darker than normal, showing off her blue eyes. I drag my teeth over my lower lip, ignoring my dick’s reaction as I whistle through my teeth.
“Damn.”
“Is that good or bad?” she asks, strutting towards me in her black heels.
She wraps her arms around my neck while I wrap mine around her waist, her floral perfume invading my senses.
“Definitely good. You look gorgeous, baby. Are you ready?”
She lets out a troubled sigh, making me frown before the corners of her mouth turn up in a big smile.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
A few minutes later, we’re seated in the backseat while my chauffeur drives us to the restaurant. I grab her hand, giving it a tight squeeze before I bring it up to press a kiss on top of it.
“I like this,” I confess.
“Like what?”
“Dating you. You getting dressed up for me. Being able to show you off.”
The little minx sticks her tongue out at me.
“You talk like I’m one of your horses.”
“You’re definitely prettier than my horses,” I respond dryly before she pulls back, slowly looking me up and down.
“I like you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Relaxed. Fun. Joking with me. Playing with me. I like seeing the Franklin that no one else gets. Like this version is reserved just for me.” The look in her eyes changes as if she says the words with a heavy heart, so I reach over, stroking her cheek with the back of my hand.
“I am reserved just for you, Kenny,” I assure her as the car stops in front of The Fort Maple Kitchen.
“We’re here, sir,” my chauffeur says from the front seat.
“Thank you. Just park around the back. I’ll text you when we’re ready to leave.” I let go of Kendall’s hand to get out of the car before I offer her my arm to help her out. She locks her arm with mine, and I take the moment to press a kiss against her temple. “I can’t wait to peel this dress off your body when we get home.”
She releases a chuckle as we walk into the restaurant where we’re greeted by the host.
“Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?”
“Wolfe.”
Recognition flashes in his eyes before he gives me a tight smile.
“Right. Of course. Follow me, sir.” I glance around the restaurant while he leads us through it. It seems quiet for a Friday night, with only three groups of people sitting at the shining black tables.
A few faces look at us as we walk through the restaurant, some nodding at me in recognition, though I don’t acknowledge them.
The host leads us to a section in the back of the restaurant that’s vacant and separated by a translucent room divider, giving us the privacy I prefer, yet the vision I need to stay in control of my surroundings.
“Here you go, sir.” He guides us to a small table in the middle of the area. “I’ll make sure you won’t be disturbed. Can I get you a bottle of wine to start with?” He pulls out Kendall’s chair, and she gives him a friendly smile as she takes the seat while I sit down across from her.
“A whiskey for me. And a vodka lime for my girl.”
“Yes, sir.” He nods before he takes off, then I stand up, lifting my chair and moving it so I’m next to her seat instead of across.
“This is really nice.” She places her hand over mine. Her cheeks are a little flushed, a wary look detectable in her eyes.
“It is. Who told you about this place?”
“Oh, Josie told me about it, a few weeks back.”
We make small talk until the server comes back with our drinks. I eagerly grab my glass, holding it up in the air to make a toast. She mimics my move, grabbing her glass and lifting it up while she breathes out through her nose and forces a tight smile.
“To you, Kenny. I’m a lucky bastard to have found you.”
“It’s only been five weeks. May not want to jump to conclusions.” She makes the joke, but she looks like something is nagging at her. “With me around, your luck can turn any second.”
I lean in, bringing my lips close to hers.
“Stop trying to push me away. I told you, there is no stopping me. You’re mine. Get used to it.”
She opens her mouth to say something when I hear a commotion coming from the main dining area of the restaurant. When I turn my head towards the sound, I hear Kendall gasp for air. I watch as Emerson walks through the door, followed by eight of his men, guns drawn.
“Everybody out,” he hollers, his command reverberating through the restaurant.
They all get up, scurrying out of the restaurant while I mentally prepare myself for what may happen as I quickly glance around, looking for options.
“Oh God,” Kendall cries in a whisper next to me.
My attention snaps to hers, looking into her eyes with an intense focus. I need her to stay calm and follow my lead, or this whole thing will go to shit.
“Relax. Breathe.”
She nods wildly before she grabs her glass, taking a big gulp of the clear liquor just as Emerson reaches our table, giving us both a stomach-churning smile.
“Sweetheart! I hope I haven’t kept you waiting. How are you holding up?” His focus being on Kendall has me clenching my jaw in anger while my mind races to process his words. His boys strategically line themselves up, making it impossible for us to leave the restaurant, not that I was planning on going anywhere, anyway. I’ll avoid any massacre at any time, but I sure as fuck won’t run with my tail between my legs either. The move makes me chuckle, thinking about how predictable Emerson is, yet also realizing we’re in a pretty fucked up situation.
Kendall closes her eyes as if she can’t bear to watch the scene that’s about to unfold. Her throat bobs as she opens her eyes again, giving me an apologetic look that has the grip she’s had on my heart tighten by the second. I grab her wrist, trying to reassure her, but she shakes her head, ripping her arm out of my grasp, the tears welling up in her eyes.
Suddenly, it’s like my body is grounded in place as a heaviness seeps into my muscles. I blink, yet whether my eyes are closed or not, I keep seeing the same image.<
br />
Killian’s face appears behind my retinas, telling me I can’t trust her. Killian’s advice has always guided me, but I let my heart take over this time. Even though I knew it was stupid as fuck. My nails leave indentations in my palms as I fist my hands tight.
I gave her my heart, believing she’d take care of it, and now all I can do is watch as she holds it in her hands, having no clue what she’s going to do with it. I internally shake my head, realizing the mistake I’ve made by putting my life in the hands of a woman I’ve known for only five weeks. Ever since I was little, I worked my ass off to give my brothers what they deserve, to make sure their kids would have a better start at life than we had, and now, when I’m almost there, I’m letting it all get fucked up by a woman. I reach into the side pocket of my slacks, hoping they won’t notice as I press the button on the side of my cell, making sure it will dial the latest caller.
This better fucking work.
Emerson holds out his hand, and she grabs it, averting her gaze before he tugs her under his arm. I keep a straight face, taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm while surrounded by his army of douchebags. Calmly, I hold my drink in my hand, swirling the liquid around while I wait for him to talk, avoiding looking at Kendall.
“Have you been good to my girl?” he jibes, making me squeeze my glass so tight, I’m surprised it doesn’t shatter.
“Better than you have.”
“I doubt that. Otherwise she wouldn’t be coming back to me, right?”
I don’t answer, pressing my lips into a flat line, glancing at Kendall. She looked gorgeous when we walked out the door. The strong, beautiful young woman I fell in love with the first time I walked into The Library. She piqued my interest instantly, even though she was hiding her fierce personality under a thick shield of insecurity, making me desperate to break down her walls. I hate how she turns into a shy little kitten when Emerson Jones comes around the corner, since she’s a fucking panther when she’s at her full capacity.
I wait patiently until she glances back at me, our eyes locking in a silent conversation.
“Is she? Going back to you?” I question him, arrogantly cocking my head.
He narrows his eyes on me before shooting me a bored look, unaware of Kendall’s hand moving towards her thigh while I maintain my tight scowl.
“What does it look like?” He presses his lips on her hair, his eyes still locked with mine. I break out in a chuckle when I realize what is going to happen. He just looks at me in confusion.
In a split second, Kendall pushes away from him, grabbing the gun out of her thigh holster and aiming it at him. His eyes widen in shock, yet before he can react, she shoots him in the knee, making him crumple to the floor, then points it back at his head. I take this moment to grab my gun and point it in front of me. His men now on edge with their guns cocked, taking a step closer, ready to fire.
Before anyone else can, I pull the trigger, firing a bullet above Emerson’s head as a warning.
“Don’t move,” I roar to the men who are now frozen, looking at their leader with severe displeasure on their faces. The shot literally brought Emerson to his knees, yelping in pain while cursing out all kinds of shit in anguish.
“You stupid bitch,” he spits in anger while Kendall keeps her gun pointed at his head.
She looks fierce as fuck, and my heart fills with pride, knowing she’s all mine.
For a moment there, I doubted her, thinking she was going to fuck me over in the end. Fuck, the amount of stress I endured in those ten seconds probably took off at least five years of my life. But as soon as I saw her reaching for the gun I’d given her, that all disappeared, replaced by a feeling of triumph, knowing it took a lot for her to find the courage to defy Emerson like she’s doing.
Now all I have to do is get us out of here alive.
I lean back in my seat, taking a sip of my drink while I glare at Emerson, who’s still giving me an evil look while he holds his leg in pain.
“It looks like you put your eggs in the wrong basket, Emerson.”
His eyes rise up to Kendall, any affection he had for her thirty seconds ago now completely gone.
“I should’ve known you were going to fuck me over.”
“Oh, shut up, Em. I’ve done everything you ever wanted. For years, you tormented me and terrorized me, only to butter me up when you felt like it. You treated me like shit while I kissed the ground you walked on. But no more. I’m done.” I’m so proud of the ferocity emanating from her as she spits all of this at him.
I quickly glance towards the entrance of the restaurant when I hear the sound of footsteps, finding a black-haired girl running in with a panicked look on her face.
“Stop!”
Josie.
Kendall and I share a confused look, keeping our guns in the air while she pushes through the human wall to get to Kendall and Emerson.
“This has to end! Kendall, don’t do it. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” She moves next to Kendall, looking down at Emerson with a pleading look on her face while I narrow my eyes at her, not sure what to make out of the situation. “Just put the gun down, and let these bastards fight it out. You’ve got him now, Emerson. Let Kendall walk. We’ll go back to Alabama.”
Emerson grunts in response while I monitor the situation in front of me. I subtly shake my head at Kendall when she glances at me in question, not sure what’s going on either.
Kendall turns her attention back to Josie.
“I’m sorry, Josie,” she says, the emotion in her voice clear. “You’re right. This has to stop. But Emerson will never let me go. He will always try to control me.”
“Please!” Josie tries again.
“No.” The finality in her voice fills me with pride. When the pleading look on Josie’s face is quickly replaced by a cunning glare, I suck in a surprised breath.
That little bitch.
She pulls a gun from her back pocket, placing it against Kendall’s forehead.
“Josie, what the fuck are you doing?”
“You wouldn’t listen.” Josie shrugs a shoulder. “Lower your gun.”
The tone of her voice is calm, completely clear of worry. Kendall’s concerned face moves back and forth between Josie and Emerson, who is now grinning at me with an evil smirk.
“Josie, you know how badly Emerson treated me. He hit me. He terrorized me. You’re the one who told me to leave him so many times.” It’s clear that Kendall is totally perplexed as she looks at her best friend. I can see how she’s struggling to keep it together, wanting to stay strong but not knowing what to do.
“You fucking deserved it. You’re a little girl, always needing someone else to tell you what to do. He quickly got sick of you, but you were like a little puppy, following him around even when he kicked you to the curb. Multiple times.”
Thirty-Eight
Kendall
I blink in shock as I take in Josie’s words.
“You fucking deserved it. You’re a little girl, always needing someone else to tell you what to do. He quickly got sick of you, but you were like a little puppy, following him around even when he kicked you to the curb. Multiple times.”
I shake my head, my breath hitching as I do my best to ignore the dizzy feeling in my head. I squeeze the grip of the gun, feeling the cold sweat forming on my palms as I turn my head to fully face Josie. Her dark blue eyes are glaring at me, while the corner of her mouth is curled in a snarling grin, similar to the one Emerson used to give me on a daily basis. My skin feels tight on my body, slowly suffocating me while the last few years of my life with Josie flash through my mind.
Brief moments when she would fight with Emerson… Can I trust my memories? I have no clue what’s wrong and what’s right, what’s real and what’s fake until her words fully sink in.
‘He quickly got sick of you.’
“Oh my God, you’re sleeping with him.” My eyes widen in shock.
“Ding. Ding. Ding. Sweet Jesus, it took
you long enough.”
“What the hell? How long?” I demand through my teeth. I barely get the words over my lips, my voice crackly as fuck from the dryness forming in my mouth.
She rolls her eyes at me with a smug grin, as if she’s enjoying my naivety.
“What? You really thought you were the reason I moved out to Boston with y’all?” Josie says with spite. I turn my head towards Emerson, who is now looking up at me with a guilty expression, pursing his lips in aggravation when he looks at Josie. “I told you she would screw you over, Em baby.”
“Shut up, Josie,” he growls.
Her eyes darken at his words, and she cocks the gun, making me flare my nostrils.
All these years, I didn’t just get played by the man I loved, but also by my best friend. Fucking my boyfriend behind my back like a fucking skank.
I take a deep breath, resisting the urge to slam the grip of my gun against her face when I hear a soft growl behind me, reminding me that Franklin’s still sitting at the table, literally having my back.
Thank fuck I listened to my heart instead of my head.
I saw the uncertainty in his eyes when Emerson walked in, but nothing made me more confident about finally closing this chapter of my life than the love of Franklin Wolfe. He didn’t just build me up; he showed me what kind of foundation was hidden behind the thick walls I had surrounded myself with. He showed me I was worth loving when I’ve been surrounding myself with people who don’t know the meaning of the word. I was scared as fuck when I told him how Emerson had me in his grip after he shot Nigel. But even though my mind told me to run, to hide, and never come back, the thought of a life without Franklin by my side was more terrifying than the wrath the Wolfes may have descended on me after confessing my true agenda.
He saw me from the very first moment he walked into The Library, truly saw me, and he never took his eyes off me. It has been only five weeks since he took a seat at my bar, but if I have any say in it, we’ll be together for the rest of our lives.
Franklin: A Boston Mafia Romance (The Boston Wolfes) Page 23
